Injured jockey Michelle Payne has returned to Twitter for the first time since undergoing pancreatic surgery to thank all who have wished her well.
The Melbourne Cup-winning rider is still being monitored for possible complications in Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital but tweeted on Monday that doctors had removed tubes and she was hoping for the best.
“Big thanks to everyone for there (sic) wishes and support. Lost tubes left right and centre here today at the Alfred. Hoping for good results!” Payne said.
Payne is expected to remain in hospital for the rest of the week with further tests to be carried out on her pancreas which she injured in a fall at Mildura a week ago.
Her brother Patrick, trainer of the horse Michelle was riding in the Mildura race, says her family have again urged her to retire but she is so far having none of it.
“I gave her a speech on Saturday night about her retiring but then she talked about having a ride in the Grand Annual next year,” he told Melbourne radio station RSN.
“That basically shows where her head’s at.”
He said his sister was mending well but the next couple of days were crucial.
“The pancreas is like the tiger country of the medical world,” he said.
“It’s dangerous territory but she’s in good spirits and handling it all really well.”
The youngest of 10 children in a racing family, Michelle Payne became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup when she steered the Darren Weir-trained Prince Of Penzance to victory in November.
Her siblings’ previous attempts to convince her to give up riding came after she sustained serious injuries.
In March, 2004 she suffered a fractured skull and bruising to her brain and in 2012 she broke four vertebrae and several ribs in another fall.
