Michelle Payne restores punters’ confidence in Katelyn Mallyon and female jockeys

MICHELLE’S Payne’s historic win in the Melbourne Cup last year has changed punters’ views of today’s race and female jockeys.

Katelyn Mallyon isn’t a favourite with the bookies, yet thousands of Aussie punters are gambling on her mount, Assign. Picture: News Limited

WHILE Melbourne Cup contender Katelyn Mallyon isn’t a favourite with the bookies, thousands of Aussie punters are gambling on her mount Assign in the hope another female jockey can take out horse racing’s most coveted prize.

In what can only be referred to as proof of the “Payne effect”, more than 5000 punters have backed Assign to win the Melbourne Cup today — despite being an outsider with odds paying out at $67.

Sportsbet spokesman Ben Bulmer told News Corp the majority of punters were hoping to see a knock-on effect after Michelle Payne blazed across the finish line on Prince of Penzance last year, becoming the first-ever female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup and causing one of the biggest upsets in sporting history.

Punters are putting their confidence in Katelyn Mallyon following Michelle Payne’s storied win last year. Picture: Adam Smith

“As it stands, we’re looking at a payout of more than $3 million if Assign wins,” Mr Bulmer said.

“We probably would not have expected that many bets on an outsider but because she is a female jockey we have seen more bets than we normally would.”

At odds of 100-1, Payne’s fairytale win has gone down in the books as one of the great Australian sporting achievements, made all the more memorable by the success she shared with her brother and strapper, Stevie.

Mallyon, who is riding for billionaire Lloyd Williams, is the only female jockey in the race today after Payne suffered a near career-ending fall in Mildura this year.

She’s more than equipped to take out the competition and is the only female to have twice won the Victorian Apprentices premiership.

RMIT associate professor Anthony Bedford, who specialises in horse racing and gambling, said Payne had paved the way for punters to put their confidence in female jockeys.

“She’s a trailblazer, that’s for sure, and her success has highlighted that it’s not impossible. In the past that hadn’t happened,” he said.

Katelyn Mallyon is flying the flag for female jockeys at the 2016 Melbourne Cup. Picture: Adam Smith

Trailblazer Michelle Payne has paved the way for punters to put their confident in female jockeys. Picture: Michael Klein

Punters are always looking for patterns, according to Professor Bedford, who said Payne had changed the game after breaking the pattern of female jockeys not succeeding in high stakes races.

“So the fact a female jockey had never succeeded would have been a negative thing towards punting on the horse, whereas now that she has succeeded many punters will view it as a positive thing,” he said.

More than 5000 punters have backed Katelyn Mallyon on Assign — partly the result of Michelle Payne’s history making win last year. Picture: Andy Brownbill

“The punters go, ‘Well this is another female jockey that’s done well at the racetrack and she’s just as likely to succeed as her male counterparts.

“They have a lot more confidence.”

Professor Bedford said women, rather than men, would be the main supporters gambling on Mallyon.

“A lot of money will come from the female punters,” he said.

“The fact that there is a female jockey and a female jockey has succeeded, it would be a natural sociological thing to see more money go to that horse because of Michelle Payne’s success last year.”

Originally published as Michelle Payne restores punters’ confidence in Katelyn Mallyon and female jockeys