strictly instant. (roy and isa)

INSTANT SUCCESS RIDDEN BY ALICE ROSE training for the SUMMER CUP G5 DIRT.
STRICTLY ROYAL RIDDEN BY JACEY LEIGH ROSE training for the SUMMER CUP G5 DIRT.

Following the success in his maiden race and his good run of fifth in the Burning Blaze, it was time to take a step up. I'd entered Isa in the Summer Cup G5 Dirt over 10 furlongs. He'd ace this race. It was quick, easy, and there was mainly maidens in the race. I thought that if it was possible, we'd go for the Triple Crown. We had a year to prepare for it, and it was now Isa's time to shine. If we were going to get anywhere, we would go for it. Go for the Breeders Cup Juvenile, go for champion 2 year old.

We'd got a huge challenge on our hands, but we could do it. I believe in Isa. Small but mighty... maybe I should nickname him Persil. We have a chance. We are going against some top class two year olds in the juvenile. Eternal Phantom, Paradise Island, and the newcomer, Mizadori. She was a beauty. She only broke her maiden two weeks ago, and the month before that, placed second in her debut. Eternal Phantom was entered in the Green Cup, too. I wasn't sure if we could defeat her, but I'm almost certain we can.

Stroking the muscular colts nose, I smiled. "You can win this, can't you?" I smiled. He bobbed his head up and down and whinnied. I grinned. Jacey Leigh stood beside me. "Leg up?" She asked me. I gave a willing nod. Walking over, she took hold of my leg. "3,2,1." She chucked me on board the lively colt. He danced on the spot and I tried to walk him to the track... instead, he persisted on staying at a bouncy trot, almost a piaffe. Giggling, I stroked his neck. Jacey Leigh lead Roy out of his stable. She put her hands on his back and pushed herself on. He wasn't fussed. He stood still.

Jacey Leigh walked on the beautiful bay colt, Roy, just beside me. Roy was a three year old who had more experience than Isa. The bay walked calmly. "Let them do their own thing today. We're gonna go three furlongs together. Don't push them, just let them go at whatever speed they want." I smiled. "Okay." Both colts came onto the soft dirt. I squeezed Isa into a long strided elegant trot, whilst Roy's stride was slightly shorter. Trotting round the first turn together, I looked at Jacey, and nodded, and with that, we both broke into a bouncy canter. "We're going to whoop your butt, Jacey. Stayers are better than sprinters." Roy wasn't exactly a sprinter, but he'd got more miles on the clock. "Haha, yeah right." Jacey laughed.

I positioned myself just behind Roy, as Isa likes to come from behind and Roy at the front. Roy, eager to go, pulled the reins from Jacey's hands. She gathered them back up, and began to let Roy go as we passed the four furlong mark. Let's do this Isa, I said to myself. I began to let Isa go, watching as he slowly quickened his pace. Roy was four lengths ahead, his powering legs taking him past the three furlong mark. A couple seconds after, I passed the three furlong mark, gave Isa some rein and let him run. The colt took huge bounding strides along the dirt.

Roy still powered along as he entered the home turn. Jacey hadn't touched him yet he appeared to sprint along in front. His stride had lengthened and Isa stayed at the same current pace. As we began the decent round the home turn, Isa switched his leads, and at that point he began to speed up. He saw Roy in his sights and wanted to catch him. I didn't think we'd make it.

As Isa picked up his speed alot more, he raced round the turn. Roy got closer and closer. The colt at full speed ahead seemed to be tiring a bit, but Jacey kept him going. She niggled him along more and more. But I thought she said not to push them. Roy began to extend his stride and run on even more. I felt it was a bit unfair, so I began to push Isa along. Isa's stride extended and Roy soon came within a length of the lead. As we entered the stretch, both colts switched there leads at almost identical timing.

Isa crept up behind Roy, and as we entered the stretch, I began to urge him along. Each stride I got closer to Roy, and we were level, heads bobbing, both of us, me and Jacey urging our horses. Jacey was all out, Roy tiring. Isa continued to sprint on, passing Roy and going to a three length lead. As I began to pull Isa up, Jacey had given up. Roy was a strong colt, but he couldn't match Isa's stamina. Jacey Leigh pulled up behind me after I slowed Isa. I looked at her, bewildered. "I thought you said 'don't push them'..." Jacey giggled. "Nothing wrong with a friendly competition, eh?" She laughed, patting my back. "I think I proved my point earlier about 'Stayers are better Sprinters.' Haha." She laughed. Jacey shrugged her shoulders. "Eh, but still, I think we have the makings of a champion at our farm, Kacey." I nodded in agreement. We continued to discuss options for our colts as we exited the track.