Michelle Payne would love to see a female jockey win the Melbourne Cup on the 10-year anniversary of her historic triumph

I’m ready to share it, hand that Melbourne Cup mantle over, and relax on my farm!

Honestly, if it happened before my 10-year anniversary, another female jockey winning the Melbourne Cup would’ve been amazing for anyone.

It’s amazing, obviously. 10 years.

I can remember every step of the race. It’s still quite unbelievable.

I didn’t think I was a sentimental person but it does feel very special to reminisce in the build up to Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup at Flemington.

It’s crazy to think that much time has gone by since Prince Of Penzanze, but so much has happened at the same time.

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Crazy to think what one race can do to your life.

It’s still hard to believe, my brother Patrick won the Cox Plate, we thought that was amazing for the family, and then for me to win the Melbourne Cup, it’s unbelievable.

It’s what every jockey in Australia really dreams of, it’s that race … like no other.

Every year comes around, I wish another woman gets the opportunity.

Jamie (Melham), Celine (Gaudray) and Rachel (King) are brilliant riders, all deserve the opportunity and chance this year.

Jamie has got the best winning chance (Half Yours) on paper this year but you can’t rule the others out either, I’m just so excited.

I feel the excitement and anticipation building for them and it makes you feel, I don’t know, a little bit more special because you know how you were feeling, yourself.

When Celine qualified her horse (Torranzino in the Geelong Cup) I really felt that, and started to get very, very excited for her.”

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Celine is only 24, I was the same age when I got my first ride in the Melbourne Cup, Allez Wonder, for legend Bart Cummings. It means a lot.

She’s a really great horsewoman and she’s got a chance.

It’s brilliant to see, you just need that luck to find the horse.

Jamie found hers, Half Yours, to win the Caulfield Cup.

She rode it to perfection, it has to ease the nerves going into the Melbourne Cup.

It’s so hard to win obviously, there’s so many chances.

She’s not a hot favourite, but she’s a good chance.

That eases the expectations a bit and sense of occasion, she can enjoy it now.

Half Yours is a live chance, a horse she knows, settles well, and has got everything going well towards the Melbourne Cup.

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She’d be feeling nice and relaxed.

We’re great friends obviously, I’m so happy for her.

She’s a natural athlete, a beautiful, natural rider.

Hopefully, one day, Patrick and I can train a Melbourne Cup winner.

We’ve got some very nice young horses coming through the stable, it’s what you aim for, work towards.

We focused a lot on the winter and probably got a lot going for the autumn.

If not next year, the year after, we’ll keep working towards it.

Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, is part of Channel 9’s official broadcast team for the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

MICHELLE PAYNE’S TIPS

1. Absurde

2. Half Yours

3. Flatten The Curve

4. Valiant King

Originally published as Michelle Payne would love to see a female jockey win the Melbourne Cup on the 10-year anniversary of her historic triumph