THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN: WHY TAINT A GREAT STORY WITH AN UNNECESSARY POSTSCRIPT?

By Graham Potter | Sunday, August 14, 2016

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

Michelle Payne is a champion ... and that no one can deny!

From resilience to perseverance, from facing down adversity in the depths of despair to reaching the highest level of achievement, Payne’s career as a jockey stands as an absolute example to all of how hard work and commitment can get you through all of the ups and downs that racing serves up to anybody who enters its playing field.

But that doesn’t make Payne immune from suffering from everyday occurrences in racing ... like being replaced on a ride by another jockey. When the saddle was pulled from underneath her for the ride on last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Prince of Penzance by the owners for its upcoming first-up run it was oh so easy for news outlets to sensationalise the news and some could not resist the temptation.

The fact is that as long as racing has been in existence jockeys have lost rides they would have liked to keep. For the majority of those their demise arguably came for some less of a reason than the latest chapter in the Payne story which highlighted concern about her current racing fitness and her on-going well-being.

Prince Of Penzance’s owners had legitimate concerns regarding Payne’s fitness which is still in some doubt following the serious injuries she suffered in a fall at Mildura in late May in which, amongst other things, her pancreas was split in two ... at the time a career threatening injury.

The Prince of Penzance decision in no way diminishes Payne’s standing. It can disappoint on a sentimental level but it is certainly not the earth shattering story some would have us believe.

Payne, who famously told the doubters to ‘get stuffed’ after her Melbourne Cup win has always strived for a level playing field between men and women riders and she has certainly played an admirable role in helping to bridge that gap.

If nothing else, this latest episode shows that, in essence, Payne has attained that equality that she has been seeking. It might not be in the way she anticipated or hoped for, but being dumped is something that happens to male riders all of the time.

As for fairness, that went out the window a long time ago.

While it is all very well to make a case for what Payne has done for Prince Of Penzance and its owners, acknowledgement in the reverse direction will stand up to just as much scrutiny.

The ‘who owes who’ story is not a one way street!

There is no question that Payne, Prince Of Penzance and the horse’s owners have been good for each other. The owners and trainer have backed Payne to ride their horse in twenty four out of its twenty five starts and she has played an enormous part in their success, including that crowning glory of a Melbourne Cup win.

Nobody has said Payne will never ride the horse again. It would be nice if she gets back to the level of race fitness that the owners can be confident in ... and then do just that.

If she doesn’t get the nod again, so be it. It’s all about being professional about either outcome.

My point being is that the Prince Of Penzance tale will forever remain a great story so let’s not taint the postscript with unnecessary public bickering.

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