DEFYING the long-held belief that their choice of president would always be limited by racial prejudice, Americans elected a man whose major literary influence is the Englishman Bob The Builder - Yes We Can!

Apparently, Barack Obama is also black.

Obama's victory prompted a predictable orgy of self-congratulation in a nation desperately searching for a leader whose appearance on the international stage would not create the type of toe-curling embarrassment that, before W., had mainly been caused by tourists from Indiana loudly voicing their disappointment at the absence of French fries on the menu in Parisian restaurants.

But when it came to electing a president so powerfully symbolic that the global humiliation created by the previous administration might be swept quickly under the shagpile, this time the US could not lose.

Obama's colour made him both the most unlikely and, therefore, the most potent antidote to the past eight years. But his closest Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, would have been the first woman president. And war hero (we believe it was the Civil War) John McCain could have struck a blow for the senior citizen. Each in their own way was an antidote to the silver-spooned establishment son turned rebellious "good ol' boy" who will be loading the removalist truck at the White House in January.

Yet, while the excruciatingly long-winded American political process took two years to determine which of the three barriers - race, sex or age - would be broken, the less substantial but equally symbolic world of sport managed to crash through them all in just a few days.

Clinton's defeat in the primaries meant the most frequent female visitor to the Oval Office would still be pushing the tea-trolley. But a female jockey - or "lady rider" as they are still quaintly called - landed the winner of last Saturday's Victoria Derby. You could have gotten shorter odds on Sarah Palin one day jingling the keys to Airforce One with some bookies than that.

And not just because Clare Lindop was on the $100 outsider Rebel Raider. Admit it, how many hardcore punters have skimmed the form guide and reflexively dismissed the runner with 'Ms' beside the jockey's name?

Not strong enough. Don't have the competitive instincts. Too soft on the horse. "This isn't pony club, sweetheart!"

But the main reason female jockeys are so unflatteringly regarded is that, unlike the fawned-upon female swimmers or tennis players, they compete directly against men. And, until Lindop crashed through the turf ceiling - and probably for a long time yet - their failings were attributed to gender, while their male counterparts were rated on (lack of) merit.

There was a time, too, when it would have seemed no less likely that a black man would win the formula one world title than the US presidency. Jesse Jackson's name was at least on the Democratic nomination ballot paper about 20 years before Lewis Hamilton was the first black man on the starting grid.

A black racing car driver faced the same wink-wink, nudge-nudge racism that has limited the number of black Americans offered head-coaching roles despite their predominance on the field - "They can run and jump and hit. But let's leave the thinking to the white guys."

Hamilton's incredible talent has helped debunk such foul white supremacist myths. But, at the same time, it has dragged some neanderthals out of their caves, including the Spanish fans of Hamilton's former teammate, Fernando Alonso, who offered this charming encouragement to Hamilton on a website: "Half-breed, kill yourself in your car!"

John McCain failed to prove you could ride into the White House on a motorised wheelchair. But sport provided a fillip for pension power with rising 81-year-old Bart Cummings's victory in the Melbourne Cup.

Cummings's hilarious post-race press conference with Viewed's 82-year-old owner Dato Tan Chin Nam was like a routine by Statler and Waldorf, the hecklers in The Muppet Show . As it began, Dato Tan fumbled around trying to work out how to turn off his mobile phone. Cummings could not open a bottle of water on the desk and handed it to one of the "lovely hostesses" from Emirates to do it for him. But despite their age - or because of it - Cummings and Dato Tan have sharp wits, sharp eyes and sharp tongues. Virtually no one backed Viewed. Yet if they had opened the polls at Flemington at 3.05pm on Tuesday, it would have been President Bart in a landslide.

rhinds@smh.com.au