Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne is preparing to sell the family farm she has shared with her beloved brother Stevie so he can pursue a new chapter with the woman who has made him happier than ever.
The first female jockey to win Australia’s greatest race revealed she and Stevie are exploring a sale of their 16.2-hectare Miners Rest property, known as Nottingham Farm, as he looks to move closer to Melbourne and his girlfriend, Katherine Mansour.
Payne and Stevie have lived on the property since buying it together in 2013, with Stevie owning a third of the farm and residing in a cottage behind the main homestead.
But after finding love, Stevie has set his sights on spending more time with Katherine, prompting a major lifestyle decision for one of racing’s most famous families.
‘Stevie is exploring moving to Melbourne to be closer to his girlfriend which is fair enough,’ Payne told News Corp.
The development comes less than a year after Stevie publicly revealed he had found love with Katherine, whom he met on a dancefloor at a racing gala event.
Michelle Payne is selling the family farm so brother Stevie can move closer to girlfriend Katherine Mansour
Stevie Payne says he has never been happier since finding love with girlfriend Katherine Mansour
In an interview last year, Stevie described Katherine as his ‘best friend and my girlfriend’ and said he had ‘never been happier’.
‘Our favourite thing is dancing together,’ he said.
‘We met on the dance floor. She makes me really happy. I love dancing and we love dancing together.’
The relationship has won the approval of Michelle, who has long shared an extraordinarily close bond with her younger brother.
The pair became household names in 2015 when Michelle rode Prince Of Penzance to a stunning Melbourne Cup victory, with Stevie playing a crucial role as the horse’s strapper and famously drawing barrier one before the race.
Ten years after that fairytale triumph, Michelle recently reflected on how much her brother means to her.
‘Stevie means everything,’ she said.
‘He’s amazing – funny, honest, and the best company. We’re just lucky to have each other.’
Michelle Payne, pictured with Gabriel Ribeiro, says her brother means everything to her and fully supports his next chapter
Stevie Payne played a crucial role in the Melbourne Cup fairytale by strapping Prince Of Penzance on race day
The siblings have shared much of their lives together, growing up in the famous Payne racing family and dreaming of one day winning the Melbourne Cup.
Michelle has often spoken about the support Stevie provided throughout her career and how special it was to have him by her side during the defining moment of her life.
Their father, Paddy Payne Sr, who originally encouraged them to purchase the farm, is also considering a change, with the family patriarch now approaching 90 years of age.
Despite putting the property on the market, Michelle says there are no firm plans about what comes next.
‘It still take a lot to run but it’s been great. If the right opportunity comes up than we want to go for a different sort of change of lifestyle,’ she said.
‘We have no idea what exactly we are going to do yet. we are just putting our feelers out there.’
The champion jockey intends to remain involved in racing, having renewed her trainer’s licence and continuing to work with a small team of horses.
‘We don’t want to give it away, but if the right offer came than we will just see what happens,’ Payne said.
‘To be honest, I’m letting gate wind blow me.’
