Michelle Payne remains upbeat about 2016 Melbourne Cup

Michelle Payne

MICHELLE Payne became a household name when she won the 2015 Melbourne Cup aboard despised outsider Prince Of Penzance, but after another life-threatening fall this year, should she consider hanging up the boots?

Since winning the Melbourne Cup, Payne has been more of star off the track than on it. She has spent a large majority of her time fulfilling media engagements and promoting women in horse racing, so is now a good time to call it quits following her bad fall on Mildura on May 23?

Payne continues to improve after having pancreatic surgery which was needed to save her pancreas, and that’s great news, but despite her history with life-threatening injuries, Payne said she still has the “fire in her belly”. The 30-year-old was supposed to leave the hospital on Wednesday, but her father, Paddy, was unsure if she would after having a rough morning.

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Despite her injuries, Payne is showing the spirit which has made her such a beloved figure in racing and she is looking forward to defending the Melbourne Cup with Prince Of Penzance.

“The main thing is to get better but at this stage I still have the fire in the belly for another spring carnival,” Payne said. “A binder will help protect my organs and the scar for the next month or so when I start training again.”

Payne is not expected to release an official statement about her riding career for at least another month, but champion trainer of Prince Of Penzance, Darren Weir, hopes she can back to full health. There has been plenty said about the relationship of Weir and Payne since the 2015 Melbourne Cup, with many scribes stating that Weir was frustrated by Payne’s lack of race day riding.

Payne had been on a media whirlpool in the month’s that followed and her riding career on the track took a hit. Weir did engage Payne to ride Prince Of Penzance when it resumed last month.

“I haven’t spoken to her about [her future], but the word around is she’s pretty keen to do it again,” Weir said. “She works for us and does quite a bit of riding for us but we’ve just been updated about how she’s going through social media and the stable talks to a family member to see how she’s getting on.

“She’s in good spirits and I think she’s keen to ride again so she must be feeling alright.”

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Payne will be hoping to partner Prince Of Penzance for a tilt at the 2016 Melbourne Cup and Weir said the ride would likely be hers if she’s fit.

“It’s the owner’s decision at the end of the day, who they want to put on, but I’m sure if she is fit and well and riding well, they won’t have a problem with doing that,” Weir said. “There’s a lot of time to go before decisions are made.”

Michelle Payne’s family have been pushing for her to retire after a series of nasty falls. Payne fractured her skull in 2004, broke four vertebrae and ribs in 2012 and damaged her spleen last month. Paddy Payne said the decision would ultimately be Michelle’s.

“She’s got to make up her own mind, weight up everything that is going on,” Payne said. “If she keeps going, it’s OK. But if she decides to give it up, well that’s OK as well.”

Prince Of Penzance resumed with a fast-finishing second in the Group 3 R.A Lee Stakes at Morphettville and it now a $34 chance at Sportsbet.com.au to retain its Melbourne Cup title. Payne was injured just two days after that resuming run, but made comment about the possibility of going back-to-back.

“It’s obviously very hard to win one, let alone two, but he’s a special horse, so who knows?” Payne said.

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