The 30-year-old has been at the forefront of Victorian jockeys almost since winning her first race on her first ride - trained by her father Paddy - 15 years ago.
She is highly regarded in most quarters - the late, great Bart Cummings provided her with her first group one victory in Melbourne's famous Toorak Handicap.
But it is true that she came from dirt-poor beginnings as the youngest of 10 children living in the chill that is Ballarat in winter, 100km northwest of Melbourne.
She grew up without her mother, Mary, who died in a horrific car crash when Payne was 6 months old.
"But I feel I know Mum because not a day went by when Dad didn't tell me how much he loved her," she said yesterday.
The brother/sister cuddle apart, the lasting image of this latest Melbourne Cup will be Payne telling the world down a television camera that those who didn't believe women jockeys were strong enough can "get stuffed".
It would be wrong to assume from that that Payne is a firebrand. She's not, but her comments are further evidence, as if any were needed, of the depth of emotion Melbourne Cups can create.
The word sweet is saccharin to many when describing women, but that word sits nicely on Payne's relatively broad shoulders.
"Given another hour to think about it I might not have said it quite like that, but I'm not going to apologise. I guess it hit the right spot - chauvinism is alive and well in Australian racing."
But she wouldn't be doing anything else. In 2004, when Payne had a life-threatening fall at Sandown, fracturing her skull and bruising her brain, her family pleaded with her to retire. "But I couldn't."
After 14 months away from the saddle, she was back blazing her way into the headlines.
New Zealand can't claim Payne, who was born in Australia, but her father Paddy farmed and trained horses in Taranaki before a horse sale to Robert Sangster prompted him to relocate the family to Victoria in the late 1970s.
Seven of the 10 siblings became jockeys, brother Paddy Jnr, now a top trainer, elevating himself to hero status with Australian punters.
But he did not win a Melbourne Cup, which means little sis has played the trump.
Winning Melbourne Cup jockeys are legends in Australia and being the first woman to take the Holy Grail makes Michelle Payne an icon. Social media went crazy.
"It cost us all money, Michelle, but you won the Cup and won our hearts," one tweet said.
Pretty much.
