Life As I Know It (30 page)
Authors: Michelle Payne
It's quiet. There's no voices. There's no interference. No jostling. Jockeys aren't calling out. Everybody is in their position. Just the thunder of the horses.
At the 1400 the leaders steady again. What's happening? It's already been a slowly run race. No pressure. How much longer? Who's going to move?
Frankie's got Max going well. Criterion's going well for Michael. I can hear Darren's voice in my head: âStay on their backs.' I can hear Peter Ellis's: âStay on their backs.'
We've picked the right horses. We're in the right place. We're in that sweet spot. Makybe's spot. We're about eighth. And Prince is travelling.
Composed, stay composed.
Follow Max.
Composure.
Just ahead, Trip to Paris looks really strong. Tommy Berry pops Trip to Paris off his one-out trail and urges him forward, three-wide, to the outside of Snow Sky. At the 1000 there's a nice gap in behind Trip to Paris. Three-out Sky Hunter is starting to feel the pinch. If I get off the fence, I'll be on the back of Trip to Paris and he will drag me into the race. I've gotta take that one. I just have to take that gap.
Trust your instinct. Just get on Trip to Paris's back and see what happens.
I'm worried about Jimmy Cassidy on Grand Marshal behind me but Jimmy isn't saying anything. No one's calling me. I get on the back of Trip to Paris very easily. We're in this, Prince. We're right in this.
Sky Hunter's on my outside, battling away. Trip to Paris is second favourite and he's about to extend. I am trying to be patient again. I'm really travelling. Prince has so much to give but I don't want to come off the back of Trip to Paris too soon. I don't want to go too late either. The horses running on from the back might box us in. I don't want to bump Sky Hunter getting out. I can't afford to take any energy out of Prince.
I keep a straight line on the corner, like a tangent to the curve of the bend. Sky Hunter drops off and drifts out under pressure. Suddenly I've got heaps of room and I'm bolting.
I pull out. I've got a lap full of horse and a clear run and I'm looking up the Flemington straight. As I get Prince into the clear the wind hits me. Oh no. I should've stayed on Trip to Paris's back for longer. Oh well, too late now.
I've got him in the right position but I don't want to go. Yet. He's building but I haven't let him go. Hold him together. Count to ten. Count to ten.
There's a lot of shouting inside and behind me. It's nothing to do with us. We're going too well.
Approaching the 300 I let him go.
âYah! Yah! Prince! Yah!'
Prince sprints. I go past Trip to Paris easily.
I've hit the front in the Cup. I've hit the front in the Melbourne Cup. Then everything goes silent.
âKeep going, Prince. Keep this run going. Brilliant, Prince. Brilliant.'
There's action on the inside. Criterion makes his run. Something's coming from behind. It's Max Dynamite. As he makes a dash at us, I swap the whip into my left hand. It's totally instinctive. It straightens Prince up. He's going as well as anything else and he fights off Max. We hit the line. I raise the whip.
âOh my God!' I feel an overwhelming sense of â¦
I think I feel â¦
âWell done!' Frankie calls. But Prince is still running, as he always does. And only one horse comes near us. It's Damien Oliver on The Offer. He congratulates me.
For a moment Prince and I are on our own. I pat Prince. This magnificent athlete who, despite patched-up legs and no one noticing him, comes out and wins the Melbourne Cup.
I pull Prince up. Channel 7's Sam Hyland comes over, perched up on his horse, Brian, mic in hand. He's absolutely beaming. We're looking at each other.
âCan you believe that?' he asks.
I feel ⦠this overwhelming sense of fullness, of completeness. And gratitude. I catch my breath and say to Sam:
I was lying in bed last night and I gave myself a chance. I thought what if I'm talking to you after the race? What he's
been through! Darren Weir: unbelievable trainer. To get him here today. All of the staff. Jarrod McLean. Maddie. Tyson. Everyone down at Warrnambool. They got this horse here in the best shape he could be in. The owners: I'm so thankful, and grateful to them. When I was on the horse as a three-year-old, he won and I thought, âThis is a Melbourne Cup horse.' He just felt he'd run the two miles out
that strong
but, far out, I didn't think he'd be this strong. John Richards: he stuck up for me. Jeremy: Darren's racing manager. And Stevie: Stevie drawing barrier one is the key to this.
Back in the mounting yard Stevie is being interviewed by Neil Kearney for Channel 7. Stevie sums it up beautifully: âGreat moment. Great win. Great ride. Ten out of ten.'
Neil says, âYou've won the Melbourne Cup.'
âYesss! We've finally got one in our hands,' Stevie replies.
I start the walk back along the path, along the roses, waving to the crowd.
People are cheering, some are just standing and clapping and calling to me.
People are taking photos.
I throw my goggles into the crowd.
People are yelling from the inside of the track, calling for a wave. I'd forgotten about themâsome from Layne's marquee perhaps. As I looked across I noticed Red Cadeaux for the first time. He's been injured and has been pulled up before the line. My heart sinks. The screen is already out and he seems to be in a lot of trouble.
Stevie and Maddie appear to lead Prince back. I feel so close to Stevie. He just says, âWell done.' He is so excited. He holds the sash
above his head like a soccer fan. People are so happy for us. I am giving the thumbs up. Maddie walks behind. She is trying to hold it together.
âCan you believe that?' she says, with her huge smile.
John Richards meets me at the gate. He's not an overly emotional man, but he can't speak. When I jump off I fall into Stevie's arms and we give each other a massive hug and a kiss. My brother! He has tears in his eyes, the first tears of joy I have ever seen Stevie cry. It is beautiful.
âThis is because you drew barrier one,' I say to him.
âWell done,' he says again. We both have things to do, so that is all we have time to say.
My sisters appear! I am not expecting that. They are all kissing me and we are all crying. Chief steward Terry Bailey is letting me enjoy a few seconds but he has to step in.
âRight, Michelle, let's get you on the scales and get everything out of the way, and then you can get back to the congratulations!'
After I get off the scales I see Nick, because he's so tall. He is jumping over the top of everyone.
âMichelle, I can't believe it.' He is thrilled.
Kerrin McEvoy is there, happy for me and so animated. Then Brett appears. They are as excited as my sisters.
People are photographing the Payne girls, arms in the air. It is pure joy. And a fair bit of pandemonium.
Darren is being interviewed but we embrace.
âThank you,' I say.
âWell done,' Darren says. And I don't see him again until we are all on the podium.
The Channel 7 guys grab me. Suddenly I am in a huge crush of media, with Channel 7 mounting yard commentator Peter Donegan trying to hold his ground, and sort of shepherd me. We face the camera, and digital recorders and mics come out from
everywhere. I am not really thinking about where my words are being heard. I am just telling the storyâto Peter.
âThe most funny thing,' I start, with the finest grammar I can muster in the moment, âis that my sister Margie and I had a feeling I was going to win. Then we said, “Don't be stupid, it's the Melbourne Cup!”'
The Channel 7 guys get the scrum to back off so we have some space and I relax:
I can't believe we've done it. To think that Darren Weir's given me a go. It's such a chauvinistic sport. I know some of the owners were keen to kick me off Prince and John Richards and Darren stuck really solid with me. I put in all the effort I could. I galloped him every gallop he had and did everything I could to stay on him because I thought he had what it takes to run a race in the Melbourne Cup. I just can't say how grateful I am to them and I just want to say to everyone else to âget stuffed' if they think women aren't strong enough because we just beat the world.
There are more photos and people to greet. Hugs. Kisses. Handshakes and high fives! As I am walking back to the jockeys' room, I wish I'd mentioned Johnny Allenâdamn!âand a few other things.
By then Des O'Keeffe, Sarah Peatling from Racing Victoria and jockey Chris Symons are looking after me. They have at least seen the mayhem before, and know I'll be mobbed and my mind will be all over the placeâthey are like theatre nurses in postoperative care. I race into the jockeys' room to freshen up a little. Just to catch my breath. And make sure the hair is presentable. I can hear the presentation has started so I get out there as quickly as I can, making my way to the podium. I spot Jarrod. We embrace the moment and I thank him for all his input in
getting us to this moment. I find my place between Stevie and Darren. It's the first time I've had a real chance to speak to Stevie, so nothing can stop us from chatting away. We can't help it. He is so stoked. Then it's my turn to approach the mic:
I'd like to say that, you know, it's a very male-dominated sport and people think we're not strong enough and all the rest of it. But, you know what? It's not all about strength; there's so much more involved with thatâit's getting the horse into a rhythm, it's getting the horse to try for you, it's being patient. And I'm so glad to win the Melbourne Cup. And hopefully it'll help female jockeys from now on to get more of a go because I believe that we sort of don't get enough of a go and hopefully this will help. I wanted to thank also my manager Phillip Roost. He's an enormous support for me because it's always so nice to have somebody to talk to when you finish your day that actually cares about everything that's happened and he's always there whenever I need him. As well as my first-ever manager, Joan Sadler. She'll be so proud today and I can't thank her enough for what she's done for me. Lastly, but not least, I'd like to thank my familyâmy dad and all of my brothers and sisters. Especially Stevie. It was a dream come true to pick barrier one and how it all worked out, and it was so funny when he let me go, he said, âDon't get beat, I've got my money on you!' So ⦠so proud that I could get the job done for him today. So, thank you very much and, yeah, it's just unbelievable. Thank you.
Stevie is a star. He is presented with the Tommy Woodcock Trophy for the best strapper. He steals the show.
âThanks to everyone at the stables,' he says, âand all the crowd we had at the races here today. I hope you have a good night.'
Well, it is going to be a good night.
Soon after, the press conference is underway and I walk in late. I sit down. Darren and Sandy give the win a very Australian flavour. If the world has never heard of Berriwillock and the dusty Mallee, it is about to. The pub's been shut a few months but the best bet of the day is that it's about to open again. It's time to celebrate.