Like a Bird

Ok so i officially hate the back button!...... not happy, just when im about to click submit i nudge the back button and lose everything... bum head!

ok well heres the next racer, sorry for the delay but Uni has started again so im juggling that, other competition pictures and my racers so bear with me!

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Hedwig’s daughter was a beast.

Coming off from her single loss season as a three year old she was powering on and as her forbears before her she was dynamite on the track.

The painted mare roared through her works and after winter she found herself with so much excess energy. However this proved to be her undoing.

Her ability to undo locks managed to let her out and after a danger fraught excursion through the gallops and onto the main highway left her with swelling and bruised hooves she was canned until later in the season.

Making her debut in late September the mare was raring to go. Slightly loopy after being off the track for so long Geoff finally gave into the hyper mare and sent her out for the Colin Stephen Quality at Randwick.

The black and white monster exploded from the gate rocketing away from her competition to sit far ahead of the rest of the pack. Head in hands Geoff watched Jess try to slow the mare and steady her throughout the race and as they shot into the straight the closers began their bid.

Peri pinned her ears and with a rare display of temper that echoed her aunt Eidolon Peregrine ripped the reins out of Jess hands and lunged across at the favourite. Needless to say though the mare past the post in front she was led off in shame as she was disqualified due to interference.

Back home the mare worked easily, barely flicking an ear as her stable mates worked near her and her recent show of aggression was set aside.

Taking a chance Geoff sent her to Caulfield for the running of said Cup. One of the major races in the lead up to the Melbourne cup Geoff hoped the mare would focus and settle into the race unlike last time.

This time the Mare would have company in the mounting yard. Facing one of her stable mates she would also be under a different jockey and it was a switch Geoff was nervous about. Betsy had worked with the mare before but with Jess sitting on the stables other runner it was an essential switch.

Peri broke well sitting just behind the pace horse and showing none of the temper that she had displayed in her last run. Betsy focused using every ounce of her concentration to keep the talented mare in the right place to make her bid.

As they rounded the turn Betsy let her loose and they were off. Passing the pace horse they shot to the front and began to open the gap behind them. But then came the demon, a dark shape detached from the pack behind them and roared in accelerating at a pace unbelievable to the young jockey.

Both horses fought hard and as they passed under the wire neither jockey knew who had won. Though as with her current run of luck Peri had lost the photo by a hair.

Then it was November, and that time of year meant only one thing the CUP! And this year the stud had two horses entered. Peregrine bumped noses with Collie as both mares left their stables to head towards the mounting yards.

As the horses mounted up Peri showed a lack of enthusiasm to step onto the track, balking at the turf she danced around until a pony was eventually able to grab her and lead her down towards the gate. Loading well the mare was still unsettled as her neighbour thrashed around in the gate.

Betsy steadied the mare and as they broke felt herself rock back but it was quickly apparent that something was wrong and after they had barely begun Betsy struggled to pull the mare up. Peri snorted, travelling sideways as she tried to catch up to the other horses. As Geoff watched from the side Peri was brought back to the barn where he met the vet to do an immediate examination.

A swelling on her fetlock was discovered and she was put to immediate rest to help her recover. Betsy was thanked endlessly for her quick perception of something being wrong. The slight hitch was barely noticeable but the young jockey who had exercised the mare knew her better than she did and though Peri had still been willing to run if the tendon had given way on the track it could have been far more serious.

So Peri was scrapped for her next few runs as they waited for the swelling to die down, and her to return to peak fitness.

It was late February before Bullets wayward daughter would step onto the track once again and after being declared back to full health Peri was once again against Collie in the Tooheys New Stakes.

Drawing the far outside Peri had to shoot from the bell and even then Betsy found herself sitting further back than she would have liked. Collie and Jess set a gruelling pace as they tore around the track and in the final few furlongs it had come down to both horses heading toward the wire.

Still opening space between them and the rest of the field both mares duelled it out but in the end it was Collie who triumphed mere meters before the line.

Peri took longer than before to recover but when she began work again it was to be Collie who she tore after at the gallops. Soon after she became unable to work properly on the track when the other mare was present and it seemed the competitive spirit had been lit and with a sigh Geoff threw the pair in once again for the BMW at Rosehill.

This time with a vengeance the painted mare roared around the corner, ducking inside her rival to take the lead and rocket away to flash under the wire a whopping 6 lengths in front of the nearest horse.

Coming off the high of a win the mare seemed smug and content as she strutted around the barn like a queen. So she was aimed for the Sydney Cup, the longest race she was entered in since the Melbourne Cup and we had high hopes for her.

Though she wasn’t along on the track, as the stud had another runner but the painted mare drew the crowd’s eye as she cavorted around her handlers in the mounting yard.

Leaping like a rabbit from the gate she settled herself behind the leaders against the rail as they ate their way through the gruelling 16F race. It was in the final few furlongs that Betsy could feel the distance begin to take its toll on her.

Peri snorted as they lengthened her stride and began to push through the lactic build up in her muscles and headed towards the finish line. They had opened a gap between them and the rest of the horses when a dark shadow once again moved in after them.

Betsy ducked her head under to see Jess closing in fast and with a yell let Peregrine out fully and began to scrub away, pleading the mare for more. Peregrines ears pinned and bared her teeth as she fought the hardest she had ever done before once again pulling away.

But it was unfortunate as the one horse she would face against in this moment of glory happened to be one of the few who could match her in skill and speed. And with an exhausted mare the other horse passed under the wire a head in front.

Peregrine seemed to lose heart after that, her works lost their vigour and her competitive spirit seemed crushed. So it was decided with heavy hearts that the painted girl would be retired to broodmare status where we hoped she would continue to demonstrate her blue blood in the foals she would then produce.

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PERI BABIES!!!

Registered Name: KhC Peregrine
Barn Name: Peri
Sex: Filly
Age: 4 years
Breed: Thoroughbred
Appearance: Black, Snip with a small star and uneven white markings around legs stomach and neck.
Genetics: Ee-aa-Ww(Dominant white attatches to the black base so any foals with E_ in their genotype will inherit the gene)
Height: 16.2hh
Breeder: *sealle
Owner/trainer: *sealle
Temperament: Curious she finds the smallest things fascinating. often found with her nose to the ground watching bugs and lizards. Shes also very smart and loves investigating her handlers pockets. When excited she is a handful, wiggling and pushing trying to get to what she wants, which is usually a toy or the barn kittens seem especially interesting.
History: Born early she was small but strong fighting off an early infection before worming her way into the heart of Jess and the stable minions.
Discipline(s): Flat Racing (8F+)
Final Record: 23:15/2/1
Best win’s during Career: The Metropolitan, Cox Plate, AJC Australian Derby, Caulfield Cup, The BMW
Sire + Dam: DD Bite the Bullet - Hedwig


23:15/2/1
G1- 5
G2- 2
G3- 4
Total Earnings: $6,736,015