Payne excited to compete in Shergar Cup

Jockey Michelle Payne. Photo courtesy Ross Stevenson.

After missing out on the Shergar Cup in England a year ago, Melbourne Cup winner Michelle Payne is excited to get another opportunity to ride in the prestigious jockeys’ challenge.

Payne was due to fly to England from Melbourne on Tuesday night to compete in Saturday’s Shergar Cup at Ascot as part of the Girls team.

The Shergar Cup comprises four teams – Girls, Europe, Rest Of The World, and Great Britain and Ireland.

Payne’s brother-in-law, dual Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Kerrin McEvoy, will captain the Rest Of The World.

Payne had to relinquish the competition last year because of injuries suffered in a fall in May, 2016 which kept her out of race riding for almost four months.

“I’m really excited,” Payne said.

“I was so excited to go last year and unfortunately fell.

“It’s a shame that I haven’t been riding more leading up to it because I got suspended and it’s hard to get rides, but I’ve got a lot of horses in work at home so I’ve been working hard and keeping fit.”

Payne rode at Ascot in June during the Royal meeting, partnering the Jane Chapple-Hyam-trained Kaspersky to fifth in the Group One Queen Anne Stakes.

During her stay in England, Payne will ride Kaspersky in a race at Newbury, with that horse in line for a Melbourne spring campaign.

“The plan is that I’ll go and ride him in trackwork on the Tuesday after the Shergar Cup, and he’s going to race at Newbury the following Saturday in a Group Two over 1400 metres,” Payne said.

Credit: AAP

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