Michelle Payne dumped from Prince of Penzance
Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne has been dumped from Prince of Penzance ahead of the upcoming Melbourne spring carnival.
Owner John Richards said earlier in the week that it would be tough for Payne to retain the ride aboard Prince of Penzance, the horse she won the Melbourne Cup on last year, and he today confirmed that Payne will not be aboard the champion stayer.
Payne was quick to express her disappointment on Twitter, which has since been deleted.
Payne’s tweet suggests her riding career could be at an end, but there are no confirmed reports.
Payne was seriously injured in a race fall at Mildura earlier this year and has been on the sidelines since, but the troubles started immediately after her biggest career win when she spoke out about the joyous owners in her Melbourne Cup-winning speech.
Her relationship with Darren Weir also took a hit as Payne seemed reluctant to fully commit to riding in the months that followed. Understandably, the media commitments Payne had to fulfill were demanding, but it left a sour taste in the racing fraternity.
No rider has been named for Prince of Penzance’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes start.