Prince Of Penzance’s managing owner John Richards says Michelle Payne’s fitness is the reason she is not riding the Melbourne Cup winner when he returns in Melbourne.

Payne has made a rapid recovery from abdominal surgery after a fall in May but Richards told Melbourne radio station RSN927 the owners were concerned she would not be ready in time for the Memsie Stakes on August 27.

The jockey has been riding Prince Of Penzance in track work over the past couple of weeks but has yet to ride competitively since her surgery.

Article from JustHorseRacing.com.au