Fifty years have elapsed since then 29-year-old Billie Jean King outplayed the long-retired Bobby Riggs in sport’s most referenced and celebrated Battle of the Sexes.
At the time, King’s triumph had an enormous influence on the respect and reverence sporting lovers felt for female tennis.
Despite this seismic elevation, however, it’s fair to suggest that in human athletic combat the male of the species still maintains many competitive advantages.
The same, however, cannot be said for racing.
Unless you’ve been living on the underside of a rock or have no interest in The Sport of Kings, it’s eminently likely you’re aware that Australian thoroughbred racing’s three most recent champions were mares.
Many theories have circulated about how this transition transpired given the chasm in strength between galloping males and females was once relatively pronounced.
Regardless of this speculation, it’s undeniable that Makybe Diva, Black Caviar and Winx consistently – sometimes arrogantly – had the measure of their many male counterparts.
And one need stretch their memories no further back than last Friday night for evidence that this same reality also exists in the dogs with superstar bitch Wow She’s Fast announced as Victorian Greyhound of the Year.
Indeed, in the greyhound code girls and boys have long competed on a level playing field without anybody batting an eye.
The one racing code where gender parity has yet to blossom is harness racing.
Sure, there have been some magnificent mares over the years, mares like two-time Hunter Cup queen Blossom Lady, 1989 Inter Dominion champ Jodie’s Babe, NZ Cup champ Adore Me and US Horse of the Year Shartin.
Nevertheless, their exceptionalism has probably done more to prove the referenced rule than anything else.
That being said, it certainly feels, in the iconic words of Bob Dylan, that times, they are a changing.
On Saturday night at Melton Park, Emma Stewart’s magnificent mare, Encipher, outpointed all-comers in the Westburn Grant Free For All, one of the strongest open class events in Victoria this term.
Yes, she enjoyed the perfect trip in transit and yes, there were bigger runs in that contest - particularly Rock N Roll Doo - but the fact remains she won.
And while she’s certainly been underrated throughout her career, it’s tough to believe that there aren’t other Australasian mares with at least as much talent as Encipher.
Despite the trend toward equality, there’s little doubt that harness racing hasn’t reached the situation either competing code currently enjoys.
The only way we’ll truly know if or when that moment arrives, however, is by segregating our top female races from our most prestigious Grand Circuit features.
It’s not a case of forcing trainers to place their mares in Victoria and Hunter Cups, it’s merely offering them the opportunity to do so.
If for no other reason than to build much-needed hope and unique narratives to capture public imagination.
The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.