Jockey Michelle Payne to have Melbourne Cup glory immortalised on the small screen

MOVE over Princess Mary, the new queen of Australian racing, jockey Michelle Payne is set to have her Melbourne Cup glory immortalised on the small screen

MOVE over Princess Mary, the new queen of Australian racing, jockey Michelle Payne is set to have her Melbourne Cup glory immortalised on the small screen, with TV producers rushing to secure the rights to retell the story of the dazzling young star.

FremantleMedia Australia, the creators of Mary, The Making Of A Princess telemovie for Channel 10, have confirmed they are already in talks to turn Payne’s inspiring ride in last Tuesday’s great race into a biopic for the ages.

From her stunning post-race candour (telling the men who had placed hurdles on her way to victory to “get stuffed”); her big family’s heart-warming tale of triumph over adversity; the beautiful bond she shares with strapper brother, Stevie; not to mention the true grit she showed to become the first female rider in the history of the race to win — and on $101-long shot Prince Of Penzance — any telemovie written won’t be short on storylines.

Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne and her brother Steven pose for a photograph with the Melbourne Cup at a homecoming parade for winning horse Picture: AAP

FremantleMedia Australia chief executive Ian Hogg declined to expand on the telemovie plans at such an early stage in the process but said: “We’d be mad not to jump on a story as good as Michelle’s.”

The 30-year-old earned the widespread respect of punters and media alike, fronting up early last Wednesday to oblige any interview or autograph hunter; and wisely seizing on her moment to shine.

Racing broadcaster, Channel 7, which took a hit during the week when Australia’s NFL hero Jarryd Hayne was relegated to the 49ers practise squad, deflating interest in the network’s exclusive coverage of the code, took advantage of its official track access, with Sunday Night host Melissa Doyle rushing to Melbourne to film a special sit-down with Payne (to air at 7pm tonight).

Doyle posted a selfie, below, with the Cup queen, describing Payne to her Instagram followers as “one of the most extraordinary and gracious people I have ever met”.

Horse tales have always found a strong audience in Australia, from George Miller’s epic The Man from Snowy River to the recent feature, The Cup, starring Stephen Curry and Dan Macpherson delivering solid numbers at the box office.

Seven even pulled modest ratings (183,000 people nationally) for its Sunday afternoon screening of US 2010 film Secretariat.

The production starred Diane Lane and John Malkovich as the training duo behind the famed 1973 Triple Crown winner.

There can be no doubt about Payne’s TV appeal, with national audiences staying with Seven’s telecast last Tuesday, long after the race had been run and won.

The race itself won the day with 2.068 million viewers nationally, while 1.788 million stayed on for the presentation, and 1.3 million tuned in for more action which came from the mounting yard.

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FORMER Home And Away star Dan Ewing is cock-a-hoop about his new dream job as a sideline caller for Fox Sports NBL season. But one night on the road away from his young family — son Archie is one — left the doting dad near tears last week. “Everywhere I travel, I take his first pair of baby Air Jordan basketball boots with me in my carry-on. I hate leaving him and (wife) Marnie. I’m a big sook when they’re not around.”

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STUDIO 10’s Jessica Roweis earning herself a loyal following with her funny and candid #craphousewife posts on social media. Now help for the self-confessed culinary flop could be close at hand, with LifeStyle FOOD queen Donna Hay offering to intervene. “She’s the one person I bump into food shopping consistently, so I might just corner her and go: ‘Honey, let’s get you some help here’.”

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MARK Bingham was a passenger on United flight 93 on September 11, 2001. Despite his efforts to tackle the plane’s hijackers, he died a hero along with all on board. The gay rugby enthusiast is memorialised in the Bingham Cup, and a new documentary about it, called Scrum (8.30pm, Tues, showcase) tells the moving story of those players who fight their own battles on and off the field.

STYLE POLICE GORESKI WAVES CANADIAN FLAG FOR HOT NEW PM

FASHION Police co-host, celebrity stylist and proud Canadian Brad Goreski predicts his homeland is about to hit the world’s hot lists once more, with thanks to the recent election of new prime minister Justin Trudeau.

Fashion Police co-host Brad Goreski in Sydney. Picture: Adam Taylor

The E! channel favourite, who has put bow ties, chic spectacles and double denim (aka the Canadian tuxedo) on the style map, says the super handsome leader has made his birthplace “fun, young and sexy again”.

“I just think he’s hot,” Goreski told me over lunch last week at Cafe Sydney. “Canada needed him. We’ve had a revamp, a renaissance with architecture and food and fashion. When I was going to school in Toronto, (the city) was never that cool and it’s very cool now.

“Now I think he’s making Canada sexy again.”

As the panel on ABC’s Gruen show analysed recently, Trudeau can thank his good looks for turning the election in his favour, but not as you’d think, with his political rivals losing points with voters after airing a series of attack adverts that mocked his youth and, of all things, his hair.

Goreski, in Australia for the Melbourne Cup, confirmed he’s a Trudeau fan — and most especially “his luxurious, (Game Of Thrones) Jon Snow hair. Mocking his hair was a bad idea, a bad idea”.

“We like newness in Canada. I think we like to go, ‘you can’t tell us we can’t like his hair … I’m going to vote for him now!’ That’s how our politics works,” he joked.

Comparing the Trudeau political dynasty (Justin’s father Pierre was also PM) to the Kennedy clan, the hilarious style (and untapped politico) said: “He’s like a heritage brand … he’s like the Kate Spade bag of Canada. I feel like the country is back. Alanis (Morissette) is back too. Twenty-five years and she’s still singing Ironic and yet, nothing in that song is ironic. Rain on a sunny day isn’t ironic, it’s just weather!”

Goreski is now holidaying on Hayman Island with his TV producer partner Gary Janetti, before returning to LA for an American Music Awards style special (7.30pm, Nov 24 on E!).