It’s a funny thing. In recent years, for various reasons, racing animals of the female persuasion have increasingly taken center stage.

In the gallops, Black Caviar and Winx have set previously inconceivable standards of dominance. 

In the greyhounds, Wow She’s Fast and She’s A Pearl have followed the trail set by pioneers like Fanta Bale and Miata. 

Despite these developments, and despite harness racing’s peerless record of recognising women of the human variety, few of our finest mares have made their mark in open gender events. 

One mare who did, however, is dual Hunter Cup queen Blossom Lady. 

Tonight, the Kiwi star that twice schooled the boys in harness racing’s Melbourne Cup equivalent is honored with the race bearing her name at Melton’s Tabcorp Park. 

And despite the fact the Group 3 feature falls short of harboring a horse capable of Blossom Lady’s deeds, it remains an intriguing and amazingly educational contest nonetheless. 

Here we have, in no uncertain terms, a brilliant battle between class and fitness. 

In class’s corner are four-time Group 1 winner Maajida and dual Group 1 champion Goodtime Heaven. 

Predicably enough under Victoria’s predominantly preferential barrier system at metropolitan level, both mares draw outside the second row this evening. 

The hardened race-fit runners are last-start blackbookers Pray Tell and Eva Mateo. 

And just to add spice we’ve also got Queensland Oaks winner Momentslikethese fresh from a break and following an exceptional Tuesday afternoon trial. 

Once upon a rainbow, or back in the day as the kids would say, first-up status meant precious little in the standardbred world. 

Unlike thoroughbreds, harness horses were so freakishly hardy that their fresh efforts were almost equal to their peak performances. 

How times have changed. 

These days, with their dual-hemisphere speed breeding, standardbreds are far faster and far more fragile than their much-loved ancestors. 

That’s not to say that Maajida or Goodtime Heaven won’t prevail tonight; Maajida, at least, is priced to do just that. 

Nevertheless, the new world informs us that their task will be infinitely tougher than those star mares that came before them. 

Jason Bonnington was joined by Dan Mielicki on TrotsLife's Friday Form Panel to deliver a race-by-race preview to Saturday night's Tabcorp Park card.

AS we mature as humans, we often savour an organic sense of which parent’s traits we’ve tended toward in life.

With all due respect to her father, Always B Miki, Jess Tubbs’ prodigiously gifted three-year-old filly Nonparreil, is showing signs of mum. 

In her heat of tonight’s Group 2 Alabar Vicbred Platinum Home Grown Classic for classic-age girls, Nonparreil blew the start yet somehow found a way to beat her rivals there regardless. 

For those that witnessed her dam in action, Arms Of An Angel, it felt like déjà vu. 

She’ll want to mend her manners for this evening’s $50,000 final, but champion driver Greg Sugars suggested she would on Harness Racing Victoria’s digital hit, Burning Questions, during the week. 

And, typically speaking, Sugars gets it right. 

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.