Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne contemplating life out of the saddle

MELBOURNE Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne is beginning to seriously contemplate life out of the saddle — and has hinted that this could be her last year as a jockey.

MELBOURNE Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne is beginning to seriously contemplate life out of the saddle.

Payne, who won the Cup aboard Prince of Penzance in 2015, now holds a trainer/jockey licence, however she is realistic about not doing the dual roles for the long term.

“2018 is about being back in charge and doing what I love and really enjoying it,” Payne said.

“I only have a short time left, I think, to be riding.

“I have had a lot of bad injuries and I don’t want to push my luck for too much longer, so it seems reasonable to make this my final year, probably, and then I would be able to concentrate fully on training.”

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Michelle Payne won the Melbourne Cup on Prince Of Penzance. Picture: Jay Town

She said ideally she would like to ride through to the end of the year.

“Definitely, I think that will happen. Hopefully I’ll be injury free, but I will take it as it comes and see what happens,” she said.

Payne, who impressed with her commentary work for Channel Seven during the Spring Racing Carnival, will be taking part in the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay in Canberra on Australia Day.

The Longines ambassador said she was thrilled to be part of the relay.

“I am a really proud Australian, so to be able to be part of the Commonwealth Games baton relay is so special. I am very grateful for opportunities like this.”

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Melbourne Cup winning jockey Michelle Payne pictured at Royal Randwick in Sydney for the Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes day. Picture: Richard Dobson

Payne said she was enjoying the challenge of building her racing team at her base in Ballarat.

“It (training) is something I have been planning to do for the last seven or eight years and I am really passionate about it,” she said.

“If you can’t do racing as a jockey training is the next best thing, maybe even better, because you are working with these horses from the start with most of them and really building that relationship with them every day.

“It is a really special bond and a challenge to take on because every horse is so different and I just love that.”

Payne said she had yet to meet Teresa Palmer who will play her in the movie based on her life called Ride Like A Girl.

“We have spoken via text message and I am really looking forward to meeting her,” she said.