The coffee coloured colt pranced around the paddock. His neck was arched and his coat gleamed. His saddle rested on top of the purple saddle-cloth that said his name: Tooth and Claw and the number twelve. There were thirteen other colts in the field and they were all snorting and dancing but Tooth and Claw was regal; saving his energy for the race ahead. He flicked up his dark ears when he saw the jockeys enter the paddock. His coat prickled with excitement and he felt a hand soothe his neck.
"He looks jolly good." Lady Eliza told Kat and James as they watched TC walk around the ring. She was clinging to the arm of her husband, Lord Gordon Forest.
"He does. He looks worth every penny of the offer I got for him earlier." Lord Gordon agreed, "although maybe that should be cents!"
"You got an offer for him?" Kat asked, tossing her whip from hand to hand.
"Seven million dollars." Lord Gordon said without raising an eyelid. Quite how he'd made his money Kat didn't know but he had and seven million dollars would barely be noticeable.
"Wow." Kat said, she looked over at the colt, "we'd better bring this home then."
"No pressure, darling. You'll do your best." Lord Gordon kissed the top of her helmet as she prepared to mount up.
"Thanks." Kat clenched her fists then wiped her clammy hands on her breeches. James patted her shoulder and led her over to TC.
TC was not in the mood. He'd swished his tail as he loaded into the gates and given loud snorts of complaint as they stood still. He'd broken lazily, shrugging along at the back of the field as his ears flopped sideways.
"Come on boy." Kat murmured to the colt as they thudded away from the crowds in the first turn. TC didn't show the slightest bit of interest in her words. He kept his gentle pace, strumming along in fourteenth place. Kat shook up the reins a bit, TC gave a lazy extension of his stride. The red pole flashed past, telling Kat there was a half mile left. Kat switched her whip to her inside hand and flicked it infront of TC's eye as she did so. The colt woke up. He lengthened out and he began to power forward. There was no room on the inside rail though, if TC wanted to get to the front he'd have to go wide.
"She's woken him up now." James commented to Lady Eliza as they stared through binoculars onto the track.
"He's still a long way off!" She replied, looking a little worried.
"He's a good horse."
"You mean it's going to come down to a speed duel." Lady Eliza was well read in the habits of her former son-in-law.
"I didn't say that."
"How much speed does this horse have?" Lady Eliza asked. James raised an eyebrow.
"Let's find out."
TC wasn't even digging in yet. His strides were carrying him easily over the dirt and within striking distance of the leaders. The turn was sloping away from them and Kat kept on at the colt. The powerful hindquarters of the colt kept pushing him forward, his strides going two to one with the tiring horses on his inside.
"Okay baby, let's switch on the go!" Kat murmured under her breath. Tooth and Claw flattened his ears and went flat to the boards. Kat's breath floated away as her horse suddenly accelerated. TC had decided to go for it. He breezed past horses as they came into the stretch. The cheers surrounded them as they set sail for the leaders. TC was in fighter mode. His coal black hooves dug into the dirt and he tore up the track. He struck alongside the leading horse then proceeded to rip the lead to shreds and conquer the Breeders Cup Juvenile with pricked ears.
"What a horse!" Lady Eliza all but squealed as they joined TC on the track. The colt may have been sweating but he wasn't tired. He carried his head high, nobly gazing around as cameras flashed.
"Well done." James told Kat, patting her knee as TC walked in circles. The chocolate colt nickered to James and James slipped a hand over the velvety nose.
"To you too." he praised the colt. Kat smiled and dropped a kiss on the silky, golden mane. A blanket of golden flowers was laid across the colt's withers. TC turned his head to lip the flower, unsure of what they were.
"Good boy!" Kat murmured. The colt followed his owners and his trainer to the Winner's Circle and stood proudly, showing that he was still full of energy.
"Two down, one to go." Kat said, high five-ing her grandfather as they waited in the walking ring. Mixed Streaks had lived up to his status as 'average racehorse' and finished seventh in a field of nine in the Breeders Cup Turf. TC had won the Juvenile and now Primrose was looking to take a Breeders Cup Mile under her belt. The mare looked the part. She was dancing, head arched under her neck and hooves were sparkling with polish.
"She's in the form of her life." James told Kat, "let her run her race" Kat nodded.
"Those are orders I understand." she said with a grin as they headed over. Kat grasped the sharp withers of the tiny mare and James lifted her into the saddle.
"Stay safe." James told her, squeezing her hand.
"I'll try."
"Keep her safe." James added, patting Primrose's neck.
Primrose had decided to go down to the gates doing the salsa. She kept a sharp rhythm and was constantly turning.
"Prim!" Kat called to the mare as she attempted to tug Kat's arms out. Kat braced herself against the filly as one of the pony horses at the start got to close. Primrose loved her personal space. It was why she loved to lead fields on the track. Primrose decided today was no exception, in true keeping with the big event she threw a spectacular hissy fit. Her head went up and she gave a half rear, backing up towards the pony. Kat gripped the reins and the mare slammed her back hooves towards the horse in a cat leap.
"Oh my god." Kat grasped at the mane as the mare decided to get moody. With two massive bucks she sent Kat sliding over her shoulder. Kat spluttered as she landed in the dirt. She was a good rider, she rarely fell but in a short stirruped saddle it was difficult to keep your balance when you were riding a psychopath. She stood up and the attendants rushed to her side.
"No worries." Kat shook her head, "it wasn't far too fall." She took the leg up and Primrose settled down. Now she walked into the gate regally, head held high like a queen.
"She looks like fun." quipped the jockey next to her.
"Oh, she is." Kat replied with a grin.
"I don't normally say good luck but I think you might need it." Grinned the jockey, "so good luck."
"Cheers." Kat nodded as another horse loaded, "Kat Forest-Kingsley."
"I've been told you're KFC."The jock grinned. Kat rolled her eyes.
"I'm gonna kill Donovan." Kat growled under her breath.
"See ya at the finish." grinned the other jock. Kat noted his pink silks and the bell rung.
They were off!
"Evening Primrose takes up the lead with no trouble at all! The European mare lead them into the first turn, MuchMuchMore takes up the second place." The commentator hummed and Lady Eliza and James focused their binoculars on the chestnut mare that streaked along at the head of the field. Primrose was streaks ahead, she'd broken out of the gate fast and she'd taken up a solo lead.
"She looks fantastic today." Lady Eliza told James, "I think we're looking at a group one double."
"We're talking about Primrose." James sighed, "strangely the name Predictable Primrose never stuck."
"I noticed." Lady Eliza replied, she checked the fractions, "they're going fast."
"Yeah, I hope Kat knows what she's doing." James muttered aloud. Lady Eliza turned to look at him, an amused expression on her face.
"If there is one jockey I trust out there, it's her. It's in her blood on both sides, remember." she told him. James nodded and stared back out at the track, where his daughter was defying the record books.
Primrose may have been stringing the field along but she was completely settled. Kat sent back a glance behind her. Primrose was well clear of the field, so she was happy. It had taken them a long time to discover how Primrose liked to run; alone and at the front. Once they'd cracked that the mare was unbeatable. She couldn't stay more than ten furlongs but that hadn't stopped her from reaching the top of the older horse rankings.
"Good girl, Prim." Kat murmured to the mare, either Primrose didn't hear her or she wasn't interested. She was running because she loved it and she wasn't about to stop, or let anyone near her. They hit the half mile and Primrose upped her speed, detecting the change in Kat's tension through the reins. Kat looked back again and saw that Primrose had only lengthened her lead.
"Evening Primrose still takes them along as they come into the turn. The mare has the lead by five lengths over MuchMuchMore. Rough Diamond is just behind them." The tension began to grow as the commentator hummed.
"Rough Diamond is travelling very easily," James murmured, his voice laced with worry.
"So is Primrose." Lady Eliza snapped back, her eyes focused on the chesnut mare. Primrose's lead was shortening as Rough Diamond, the big American hope, began to wear her down.
"Go on Prim!" Lady Eliza called, although it was more of a dignified yell. The chestnut mare didn't speed up at all.
"Let's go already." James muttered under his breath as the quarter pole came. Kat finally crouched over the neck of the mare and started kicking for home. Primrose barely woke up, clearly she was in a world of her own. James saw the whip flick once and Primrose roared into super drive. Rough Diamond had been closing but as they turned to the wire Primrose was gone. The chestnut mare was flat out and tearing up the turf as she bolted down towards the wire.
"Attagirl!" Lady Eliza clapped her hands, "Evening Primrose may just be predictable now!"
Kat stood up in the stirrups and gently tugged the reins. Primrose kept on galloping, not wanting to pull up.
"Easy, easy." Kat called to the mare. Primrose gave a flying kick and Kat sat back to take back control. The chestnut mare fought her gentle tugging but slowed to a disjointed canter.
"Nice goin' girl!" there was a slap on her back. Kat grinned over at the jockey in the pink silks.
"Thanks." she said.
"John Clayton." the jockey smiled at her, "I think you might be quite the up and coming rider."
"So your introducing yourself fast?" Kat joked. John nodded and steered his mount away from Primrose's flat ears.
"Enjoy the celebrations!"
Two days later a dark green horse truck arrived at Santa Anita racetrack. There were many of them coming and going but this one was different for Kat. In gold writing it said The Acropolis on the side. It was the truck that would take Primrose and Lilac away from Santa Anita and up to Kentucky. Kat stood by the truck and waited for the arrival of the two mares. Eventually they appeared. Primrose and Lilac were dressed identically. They wore padded head collars, dark green leg bandages and each wore a sweat rug. Each sweat rug was a pale blue with dark green trim embroidered with 'Acropolis Studs' in pale gold. Lilac walked quietly in front, led by Tom, her pale gray coat was clean and she looked cool and collected for the journey ahead. Behind her Terry was leading Primrose for the last time. The chestnut mare was dancing as best she could with her thick bandages and boots over the top; already there was a sheen of sweat on her neck. Kat stepped up to Lilac and patted the elegant grey neck. The filly hadn't run on Friday, she'd come up lame on her right fore. She looked fine now but Lady Eliza had decided that it was time that Lilac Lightning was retired. Kat said her goodbyes and the grey filly disappeared up the ramp. Kat turned to Primrose. She pulled out the tiny jar she kept in her pocket and opened it up. Primrose pricked up her ears and nickered eagerly. Kat laughed and offered the mare her fingers to lick.
"She always loved her marmite." Terry grinned beside the mare's head.
"You don't say." Kat grinned as Primrose continued to carefully clean the dark spread from Kat's fingers.
"You know something? They don't have that here." Terry said with a smile as they watched the chestnut mare.
"I know. I packed two jars in her tack box. That should last until next August." Kat replied as Primrose investigated the, now empty, pot.
"Good on you." Terry patted her shoulder, "I think it's time." Kat nodded and stroked Primrose's chiselled face.
"You were good." She told the mare, "and to me, you're special." Primrose threw up her head and had one last look around before Terry led her up to join Lila in the van.
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Once again: Not proof read!!