PAYNE RAMPING UP RETURN

Payne’s Morphettville return to the saddle will be her first rides in the state since May of 2019 with a total of three runners for brother Patrick.

In recent years Payne had stepped right back from her riding commitments instead focusing on getting her training business off the ground. Now after 8 months away from the saddle Payne is looking at easing back into the jockey’s hot seat.

Her trip to Adelaide won’t be her first time back in the saddle having had 6 runners in recent months and plans to be seen a bit more in the form guide moving forward. 

“I’ve just started back and (Patrick) just asked if I’d be interested in riding his three on Saturday and I wasn’t riding anywhere so I thought why not,” Payne said.

“I’ve been training to get fit again for racing and I’ve got some horses getting ready for the spring so I just want to keep the option open. If I need a rider I can ride them myself or I can get someone else on too.

“It keeps my options open and while I still can I want to make the most of it.”

Payne’s three bookings are the most she has ridden since Warrnambool in 2020 and as last start winners they all look like live chances for Payne to get back in the winners enclosure.

“When (Patrick) asked if I’d go I thought he wouldn’t be taking them over there for fun,” she said.

“Morphettville is one of my favourite tracks to ride on – it’s a really beautiful course so it was an easy decision.”

Payne wrote her name in the history books as the first female to win the Melbourne Cup with 100-1 shot Prince Of Penzance and her life changed forever.

“Things got a bit hectic after that. I came back the next year to ride Prince Of Penzance, who ran second at Morphettville and the next day I got injured and had to have a long time off,” said Payne, who will again be part of the Melbourne Cup Carnival broadcast on Channel 10.

“I haven’t been able to get back very much through circumstances but it’s definitely one of my favourite tracks to ride on and I’ve had a lot of luck there.”

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