strike the win

INDIAN DELIGHT AND STRIKE A POSE WORK FOR LITTLE MISS INNOCENT MEMORIAL STAKES*

I'm really pleased with how you're doing with her, Blaze Sarah said, smiling warmly at him. She'd originally been the filly's rider, but had handed the reins to Blaze at the beginning of this year, so she could focus more on Naturally Charismatic. Blaze and Strike A Pose had taken a while to bond, though not for lack of trying on Blaze's part. After months of hard work with little positive results, they'd finally formed a great partnership. Since Poser's first win of the season at the end of May, they'd won a further five times. It was now the end of September, and the three year old filly was due to face her first major test: a high graded race against older, quite competitive horses.

Indian Delight was one of those horses. In his second most recent race, a month ago now, he'd hit grade one. The headstrong young stallion had then raced valiantly in the G1 Universal Cup, in which he had placed third. In 43 starts, the four year old had placed out of the top three only four times. Sarah rode him now, next to Blaze and Strike A Pose. The studly colt seemed to be hitting on the filly or something, because every time he made any sort of noise, she put her nose in the air, swished her tail and chomped the bit.

Thanks. Blaze grinned in reply. They broke into canter, and looked ahead to where they would begin galloping. Just an easy six furlong gallop today. Not a race - they would stay nose to nose the entire way. Sarah didn't reply again, instead focusing on keeping her headstrong colt from getting ahead of his workout partner. Blaze concentrated on Strike A Pose, who moved effortlessly beneath him. As the six furlong pole flashed by, the riders cued their thoroughbreds to gallop.

Indian Delight jumped forward, as expected, but Strike A Pose stayed with him. Sarah firmly held the colt at a more reasonable pace, preventing him from shooting several lengths into the lead like he did when racing. They galloped strongly up to the turn, and leaned as they went around it. As the turn ended and the straight stretched out before them, both horses changed legs and automatically put on speed. Blaze allowed Poser a little more rein that Sarah allowed Indie, because she didn't like to be restrained so much. Indian Delight needed it, and he pulled like a train.

They passed the finish and slowed gradually around the turn and into the backstretch again before turning back and heading out the gap. They were ready for the Little Miss Innocent Memorial.