CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
The city of Sydney and Graham Harper had a grim reminder of why he choose to live in the Hunter Valley. Friday afternoon traffic was hectic and he drove the float as if in slow motion protecting his valuable cargo, he was very pleased to reach High Street and gain access to the float parking area in the southern stable of the grandstand at Royal Randwick. Flaxmead was in a support race for class three horses and Meadow in the feature event of the Saturday meet. The float looked at home amongst others from far and wide, a few passing visitors seem to look down their noses at the loud art work adorning the green prestigious truck. The automatic loading ramp was activated, Lindy and Jessica released Flaxmead and Meadow to stretch their legs walking them round the edge of the grassy stable compound. For the first time some industry onlookers got a first hand view of Flaxmead. Some concerned looks were exchanged but people said nothing. As night fell the horses were returned to their stalls, they opened up allowing more room when parked for the horses to move and bed down. The loading ramp slowly raised keeping out some sudden heavy showers of rain sealing the float from the outside world and all bedded down for the early morning start.
In the Hunter Valley Flaxmead was already a household name but in Sydney he was just another horse yet to prove its worth. As the sun was poised to rise on Royal Randwick the loading ramp of the float slowly descended and Flaxmead became the centre of attention. His race was event three of the morning and he carried top weight from barrier seven of twelve runners. The previous night had seen Kings Cross population swell by coal miners, winery workers and the populous of the Hunter racing industry. They were all at the track bright and early, betting on Flaxmead saw the odds for the horse quickly decrease, the strongest ever bet on a class three race at Randwick. This caught the attention of more punters and upon seeing the horse and finding its previous form also thought a flutter on the steed was warranted.
Flaxmead was in the mounting paddock in front of the grandstand in his element. He put on a hell of a show as Lindy struggled with his antics and he made his way through the under track tunnel to the twelve hundred metre start barrier on the southern edge of the course. He walked sideways kicking his head up and down rearing up and prancing at any opportunity, the grandstand punters love it and the more they cheered the more he carried on as their voices carried across the vast infield. Lindy laughed as they strutted clear of the tunnel and stable complex toward the barriers, "Come on idiot we have to run today you know." Flaxmead arrived behind the barriers striking fear or at the least the utmost respect into the stewards. Lindy dismounted as Flaxmead kept rearing up at the stewards as they tried to load him into his barrier. She stood in front of him and the stewards were dumfounded as she shouted at him. "It's not a night club or boxing ring, stop it its time to race!" He settled and she remounted the last to enter the stalls. The race caller had been waiting.
"And Flaxmead after all that quietly walks into his stall himself, nice of him to comply running a little behind time. They are with the starter and away in the third of the day here at Royal Randwick and Flaxmead gets to fly breaks clear of the pack with two lengths already. Looks like they don't call him the hunter valley thunderbolt for nothing with little Lindy Cumberland tucked in behind his ears sounds familiar. Tarman second and loosing ground Reuters Blast third winner of its last two outings but its all Flaxmead winner and track record holder of his first thee starts now five lengths from the pack tightly bunched as they come up to the four hundred metre mark, Tarman still holding second with Reuters Blast pushing on the outside. Wolf Sheppard goes wide from mid pack now pushing Reuters Blast for third, Wolf Sheppard breed and owned by Neville Creighton with the red white and blue diamond colours also won its first three outings there's the cream of class three here today. But it's the hunter valley thunderbolt that continues to put ground on the pack and at the five hundred we have a track record time, as they start to round the turn we could see this horse's fourth track record in as many races and you're here to see it." The commentator rose to his feet. "Wolf Sheppard kicks on the outside of the turn rounding up Reuters Blast and Tarman as they enter the grandstand straight."
The Greedy Piggy Creek and Fixed Hole mobs began to chant his name in chorus lined along the finishing line railing. "Flaxmead! Flaxmead! Flaxmead! Flaxmead thundered onto the straight hearing the chant carried in the wind. Lindy laughed with excitement and Flaxmead turned it on.
The race caller sensed history. "And the thunderbolts kicked up a notch, I've called races here for fifteen years and this is the fastest run I have ever witnessed. Wolf Sheppard has pulled clear of the pack in second and gallantly attempting to gain on the leader but its Flaxmead all the way in the triple blue colours of Graham Harper from the Hunter Valley. With two hundred to go and ten lengths on the second placed Wolf Sheppard he's not even looking like slowing up and still pulling away, by how much will the twelve hundred record be beaten here today? The hunter valley cheer squad are in fine song I think they sense a Cox Plate or Melbourne Cup coming on. Fifty to go and little Lindy Cumberland hasn't moved a muscle to hasten the pace she's just sitting there with a wide smile on her face and why wouldn't you she just crossed the line just over two seconds quicker than any other jockey has ever done here at Royal Randwick over twelve hundred metres and takes the lead in the New South Wales apprentice jockey premiership. Wolf Sheppard second four lengths clear of the rest of the pack Tarman third Reuters Blast fourth you could throw a blanket over the remaining pack its that tight. Merchants Way fifth, Galleon sixth, Give a Cheer seventh, Heartbreaker eighth, Quakers Right ninth, Pen Pal tenth, Woodend eleventh, and finally Mansfield twelfth. But its number seven Flaxmead winner of its first four starts, record holder of four course distances a clear winner by over twelve lengths. Well if Flaxmead came here to make a point then he's well and truly done that ladies and gentlemen high time this horse stepped up. And as Lindy Cumberland struggles with him back to the winners circle behold the hunter valley thunderbolt. Another interesting note on that race every runner was inside average group one times."
The grade two feature race of the day was won by Flushing Meadow. Graham Harper edged his way up the state trainer's premiership rankings to fifth. Blake heard the name Neville Creighton and realised he may have underestimated someone he had dealt with, unusual maybe he was loosing his touch.
Flaxmead made the full back page of every newspaper in Sydney and the following weekend decimated a class four benchmark race at Rose Hill breaking the track record for two thousand metres. Flaxmead made the front page of the Sydney newspapers and the back page of Melbourne news.