Post by Dante on Aug 17, 2012 21:42:07 GMT -5
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HIMEROS
workout with
TOBIAS LANCASTER[/b]
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Himeros had defied Tobias' expectations of him, placing twice and winning one of four starts. Not to bad for a colt thoroughly thought to be retarded. After all, as they walked along to the gate with Connor beside him, the chestnut colt seemed lost to the world, his ears flopping around like a mule's with every step he took. The colt was so unlike anything Tobias had ever ridden before. Just out of there, lost, in his own world for most of the time, where it seemed nothing existed but sky and grass, meaning the real world was jarring indeed when -
"Ohboyyyyy...." Connor backpedaled immediately as Himeros suddenly came down from lala land, having the spook of the century at...his shadow was the most likely candidate, and Tobias barely stayed on. "What the what." And then just like that it was all back to normal and nothing was scary and they were going for the gates again. "Well...."
"As you were about to say?" Tobias asked, steadying himself in the stirrups.
"Run him up front. He's explosive on the start, one of the fastest starters I've ever seen in my life." Connor replied. "Get him up front and keep that momentum going throughout the sprint. You don't have to win by a mile on this horse. He'll make ground early, don't worry if they're starting to close the distance and don't worry if they're on you fast. He closes in the beginning. He bursts out far and fasts and hopefully gets an unmatchable distance away." The man nodded, felt into his pockets, and pulled out a smoke. "He hasn't got brain, but he has got speed, possibly of being scared endlessly by the gate, but use it to your advantage. I trust you, Tobie."
"Yeah, yeah." Tobias disliked the smell of cigarette smoke, so offered no more conversation as they got nearer the gate. Himeros went in, ears flopping, probably unaware of what was going on, where he was, or anything. It made him. But in a moment, Tobias knew the little turf bay was going to explode out of nowhere. It amused him, in it's own way, that Himeros wasn't a looker, wasn't brilliant, but yet...it didn't really matter at all. The colt had heart and speed. Those two were the most essential things.
Sure enough, when the gates sprung open, Himeros suddenly realized where he was, and out of a mix of excitement, adrenaline and pure terror, the colt broke, jarring Tobias along with him, while the jockey wondered if it was possible to hit the gate on the way out, and if Himeros might be the GHF horse to do that. Tobias brought Himeros off the rail, giving him enough space not to get boxed but not fully on the outside, and let him run. He held back just enough that he'd be able to keep going the whole race, but he would look for all the part the suicidal frontrunner. He was for all the part the suicidal frontrunner, except the plan wasn't to die at the end of the race.
Himeros pricked his ears forwards, and his eyes were wide. His strides were long, and almost gawky. Tobias couldn't help but feel he was riding a cartoon racehorse, something a little bit, okay, a lot different, but not bad. Just....unusual. The strides might have been long but they were even and confident, and Himeros seemed not to be tiring much despite his breakneck pace right from the getgo.
Eight furlongs, buddy, eight furlongs. Comeon...comeon... Tobias urged on his mount mentally and with the stick, which caused Hammy to throw his head and speed up, looking alarmed that he wasn't at the finish line yet, and couldn't go back into his little wonderland. He brought his head back down at the curve, and was loosing a bit of steam coming into the seventh furlong, but as his head lowered, he seemed to pull on a last reserve and keep going. Not as fast as the breaking was, but he wasn't quite down and out.
That bit came right after the eight furlong mark and Tobias let up, and almost instantly Hammy slowed down and relaxed, dropping his head like he was a little western horse as he sniffed the ground and jogged along.
"Well, how did he feel?" Connor asked, joining them on the track.
"Good. There's something in him. He's so simple on the outside, on the run...but there's a steam engine of a heart in there, I'll swear by it." Tobias said with a nod, giving Hammy a pat the colt didn't even seem to notice.-----------------------
WORKOUT STATS
words| 773
workout surface| Turf
distance| 8 furlongs
horse| Himeros
jockey| Tobias Lancaster
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