Michelle Payne comes from a well known racing family and is the youngest of 10 children with seven of her siblings becoming professional jockeys.
Beginning her career in 2001, Michelle Payne won her first race at Ballarat on a horse called Reigning, trained by her father Paddy.
In 2004, Payne had a bad race fall at Sandown where she suffered a fractured skull and bruising to her brain that put her out of the saddle for a prolonged period.
Payne has had to overcome a number of serious falls but has shown a great deal of determination to bounce back and become a leading jockey in Victoria.
It was in 2009 that Michelle Payne rode her first Group 1 winner aboard Allez Wonder in the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield for legendary trainer Bart Cummings going on to ride the horse in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cup that year.
Payne rose to global stardom in 2015 when she gained attention for becoming the first female to win the Melbourne Cup on the Darren Weir-trained Prince Of Penzance at big odds.
Michelle Payne also became a trainer in 2016, her first winner coming at Swan Hill with Duke Of Nottingham.
In 2017, Payne took an opportunity to ride Kapersky in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot where she finished fifth.