MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with Lady Southey during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
Michelle Payne’s Legacy Cast in Bronze at Flemington
Michelle Payne, a trailblazer in the world of horse racing, has been immortalized with a bronze statue at Flemington Racecourse. In 2015, Payne made history by becoming the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, aboard 100-1 outsider Prince Of Penzance. Her victory was a significant moment, breaking gender barriers in the sport. The unveiling of her statue not only honors her remarkable achievement but also conveys a message of resilience and belief, inspiring future generations to pursue what might seem impossible.
- Michelle Payne's statue unveiled at Flemington, celebrating her historic achievements
- She was the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in 2015 with Prince Of Penzance
- Statue symbolizes resilience and serves as inspiration for future generations
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payne statue pics
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with Kylie Rogers – VRC CEO and Neil Wilson – VRC Chairman during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with Lady Southey during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with Lady Southey during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance takes a selfie during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with philanthropist Lady Marigold Southey AC, acclaimed artist Judith Leman and and Neil Wilson – VRC Chairman (r) during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with acclaimed artist Judith Leman (r) and philanthropist Lady Marigold Southey AC during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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Michelle Payne at the unveiling of her statue at Flemington Racecourse, honouring her Melbourne Cup-winning ride aboard Prince Of Penzance. (Getty)
More than a decade after rewriting racing history, Michelle Payne returned to Flemington not in silks, but in bronze — her legacy now fixed in the place where it all changed.
The first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup, Payne stunned the sport in 2015 when she guided 100-1 outsider Prince Of Penzance to victory, a moment that shattered barriers and echoed far beyond the track.
On Thursday, that story came full circle as a statue was unveiled in her honour, placing her among the sport’s immortals at Flemington — alongside names like Bart Cummings and Phar Lap — and cementing her place in Australian racing folklore.
For Payne, the tribute is more than recognition; it is a symbol of resilience, belief, and a message to the next generation that the impossible can, and does, happen.
From a five-year-old with a dream to a figure cast in history, Michelle Payne’s journey now stands — quite literally — as inspiration for anyone daring to follow.
Scroll through the images below or play the picture gallery at the top to revisit the moment and the legacy.
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with Lady Southey during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with Kylie Rogers – VRC CEO and Neil Wilson – VRC Chairman during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with Lady Southey during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with Lady Southey during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance takes a selfie during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with philanthropist Lady Marigold Southey AC, acclaimed artist Judith Leman and and Neil Wilson – VRC Chairman (r) during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with acclaimed artist Judith Leman (r) and philanthropist Lady Marigold Southey AC during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with Lady Southey during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with Kylie Rogers – VRC CEO and Neil Wilson – VRC Chairman during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with Lady Southey during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with Lady Southey during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance takes a selfie during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with philanthropist Lady Marigold Southey AC, acclaimed artist Judith Leman and and Neil Wilson – VRC Chairman (r) during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 26: Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win Australia’s most iconic race, the Lexus Melbourne Cup aboard Prince of Penzance poses with acclaimed artist Judith Leman (r) and philanthropist Lady Marigold Southey AC during the official unveiling of the Michelle Payne Statue at Flemington Racecourse on March 26, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)
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