Post by Deleted on Sept 27, 2012 11:53:21 GMT -5
From the fallen acorn...
When an acorn falls to the ground it is nothing but a seed; small and insignificant. It is overlooked, trodden on, and generally regarded as nothing in the eyes of the world. It is not until it starts to grow that it draws attention, and once it is fully grown it is a marvel. Oak trees live for centuries, they know many stories, and many stories involve them; perhaps the best known of these, in the UK at least, it the tale of Robin Hood – a man who stole from the rich to give to the poor. Robin Hood and his band of merry men are said to have lived around a particular tree and that tree, the major oak, still stands today and draws visitors to it year around.
The moral of the story is that you should not judge something based on how it looks on the outside, and that it is what is inside that counts. Sonja had once been an acorn – sourced from unknown lines, a plain thoroughbred filly with little that really seemed to stand out – she had once been overlooked. It had not been until she had started to come into her own that the world started to pay attention and now she had grown into something great, something worthy of attention.
Matthias was not really one to brag, but he was proud of the filly. Paradise Island, as she was known on the track, had developed into a very powerful three year old and she was still maturing. The previous year she had been the only two year old to reach grade three, won the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies’ and taken two Horse Of The Year awards. So far this year she had placed in her first race against Eternal Phantom but had since won the following five races, four of which were major races including all three Triple Tiara preparation races. She had totalled twelve wins, and was now only one win away from the prestigious Grade One. None of the three year olds had managed it yet, and Mathias was hoping Sonja could be the first.
Sonja’s next race was decided; it had been decided from the moment she had started to show her talent as a two year old; The Acorn Stakes, the first leg of the triple tiara. The stable’s aim, of course, was to claim all three legs of the series. However, Matthias knew to take it one race at a time and not to get his hopes too high. The workout for the Acorn Stakes, which ran the following week, was set for later in the day and he was looking forward to seeing how their up and coming star was running.
Tanya had arranged to meet her sister, Alana, in five minutes time to talk over a few things. With the Acorn Stakes looming she really wanted some tips on how to deal with the pressure. She had dealt with major races before, quite successfully but her nerves had been getting to her more than usual and she was sure it was because the triple tiara could literally make or break a horse. The previous year, Alana had won the Acorn Stakes and placed in the next two legs so knew how to deal with the pressure of such races.
It was no surprise that she arrived early, given how tightly wound her nerves were. She had been stressing about it all morning and so she leant against the brick wall clenching and unclenching her fists. Her stance and body language clearly displayed how wound up she was, and Alana stood and watched her for a moment when she did arrive, shaking her head. ”Tip One. Calm the pop out. If you’re nervous, anxious or unsure then Sonja will read that. You horse realises this is anything other than just a race and it will affect how she runs. You need to be calm, treat it as any other race.”
Tanya turned to her sister and smiled slightly, although the smile was clearly strained and Alana sighed. ”Come with me.” the older sister led the younger to the staff room and sat her in a large, comfortable chair before walking into the kitchen area and putting the kitchen on. She made a herbal tea, and carried the mug to her sister. ”Drink this; it will calm you nerves a little.” Tanya nodded and obliged Alana’s request, taking a large sip of the drink and pulling a slight face. ”I know it isn’t easy, sis. If anything you have more pressure than I did to perform. The press basically announced you as the favourite for the Acorn, but you just need to ignore it.” she moved and crouched before Tanya. ”But ignore what race it is, ignore what everyone expects, and just race like you always would. There is no need to change just because it’s the Tiara, okay?” Tanya nodded, and Alana smiled.
Rising to her feet, the jockey cracked her knuckles before taking a seat in another chair beside the other. ”Right, so you wanted some tips, huh? Trust your horse, she is an incredible creature. She knows you, you know her, and you always keep each other safe. It doesn’t really matter if you lose, as long as you keep each other safe, okay?” Tanya nodded, starting to relax a little now and Alana knew this was helping. ”Tip two. Know the field. You’ve ran against these horses a lot, it gives you something to work with. How are they likely to run, what are their strengths and weaknesses? Plan out the field in your mind." Tanya looked up, grinned and nodded.
”Finally, be flexible. Don’t be too set in your plan, be ready to react to whatever is thrown at you, and you will be fine. You have proved yourself to be a fine jockey, Tanya. Sonja is one of the top three year olds on the track right now, and she’s not a foolish horse either. Just go into that race and do what you can, that is all you can do and all anyone is asking you to do.” Alana, the jockey who never gave advice… Alana, who didn’t seem to feel, never mind click with other jockeys, seemed to have a tear in her eye. She rose again, pulled Tanya from her chair and gave her a massive hug. ”Go on; Matthias will be waiting in his office, and don’t forget… We’re all proud of you.”
With the herbal tea and her sister’s seemingly wise words echoing in her mind, Tanya was feeling a lot more confident as she walked through the yard, and when she entered Matthias’ office she appeared no different to the usual Tanya. ”Now there’s what I wanted to see, you’re looking much happier than you were earlier. Was Alana’s advice helpful?” Tanya raised her eyes to meet the trainer’s and nodded. ”Yes, most definitely. Thanks for advising me to ask her.” the trained nodded knowingly, gestured to the seat at the opposite side of the desk and watched as the jockey lowered herself into it.
”The field so far is no different than we expected, Tanya. You definitely have a shot here, and if you don’t win it’s no biggie. We’re taking this one race at a time, and while winning would be nice it isn’t necessary. This first race, of course, currently has our name on it and we’d like it to stay that way. What do you say, Tan, think you and Sonja are up to the job?” The jockey feigned thought or a moment and then smiled, nodding. They were not going to back down, not to anyone. ”Good. Do you want to look over the field again, just so that you know exactly where you stand on all this?” Tanya nodded and Matt knew his girl was back.
”Let’s see.” the jockey rifled through a few papers on his desk, pulled out a single piece of paper. “Aha! Here we go the field as it stood this morning.” he laid the paper flat out before him and scanned over it for a second. ”Yes. Four entries; all of which have run in the preparation races. Arachne, Fiery Touch, us and Winning Touch - not a bad field really when you thing about it. You’ve beaten them all recently, but if they’re anything like Sonja it means they will be more determined than ever to beat you and let’s face it – you’re the one to beat.”
Tanya shrugged. ”Their all good horses, they all have a chance. I need to remain aware of this as cockiness and over-confidence can lead to mistakes.” Matthias nodded as she spoke, proud of the jockey for she had clearly learned well in the last year. ”Indeed, you speak with wisdom there. This competition will not be easy; the Tiara is a prize that only the very best can earn. The only winner of it so far is Born To Soar, and she was bred for competitions like these. Sonja wasn’t bred for it, but she has talent and heart.” he paused. ”I still think you can pull it off, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t. Still, let’s have a proper talk over this, yes?” The jockey nodded again.
”Gate One will be the starting point for Fiery Touch, who races for Witch Creek Stables. As you know, she raced for Stride Of Perfection Stables last year and does not have a bad record. She has been jumping between third and fourth in the prep races, and seems to have a bit of a rivalry with Arachne. She runs as a closer, and is definitely growing every time that she races.” Tanya nodded, seemed to be smiling slightly as Matthias continued to brief her on the field.
” Arachne is starting in Gate Two. As I am sure you know, she is a front runner who races under Intrepid Racing colours. She only started racing this year, and her biggest weakness is her experience – she is the least experienced in the field and in a series like this that could play against her. Still, she is talented and has racked up several wins. In the prep races she seemed to jump between third and fourth, but don’t count her out based on those races alone. Things are getting serious now.” he paused, watching the thoughtful expression on the jockey’s face and then continued.
”We will be starting in Gate Three, beside Winning Touch from Serendipity Hills. Winning Touch is a preceder and she is talented. She has been growing in strength in every race, and I know that the staff at the stable were really pleased with themselves when they beat After Dusk in the Kentucky Oaks. In both prep races than Winnie ran she placed second, and she is desperate to get a win. I think she could be a threat.” Matthias paused, his brow creased. Jacey had been talking about scratching the filly, but he had talked her out of it. He felt the competition would benefit from having the filly in the series and felt that any applicable three-year-old filly who had the ability to compete should.
Tanya nodded, smiled and shrugged. ”It’s just another race, right? We’ll go out there like we always do, we will fight for a win just because it is a race. It doesn’t really matter what race it is. To me and Sonja, every race is worth winning.” Smart thinking, and Matthias knew something like this could only come from Alana. He nodded approvingly. ”So how are you looking at running, given the current field?” he asked the jockey, curious. ”With a front runner in the field, Sonja will definitely be running as a preceder - it's her stronger position anyway. We'll let Arachne set the pace, with Winning Touch hot on her heels. After all, Winnie is more a stalker type than a preceder on the track where as Sonja doesn't push at the leader in that way. From there, I can't really tell you - we'll see how the race runs and adapt to it.” Matthias nodded. Yes, Tanya had clearly calmed down after her talk with her sister and would be calm come race day. ”Ready to go do a workout ready for the race?” he already knew the answer before he saw Tanya’s enthusiastic nod. Matthias stood, went to the office door and called Lucas, asking him to prepare the filly and bring her down to the track.
Lucas, of course, had known the filly was due for a workout today, and many things had been done in advance. That morning, he had checked her legs for heat and reported to his brother that she was fine to work before then asking the grooms to see to the filly. First she had been bathed, then she had been groomed and her hooves picked. Her mane was left loose, as usual, except for the forelock which had been plaited. All in all, she was a very clean and neat looking filly and seemed to be very happy in herself. All that really needed to be done now was to put on her tack and take her down to the track. Lucas walked into the tack room and fetched her racing equipment before going and tacking up the co-operative equine.
Sonja was, unsurprisingly, enthusiastic as Lucas led her out of the stall. She walked well beside him, clearly relaxed and showing off her good form and she did not cause an issue as she was walked through the yard. Sonja was definitely one of the easiest horses to handle; she didn’t have the vicious or dominant streak that many had and she didn’t tug at the rein as if it would get her to their destination any quicker. Lucas enjoyed handling the filly when he could and found her gentle nature to be a welcome break. As they walked down the dirt path to the track he ran his hand across her withers and showed her a little affection and once they arrived at the track he led her out on to the dirt.
Tanya and Matthias were already there, and the bubbly young jockey moved over energetically, greeting the filly enthusiastically. Sonja nuzzled at the jockey’s shoulder as arms wrapped around her neck and for a moment horse and jockey remained together until Tanya stepped back, grinning. Lucas shook his head slightly, and through the corner of his eye he could see Matthias trying to supress a laugh. They both knew Tanya, she loved her rides and Sonja seemed to love her back. ”Well, Son, we got this far. Think we can do it again and claim the first leg of the Tiara? Let’s get you ready to give it a shot, eh?” The filly had no way to reply to the jockey, but she did not need to as the jockey moved to her side to find herself lifted into the saddle. Matthias smiled at her, rested his hand on her thigh. ”You’ll do fine.” he told her.
The jockey knew the workout plan well, having discussed it with the trainer on the way down to the track and was quite looking forward to it. They would be galloping the filly over five furlongs, including a strong drive in the final two furlongs, in preparation for the Acorn Stakes. It was similar to many works that the filly had ran in before, and they seemed to work for her. Matthias had been a little bit unsure about it, given their current winning streak and the fact that the filly was already quite sharp because of it, however Tanya had insisted that they could not lower the quality of their works just as they entered the series. The logic had worked for the trainer, and so that was how it would be. On Tanya’s request, the starting gate would be used in this workout as it had been some time since they had used the gate with Sonja.
After a moment, during which Tanya tested the girth and stirrups, Lucas led the aspiring Tiara contenders toward the gates. He looked up at Tanya and smiled slightly, they had always got on and he found her bubbly nature to be contagious. ”You’re going to be fine, Tanya, I know you are.” she nodded, her eyes remaining on the track ahead of her. ”We will see, but thank you Lucas.” She was clearly starting to focus on what lay ahead of her, and Lucas understood. He remained silent until they reached the gates, loaded the horse and jockey, and then closed the shutters behind them. ”Good luck.” he said, walking away.
Tanya ran her hand down Sonja's muscular neck and rose in her stirrups, the filly shifted slightly in the box but was calm and relaxed over all. The horse and jockey were waiting, and quiet had fallen over them. All that could be heard was the breath that they inhaled and exhaled as they waited for the gates to open. It did not take long, however, for the time to pass and soon the buzzer sounded, the gates crashing open. Sonja broke quickly and strode confidently out onto the track.
Looking at her, you could tell that she was in good form. She moved powerfully, and looking comfortable in her movement. Tanya felt more confident now that the workout had started and wasn't really sure why she had doubted herself or the filly. The filly moved forwards with a firm stride, her pace picking up nicely throughout the first furlong and beginning to level off as they came into the second.
For Tanya, all that mattered at that moment was the filly and the workout that they were performing. She had no need to worry about where other horses were on the field, no need to focus on how the race was running and make a decision on how to react to circumstances. This was the sort of situation where they just ran and followed the plan, a workout where she could build on the already strong relationship she shared with the filly and they could generally enjoy themselves.
The distance was closing quickly. The second furlong closed without an issue, and Sonja seemed to be enjoying herself as they started to turn a slight curve in the track. Her audits were pressed forwards, her head held in a natural position and her tail high. Her dark eyes flashed brightly and muscles rippled beneath her pelt. She was calm, relaxed and generally at ease. Tanya bit the inside of her lip to stop herself from smiling, she needed to remain focussed and remember that there was a point to this workout.
As they followed the dirt track, Tanya found herself focussing on the movement in the filly's legs. A long, regular stride which provided a steady rhythm. Sure, powerful moments which propelled them up the track at a good pace. They finished rounding the turn, coming into the fourth furlong as they did so, and the jockey knew that the time was upon them. She lowered herself to the filly's neck and started to drive, cracking the crop against her rump. Their speed picked up nicely, the filly throwing herself into the final few furlongs.
"That's it, come on Son." the jockey urged the filly as she threw herself into the driving motion, feeling the pace picking up and the world began to push past them more quickly. She was really biting down on her lip now, she could taste blood in her mouth as they fought together and soon they flew past the post. Tanya slowed the filly bit by bit until they were again at a walk and turned Sonja to walk back toward the gate. In the stands, Matthias was positively grinning. It had obviously gone better than he had hoped.
When an acorn falls to the ground it is nothing but a seed; small and insignificant. It is overlooked, trodden on, and generally regarded as nothing in the eyes of the world. It is not until it starts to grow that it draws attention, and once it is fully grown it is a marvel. Oak trees live for centuries, they know many stories, and many stories involve them; perhaps the best known of these, in the UK at least, it the tale of Robin Hood – a man who stole from the rich to give to the poor. Robin Hood and his band of merry men are said to have lived around a particular tree and that tree, the major oak, still stands today and draws visitors to it year around.
The moral of the story is that you should not judge something based on how it looks on the outside, and that it is what is inside that counts. Sonja had once been an acorn – sourced from unknown lines, a plain thoroughbred filly with little that really seemed to stand out – she had once been overlooked. It had not been until she had started to come into her own that the world started to pay attention and now she had grown into something great, something worthy of attention.
Matthias was not really one to brag, but he was proud of the filly. Paradise Island, as she was known on the track, had developed into a very powerful three year old and she was still maturing. The previous year she had been the only two year old to reach grade three, won the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile Fillies’ and taken two Horse Of The Year awards. So far this year she had placed in her first race against Eternal Phantom but had since won the following five races, four of which were major races including all three Triple Tiara preparation races. She had totalled twelve wins, and was now only one win away from the prestigious Grade One. None of the three year olds had managed it yet, and Mathias was hoping Sonja could be the first.
Sonja’s next race was decided; it had been decided from the moment she had started to show her talent as a two year old; The Acorn Stakes, the first leg of the triple tiara. The stable’s aim, of course, was to claim all three legs of the series. However, Matthias knew to take it one race at a time and not to get his hopes too high. The workout for the Acorn Stakes, which ran the following week, was set for later in the day and he was looking forward to seeing how their up and coming star was running.
Tanya had arranged to meet her sister, Alana, in five minutes time to talk over a few things. With the Acorn Stakes looming she really wanted some tips on how to deal with the pressure. She had dealt with major races before, quite successfully but her nerves had been getting to her more than usual and she was sure it was because the triple tiara could literally make or break a horse. The previous year, Alana had won the Acorn Stakes and placed in the next two legs so knew how to deal with the pressure of such races.
It was no surprise that she arrived early, given how tightly wound her nerves were. She had been stressing about it all morning and so she leant against the brick wall clenching and unclenching her fists. Her stance and body language clearly displayed how wound up she was, and Alana stood and watched her for a moment when she did arrive, shaking her head. ”Tip One. Calm the pop out. If you’re nervous, anxious or unsure then Sonja will read that. You horse realises this is anything other than just a race and it will affect how she runs. You need to be calm, treat it as any other race.”
Tanya turned to her sister and smiled slightly, although the smile was clearly strained and Alana sighed. ”Come with me.” the older sister led the younger to the staff room and sat her in a large, comfortable chair before walking into the kitchen area and putting the kitchen on. She made a herbal tea, and carried the mug to her sister. ”Drink this; it will calm you nerves a little.” Tanya nodded and obliged Alana’s request, taking a large sip of the drink and pulling a slight face. ”I know it isn’t easy, sis. If anything you have more pressure than I did to perform. The press basically announced you as the favourite for the Acorn, but you just need to ignore it.” she moved and crouched before Tanya. ”But ignore what race it is, ignore what everyone expects, and just race like you always would. There is no need to change just because it’s the Tiara, okay?” Tanya nodded, and Alana smiled.
Rising to her feet, the jockey cracked her knuckles before taking a seat in another chair beside the other. ”Right, so you wanted some tips, huh? Trust your horse, she is an incredible creature. She knows you, you know her, and you always keep each other safe. It doesn’t really matter if you lose, as long as you keep each other safe, okay?” Tanya nodded, starting to relax a little now and Alana knew this was helping. ”Tip two. Know the field. You’ve ran against these horses a lot, it gives you something to work with. How are they likely to run, what are their strengths and weaknesses? Plan out the field in your mind." Tanya looked up, grinned and nodded.
”Finally, be flexible. Don’t be too set in your plan, be ready to react to whatever is thrown at you, and you will be fine. You have proved yourself to be a fine jockey, Tanya. Sonja is one of the top three year olds on the track right now, and she’s not a foolish horse either. Just go into that race and do what you can, that is all you can do and all anyone is asking you to do.” Alana, the jockey who never gave advice… Alana, who didn’t seem to feel, never mind click with other jockeys, seemed to have a tear in her eye. She rose again, pulled Tanya from her chair and gave her a massive hug. ”Go on; Matthias will be waiting in his office, and don’t forget… We’re all proud of you.”
With the herbal tea and her sister’s seemingly wise words echoing in her mind, Tanya was feeling a lot more confident as she walked through the yard, and when she entered Matthias’ office she appeared no different to the usual Tanya. ”Now there’s what I wanted to see, you’re looking much happier than you were earlier. Was Alana’s advice helpful?” Tanya raised her eyes to meet the trainer’s and nodded. ”Yes, most definitely. Thanks for advising me to ask her.” the trained nodded knowingly, gestured to the seat at the opposite side of the desk and watched as the jockey lowered herself into it.
”The field so far is no different than we expected, Tanya. You definitely have a shot here, and if you don’t win it’s no biggie. We’re taking this one race at a time, and while winning would be nice it isn’t necessary. This first race, of course, currently has our name on it and we’d like it to stay that way. What do you say, Tan, think you and Sonja are up to the job?” The jockey feigned thought or a moment and then smiled, nodding. They were not going to back down, not to anyone. ”Good. Do you want to look over the field again, just so that you know exactly where you stand on all this?” Tanya nodded and Matt knew his girl was back.
”Let’s see.” the jockey rifled through a few papers on his desk, pulled out a single piece of paper. “Aha! Here we go the field as it stood this morning.” he laid the paper flat out before him and scanned over it for a second. ”Yes. Four entries; all of which have run in the preparation races. Arachne, Fiery Touch, us and Winning Touch - not a bad field really when you thing about it. You’ve beaten them all recently, but if they’re anything like Sonja it means they will be more determined than ever to beat you and let’s face it – you’re the one to beat.”
Tanya shrugged. ”Their all good horses, they all have a chance. I need to remain aware of this as cockiness and over-confidence can lead to mistakes.” Matthias nodded as she spoke, proud of the jockey for she had clearly learned well in the last year. ”Indeed, you speak with wisdom there. This competition will not be easy; the Tiara is a prize that only the very best can earn. The only winner of it so far is Born To Soar, and she was bred for competitions like these. Sonja wasn’t bred for it, but she has talent and heart.” he paused. ”I still think you can pull it off, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t. Still, let’s have a proper talk over this, yes?” The jockey nodded again.
”Gate One will be the starting point for Fiery Touch, who races for Witch Creek Stables. As you know, she raced for Stride Of Perfection Stables last year and does not have a bad record. She has been jumping between third and fourth in the prep races, and seems to have a bit of a rivalry with Arachne. She runs as a closer, and is definitely growing every time that she races.” Tanya nodded, seemed to be smiling slightly as Matthias continued to brief her on the field.
” Arachne is starting in Gate Two. As I am sure you know, she is a front runner who races under Intrepid Racing colours. She only started racing this year, and her biggest weakness is her experience – she is the least experienced in the field and in a series like this that could play against her. Still, she is talented and has racked up several wins. In the prep races she seemed to jump between third and fourth, but don’t count her out based on those races alone. Things are getting serious now.” he paused, watching the thoughtful expression on the jockey’s face and then continued.
”We will be starting in Gate Three, beside Winning Touch from Serendipity Hills. Winning Touch is a preceder and she is talented. She has been growing in strength in every race, and I know that the staff at the stable were really pleased with themselves when they beat After Dusk in the Kentucky Oaks. In both prep races than Winnie ran she placed second, and she is desperate to get a win. I think she could be a threat.” Matthias paused, his brow creased. Jacey had been talking about scratching the filly, but he had talked her out of it. He felt the competition would benefit from having the filly in the series and felt that any applicable three-year-old filly who had the ability to compete should.
Tanya nodded, smiled and shrugged. ”It’s just another race, right? We’ll go out there like we always do, we will fight for a win just because it is a race. It doesn’t really matter what race it is. To me and Sonja, every race is worth winning.” Smart thinking, and Matthias knew something like this could only come from Alana. He nodded approvingly. ”So how are you looking at running, given the current field?” he asked the jockey, curious. ”With a front runner in the field, Sonja will definitely be running as a preceder - it's her stronger position anyway. We'll let Arachne set the pace, with Winning Touch hot on her heels. After all, Winnie is more a stalker type than a preceder on the track where as Sonja doesn't push at the leader in that way. From there, I can't really tell you - we'll see how the race runs and adapt to it.” Matthias nodded. Yes, Tanya had clearly calmed down after her talk with her sister and would be calm come race day. ”Ready to go do a workout ready for the race?” he already knew the answer before he saw Tanya’s enthusiastic nod. Matthias stood, went to the office door and called Lucas, asking him to prepare the filly and bring her down to the track.
Lucas, of course, had known the filly was due for a workout today, and many things had been done in advance. That morning, he had checked her legs for heat and reported to his brother that she was fine to work before then asking the grooms to see to the filly. First she had been bathed, then she had been groomed and her hooves picked. Her mane was left loose, as usual, except for the forelock which had been plaited. All in all, she was a very clean and neat looking filly and seemed to be very happy in herself. All that really needed to be done now was to put on her tack and take her down to the track. Lucas walked into the tack room and fetched her racing equipment before going and tacking up the co-operative equine.
Sonja was, unsurprisingly, enthusiastic as Lucas led her out of the stall. She walked well beside him, clearly relaxed and showing off her good form and she did not cause an issue as she was walked through the yard. Sonja was definitely one of the easiest horses to handle; she didn’t have the vicious or dominant streak that many had and she didn’t tug at the rein as if it would get her to their destination any quicker. Lucas enjoyed handling the filly when he could and found her gentle nature to be a welcome break. As they walked down the dirt path to the track he ran his hand across her withers and showed her a little affection and once they arrived at the track he led her out on to the dirt.
Tanya and Matthias were already there, and the bubbly young jockey moved over energetically, greeting the filly enthusiastically. Sonja nuzzled at the jockey’s shoulder as arms wrapped around her neck and for a moment horse and jockey remained together until Tanya stepped back, grinning. Lucas shook his head slightly, and through the corner of his eye he could see Matthias trying to supress a laugh. They both knew Tanya, she loved her rides and Sonja seemed to love her back. ”Well, Son, we got this far. Think we can do it again and claim the first leg of the Tiara? Let’s get you ready to give it a shot, eh?” The filly had no way to reply to the jockey, but she did not need to as the jockey moved to her side to find herself lifted into the saddle. Matthias smiled at her, rested his hand on her thigh. ”You’ll do fine.” he told her.
The jockey knew the workout plan well, having discussed it with the trainer on the way down to the track and was quite looking forward to it. They would be galloping the filly over five furlongs, including a strong drive in the final two furlongs, in preparation for the Acorn Stakes. It was similar to many works that the filly had ran in before, and they seemed to work for her. Matthias had been a little bit unsure about it, given their current winning streak and the fact that the filly was already quite sharp because of it, however Tanya had insisted that they could not lower the quality of their works just as they entered the series. The logic had worked for the trainer, and so that was how it would be. On Tanya’s request, the starting gate would be used in this workout as it had been some time since they had used the gate with Sonja.
After a moment, during which Tanya tested the girth and stirrups, Lucas led the aspiring Tiara contenders toward the gates. He looked up at Tanya and smiled slightly, they had always got on and he found her bubbly nature to be contagious. ”You’re going to be fine, Tanya, I know you are.” she nodded, her eyes remaining on the track ahead of her. ”We will see, but thank you Lucas.” She was clearly starting to focus on what lay ahead of her, and Lucas understood. He remained silent until they reached the gates, loaded the horse and jockey, and then closed the shutters behind them. ”Good luck.” he said, walking away.
Tanya ran her hand down Sonja's muscular neck and rose in her stirrups, the filly shifted slightly in the box but was calm and relaxed over all. The horse and jockey were waiting, and quiet had fallen over them. All that could be heard was the breath that they inhaled and exhaled as they waited for the gates to open. It did not take long, however, for the time to pass and soon the buzzer sounded, the gates crashing open. Sonja broke quickly and strode confidently out onto the track.
Looking at her, you could tell that she was in good form. She moved powerfully, and looking comfortable in her movement. Tanya felt more confident now that the workout had started and wasn't really sure why she had doubted herself or the filly. The filly moved forwards with a firm stride, her pace picking up nicely throughout the first furlong and beginning to level off as they came into the second.
For Tanya, all that mattered at that moment was the filly and the workout that they were performing. She had no need to worry about where other horses were on the field, no need to focus on how the race was running and make a decision on how to react to circumstances. This was the sort of situation where they just ran and followed the plan, a workout where she could build on the already strong relationship she shared with the filly and they could generally enjoy themselves.
The distance was closing quickly. The second furlong closed without an issue, and Sonja seemed to be enjoying herself as they started to turn a slight curve in the track. Her audits were pressed forwards, her head held in a natural position and her tail high. Her dark eyes flashed brightly and muscles rippled beneath her pelt. She was calm, relaxed and generally at ease. Tanya bit the inside of her lip to stop herself from smiling, she needed to remain focussed and remember that there was a point to this workout.
As they followed the dirt track, Tanya found herself focussing on the movement in the filly's legs. A long, regular stride which provided a steady rhythm. Sure, powerful moments which propelled them up the track at a good pace. They finished rounding the turn, coming into the fourth furlong as they did so, and the jockey knew that the time was upon them. She lowered herself to the filly's neck and started to drive, cracking the crop against her rump. Their speed picked up nicely, the filly throwing herself into the final few furlongs.
"That's it, come on Son." the jockey urged the filly as she threw herself into the driving motion, feeling the pace picking up and the world began to push past them more quickly. She was really biting down on her lip now, she could taste blood in her mouth as they fought together and soon they flew past the post. Tanya slowed the filly bit by bit until they were again at a walk and turned Sonja to walk back toward the gate. In the stands, Matthias was positively grinning. It had obviously gone better than he had hoped.
A great oak may grow.
