Michelle Payne made history Tuesday as the first female jockey to win Australia’s 154-year-old Melbourne Cup when she rode 100-1 outsider Prince of Penzance to a shock win. The New Zealand-bred Prince of Penzance won despite being an outsider, with French horse Max Dynamite second and New Zealand horse Criterion third. Frankie Dettori was banned for a month and fined A$20,000 (£9,338) for careless riding on Max Dynamite.

She praised Prince of Penzance trainer Darren Weir and owner John Richards for their support but said: “I want to say to everyone else, get stuffed, because women can do anything and we can beat the world.” Payne, who has fought back from life-threatening race injuries during her career, said she hoped her win would inspire other women: “It’s a very male-dominated sport and people think we [women] are not strong enough and all of the rest of it, but it’s not all about strength.

Did You Know???

• Horses have been domesticated for over 5000 years.
• Horses gallop at around 44 kph (27 mph).
• The Przewalski’s horse is the only truly wild horse species still in existence. The only wild population is in Mongolia.
• The horse is one of the 12 Chinese signs of the zodiac. Anyone born in the year of the horse is seen to embody the characteristics of the animal, namely intelligence, independence and a free-spirit.
• A male horse is called a stallion. A female horse is called a mare.
• A young male horse is called a colt. A young female horse is called a filly.