Michelle Payne 

29 September 1985 -

JOCKEY and Trainer

Michelle after winning the Melbourne Cup in 2015 - the first female jockey to win this race.

Introduction

Michelle Payne is an Australian jockey and trainer, and in 2015 became the first female jockey to ever win the Melbourne Cup.

Michelle was born on the 29th of September, 1985, and was the youngest daughter of Paddy and Mary Payne. She grew up on the family farm at Miners Rest, Victoria near Ballarat.

The Payne family and two friends. Michelle is held by her father, Paddy.
(Source: No longer available from News API)

When Michelle was six months old, her mother died in a car accident, leaving her father to raise ten children as a single parent. Older sisters Therese and Bernadette played a big role in raising the Payne children.

Michelle as an infant, sitting on sister Theresa’s lap.
(Source: Herald Sun - no longer available on Internet )

From a young age Michelle dreamt of being a winning jockey, even telling friends that she would one day win the Melbourne Cup (S ). She was desperate to ride horses, waking up furious at her father if he had gone to the stables without her.

Michelle dressed as a Jockey, aged 4. From Michelle's book "Life as I know it". (Source: Herald Sun)
Michelle and Stevie (Source: ABC)

Education

She attended Our Lady Help of Christians primary school, Ballarat. Michelle Payne attended Loreto College Ballarat from 1998 – 2000, making the tough decision at the end of Year 9 to leave her school and friends in order to pursue her dream of becoming a professional jockey, following in the footsteps of seven of her ten siblings.

Employment, Training & Experiences

Following in the footsteps of seven of her brothers and sisters, Michelle’s first competitive race was in Ballarat at just 15, riding Reigning- a horse trained by her father.

In 2004, at just 18, Michelle came 11th in the Torbek Handicap in Sandown. Just 100 metres from the winning post the horse she was riding collapsed suddenly, causing her to fall. She sustained a fractured skull and bruising to her brain.

Following this fall, her father Paddy wanted to announce her retirement-as did her siblings. For the first time, Payne shared in their doubts about her future.

“For a while, I wondered if I would ever ride again after the fall. It was awful. I couldn’t concentrate. I had no short-term memory. I just couldn’t think. It wasp probably like that for two months. After three months, I noticed a difference. I didn’t want to give up.”

“I would have been more than happy to see her give it up. She’d had a good go, but it’s something that she’s determined to succeed at.”
Paddy Payne, 2005.

In chasing her dream Michelle has endured many significant difficulties along the way, including a number of serious falls, but she has always shown great determination to be regarded as one of the best jockeys in Australia.

Challenges

Michelle’s career hasn’t been without challenges. In March 2004 at the age of just 18, Michelle was pulling up her mount Vladivostok, having just finished 11th in the Torbek Handicap at Sandown. 100 metres past the winning post the horse fell suddenly, sending Michelle head first into the turf. The incident left Michelle with a fractured skull and bruising to her brain.

Michelle suffered two further serious falls in 2012 and in May 2016, just months after winning the 2015 Melbourne Cup, Michelle suffered yet another life threatening fall at Mildura. This time Michelle required pancreatic surgery and a long recovery, before yet another inspiring comeback to racing.

(Source: Victorian Racing Club )

Her Wins

Michelle won her first Group One race, the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield Racecourse in 2009. Following this win, trainer Bart Cummings offered her a place in the Caulfield Cup the next week. Payne took the offer, and was the third female jockey to ever ride in the Cup. The horse placed 16th in the field of 23.

In 2010, Michelle rode Yosei to victory in the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield.

Michelle’s affinity for horses has seen her ride over 700 winners, including five Group One’s –

Toorak Handicap (2009) – Allez Wonder
Produce Stakes (2010) – Yosei
The Thousand Guineas (2010) – Yosei
Tattersall’s Tiara (2011) – Yosei
Melbourne Cup (2015) – Prince of Penzance

In 2015, aged 30, she rode straight into the history books on board Prince of Penzance, becoming the first female jockey ever to win the Melbourne Cup in its 155 year history. Importantly for Michelle, she was able to share this amazing achievement with her brother and strapper, Stevie, right by her side.

When Michelle declared that day that anyone who said women couldn’t compete with men in the racing industry could ‘get stuffed’, the nation stood up and cheered.

She was also the fourth woman to ever ride in the race.

(Source: Kurrinda Bloodstock)

Michelle beat many odds to win the race. The horse she rode, Prince of Penzance, was purchased for only $50 000 (a price described by sportswriters as “pocket change), with odds of more than $100-1.

Alongside Michelle on the day was her brother Stevie, who has Down's Syndrome. Stevie is Prince of Penzance’s strapper, and worked for trainer Darren Weir for nearly a decade. Stevie played a big role in Michelle’s preparation for the history-making Melbourne Cup.

In a sport renowned for its male dominance, Payne overcame numerous barriers to become a leading jockey. After winning the Cup, she stated she hoped her win would help other female jockeys.

Since the Melbourne Cup.

In 2016, Michelle and her brother Stephen were given the honour of being named Queen and King of Moomba.

In 2016, she was awarded the Don Award at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame awards, an award which recognises “a sportsperson who, through their achievements and example over the last 12 months, is considered to have most inspired the nation.”

In May of 2017, Payne received international recognition when she was award the Longines Ladies Award in Washington, U.S. The award pays tribute to “distinguished women whose careers have shown a positive influence and exceptional commitment to the equine cause.”

Michelle now owns Nottingham Farm which works exclusively with only 15 Group Class horses at any one time.

10 Years Later 2025 - 2nd Female to Win Melbourne Cup Jamie Melham Melham became the second female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, 10 years after Michelle Payne's breakthrough triumph on Prince Of Penzance.    Jamie Melham outdid her mate in the history-making stakes, winning the Melbourne Cup on Half Yours but also becoming the first female jockey to win both the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups. (Source: ABC)

YouTube

YouTube: Loreto College Ballarat - Interview with Michelle Payne
https://youtu.be/dMt6xq8FMBg

YouTube: Michelle Payne's historic Melbourne Cup win | Anh's Brush With Fame
https://youtu.be/iMkZ36Uda2E

YouTube: Michelle Payne - A day in the life
https://youtu.be/CPtS641sx8s  

YouTube: Michelle Payne: The female jockey blazing a trail
https://youtu.be/egVoqNREaC0

YouTube: ABC 7.30 Report: Michelle Payne becomes the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup (HD)
https://youtu.be/N4ErH_EXhsI

Michelle and Stevie Payne in emotional interview about new film | Today Show Australia 28 October 2019
https://youtu.be/73eWt9OQMBw

Ride Like a Girl | Historic Melbourne Cup win immortalised in new movie | Sunday Night
https://youtu.be/w6P52O1fBjk

AI Overview

Michelle Payne is a history-making Australian jockey and trainer best known for becoming the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in 2015. Her career is defined by a blend of tactical skill, advocacy, and extraordinary resilience following life-threatening injuries.

Professional Attributes & Riding Style

• Patience & Strategy: Payne identifies patience as her "trademark". Her 2015 victory on 100-1 outsider Prince of Penzance was attributed to her ability to settle the horse, wait for the race to open up at the 800-metre mark, and time the final sprint perfectly.
• Natural Affinity with Horses: Observers and family members note her "natural affinity" with racehorses, often performing better than other riders on the same horse by getting them into a rhythmic stride.
• Tactical Preparation: She is known for her meticulous preparation, including extensive track work to build deep relationships with the horses she rides.

Key Personality Traits

• Resilience & Determination: Having suffered multiple severe injuries—including a fractured skull and 12 fractured vertebrae in 2004—Payne repeatedly fought back to elite competition.
• Fearless Advocacy: She famously used her 2015 Melbourne Cup victory speech to call out the "chauvinistic" nature of the racing industry, telling doubters to "get stuffed" because "women can do anything".
• Humility & Authenticity: Despite her fame, she remains grounded, finding solace on her family farm in Ballarat and maintaining a close working partnership with her brother Stevie.

Career Milestones & Legacy

Year Achievement

• 2001 Rode her first winner, Reigning, at age 15.
• 2015 Became the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup.
• 2016 Awarded 'The Don' Award by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame for most inspiring the nation.
• 2019 Her life story was adapted into the major film "Ride Like a Girl".
• 2021 Received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the horse racing industry.
• 2024 Officially retired from race riding to focus on training in partnership with her brother Stevie.
  

Links

Michelle Payne - Website	Racing.com - Statistics Racenet - Patrick & Michelle Payne
X	Facebook
Instagram	ABC News 4 November 2015
ABC News 1 November 2019

Michelle's Statistics!

2. Calculate the amount of money Michelle has earnt over her career.

a. What is the best winning condition of the track?

b. If Michelle has been riding since 2001, what is the average number of starts per year? (Total number of starts divided by number of years).

c. Where are Michelle's best results - the number of starts divided by the wins.