Champion mare honoured

ONE of harness racing’s all-time great mares will be honoured at Club Menangle tonight.

A star of the mid 1990s, Norms Daughter was bred by Dave Palmer and named after his late father, Norm, who owned numerous top performers, including Gap Road which won a heat of the 1984 Inter Dominion at Globe Derby.

Unraced at two, Norms Daughter made a winning debut as a three-year-old, with her nine subsequent starts for the season resulting in five wins, including the Western Australia Oaks.

As a four-year-old, the Neil Lloyd-trained pacer won six of her 11 Australian starts, with two seconds also to her credit.

Norms Daughter sealed her greatness the following year by proving too slick against the southern hemisphere’s best in the Miracle Mile at Club Menangle’s former home, Harold Park.

Leading throughout from barrier five, Norms Daughter scored by two metres from Il Vicolo, with Beefy T four metres away third.

Rating 1:55.6, Norms Daughter equalled Westburn Grant’s race record while becoming just the second mare to capture Australasia’s premier sprint since Robin Dundee was triumphant in the inaugural edition in 1967.

As for the feature in her name, the Listed Classic has attracted a formidable field of classy mares headed by dual Group One winner, Lux Aeterna.

An honourable third against free-for-all company at Club Menangle a fortnight ago, Lux Aeterna proved too good against mares in the Stylish Memphis Stake during her previous run.

Driven by trainer Rickie Alchin, the daughter of Captaintreacherous led from barrier eight before stopping the clock in 1:51.3 over a mile.

This time around Lux Aeterna is the widest drawn in the field of 10 over the same distance.

Despite her superior record, the five-year-old is on the third line of betting at $4.20 with TAB Fixed Odds.

Poised to make her return to the powerful Jason Grimson stable, Bella Danza heads the market at $2.30 from gate seven.

Bella Danza was prepared by Grimson throughout 2025 before being sent to Queensland last April.

During her previous stint with the triple Inter Dominion winning trainer Bella Danza won seven of her 19 starts, while finishing among the placegetters on five occasions for a fastest time of 1:51.2.

The daughter of Bettors Delight was beaten as a $1.80 favourite – finishing a metre-and-a-half second – at Albion Park last week.

Splitting the pair at $3.90 is well-performed mare Steno, which has drawn barrier nine for champion horseman Luke McCarthy.

Also returning from a Queensland campaign, Steno was a last start third at Albion Park on August 1.

Steno boasts the quickest time of the top trio with a 1:49.4 win to her name.

ELSEWHERE on the card, One More Reason is also poised to make her return for Grimson following a campaign with Michael Hardy.

Given a freshen-up following her fourth at Club Menangle on ANZAC Day, One More Reason won a trial in Young a fortnight ago.

To be driven by Cameron Hart, the daughter of For A Reason is a $1.90 TAB Fixed Odds favourite from barrier seven in the Pink Diamond Stake.