Melbourne Cup winning strapper Stevie Payne will be a guest of the Carrick Park Pacing Club (CPPC) at their Cup meeting on Saturday. Payne, who has Down syndrome, won the hearts and admiration of the nation after the horse he ‘looks after’, Prince Of Penzance, won the 2015 Melbourne Cup.
Payne will have his Melbourne Cup strappers trophy at Carrick and be available for photos. Thoroughbred trainer Jarrod McLean will accompany Payne to Carrick. McLean operates Stealth Lodge Racing and is the foreman for Darren Weir at his Warrnambool training complex where Prince Of Penzance is prepared.
The CPPC has organised another celebrity pony trot and Longford thoroughbred trainer Mick Burles will be back to defend his 2015 title. Other participants include Jarrod McLean, Kyle Maskiell, Georgie Catania, Hayley McCarthy, John Blacker, Chelsea Goodrick, David Keating, Rohan Hillier and Brett Jaffray. Stevie Payne will present the trophy to the winning driver.
The Carrick harness meeting will be covered by RadioTAB and UBET but there will be no Sky coverage. The first of eight races is at 3.59 pm and the last at 7.56 pm. The Vandenberg Transport Carrick Cup is Race 7 at 7.24 pm.