“How’s he looking?” Anna turned to see Ruth walking up to the loose box that held their runner for today
“Fresh as the proverbial daisy, and that considering he had a hard race last Saturday” She turned back to contemplating the liver chesnut gelding and held out her hand, clucking for him to come to her “What’s your secret boy? How did you do it?”
Sensing it was time to get ready she gave Turcanna a final pat and walked away.
She watched from the stands as Ruth gave Steven Rudd a leg up onto the gelding’s back
When the trainer joined her they gripped hands
“It’s up to them now”
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BRRRRRRING
The horses leapt out their stalls and Anna stared as a familiar chesnut bounded into the lead
“I thought we told him to run from behind…”
But the chestnut kept going, only to drop right to the rear at the final two furlongs
Anna clenched her hands on the binoculars. They couldn’t fail now, he’d done so well
“Come on Powerful Gift… Come on” she whispered under her breath, hoping but resigned to the fact they may have pushed him too hard. She turned away…
“ANNA!” Ruth’s screech made her swing around just in time to see the chestnut blur dash under the wire
“is it…?” she gasped
The number came up; 4
They both gawped, then screamed with delight at the same moment “He did it! He did it!”
Anna dashed out to the course and flung her arms around the gelding’s neck “Good boy, Good boy…” Patting him with one hand she grabbed a rein with the other and,with Ruth taking the other, led him into the winners enclosure
Nothing got through to her brain after that… she was simply drunk on jubilation.
We have a winner We have a winner