Ten years on from Michelle Payne’s fairytale Melbourne Cup victory and the next chapter in racing’s gender-busting story is poised to unfold.

On board Prince of Penzance, at the princely odds of $101, Payne broke new ground for the fairer sex, screaming — with her success and sentiments — that the girls can indeed do it too. There’s a good chance that one of the girls could do it again in 2025.

I’m not one for separating the girls from the boys. They ride under the same conditions on a level playing field. Racing is the only sport in the world where that happens.

The girls sometimes have an advantage in the size and weight department, while the boy’s strength is a plus. Out female riders well and truly hold their own in the metro riding ranks across the country.

It’s not that they are

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