I am not a horse racing fan but when you are in Australia during the running of the Melbourne Cup you can't ignore the event. Even in Adelaide, miles from Melbourne, bars were full, ladies were in fancy hats and it seemed everyone was searching for a TV or radio.
it was a sight to see 24 thoroughbreds leap from the gate on the brilliant green track.
At the midpoint the eventual winner, wearing emerald green, can barely be seen in the middle of the pack. But by the end she found her way to the front and made history.
Here is what Australian news said about the event....It’s called the race that stops a nation and when the nation did stop at 3pm on Tuesday, it witnessed history being made as Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in the race’s storied 155-year history.
Payne guided the New Zealand-bred Prince of Penzance to victory in a stunning ride at a sunny Flemington Racecourse that upset a host of more-fancied contenders.
The Ballarat-trained gelding started as a rank outsider yet made light of the 100-1 odds with a late move down the home straight, holding off the fast-finishing Max Dynamite....
“It’s like a dream come true, this horse is awesome,” Payne said. “What he has been through, unbelievable training to get him here like this today. This is everybody’s dream as a jockey in Australia and now probably the world.
“My sister Margaret and I both had a feeling we would win this race. It’s such a chauvinistic sport, a lot of the owners wanted to kick me off. Everyone else can get stuffed [who] think women aren’t good enough.
What a media darling the 30 year old Payne is likely to become. She is accomplished, attractive and articulate and handled the post race interviews like a seasoned veteran.
Now that the event is over Australia can get back to work and we can head for Alice Springs.
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