Paddy Payne had 10 children, seven of whom became jockeys.
Michelle Payne's older brother Paddy is one of the best jockeys I've seen - anywhere. He had to torture his body to make riding weight.
When he won the Cox Plate on West Australian star Northerly I had to interview him lying on a bed in the Moonee Valley ambulance room because he could not stand, yet he'd ridden a dynamic close finish.
"This is such a chauvinistic industry," said Michelle Payne as she dismounted. "A lot of owners don't want you on. They say a woman can't win a Melbourne Cup and here we are - we've beaten the world." Francesca Cumani, glam daughter of European trainer Luca Cumani, cheered Michelle Payne's comments in her television commentary.
"Good on Michelle, she's shoved it up the blokes."
There was a very special moment immediately after the race. Michelle's special needs brother Stevie was Prince Of Penzance's strapper.
At Saturday night's barrier draw it was Stevie who drew the horse gate No1 and Michelle pushed aside a crush to be the first to give her brother a cuddle as she jumped off the winner.
Michelle Payne couldn't believe how calm she was yesterday. "It was like it was meant to be. I thought I was going to win it, then I said to myself, 'don't be silly, this is the Melbourne Cup'.
"But coming up to the home turn he was bolting. Trip To Paris towed me into the race on the bend and I was going so well I was clipping his heels, but I didn't want to check my bloke.
"When we went to the lead in the straight I thought: 'this is meant to be'.
Only four horses have won the Melbourne Cup at longer odds than $100, but that was almost lost in the thrill of seeing Michelle Payne changing history.
Prince Of Penzance was bred at Matamata's Rich Hill Stud, by the stud's successful stallion Pentire from the Mr Prospector mare Royal Successor. Stud owner John Thompson was thrilled.
"Darren Weir [trainer] was always telling me this is a Group One horse.
"I went to bed last night thinking this horse was way over the odds. The horse that just beat him in the Moonee Valley Cup was $20 and he was $80. I couldn't work that out and knew he was paying too much."
Weir needs a lot of kudos. He has broken just about every record in recent years and has not won a Melbourne Cup.
Final analysis: This was not one of the great Melbourne Cups and will be remembered as much for Michelle Payne as anything else.
The slow tempo beat favourite Fame Game, Frankie Dettori wrecked a few others including Preferment by turning right in the home straight without putting his hand out.
Former Australian test cricketer Simon O'Donnell on his television commentary summed it up best: "They've come from all around the world to win this race and in the end they couldn't beat the Kiwis."
