A gifted horseman from the middle of nowhere, Darren Weir has a way with racehorses that reminds his Melbourne Cup-winning jockey of the late `Cups King' Bart Cummings.

The country Victorian trainer and Michelle Payne both won their first Melbourne Cup with Prince Of Penzance.

"He just had that horse peaking like Bart Cummings would have had his horses peaking," Payne said.

Payne had the first of her two Melbourne Cup rides with the Cummings-trained mare Allez Wonder in 2009.

"She was spot on for that day. You could see why he'd won so many, he just had her peaking.

"I just think that Darren had done exactly the same with Prince of Penzance."

While Allez Wonder finished 16th in 2009, Payne steered Prince Of Penzance to claim the first Melbourne Cup for a female jockey.

Payne credits Weir with being a great horseman.

"He knows exactly what each horse needs."

Born in Berriwillock in Victoria's Mallee district, Weir has won the past two Melbourne premierships but still retains his country roots with stables at Ballarat and Warrnambool where the horses enjoy the beach.

It isn't the conventional way to win premierships, but it suits Weir who has built his reputation rehabilitating injured horses - including Prince Of Penzance - when no one else had the time or the patience.

Having realised his childhood dream of winning a Melbourne Cup, Prince Of Penzance's managing owner Sandy McGregor says Weir could teach others a thing or two about training stayers.

"Ballarat really is the first training establishment that's ever been put together that's actually allows a person to train a stayer without breaking it down.

"You couple that with the fact that you've got a gifted genius from the middle of nowhere essentially who's self taught and passionate and determined and tough, relentless.

"He's won his first Melbourne Cup. I don't think it will be his last. He'll be wining plenty more Cups."

Weir described Payne's Cup performance as an unbelievable ride and was still letting the win sink in on Wednesday.

"It's very hard to get a horse in the race let alone try and win the race so it's an unbelievable feeling," he said.

Weir was a no-show at Wednesday's media conference with Payne and McGregor, choosing to stay in Ballarat after partying all night, first with the rest of the connections at a Melbourne pub before heading home to join his staff.

He also gave the Kyneton Cup a miss, although Payne - who stuck to water at the Cup celebrations - rode Akzar to fourth place for Weir.