When Beyonce Knowles famously wailed that ‘girls, they run the world’ way back in 2011, it’s highly unlikely horse racing was her primary inspiration. 

But if the shoe fits, wear it. 

Last Tuesday, star mare Verry Elleegant claimed the Melbourne Cup and, in doing so, became the fifth female thoroughbred champion of the past 25 years alongside Wink, Black Caviar, Makybe Diva and Sunline. 

Three days the later, the 2021 Breeders Crown began at that series spiritual home, Bendigo, and once again the girls outshone the boys. 

Much has been made of this freakish draft of three-year-old pacing fillies. 

For some time, we’ve recognized just how awesome this flock of Australian filles and relished in their talents. 

Now, with the Breeders Crown, we also have some Kiwi stars to test those talents against. 

From a marketing perspective, Ladies In Red suffering the second loss of her career in heat three of the Crown for classic-age fillies was probably less than ideal. 

From a series perspective, it could scarcely have been more perfect. 

Heat racing, by its very nature, will always have more educational value than anything else. 

You cannot win the AFL Premiership in August, and you sure can’t win a Crown on night one of the series. 

But, when Australia’s finest filly for many years gets beaten, punters and participants quietly question what’s possible. 

If it bleeds, as Leigh Matthews purposefully uttered about the seemingly invincible Essendon squad shortly before his Brisbane Lions soared to immortality, we can kill it. 

All of this is nothing new to Ladies In Red, of course. 

During the recently staged Victoria Oaks series, several quarters questioned her continued dominance as stablemates Beach Music and Joanna seriously staked their claims as genuine rivals. 

Those doubts were doused in the final of that series when Ladies In Red performed an exercise in brutality, sitting parked and putting her rivals to bed. 

Now, there’s the Kiwi pair Bettor Twist and Lifes A Beach added to the mix along with her old foe Tough Tilly. 

The intrigue alone is wonderful.  

The Breeders Crown Finals themselves, something even more magnificent. 

The boys will be there too, of course, but just like Queen B told us, it’s girls right now that run the Crown and world. 

ON the first two days of Breeders Crown qualification, several favourites saluted, just as was expected. 

But these high-profile series always offer upsets, and none were more wonderful than Brutally Handsome in his Crown heat for two-year-old males on Sunday afternoon at Maryborough. 

Beautifully bred and bought by trainers Beau and Ann-Jeanette Tindale among others for what was surely a princely sum, Brutally Handsome remained a maiden after eight race starts. 

After Sunday, he’s a maiden no more; and on natural talent he can challenge bigger names as the Crown continues.

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.