Safari bound...Michelle Payne may be the last of a famed riding clan, but don't expect this petite young jockey to be hanging around. The 24-year-old, who has been riding for nine years, including stints overseas, has much to do, reports Craig Young in the Sydney Morning Herald. His report adds: Life may well be too short for the dynamo, the last of eight brothers and sisters to have made an impact as jockeys. ''I'm off to Rwanda,'' said Payne, who is chasing another Grp 1 victory aboard Yosei i
Safari bound...Michelle Payne may be the last of a famed riding clan, but don't expect this petite young jockey to be hanging around. The 24-year-old, who has been riding for nine years, including stints overseas, has much to do, reports Craig Young in the Sydney Morning Herald. His report adds: Life may well be too short for the dynamo, the last of eight brothers and sisters to have made an impact as jockeys. ''I'm off to Rwanda,'' said Payne, who is chasing another Grp 1 victory aboard Yosei in the Champagne Stakes at Randwick today. ''I'm going to take the winter off, go on safari. You need to recharge in this game, it is rather tough.''
Michelle will link up with Warwick Farm trainer Gabrielle Englebrecht on the African sojourn. And it will not be all about the wildlife and trekking, for Payne and Englebrecht are intent on humanitarian issues. The trip will centre around helping homeless youth, the orphans of a troubled nation. Payne admitted she was never going to follow any other path than riding thoroughbreds. Being born into a family of horse lovers, it was never going to be any other way. The jockey, who already has travelled overseas and ridden in Ireland, France, England, Mauritius and New Zealand, now has Singapore on the agenda.