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The Racing Industry is mourning the passing of racehorse trainer Mr Graham Payne aged 67.

Formerly of Cessnock, Graham enjoyed much success as a trainer and was popular among his peers.

Mr Payne was a renowned horseman who trained Kinetics to win the 2011 Muswellbrook Gold Cup, and landed the 2018 Jungle Juice Cup at Cessnock with Kentucky Flyer, who was backed from $15 into $4 favouritism.

“It was a terrific thrill to win the Jungle Juice Cup after years of trying,” Graham said afterwards.

The late Mr Graham Payne

“I was very emotional and could hardly talk when interviewed on Sky.

“It was like my Melbourne Cup being my hometown race and I had been trying to win it many times.”

Graham also prepared Baileys to win the 2021 $150,000 Northern Rivers Country Championships at Coffs Harbour before the horse finished down the course behind Art Cadeau in the Final at Royal Randwick.

Kinetics also won races at Muswellbrook (twice), Newcastle, Scone, Tamworth, Coffs Harbour, Taree and Dubbo, while Kentucky Flyer scored at Canterbury Park and Goulburn.

Graham trained 59 winners and 114 placegetters with his last win being with Lucifer’s Reward at Muswellbrook in May 2023.

He was for many years a hotelier and happily mixed pulling beers with training racehorses, but the horses won out.

Graham was at Stuarts Point Tavern in the Macleay Valley seaside resort just north of Kempsey, which Cessnock-born Payne said was his last (and 12th) pub.

Graham was a loving partner of Christine, father to Elissa, Jen, Rheanna and Sasha, and much-loved Poppy Payne to Jack, Zane, Kai, Layla, Zach, Matilda, Marlee and Ruby. He was also a much-loved member of the Payne and Duff families.

Family and friends of Graham are warmly invited to attend his Memorial Service in the Chapel of C.R. Smyth & Son, Westcott St, Cessnock on Thursday, 14th August 2025 at 1:30pm.