Paula Wagg looks back on the 1970s with a smile when she recalls the long and arduous battle she had to go through to gain a jockey's riding licence.
It took some fierce lobbying before the then 26-year-old became the first female jockey to ride professionally against the men in Western Australia in early 1979.
It wasn't an easy path racing authorities laid out for Wagg. Because she was 26, stewards ruled she should not become an apprentice, but instead was to be declared a fully fledged jockey.
"So that meant I came in having my first ride with no allowance, no profile and was to compete on the same level as the likes of Johnny Miller, arguably the best jockey of the day in Australia," Wagg recalled.
On Saturday, Wagg fills a different role. She maintains a boutique stable at Ascot. And according to the former jockey, her opportunity of group 1 success may well beckon when Balmont Girl, her tough four-year-old mare, competes in the $1 million Railway Stakes.
Wagg believes her early days of trying to gain a rider's licence in an industry so male-orientated has certainly toughened her up for a life of training horses.
"I must say it was very hard back then, but I was lucky because some Singaporean racing officials were keen to have a lady rider in their ranks," she said. "'And it might have been a novelty factor but it was more experience and I had a lot of success and made some terrific contacts that have translated into some strong owners who are still with me today.
"I still use lady jockeys but it is fantastic they now can become apprentices at any age and they're showing they are adaptable and made great horse people. I must say that one of their great assets is their patience and they never lose their cool with horses that are a bit tricky."
Balmont Girl, a Western Australian Oaks winner, is poised to become the local racehorse to topple the likes of The Cleaner, who is race-day favourite.
Wagg is conservative about the chances of Balmont Girl, but admits she has earned her place in the field for the Railway Stakes.
"She's a very good race mare. We've won some really strong classic events with her on the way to the Railway, but it's not going to be easy. Actually I'll be a lot happier when she walks onto Ascot Racecourse all ready for the race.
"And I mean by this that she can be a bit temperamental. The slightest noise that she's not used to and she can go up in the air so you've just got to keep things simple and keep her happy and I'm always happy to see her set foot on the racecourse.
"It's quite remarkable really. She never puts a hair out of place at the races. She's stands there and we saddle her up and she parades perfectly. Yes she seems to just get focused on what she has to do."
Balmont Girl is third favourite behind The Cleaner, a horse Wagg has great respect for. "I've seen him [The Cleaner] and he looks a strong, tough type and while I haven't seen a lot of his races he appears to have a great record at 1600 metres," she said.
"I know he's got 58 kilos but he's earned it and I think he's won with that weight so that won't hold any fears for him. It's a big step for my mare, but I think she's up to it. I would've liked to have drawn a bit better than 15 but after the emergencies come out she's in barrier 11, so it could always be worse."
However, Wagg believes training a racehorse to win at the top level is a little easier than breaking the glass ceiling all those years ago.
