For the quiet, hardworking jockey from a family of other quiet, hardworking jockeys and trainers, the spotlight and expectations that came with her history-making ride were sometimes difficult to navigate.
“In no way am I ungrateful for what happened after I won, but I just wasn’t prepared. There were so many requests and people asking for help and I didn’t want to let anyone down, but I simply couldn’t do everything. I’m also someone who likes some quiet, private time and so I struggled with all the attention for a while ..”
In the middle of the chaos, Payne’s haven was the 40-acre property next door to her Dad’s farm in Ballarat. She bought it with her brother, Stevie, in 2013, and it’s here that, for the past five years, she’s focused on the next stage of her career as a trainer.
“My farm is next door to Dad’s which is where I learned to ride, so this place is very special to me. I love the country lifestyle and being close to Dad and Stevie. I lived in Melbourne for 16 years when I became a jockey, but always wanted to come home when the time was right,” she said.
“I grew up in the country, love the lifestyle and there’s nothing like being out in the fresh air with the horses. It doesn’t feel like a job to me and working with Stevie is a lot of fun. We have been inseparable from as far back as I can remember and I’m lucky to have him in my life. He takes what he does very seriously but he also makes me laugh every day.”
Becoming a trainer was also always a long-term plan. Having worked with and for some of Australia’s and the world’s most respected trainers, Payne has developed a wealth of knowledge and experience that she now uses as a trainer.
“By the time I was 21 I recognised that I had to think about what I’d do when I finished riding. It had to be something I was passionate about because, as a jockey, I put all my energy into that. I think when you do something for a long time and you stop, you can get a bit lost and becoming a trainer was a logical step for me,” she said.
She is up from around 4am, feeding and checking the horses that she agists and trains.
“Stevie is the main man for doing the yards and boxes and checking the waters and hay – he’s meticulous in everything he does,” said Payne.
“Once the horses are fed and prepared, we get them saddled up and start working them. I’ve got a small track or I take them next door to Dad’s track. We can also access the racecourse from here and we have a treadmill and also a water walker nearby.