Michelle Payne becomes first female jockey to win Melbourne Cup

Jockey Michelle Payne made Australian racing history on Tuesday, becoming the first woman to ride the winner of the Melbourne Cup. Payne won the $4.2 million race at Flemington Racecourse aboard 100-1 Prince of Penzance.

Payne, 30, had Prince of Penzance in the middle of the field of 24 for the first mile of the two-mile turf race. She guided Prince of Penzance into contention with three furlongs to go and they took the lead in the final sixteenth, winning by a half-length over the Irish import Max Dynamite, a 12-1 shot.
Criterion, an 18-1 shot, finished third. Fame Game, the 4-1 favorite, was well off the pace early and rallied wide to finish 13th.

Prince of Penzance was one of two 100-1 shots with bookmakers. He was an 85-1 shot through the Australian tote system.

Payne has been the regular rider of Prince of Penzance for most of his career, including for a second in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup at Moonee Valley Racecourse on Oct. 24. Payne comes from an Australian racing family. Her father, Paddy, is a trainer, and two of her brothers-in-law, Brett Prebble and Kerrin McEvoy, are jockeys.

Prince of Penzance, a 6-year-old New Zealand-bred gelding by Pentire, is trained by Darren Weir. The Melbourne Cup was Prince of Penzance’s first stakes win since the Group 2 Moonee Valley Stakes in October 2014 under Payne.

The race was not without its share of drama. Red Cadeaux, who finished second in 2011, 2013 and 2014, was pulled up near the finish with a fetlock injury. He was undergoing treatment at a local veterinary clinic late on Tuesday.

British-based jockeys Frankie Dettori and Jamie Spencer were suspended for causing interference in the race. Dettori was given a 30-day suspension for his ride on runner-up Max Dynamite. Spencer was cited for his ride on Big Orange, who finished fifth.