By Max Presnell
Gai Waterhouse reckons Global Glamour will glide across the Rosehill wet in Saturday's Coolmore, Australia's best race for fillies and mares.
In the week of International Women's Day it's worth nothing that females have had a demanding journey on the turf, over ground riddled with bias, to current prominence with Waterhouse being the major driver.
Big chance: Global Glamour.Credit: bradleyphotos.com.au
Once they were shunned everywhere in racing to the degree of Randwick's infamous yellow line in the member's stand, which separated the genders. If any woman strayed across the line she would be set upon and removed by green coats, the aged army that conducted security for the Australian Jockey Club.
Despite getting legal advice in 1978 that women were entitled to full AJC membership the Principal Club decided "associate" was more appropriate. "It's an insult," the late Valerie Smith, wife of champion trainer Tommy Smith and mother of Waterhouse, commented.
Finally in 1982 they were given equal status. Only two years earlier women were granted the right to apply for a No.1 and 2 trainer's licence after being forced into obscurity.
Betty Lane had to go bush for at least three years before being entitled to train at Randwick, where there were more cats than females in stables.
Getting into the saddle against the jockeys was even more difficult and Margaret de Gonneville, who then taught Gai Waterhouse how to ride, was the rare sight at Randwick in the 1960s being a track work regular for Tommy Smith.
Later to be married to bookie Robbie Waterhouse, Gai sought a trainer's license and was knocked back with no reason supplied. She took it to the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal, was turned down but refused to quit and finally scored before the Court Of Appeal in 1992.
"There is now the Waterhouse Act," she enthused this week about the change in parliament following her battle with the AJC.
Michelle Payne was the first to climb an equine Everest, taking the 2015 Melbourne Cup on Prince Of Penzance, a feat of gender equality rivalled on stage by Kate Mulvany currently playing Richard III. Mulvany gave memorable credence to "a horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse", even more so than Kevin Spacey in the same role.
Alas some figure Payne has come down with severe pundititus, a malaise common with aged hacks but now running amok on Twitter.
Payne was critical of the Flemington track, thought by many to be riddled with fast lanes, and pinched $1500 for the comments by Racing Victoria which give the impression she would race better in a finger twitch and tongue tie.
Regarding the Payne outburst the court of public opinion on Racenet was divided, but Peter Ellis, the renowned trackwalker who trudges ground assessing the best under hoof sections of the world's racecourses was in favour of Flemington last Saturday.
And Ellis reckons it will play fair for Super Saturday, featuring the Newmarket and Australian Cup, in which Waterhouse has Ecuador, who should get on-pace conditions to suit.
Still the one gate is seen as a query for the luckless Sydney sprinter Spieth in the Newmarket with the outstanding Shaftesbury Avenue being the last winner to launch from the draw in 1991.
However, the anticipated Rosehill Gardens rain-affected ground will be more open to finding the firmest section, a situation Waterhouse reckons Global Glamour has the attributes to adapt to, and she has notched four previous Coolmores, all with three-year-olds: Assertive Lass (1997, 55.5kg), Bollinger (2003, 53kg), Shamekha (2004, 53kg) and Tuesday Joy (2007, 53kg).
Continuing the flavour of the day Global Glamour, raced by "It's All About Girls" syndicates, is also a three-year-old with 55.5kg, and the trainer believes her high cruising attribute will overcome the 16 barrier draw.
But there is possible turbulence from by other speedsters in the 1500-metre dash that prompts me towards Dixie Blossoms, who from the 12 gate can get the right passage under Tim Clark.
Dixie Blossoms is trained by Ron Quinton, winner of two Coolmores with Peeping last year and Ofcouriscan (2012), handled by Kathy O'Hara, who rides Single Gaze today.
My Coolmore four are Dixie Blossoms 1, Zanbagh 2, Danish Twist 3, Thames Court 4.