"Then you are sure he will win, and it is only a question as to how far
the others will be beaten. What makes you think he will beat Lucky Boy?"
"I don't know, a kind of presentiment, one of those things a fellow
can't understand. I'm sure he is a better horse than the other fellow."
Joel Kenley seldom talked with his lads, but he knew Bricky had a wide
experience and had ridden and looked after all sorts of horses, so he
spoke to him with more freedom than usual.
"What about the trial? Lucky Boy won that easily."
"That's true, too easily I thought, he'd never do it again. It reminded
me of a trial I once rode for Mr. Mason, at Eagle Farm, Brisbane."
"What was there curious about it?" asked Joel.
"There were two horses in his stable, same as it is here, and one of
them won a trial with any amount to spare. They backed him for a heap of
money, put the other horse in to make the running, which he did, for he
was never caught, and won the race almost as easily as his stable mate
did the trial. I rode the favourite, and I also rode him in the trial.
In the race he would not try a yard and there was a regular row about
it. Most people blamed me, but Mr. Mason stood by me and said he'd have
another trial. We had, and dash me if my fellow didn't win again easily,
and I rode him. Well, about a month after we took him to Gympie, backed
him heavily, and he ran nearly last. The other horse, that he beat in
the trial, we took to Rockhampton, and beggar me if he didn't win
easily, fairly smothering the Gympie winner. What do you make of that?"
"One horse must have been a rogue in a race, but would do his best at
home," said Joel.
"Quite so, and I have an idea that will be the case here."
"You may be right, but we have no occasion to think Lucky Boy lacks
courage, he ran a good race at Rosehill."