Taunton Barr

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Was not long before Kalika and Lindy entered the conservatory, Kalika spoke as she sat down at the table opposite Winston. 'We need to talk to you.'

  Winston sat back in his chair blinking and widening his eyes, he rubbed at them then stretched his arms out. 'Well you've done a pretty good job so far.'

  'You know what we mean.'

  'Yes go on.'

  'We have an idea.'

  'Linked to you being absent this morning.'

  'You didn't need to know.'

  'Until now, pray tell.'

  'Urchinwood near Congresbury, equestrian centre.'

  'Next to the forestry and Cadbury Hill.'

  'Yes.'

  'You think it's a good idea to run Flaxmead there.'

  'Not so much attention, no expectation of such a move.'

  'You want to run him through the forest tracks.'

  'I looked at them this morning, he would learn a lot there, about changing environments.'

  'Lindy.'

  'Not sure, would like to look at the plan first.'

  'Mmmm,' Winston sighed got up and walked to his favourite spot at the window, he turned and lent on the window sill with his rear. 'I drove them a while back myself, Urchinwood is a well run place, busy, plenty of people around. I assessed that running him through the forest could be disastrous, the place is too easy to access, anyone can get in there.'

  Kalika questioned his thought train. 'Whom would suspect it.'

  'You would have been followed.'

  'Not unusual for an equestrian to attend an equestrian centre.'

  Winston folded his arms 'Indeed, having thought about this for some time I suggest this. Doesn't matter anymore that people see Flaxmead running about the place, we lost Roger and it changed many things. What is imperative is the transfer of the name, Beaker, and time around a competitive course under race conditions. I suggest Monday we take as many runners to Wincanton, run them with Flaxmead but he take to the fences.'

  'I have no doubt he will be seen.'

  'I too, not important, the aristocracy know we can't run him with Ashby having a horse of the same name. It also doesn't matter that we get him to the start of the kayos they call the start of the national under dubious legality. What matters is he convincingly wins the race and wins the public, wining the crowd is what the powers to be fear. They have to find a horse that can run him down, or loose, makes no difference what his name is at the time.'

  Lindy interrupted. 'I can tell you if he'll win when he's run Wincanton.'

  'You will be able to tell a lot more than that, I invited the trainer of Stargazer to train on the same day, they accepted.'

  Kalika was wide eyed. 'He's come second in the national twice.'

  'And he'll come second again this year.'

  'Surely that's political suicide, they'll let the cat out of the bag.'

  'They train with a horse called Flaxmead, they race against a horse called Taunton Barr, and there the window of success or failure sits. As long as the race starts with Flaxmead in it, then its up to him and how good we are at stalling the protest that will no doubt be lodged. Flaxmead can run and jump as much as he likes, it's the politics that will prevail in success.'

  'What about Fields Flaxmead's owner, would he agree to this surely he must be included.'

  Winston looked down. 'Dylan and Anna became very wealthy from Flaxmead's winnings. Anna bought a business, Dylan however invested in a motor racing career, he was killed last year competing in Australia. Bob Fields was inconsolable, he signed the horse back over to me, he never wants to see it again. Anna is equally as devastated, Bob also lost his wife not long after Dylan's death, she took her own life.'

  'My god, I wondered why we hadn't heard from them for a while. I remember that John with the red car, he often said be careful your dreams don't become your nightmares.'

  'Indeed.'

  Lindy interrupted. 'This will bring us closer together or destroy our lives, we must make sure we are remembered as winners. Roger would not have entertained the notion that we could loose. When my brother was killed in the saddle when I was an apprentice my parents hid in the corner as well, when we won the Melbourne Cup it turned their lives around and my brothers death was looked upon as a lesson rather than a tragedy. We must win, not only for us but the Fields.'

  Winston nodded. 'Early Monday we head for Wincanton, we must hold the line.'