Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2012 11:13:15 GMT -5
Everyone thought that racing was all about the grade of the horse, but it wasn't. Without work and attention, even the best horses would lose form and start to lose to horses that everyone thinks they would handle with ease. It was with hard work that horses from unknown backgrounds were able to rise to great things, it was through careful training and attention that horses became stars. Nothing was set in stone on the track, with work any horse could have their stars changed.
Paradise Island had experienced a very positive juvenile season, rising to the heights of grade three without much issue. As a juvenile, she had raced a total of twenty times, and placed outside of the top three only twice. Now, as a three year old, she had raced twice, once to a second place and once to a win. How she had got there was hard work, many hours of training and care which had carefully groomed her into a star, and things were not about to stop. Silver Stride Stables had huge hopes for the filly. Silver Stride Stables had eyes for the Triple Tiara.
It was time or another workout. Not a workout for a specific race, but just a general work which would ensure the filly was ready to take on the world. They needed to keep her in good shape, at top form and ready to perform. They needed to ensure they kept her in line to prove herself when the time came. Tanya knew they could do it, but she also knew that they would have to work hard. These things were not supposed to be easy, and she was sure that people would be throwing up obstacles for them where they could.
Of course, rumours had been flying around. One person had said that some people were worried about entering their horses in the Triple Tiara, and the prep races because Sonja would be there. It was a worrying thought. Tanya wanted to earn the title, if they managed it, and that meant they would be after all the competition they could get. If people were too scared to enter, simply because of Sonja's reputation, then they would not have earned the title.
As they moved out on to the dirt track, Tanya stared up the course. Matthias had asked her to run the filly over four furlongs to enable her to get used to the new track. Sonja would be racing here quite a bit over the next few months, and they did not wish for her performance to slip just because it was a new track and a new environment. They wanted her to soar, to claim victory as only she could. She needed to be ready, they would make sure she was.
They loaded without a fuss, the filly bright and alert as she was put into the gates. She did not seem phased as the shutters closed behind her, did not react to the tight enclosure. Her dark eyes glinted, her audits pressed forwards as she waited for the gates to open. Tanya shifted her weight in the stirrups, stared over the gates at the track below. She felt an urge to push the strand of hair beside her ear behind it, but resisted. She had to focus, she had to be ready for the workout to commence.
The buzzer sounded, and the gates opened. The filly bolted from the contraption at great speed, and she was clearly ready to run. Today, she ran like a front runner. She often did in workouts when it was just her. In a race, her style varied dependant on how her jockey read the field. But out here, on their own, it was all about speed. It was about pushing her limits and seeing just how well she could do. The filly knew the drill, and she knew that if needed Tanya would pull her back. But Tanya let her maintain the speed, knowing the race was short.
For a horse on a new track, Sonja was highly focussed. She didn't seem to care about the new environment, for she recognised a track when she saw one and knew just what was expected of her. Due to this, the initial work on this track was easier than her jockey had ever expected. They moved swiftly, her long legs carrying her forwards with powerful strides. The dirt shifted beneath her hooves, the wind pulled back her mane and she looked like a superstar. They were flying, and Tanya knew that if a stopwatch was running they would be recording some amazing times.
They came into the final furlong, and Tanya cracked the crop against the filly's rump. The filly lurched forwards, pushing every part of her energy into the run. She was giving it her all, fighting for the post. Every fibre of her was pressing onwards, and soon they flew past the post. A quick work, and a good sign for the filly's future on this track.
Paradise Island had experienced a very positive juvenile season, rising to the heights of grade three without much issue. As a juvenile, she had raced a total of twenty times, and placed outside of the top three only twice. Now, as a three year old, she had raced twice, once to a second place and once to a win. How she had got there was hard work, many hours of training and care which had carefully groomed her into a star, and things were not about to stop. Silver Stride Stables had huge hopes for the filly. Silver Stride Stables had eyes for the Triple Tiara.
It was time or another workout. Not a workout for a specific race, but just a general work which would ensure the filly was ready to take on the world. They needed to keep her in good shape, at top form and ready to perform. They needed to ensure they kept her in line to prove herself when the time came. Tanya knew they could do it, but she also knew that they would have to work hard. These things were not supposed to be easy, and she was sure that people would be throwing up obstacles for them where they could.
Of course, rumours had been flying around. One person had said that some people were worried about entering their horses in the Triple Tiara, and the prep races because Sonja would be there. It was a worrying thought. Tanya wanted to earn the title, if they managed it, and that meant they would be after all the competition they could get. If people were too scared to enter, simply because of Sonja's reputation, then they would not have earned the title.
As they moved out on to the dirt track, Tanya stared up the course. Matthias had asked her to run the filly over four furlongs to enable her to get used to the new track. Sonja would be racing here quite a bit over the next few months, and they did not wish for her performance to slip just because it was a new track and a new environment. They wanted her to soar, to claim victory as only she could. She needed to be ready, they would make sure she was.
They loaded without a fuss, the filly bright and alert as she was put into the gates. She did not seem phased as the shutters closed behind her, did not react to the tight enclosure. Her dark eyes glinted, her audits pressed forwards as she waited for the gates to open. Tanya shifted her weight in the stirrups, stared over the gates at the track below. She felt an urge to push the strand of hair beside her ear behind it, but resisted. She had to focus, she had to be ready for the workout to commence.
The buzzer sounded, and the gates opened. The filly bolted from the contraption at great speed, and she was clearly ready to run. Today, she ran like a front runner. She often did in workouts when it was just her. In a race, her style varied dependant on how her jockey read the field. But out here, on their own, it was all about speed. It was about pushing her limits and seeing just how well she could do. The filly knew the drill, and she knew that if needed Tanya would pull her back. But Tanya let her maintain the speed, knowing the race was short.
For a horse on a new track, Sonja was highly focussed. She didn't seem to care about the new environment, for she recognised a track when she saw one and knew just what was expected of her. Due to this, the initial work on this track was easier than her jockey had ever expected. They moved swiftly, her long legs carrying her forwards with powerful strides. The dirt shifted beneath her hooves, the wind pulled back her mane and she looked like a superstar. They were flying, and Tanya knew that if a stopwatch was running they would be recording some amazing times.
They came into the final furlong, and Tanya cracked the crop against the filly's rump. The filly lurched forwards, pushing every part of her energy into the run. She was giving it her all, fighting for the post. Every fibre of her was pressing onwards, and soon they flew past the post. A quick work, and a good sign for the filly's future on this track.
