Michelle Payne has returned to competitive horse racing but the Melbourne Cup-winning jockey had to settle for a fourth-placed finish in Sale.
Payne, who became the first woman to win the Melbourne Cup at Flemington last year, had not raced since sustaining internal injuries in a fall in May that were so serious she under went pancreatic surgery.
But aboard the Henry Dwyer-trained Lucky Liberty on Sunday, Payne looked comfortable and said after the race she was just pleased to riding again.
“It’s great to be back. Going out there was a little bit of nerves, but once I got on the horse it was OK,” she said.
“It felt really good, didn’t work out perfect, doesn’t always do that in racing so I was prepared for that to happen.”
The fall in Mildura gave rise to doubts about her future as a jockey – at the time she said she did not want to feel pressured into making a decision on her career – but Payne indicated her immediate focus remains on riding, while she revealed a longer-term ambition of becoming a trainer.
“I’m just going to take it as it comes,” she said. “I’m feeling really good riding trackwork, the muscles and everything feel fantastic. It’s probably the best I’ve ever felt, to be honest.
“I’m just going to take it as it comes and hopefully looking at purchasing a couple of really nice horses from New Zealand and I’d love to be riding them. That’s my ultimate aim because it’s always been my dream to ride and train my own horses.”
Payne said she is still hoping to get back aboard Prince of Penzance, the 100-1 long shot she famously guided to victory at Flemington on the first Tuesday of November last year, for a second tilt at glory.
Yet while Prince of Penzance is primed to have another shot at winning the biggest prize in Australian racing after running in the group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on Saturday, Payne’s absence over the past few months means she is unlikely to get the nod to to back-to-back on the same horse.
“It’s a delicate situation, but the [Prince Of Penzance] owners are concerned for my welfare,” she said. “They don’t owe me anything, nor does the horse.
“I think I’ ve done as much as I can so far at this stage to try and get back on him. But I don’t want to drive them [owners] mad. I just want to prove myself and hopefully be riding well they might give me another chance.
“If they don’t, there are other things in life that you can worry about.”
