What a year it has been for Ballarat racing royalty, the Payne family.
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The release and box office success of "Ride Like A Girl", the story of 2015 Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michelle Payne, has had the family constantly in the national spotlight.
It has been the "ride" of a lifetime.
Now her older brother Patrick has an opportunity to put the icing on the cake in territory the family knows best - on the racetrack.
The Paynes have had many special moments on their home track, just a stone's throw from the family home.
There have been tribute races in which several of the eight siblings which took up careers as jockeys have ridden.
Michelle Payne won on debut as a jockey there, on a horse trained by her father Paddy, and Patrick won his first ride in a jumps race on the circuit, on a horse trained by his sister Therese Patton.
And as a trainer, Patrick has won the past two rich Grand National Steeplechases.
For all that and more, Patrick Payne has an opportunity to top the lot in the listed $500,000 Sportsbet Ballarat Cup, 2000m, on Saturday.
The Plumpton-based Payne saddles up the in-form Double You Tee.
For Payne, who reached the heights of winning 2002 WS Cox Plate on Northerly in a stellar riding career, it is a rare opportunity in the race.
He can recall only having a few rides in the Cup and this will be his first starter as a trainer.
The Paynes did go close to snaring the Ballarat Cup 12 years ago when patriarch Paddy Payne trained wet track specialist Bowl Along to second on a heavy10.
Patrick Payne said it would be huge if he could land his hometown Cup.
"It'd be unbelievable."
While confident Double You Tee can run a bold race, Payne is not too focused on winning.
"It's a quality field."
He believes what the five-year-old does have in his favour is that he is still one the way up in his preparation while others are at the end of their campaigns.
Payne said Double You Tee had been a real surprise packet and with the right run could be prominent.
Double You Tee began his career in Tasmania, joining Payne's stable midway through last year.
He won four races on end before a last-start second to Midterm in the Kyneton Cup, 2000m, on November 6.
Patrick Payne also has Defibrillate going for five wins on end in the $125,000 Global Turf Handicap, 2600m.
The family's other chance will be with 2018 Victoria Oaks placegetter Miner's Miss, trained by Paddy and ridden by Michelle, in the same event.
MITCH Freedman is well placed to lead the charge by Ballarat stables.
He has Gina's Hope engaged in the $125,000 Haymarket Ballarat Mares' Benchmark78, 1200m; Hard Up first-up in the $75,000 Event Aid Benchmark70 Handicap, 1100m; last-start winner Zorro's Dream in the $175,000 Magnum Equine VOBIS Gold Eureka Stockade, 1400m; Melbourne Cup Carnival winner Bravo Tango in the $125,000 Goldenvue Estate Benchmark84 Handicap, 1400m; and Oberland and Bassett in the $150,000 Hertz Ballarat Tonks Plate, 1200m.
Freedman has had an outstanding spring with minor placings in the Victoria Derby and Victoria Oaks.
MATT Cumani is another Ballarat trainer with a strong hand.
He has Radical Candor first-up in the $125,000 Haymarket Ballarat Mares' Benchmark78, 1200m; Saddle In The Sun in the $125,000 Global Turf Benchmark78 Handicap, 2600m; firsts starters Comparsa and Opicina in the $250,000 Magic Millions 2yo Clockwise Classic, 1000m; Mortar Platoon and Ryan's Fender in the $125,000 Suez McKellar Mile, 1600m; and Akkadian and Lady Vega in the $150,000 Magic Millions 3yo/4yo Classic, 1100m.
THE scratching of early favourite Harbour Views on Friday morning had a settling effect on the betting market on the Ballarat Cup.
Although at the top of betting markets, as second emergency Harbour Views was still not guaranteed a start.
He would have needed two scratchings to get a run.
Warrnambool trainer Matthew Williams, in announcing the scratching, said Harbour Views would go for a spell.
Williams said on Twitter: "Harbour Views will be scratched from the Ballarat Cup and head to the paddock for a well deserved break. With some changes in his fetlocks it was decided to err on the side of caution and give him a spell."
Dr Drill from the Caulfield/Ballarat stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace is now favourite.
MELBOURNE Cup-winning jockey Craig Williams is chasing a second Ballarat Cup win and first in 12 years.
He combined with the Robbie Laing-trained Sentire in 2007.
Williams has the ride on favourite Dr Drill.
Ballarat's John Allen is the only other jockey engaged who has won the Cup previously.
He saluted on Kiwia last year and takes the mount on him again.
WHAT a day it would be if Ballarat apprentice jockey Lucinda Doodt could win on her home cup day.
She takes the reins for the Dan O'Sullivan-trained Big Reel in the $75,000 Event Aid Benchmark70 Handicap, 1100m.
THIS time next year father and son Tony and Calvin McEvoy are expected to be well settled into a new stable complex in Ballarat.
They will add 100 boxes to their existing Flemington and South Australian operations.
So a Ballarat Cup win with Aristocratic Miss would be a perfect lead in.
"We're excited to have her there (in Ballarat) and I'm happy to see the favourite (Harbour Views) scratched which makes it a little bit easier," Tony McEvoy said.
"It's a very strong race as you would expect with the prizemoney on offer, but she's won at 2100 (metres) so the trip won't be an issue. It's all about getting her to relax and using herself right."