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Description
EDIT: Fixed!

Edit: This should be June, part I. I'll fix it when I can, but for now, you can all laugh at my fail.

Finally, another season picture! It's the fillies' turn this time.

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For a horse that existed in a near constant state of lethargy, Chardonnay was brilliant on the track. She’d quickly adjusted to a life in England, doing well by the cooler air and less vigorous schedule. The mornings were still dewy and cool. Birds sang in the trees around the track, bursting their voices into the air. She snorted as she galloped past the watching human with barely a glance. The beeping sound broke the stillness of the horse’s passing, the stopwatch displaying a scything 35:29 for three furlongs.

It had been decided that it’d be best if she were allowed a few months to get into the swing of things; and so it was that she made her season debut on English turf in June. The Group 3 7f 30y John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock was a hard run for her. She broke slowly, and floundered on the soggy turf, yet held on stubbornly to take sixth place. She sulked for the rest of the week. That was the thing with Chardy – like most horses, she hated to lose, but she took it especially hard, moping for days on end.

The weariness off the track did not vanish, though. She was still the same old sleepy mare as the one that had tottered off the plane a year ago. Her muscles had filled out as she entered her sixth year, and her talent was plain to see, but she still wandered around with a dazed look on her face. It was as if she was sleep walking. Whenever she was being led, fed, or petted, and when she was alone in her stable her eyelids would almost close, her lips would droop, she’d cock one hoof and let her ears relax back, and from there there would be no waking her.

She was the most peaceful and bliss-blessed member of the Red&Sky string. Chardy was not as bubbly as her name suggested, unless it was on the track. The all weather gallops the farm possessed were frequently witness to blistering fractions, the flashy chestnut filly was in her element. With over fourteen wins under her belt and a good chance at more this season, Chardonnay was living up to the hype.

Her opposite, aside from the obvious (Snake), was Gloria. She still hadn’t figured out that racing comprised allowing your jockey to actually stay on your back instead of ingloriously dumping him when you got annoyed. She still zigzagged over the track. Still scraped the rail and charged headlong with an apparent disregard for her personal safety. The black beastie was no-one’s favourite. The grooms put up with her as best as they could, the exercise riders dreaded her and her jockey regarded her with a mixture of anxiousness and a stubborn determination to tame her.

She still hid things, usually important things, often burying them in her fresh bedding where they’d only be found a few agonizing days later. Graham wisely kept his hat well out of reach.

He wearily pointed her at a three year old campaign, well aware that the rest of this year, as far as she was concerned, was going to be hell.

The other filly in his herd was irrepressible Shiva’s Gaurd. Thank goodness for her bright outlook on life. She was jovial, she was bouncy, she was sweet. Beautiful didn’t even begin to cover the way she moved; it was as if she was dancing. She lilted over the summer baked ground, and flew with indescribable grace over the turf. It was enough to make grown men cry.

She still suffered the ‘friendship’ of Radley, the cockatoo. He never strayed far from her stall, and protected it from intruders whenever she wasn’t there. A shrieking lump of feathers and beak is not a good thing to have drop down on your head at any time of day, let alone early morning. Let it be known, however, that the bird met his match in Sam. A whirling jockey whip will deter all but the most stubborn avian, and Radley was not that. He resigned himself to sitting fluffed up on his perch and cawing abuse at him.

The red filly took another win, six lengths separating her from mere mortals this time. Again Sam pumped his fist in the air; again he dismounted flushed and full of endorphins. Riding Shiva was like...riding nothing else. It was like riding an angel. With long forelegs that ate the turf and powerful back legs that spat it out with divine force, the Group II Coventry Stakes, run over six furlongs, was a piece of cake. Her name was already being mentioned for next year’s 1,000 Guineas, and followers mused over whether she’d go to this season’s Fillies’ Mile or perhaps even the Racing Post Trophy.

Graham said nothing on the subject. He liked to keep them waiting.

---

Shown: Chardonnay

Season: 7 year old
Total Wins: 1 starts -/-/-
Grouped Stakes Wins: 0
Season Earnings (in UK currency): £0
Racing Style: Frontrunner, sprinter
Titles: n/a

Gloria Scott

Season: 2 year old
Total Wins: 1 starts -/-/-
Grouped Stakes Wins: 0
Season Earnings (in UK currency): £0
Racing Style: All over the place
Titles: n/a

Shiva's Gaurd

Season: 2 year old
Total Wins: 2 starts 2/-/-
Grouped Stakes Wins: 1
Season Earnings (in UK currency): £65, 625
Racing Style: All distance, frontrunner
Titles: n/a

---

Art & Characters (C) me

Description
EDIT: Fixed!

Edit: This should be June, part I. I'll fix it when I can, but for now, you can all laugh at my fail.

Finally, another season picture! It's the fillies' turn this time.

---

For a horse that existed in a near constant state of lethargy, Chardonnay was brilliant on the track. She’d quickly adjusted to a life in England, doing well by the cooler air and less vigorous schedule. The mornings were still dewy and cool. Birds sang in the trees around the track, bursting their voices into the air. She snorted as she galloped past the watching human with barely a glance. The beeping sound broke the stillness of the horse’s passing, the stopwatch displaying a scything 35:29 for three furlongs.

It had been decided that it’d be best if she were allowed a few months to get into the swing of things; and so it was that she made her season debut on English turf in June. The Group 3 7f 30y John of Gaunt Stakes at Haydock was a hard run for her. She broke slowly, and floundered on the soggy turf, yet held on stubbornly to take sixth place. She sulked for the rest of the week. That was the thing with Chardy – like most horses, she hated to lose, but she took it especially hard, moping for days on end.

The weariness off the track did not vanish, though. She was still the same old sleepy mare as the one that had tottered off the plane a year ago. Her muscles had filled out as she entered her sixth year, and her talent was plain to see, but she still wandered around with a dazed look on her face. It was as if she was sleep walking. Whenever she was being led, fed, or petted, and when she was alone in her stable her eyelids would almost close, her lips would droop, she’d cock one hoof and let her ears relax back, and from there there would be no waking her.

She was the most peaceful and bliss-blessed member of the Red&Sky string. Chardy was not as bubbly as her name suggested, unless it was on the track. The all weather gallops the farm possessed were frequently witness to blistering fractions, the flashy chestnut filly was in her element. With over fourteen wins under her belt and a good chance at more this season, Chardonnay was living up to the hype.

Her opposite, aside from the obvious (Snake), was Gloria. She still hadn’t figured out that racing comprised allowing your jockey to actually stay on your back instead of ingloriously dumping him when you got annoyed. She still zigzagged over the track. Still scraped the rail and charged headlong with an apparent disregard for her personal safety. The black beastie was no-one’s favourite. The grooms put up with her as best as they could, the exercise riders dreaded her and her jockey regarded her with a mixture of anxiousness and a stubborn determination to tame her.

She still hid things, usually important things, often burying them in her fresh bedding where they’d only be found a few agonizing days later. Graham wisely kept his hat well out of reach.

He wearily pointed her at a three year old campaign, well aware that the rest of this year, as far as she was concerned, was going to be hell.

The other filly in his herd was irrepressible Shiva’s Gaurd. Thank goodness for her bright outlook on life. She was jovial, she was bouncy, she was sweet. Beautiful didn’t even begin to cover the way she moved; it was as if she was dancing. She lilted over the summer baked ground, and flew with indescribable grace over the turf. It was enough to make grown men cry.

She still suffered the ‘friendship’ of Radley, the cockatoo. He never strayed far from her stall, and protected it from intruders whenever she wasn’t there. A shrieking lump of feathers and beak is not a good thing to have drop down on your head at any time of day, let alone early morning. Let it be known, however, that the bird met his match in Sam. A whirling jockey whip will deter all but the most stubborn avian, and Radley was not that. He resigned himself to sitting fluffed up on his perch and cawing abuse at him.

The red filly took another win, six lengths separating her from mere mortals this time. Again Sam pumped his fist in the air; again he dismounted flushed and full of endorphins. Riding Shiva was like...riding nothing else. It was like riding an angel. With long forelegs that ate the turf and powerful back legs that spat it out with divine force, the Group II Coventry Stakes, run over six furlongs, was a piece of cake. Her name was already being mentioned for next year’s 1,000 Guineas, and followers mused over whether she’d go to this season’s Fillies’ Mile or perhaps even the Racing Post Trophy.

Graham said nothing on the subject. He liked to keep them waiting.

---

Shown: Chardonnay

Season: 7 year old
Total Wins: 1 starts -/-/-
Grouped Stakes Wins: 0
Season Earnings (in UK currency): £0
Racing Style: Frontrunner, sprinter
Titles: n/a

Gloria Scott

Season: 2 year old
Total Wins: 1 starts -/-/-
Grouped Stakes Wins: 0
Season Earnings (in UK currency): £0
Racing Style: All over the place
Titles: n/a

Shiva's Gaurd

Season: 2 year old
Total Wins: 2 starts 2/-/-
Grouped Stakes Wins: 1
Season Earnings (in UK currency): £65, 625
Racing Style: All distance, frontrunner
Titles: n/a

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Art & Characters (C) me