Wild Racer

Wild Racer Chapter 1
<A Legend Starts>
Hi, my name is ‘Wild Racer’ , a 2-year-old colt living in Glory Stud, which is a stud farm famous for its production of racehorses. I am mainly black in colour and I have a tiny star on my head.
My dad, ‘Tell You A Secret’ , and my mum, ‘Flying Kite’ , are also reputable racehorses specializing in dirt races and turf races respectively.
I have an elder brother who is one year older than me. His name is ‘Destined for Victory’. He has just started his racing career in Ireland one year ago. Because of his marvelous performances in the 2-year-old races, he will be taking part in the Ireland Derby this year. I am looking forward to seeing him being in the track competing with the other 3-year-old horses in the Derby.
In Glory Stud, I have a friend who is at the same age as I do. His name is ‘Rocket Power’ . He is brown in colour and has a narrow blaze on his head. We always play together when we are put in the field. I love running with him since he is so competitive and is a fast runner. I can seldom beat him in running. So, most workers, or even the manager of the Glory Stud are confident that ‘Rocket Power’ will become an incredible sprinter as he grows up.
Then, what about me ? I am not treated as a potential runner in Stud, but my owner, Charles Williams, insists that I will be a great race horse in the future. This is understandable. He is my owner, it is no way for him to say that I am not a potential race horse. Anyway, I agree with him. If I can practise more, I can be as good as ‘Rocket Power’ one day.
My owner, Charles Williams, is a businessman. Not only is he a hard worker, but also a horse racing fans. He has always desired to own a horse, that’s why he bought me. The reason why he chose me was that he believed a horse with a star is always competitive. Although it is a kind of superstition, I am really competitive.

(To Be Continued...)

Chapter 2
<The Biggest Change of My Life>
When I am three years old, Charles finally makes a decision which changes my life. He decides to send me to a horse trainer so as to turn me into a race horse. My heart is very conflicted. On the one hand, I want to continue my relaxing life in stud. On the other hand, I want to race with other horses in field. Anyway, since he has already made the decision, I do not have any choices.
This is the first time that I go formal training. In the previous years, I just run with my friends freely. This is the first time to run with a jockey sitting on my saddle. This is really strange to me because the weight of the jockey just makes me can’t run freely. Anyway, I have to get used to it because it will happen in race.
After several trainings, my trainer tells Charles that I am a sprinter, which means I have high speed and the race distance that I can handle is from 1000m to 1400m. Well, should I be happy? Maybe….
In April, I finally register for the first race in my life. It is a 1000m-listed race, which means I will just be racing with some 2-year-old horses. I guess it shouldn’t be a tough job, right?
On the day of the race, I wake up at three because I am too mad with the race! It is the first race of my life and I HAVE TO do it well! Anyway, waking up so early means that I will have to wait for a long time before I can race. I keep on waiting, and waiting…..
Well, it is almost my show time. Because the race takes place near the training centre of my trainer, I can go straight there without any transportation.
Finally, I can see my opponents. When I am on the track going to the starting point, I can see the other horses, which are also my rivals. They seem to as nervous as I do. Anyway, I am quite confident that I can beat them!
In my opinion, the biggest opponent in this race is myself. If my performance is comparable to my training, there is no way for them to beat me! No one there seems to be as strong as Rocket Power!

(To Be Continued...)

Chapter 3
< The First Race Of My Life>
Let’s get underway! I’m already in the gate and I’m ready to RACE!!!
Commentary:
“Go, they’re off and running ! Wild Racer is taking the lead, followed by My Soul, with Teen Teen on the inside and Solar Beam on the outside. And then here comes …Tuna Punch and Flow Away. Sense Of Humour is still at last. Okay, now, it’s the last 400 meters, Wild Racer is still leading by 4 lengths without any challenges. Solar Beam starts make a move, and Tuna Punch is accelerating as well. In the last 200 Meters, it’s still Wild Racer taking the lead. And he wins the race, Solar Beam in second and Tuna Punch in third. Wild Racer, a true sprinter…….”
Yeah, it’s the first victory of my life! I am really proud of myself and I feel so delighted! Matthew, the jockey who rides me, feels so happy as well! 1 race 1 victory, does it necessarily mean I win every time? Haha.
After taking the victory photo with my owner, trainer and the jockey, I return to my stable. On the way, the applause from people and other horses really drive my crazy! I feel the excitement of horse racing!
What I win from the race is not only the applause, I also earn an amazing meal from my trainer as a reward! The meal includes fresh giant carrots, fresh rosemary, huge apples, sweet strawberries, and a carton of lemonade! All of them are my favourite food! My trainer seems to be generous because of my victory!
In order to have a meal like that again, I have made a wish, which is to win every race I take part in! It seems to be hard, but it’s achievable because I’m the greatest horse in the world!
Since then, in my workout, I try hard every time.

(To Be Continued...)

Chapter 4
<The Real Racing World>
After the victory of the first race, Charles soon puts me into a G3(Grade 3) Race of 1200m as he thinks that I am great enough to make it through. Yes, I am a G1 horse, and I can do it !
I find the preparation work for this race is a bit tougher than the previous one. However, it is not a problem for me!

As time goes by, the race is ahead.
"Tomorrow will be your first Grade Race, are you nervous?" Mr. Pumpkin (Another race horse in my stable)
"A bit, but if I try my best, I can still beat the opponents. Although I don't know who I will face, my speed will get me through." I reply.
"Yeah, you're right. Make sure that you take the lead, and run as fast as you can in the last 300 meters. Your only opponent will be Rocket Power in my opinion."
"Wh...at?!?! I will race with Rocket Power? Oh, he is my friend when we were in Glory Stud, and I haven't seen him since I left the stud." I say.
"He is incredible. In his last race, which is a 1000m Handicap, he finished it in 56.84 seconds. This is unbelievable for a 3-year-old." He claims.
"In my last race, my time was 57.85 seconds, which means I will have to improve myself to beat him....."
"Well, this is the real racing world. Don't be too confident in yourself, there are always horses which are greater than you. Anyway, good luck on your race tomorrow! I'm looking forward to hearing good news from you."

Right, this is the real racing world. AS there are many good horses in the world, I have to get myself well-armed so as to be competitive!

Chapter 5
<Race With My Friend>
Finally, the day of my first Graded race comes.

In the paddock, I see my old friend, which is also a star of tomorrow, Rocket Power.

"Yo, man! Nice to see you again, huh? " Rocket Power greets me.
"Haha, last time I saw you, I didn't even think that I would have to race with you that early" I replies.

"Are you nervous, Wildy?"
"Well, not really, cuz' I know that I can win the race if I try my best."
"Yes, you are true if I am not in the race. Just like a bus can not beat a Lamborghini."
"What metaphor is that? Anyway, let's see!"

The 1000m-race soon begins.

Commentary:
"The Newers Stake soon begins, and... they're off! Wild Racer is the fastest one and it's taking the lead, followed by Rocket Power. Then, here comes Bamboo on the inside and Cooler on the outside, followed by Rookie Player and Solar Beam. Tuna Punch is now at last and is 8 lengths away from the leader. It's now the last 600 meters. Wild Racer is still taking the lead and Rocket Power starts moving. Bamboo is 3 lengths behind and it's in thrid right now. Every one starts to make a move! It's the last 300 meters, Rocket Power starts to challenge Wild Racer but Wild Racer is not easily defeated as it is accelerating as well! Solar Beam is now in third and is rocketing from the outside! Rocket Power now overtakes Wild Racer! Rocket Power wins the Newer Stake, Wild Racer in second and Solar Beam in third. Rocket Power wins the race with a stunning time of 55.87 seconds! What a record for the 3-year-old horses! Congratulations!"

Rocket Power beats me at last. Of course I am a little bit upset, but I can still accept it because I have tried my best (got improvement in my finishing time).

When I return to the paddock, I meet Rocket Power again.

"I told you before, you can't beat me"
"Well, I can't beat you now, but I will!"
"Whatever comes, I will be here waiting for your challenge!"
"That's right!"

I promise, I will beat him one day !!!

(To be continued...)

Chapter 6
<A New Place, A New Challenge>

After the Newer Stakes (in which I got defeated by Rocket Power), there is a tiny change in position in the company that Charles works for. Unbelievably, the change is related to me because Charles is deployed to work in Hong Kong!

"Wildy, I have to work in the Hong Kong department. I don't want to go there but ... if I don't follow the rule, I can't survive in this company." Charles says.
"After I go, my apartment here will be sold. So I can't leave you here. Therefore, I'll take you to Hong Kong as well." He continues.

"Well, that's cool! I can't wait to fly to Hong Kong!" I feel so happy about that because I am sooooo curious to visit the other countries!

However, his next speech clamps down on my happiness:
"Nontheless, the bad news is that... it is almost impossible for Hong Kongers to keep horses at home. So, I can't live with you after getting there. I will have to take you to the Hong Kong Jockey Club and rent you a stable. In the meantime, I NEED YOU to continue your racing career so as to compensate for the rent. I promise, I will visit you from time to time and I'll come to watch your every race! "

After knowing that I have to live without Charles, I feel a bit sad. Although he doesn't sleep in the stable (OF COURSE he doesn't!) , he does come to me every day. We build up our friendship since we knew each other!

From what he says, I can see that he cannot do this anymore, and the distance between us will be longer than before.

A warm palm is suddenly placed on my forehead.
"Don't be upset, Wildy, I'll come to see you very often! Also, you have to train hard, race hard and work hard! I'm looking forward to seeing you being the best sprinter in Hong Kong! When you have achieved this goal, it will be the time for us to come back home!" Charles encourages me.

Then, we start our journey to the new destination, Hong Kong.

(To be continued...)

It would be a good idea to skip a space between paragraphs and between each change of speaker.

Okay, thanks for your advice :)

Chapter 7
<What A New Start>

Finally, we arrive in Hong Kong.

"Whoo~ Whoo~ This is Hong Kong, we get here finally!" Charles says.

The first impression that Hong Kong gives me is that... it is so different from Australia. Hong Kong is too much of a well-developed city, and it has so many skyscrapers. In my hometown, there are only big fields, and tall buildings are rarely seen. Charles has to drive for an hour get to the down town.

"Anyway, this is where my legend begins!" I say to myself, and Charles says to himself as well.

A few days later, I am registered as a race horse in Hong Kong , and sent to a Hong Kong Jockey Club's stable. I am under John Kloop's training, and his son, Tony Kloop has signed to be my regular jockey.

John Kloop was once the champion horse trainer in Hong Kong, but he was poor in the connection between people. Therefore, not many horse owners would send their horses to John's stable. The reason why Charles put me there is because John's service is cheap. (CAN'T believe that Charles would be that CHEAP!!!) But I DO believe that John has his talents, if not, he would not have been the champion horse trainer.

I hope my racing career would have a bright future here!

(To Be Continued...)

Chapter 8
<I Am Ready>

The racing career in Hong Kong is professional. Unlike Australia, all horses are restricted to attend the training session and a trial before they can get into a race. Also, the race tracks here are weird yet special, at least they are clean and flat.

Furthermore, horses here are treated like athletes. For example, they are put in the air-conditioned stables, and there are several people who take care of ONE horse. In this way, I can see that horses are treasurable in Hong Kong, and that's why owning a horse is expensive here.

Let's come back to my training.

John's training is well-organized. Under his training, I have enough time to run, get stronger, relax and sleep.

That's good enough for a horse. So, I find out that the horses in his stable are usually strong and energetic.

His son, Tony, is quite a nice guy as well. Not only is he a wonderful rider, but he is also a friendly person. When he is free, he sometimes come to the stable and give us some snacks (like mentos, or apples). All of us like him!

My owner, Charles, hasn’t eaten his words. He does come to me when he is free (Usually once a week). When he comes, he usually brings a camera and takes photos of me. Moreover, he sometimes asks John about my condition. It seems that he wants me to race as soon as possible.

YES! I wanna race soon as I’m READY for any challenges!

<Get Shocked, And Make Friends>

All the horses have a rating if they are officially registered in Hong Kong, and the rating determines the class that the race horses belong to.

In Hong Kong, class one horses have the rating above 105, and the class five horses (the lowest class) have the rating between 0 to 30. What about mine? My rating is 52 and I am in class four initially before entering any races.

That's definitely not what I can be, right? I should be in class ONE!

Anyway, I am assigned to a 1000-m Class Four race soon.

There are two race tracks in Hong Kong at this moment. One is in Sha Tin while the other one is in Happy Valley. I will be going to the one in Happy Valley for my first race in Hong Kong.

Before I go for the race, I have to attend a trial in Happy Valley to prove that I am capable for the race. Normally, I do the workout in Sha Tin, so it is the first time for me to run in Happy Valley.

Finally, I arrive there and see the horses in the same group of trial.

"Wow, what a weird track... It's so uneven and there are like three turns... It's so easy to get hurt!" I talk to one of them.

"Yes, indeed! Many horses get hurt while racing in this track. I've seen a lot of these cases." He replies.

"Yes, I got shocked when I saw this. By the way, who are you ?"

"I'm Running Fast, a 6-year-old race horse in David's stable. I've stayed in class 4 since I came here when I was 4 years old. What about you ?"

Then, I introduce myself to him, and I get my first friend in Hong Kong.

The trial goes smoothly, and I am glad that I haven't got hurt. I am now able to go for the race!

Wild Racer Chapter 10
<Where I Get Defeated, Where I Stand Again>
It comes to do day of my race.

Walking at the paddock, I feel both confident and afraid:
I'm confident because I believe that the class-4-races would be too easy for me.
But I'm afraid of this weird track, and I am not used to night races.

"By the way, I haven't seen my jockey costume yet!" I suddenly remember.
While creating my jockey costume in my mind, I see Tony wearing the jockey costume and coming to me.
"Wow, what a beautiful suit! Charles' design is wonderful!"

My jockey costume is all blue with a big yellow star in the middle and some tiny yellow stars on the sleeves.
It looks simple, but when you focus on it, you'll feel comfortable.

Then, Tony rides me to the gate, and the race is at hand.

Commentary:
" So, every one 's ready, the class 4 handicap is ready to go. Okay, they're off! Telly Boy is the fastest to get out of the gate, and is followed by Wild Racer. Jelly Prince is in third on the out side, and our favourite, Sunny Prince, is just next to it. It's a good position for it! Then, here comes Balo Balo in fifth, followed by Little Birdie and Colourful Man. Flying Red and Cooling Effect are at last under this fast pace. It's now the last 600 meters and they all come to the turn. Telly Boy is still taking the lead. OH, Wild Racer seems to be weak at turning, and he's going outside! Jelly Prince is now next to Wild Racer and Sunny Prince starts to make a move ! It's the last 400 meters, Telly Boy starts to be tired and Sunny Prince is now overtaking him! Wild Racer is starting to make a move after losing his balance! Jelly Prince is coming from the inside and Flying Red is FLYING from the last place! At the last 150 meters, Sunny Prince is taking the lead by 5 lengths! He wins for sure! Yes, Sunny Prince wins the handicap, with Flying Red in second and Wild Racer in third. "

Oh.. I can't believe that I can't even win a class-4-handicap...

Feeling a bit upset, John and Charles come to me after the race.
"Well-done, boy, you performed greatly even though you lost. I'm sure that you can get a victory soon." Charles says and touches my face.
"Yes, it's just that he is not used to the turn. He will be fine if he gets used to it. Anyway, Sunny Prince is a big guy. He belongs to Class 2 in my opinion. So it's nothing strange for him to win. Don't forget his finishing time is 56.64 in this course. Therefore, Wildy is still good." John tells Charles.

After hearing this, I feel a bit better.
Now, I know my weakness, and I will spend more efforts on making turns! I hope I will win in my next race!