living it up!

Now the winner of five races, including the Unicorn Horn Juvenile, Glory was living up to his bloodlines and continuing his dam's legacy. Next on his list of races to win was the Autumn Cup, in the G4 Turf division. The colt had proved himself a decent runner on both surfaces so far, having won three of his races on dirt and the other two on turf. This was a great asset to have, as it meant he was versatile and would have more opportunities to race.

Glory went smoothly under saddle; we practiced these movements daily as they promoted balance and obedience, two qualities very important in racing. An obedient, willing horse with good balance had a better chance at winning than an unruly horse who fought the rider every step of the way. Glory had a way of going that was hard to describe - he was indeed spirited, strong willed and highly strung, but he was not disobedient, and nor did he fight me. We worked together in a team. it was our happy partnership and trust of each other's judgment that helped us win, and Glory's speed, stamina and love of winning did the rest.

Good boy, Gloryboy. I praised the colt as we finished our warm up. I aimed him for the gates, talking to him soothingly. The grey colt disliked the gates. In his eyes they were a big metal monster who would swallow him up if he didn't get out of there quick enough. He only put up with them because I told him it was okay.