Michelle Payne became the first female jockey ever to ride a winner in the Melbourne Cup, as she stormed to victory aboard outsider Prince of Penzance on Tuesday at theFlemington Racecourse.The New Zealand-bred horse was too strong for the rest of the field over the eight-furlong distance.Prince of Penzance surged to the front in the final stages of the sprint, with Max Dynamite and Criterion finishing second and third, respectively.Well-fancied Trip to Paris ended up in fourth, while the big pre-race favourite Fame Game had a disappointing day, finishing way down in 13th position.Heres a reminder of the race result, the payouts and a recap of the best bits of the action from the race that grinds Australia to a halt.For the full race result and payout details, visit the Racing Post website.Payne Makes History Aboard Prince of PenzanceIn what was one of the strongest Melbourne Cup lineups in recent years, its remarkable that in Prince of Penzance, we were witness to one of the biggest shocks in the events history.Fame Game, a Japanese-trained horse, had been the big favourite heading into Tuesdays spectacle, while Trip to Paris was another who was expected to impress over the eight-furlong circuit. However, they were all powerless to cope with the race put together by Payne, as she steered her ride around the course flawlessly.As we can see here courtesy of CrownBet.com.au, it was a perfectly timed finish from the outsider to take the title:It was a remarkable achievement for Payne. Not only is she the first female jockey to win the event in its storied 155-year history, shes only the fourth woman ever to have a ride in it. Nevertheless, regardless of gender, the style and surprise nature of the victory will ensure this years race will live long in the memory.Afterwards, Payne was in bullish mood in her post-race interview, with some strong words for those who had doubted her earlier on in her career, per Bridie Jabour of the Guardian:Its such a chauvinistic sport, a lot of the owners wanted to kick me off. Everyone else can get stuffed [who] think women arent good enough.I would like to thank all of the owners, John Richards specifically, I think he is the main man who kept me on Prince Of Penzance, maybe a few of them who wanted to take me off. We just won Melbourne Cup so hopefully now they will be pretty happy with me.The 30-year-old had revealed to Adam Pengilly of the Age on Sunday that this race may be her last as a jockey and itd certainly be a fitting way to bow out of the sport. As noted by Julia Holman of abc730, Payne has had a lot to cope with down the years:While there was joy for Payne, owner Sandy McGregor and trainer Darren Weir in celebrating Prince of Penzances shock victory, there were also some worrying moments on the day. Red Cadeaux, a regular in this showpiece over the last five years, seemed to suffer a leg injury in the race and was taken into an ambulance for surgery afterwards. His trainer Ed Dunlop revealed he was fearing the worst, per ABC News.However, after undergoing surgery, it seems as though there is a more positive prognosis for the 10-year-old looking ahead, per Dougal Beatty of 9 News Melbourne:Payne may decide to stay on in racing a little longer after winning such an historic race, given the demand she will be in moving forward. But should the jockey bow out now, she can do so knowing that shes forever etched her name into the racing history books, as has Prince of Penzance, who galloped superbly around the Flemington circuit.Its a moment shes unlikely to ever top. Winning the Melbourne Cup is the pinnacle for riders Down Under, and while there will be a clamour to see Payne back in the saddle breaking new ground in weeks to come, perhaps the time is right to step aside after whatll be the most prestigious moment in a great career.
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