Unfortunately, the next day Onceinabluemoon ground out a hard fought victory in the Dante Stakes. She'd shown that she was a gutsy filly, unafraid of a good fight, and had planted herself as joint favourite for the Derby with TC. James wasn't happy about it.
"Wills doesn't deserve a filly like her." He growled to Kat. They were discussing the Derby field, "She's much too good."
"You think she'll like Epsom?" Kat asked, she was perched up on Dove, James stood beside her as the horses on the track ran.
"Who knows? She might fade, she's only ever tried ten furlongs."
"Twelve will be no issue for her, we both know she's got enough stamina in her dam side. Plus, according the Post, she's come out bouncing."
"I thought she would. As has your filly though." James smiled as her reached out to stroke Dove's neck, "She's matured a lot, really set her head to business."
"That's a good thing right?"
"Yes, it is." James nodded, "Very good. Given her performance in the Musidora I'd say that she's going to Epsom."
"I know she's going to Epsom. Just which race?" Kat ran a hand down Dove's silky crest and the filly chomped at the bit, eager to get going.
"Which do you think would be better for us? TC is already in the Derby."
"TC is a ten furlong horse. He won't stay twelve."
"He will."
"He might but he won't be at his best over twelve. Onceinabluemoon might be. If you want to take the filly down then you need to put this girl in it."
"I thought you'd say that." James smiled and patted Dove's shoulder, "Ten furlong gallop, let her go in the last two."
"Yes sir."
"Catherine! Catherine! Catherine!" The shrieking commenced shortly after Kat had put Dove back in her stall and was readying Hope for a gallop.
"Yes?" Kat replied, surprised that her grandmother had already discovered her controversial choice to put Dove in the Derby.
"Catherine, where are you?" The tone was impatient and imperious, "I don't have time for games!" Kat sighed and pushed back Hope's door, leading the pretty bay filly out.
"Is this the horse you stole?" Lady Eliza was close to screeching and Hope gave a nervous snort.
"Easy girl, I haven't stolen any horses." Kat ran a reassuring hand over Hope's neck, slightly puzzled.
"Don't call me girl!" Her grandmother spat, "Apparently my house is harbouring a horse thief."
"Gosh, who have you stolen?" Kat smiled tightly then tightened Hope's girth another hole.
"You, young lady, you! I just received a call from a very rich man, very rich."
"Oh?"
"And apparently, you stole his horse." Lady Eliza pointed an accusatory finger.
"I don't think so. What was his name? I've mainly been nicking horses off women recently..." Her sarcasm wasn't appreciated.
"This filly, you didn't buy her! You took her from the owner."
"He asked me to, he said if she won something I could have her."
"Do you have a contract that he signed?" Lady Eliza raised an eyebrow, "Or maybe a recording of what he said? How about anything to confirm this story?"
"He had the filly vanned up here!"
"By a groom who has now been convicted for horse cruelty! How do you think that will look in court?" Lady Eliza's voice turned shrill again, "He is on his way to fetch the filly right now!"
"He's what?" Kat stared in disbelief, "You're joking?"
"No, he wants his horse back so I suggest that you untack her and get her ready for the journey back to Newmarket!" Hope was starting to drag at the reins, throwing her head up uneasily. Kat stroked her neck soothingly then shook her head.
"She's got her first gallop with the others today, I'll be riding her out on the track. If you want to bring her owner down to see her then fine but otherwise she's staying in training."
Jacob Wilkes arrived with Carson Wills at his side. Wills was smiling greedily as he eyed the stables up, clearly he was delighted to be getting inside the Acropolis.
"Lady Elizabeth Forest, my granddaughter is working Heavenly Hope as we speak." Lady Eliza greeted them with courteous displeasure. Mr Wilkes smiled and shook her hand then, on receiving an elbow to the ribs from Wills, frowned.
"I warned you I'd be here to get the filly, why is she not ready?"
"My granddaughter thought you might like to see the filly work?"
"He's seen the filly race before and that was nothing special." Wills barked.
"The filly has turned over a new leaf since then." Lady Eliza smiled frostily, "She's been working with Spring Arrow, a sprinter going to Royal Ascot, and has been holding her own." The mention of Royal Ascot clearly influenced Mr Wilkes, he paused thoughtfully then shrugged.
"A quick look wouldn't hurt. And then I want her on my lorry!"
"Certainly sir." Lady Eliza motioned with her hand, "This way please."
Hope wasn't out with Arrow this morning. She was working with a bunch of their two year olds, amongst them were sons and daughters of Classic winners.
"Which one is she?" Wilkes demanded as the horses circled. They were doing an 'experience run' where they broke from the gates and ran six furlongs under race conditions.
"I believe Catherine is wearing the yellow hat silk." Lady Eliza replied, "She's been working very hard with the filly."
"Excellent stuff, I'm sure however I require the filly to be under...more experienced hands."
"Catherine is a remarkable rider, she has high expectations for the filly. The eight two year olds were slowly being loaded in my the stable hands until all of them were loaded. James joined them at the rail and lifted his hand. He dropped it and the gates snapped open.
"Hello Wills, how are you?" He asked rhetorically, eyes focused on the pack of two year olds that were dribbling out onto the track. Hope had broken the best of the lot, being the most experienced filly by far. She was crushed against the rail by two others whilst the remaining four were still leaving the gates at a delayed pace. One grey filly suddenly burst up the outside, bolting flat out and making it four wide around the first turn, away from the audience.
"The grey is trouble, who is she?" Lady Eliza asked James.
"Sidesteppingsnowdrift. She tends to bolt and burn herself out too quickly."
"As I can see, she likes to run off with the lead?"
"Yes." Sidesteppingsnowdrift had become a pale grey blur in front, opening a two length lead as they blitzed through the first two furlongs.
"My filly is doing nicely." Wilkes commented, "She seems quite happy off the pace. I thought you said she was a frontrunner Wills?" Wills gave a fake half-smile, somewhat disconcerted by how well Hope was holding her own against the others.
"How long is this race?"
"Six furlongs, they'll come across the half track, not the full." James gestured to the cut through that split the track into an eight furlong course and a ten furlong courses. This race had started two furlongs into the mile course. The two year olds were less strung out as they began coming to the second turn, they were bunching together. The ones at the back had caught up and the grey filly in front was fading fast. Hope was still pinned at the rail, trapped behind a fading Sidesteppingsnowdrift, penned in by two colts and with nowhere to go.
"As I feared. You see, Mr Wilkes, Catherine just doesn't have the skill to get this filly running the course nicely." Wills gestured to where Kat was stuck on Hope, "The filly is good but she needs more experienced hands."
"Give her a moment." James snapped, "There is still two furlongs to go." Mr Wilkes was mesmerised, ignorant to both of them. The filly was penned in but she had plenty of energy. Finally as they came around the final corner one of the colts beared violently off the rail, knocking the outside colt off course. It left a gap and Hope went through it before Kat asked her to. Hope was suddenly in full flight. There was a bright bay filly in the centre of the track who was pouring out her speed but Hope was in top gear. Her strides were still a little ungainly as she wore down the other filly's lead and came neck and neck with her. The two fillies were battling gamely, stride for stride, and Mr Wilkes had his hands clapped together in anticipation.
"Come on Heavenly Hope!" He yelled as the filly tried to stick her head in front for once and for all. The two fillies hit the line together, thundering past the audience, and the riders stood in the stirrups, easing the fillies down.
"Who won? Who won?" Mr Wilkes cried, "Did she win?" James shrugged.
"It was close, dead heat to my eyes."
"You mean you don't know?" Mr Wilkes eyes dulled a little with disappointment but he was still smiling, "Of course you don't, it's not a real race."
"Good filly, isn't she?" James asked as the two year olds, cantering off around the turn, began to pull up.
"She certainly hasn't shown that speed before." Mr Wills agreed grudgingly, "A break has done her good."
"Yes and clearly you're a great trainer Mr Kingsley." Mr Wilkes added, throwing a brief glare to Wills.
"I promise you that I haven't come close to that filly. Today is the first day that she's worked under my supervision because Kat thought she was ready for a challenge. She certainly looked like she was up for it out there"
"I don't know, she couldn't quite get the edge on that other filly." Mr Wills put in. Lady Eliza gave an unladylike snort.
"That filly is The Promise. She's a half sister to the champions Hana's Lightning and Solo Queen, out of the champion, Princess Hana. To call her blue-blooded in comparison to Heavenly Hope is an insult to her breeding." This shut Wills up but excited Mr Wilkes even more.
"She held on to that filly? Gosh, she really is something! What a girl!" Hope was jogging back towards them, her ears were pricked and her eyes shining with glee. Kat jogged her up close to the rail but kept her far enough away so that she could barely see Mr Wills' glare.
"Hello." She acknowledged Mr Wilkes, "Your filly is good."
"She certainly is. But I always said she was." Mr Wilkes stared lovingly at the filly, "She was a fighter out there."
"She is a fighter." Kat agreed and she patted Hope's dark neck. Hope swung her head around and nickered to Kat, brushing her nose against Kat's boot as Kat let her legs hang free of the stirrups.
"Anyway, Mr Wilkes wishes for the filly to be returned to my care after this misunderstanding. Given the good care you've taken of the filly I doubt he'll press charges." Wills interrupted brutally and Hope jumped, her ears twitching nervously.
"Really Mr Wills? Because this filly has come on phenomenally since she came here."
"True enough." Wills agreed, "Clearly she needed a change but now I think it's time she returned home."
"I don't think so." Kat shook her head, "I could have her racing in a couple of months. Racing and winning."
"A couple of months? That's a time to wait. I reckon she could race now, I'd have her in a maiden next week." Wills challenged, he was sweetening himself to Mr Wilkes.
"Don't be silly," James jumped in, "The filly needs at least two more weeks, we have to see how she comes out of this."
"Two more weeks?" Mr Wilkes raised an eyebrow, "Let me think about this, I'm not sure if we should take her back, Carson. She seems quite settled here."
"Why don't we discuss this after I've put her away?" Kat suggested, "I don't want her to catch a chill."
"Certainly not, away you go."
The crowd of people trooped into the yard as Kat was brushing out the tangles in Hope's mane from their gallop. The bay filly seemped quite happy now, watching the world go by with alert eyes. A couple of stalls away Dappled Dove kicked her door enviously, wanting all the attention.
"Catherine!" Mr Wilkes called her name and Kat finished the last tangle, dumping the brush in the grooming box and untying Hope. The dark bay filly followed her contentedly.
"Mr Wilkes, have you reached a decision?"
"Yes. I like what you have done with her." Kat bowed her head graciously.
"She's a pleasure to work with."
"But, I do not want to give her away."
"I understand."
"However, if she wins the race I have decided she will run in then you may enter into fifty-fifty co-ownership with me." Mr Wilkes paired his offering with a raised eyebrow.
"Which race?" Kat had dread in her stomach, Wills was smirking happily behind Wilkes.
"There is a maiden race in three weeks time that I'd like her to go in."
"Three weeks?" Kat let out a half laugh, "I don't know if I'll have her ready by then."
"It's not a big race but it's a big occasion so I'd like to see her win." Mr Wilkes informed her. Kat struggled to contain a mocking smile.
"Sir, do you mean Derby day?"
"Yes, two races after the Derby there is a maiden race-"
"I am aware sir but that is a race for colts. This is a filly." Kat tried not to patronise him too much,
"Perhaps but I think she can beat them. She beat those colts well enough today." Mr Wilkes stuck his hand out, "Take it or she leaves." Kat glanced up at Hope's noble head. The filly looked at her with gentle expression, eager to please. She knew that she could never let this filly back to an idiot like Wills so she shook.