It had clearly been an eventful twenty-four hours for all of us.
Potassium made his appearance at a quarter to six, parading around the stable yard proudly wearing the ‘Derby Winner’ blanket adorned large with the race sponsor’s logo.
As the horse was walked around the quadrangle, he carried his bold head high, as if he knew that he’d done something special and was the star of the show. Then his jockey, Jimmy Ketch, appeared, again wearing the royal blue and white vertical striped silks and a white cap. The band struck up the tune ‘Congratulations,’ and everyone cheered.
As if by magic, trays of champagne glasses appeared, and we all drank a toast to Potassium, our Derby winner.
Next, Owen made a short speech thanking his stable staff for all their hard work, and his neighbours in the village for their support and encouragement. He finished by saying how proud he was, at last, to be able to refer to his establishment as a ‘Derby-winning stable’ after more than twelve unsuccessful previous attempts to capture the ‘big one.’
As I listened to him, I realised that it wasn’t just my enterprise that had needed the boost.
‘Where will Potassium run next?’ shouted Bill Parkinson.
Owen looked across at me standing to one side. He waved me over to join him.
‘Chester and I will have to discuss that,’ Owen said. ‘I’ve already provisionally entered him for the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October. Initial entries for that closed last month. Then there’s the King George and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in July or the International Stakes at York in August. Entries for those close fairly soon. And of course there’s always the Champion Stakes at Ascot in October and — who knows? — maybe a crack at the four-million-dollar Breeders’ Cup Turf in America come November.’ He smiled. ‘There’s a lot for Chester and me to decide in the coming days.’
‘What about Royal Ascot?’ asked Nick Spencer loudly.
‘That’s definitely something else for Chester and me to look at,’ Owen replied.
‘Don’t we get any say in it?’ shouted Bill Parkinson with a touch of irritation. ‘After all, we are the flipping owners of the horse.’
‘Of course you get a say, Bill,’ I replied calmly. ‘In fact, it would be great if all the syndicate members could send me an email during this coming week with your suggestions for where Potassium should run next and then for the rest of the season.’
But Bill Parkinson must have known, as I did, that the syndicate agreement stated very clearly in black and white that it was I who had the final say of where Victrix horses ran, after due consultation with their trainers. I might take some account of the members’ preferences, but syndicate ownership was not a democracy, so it would be me alone who’d make the decisions. And those decisions would be based solely on what was best for the horse, and to give him the best chance of winning, not on whether it would be nice to have Royal Ascot owners’ badges, a weekend in Paris or a trip to the United States.
Not that all Derby winners raced again anyway.
Several have been retired to stud straight after their Epsom success, the most recent being Pour Moi, the 2011 winner; and back in the nineteenth century, two horses, Middleton and Amato, both won the Derby on their first and only appearance on any racecourse, although that will never occur again as horses that haven’t raced at least once before are no longer eligible to run.
Potassium was taken back to his box, and the party began to wind down.
‘I’m putting on a barbecue later for my staff, after evening stables,’ Owen said to me quietly. ‘You’re welcome to stay.’
‘Thanks,’ I replied, ‘but I’d better be heading back home. Georgina’s not feeling very well. That’s why she isn’t here.’
‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,’ Owen said. ‘Give her my best.’
It was easier for me to tell him a white lie rather than to give him the true reason for Georgina’s absence, which was that my wife was close to an emotional breakdown after her daughter had first gone missing and then reappeared only to go and live with a most unsuitable older man who provided her with illegal Class A drugs.
I was tempted to stay on for the barbecue, but I knew that staying later would only cause more problems with Georgina in the long run.
One of Owen’s stable lads helped me return the Derby trophy to the boot of my Jaguar, before I set the vehicle’s nose back north, towards home.
But I drove without enthusiasm.
Whereas I had once arrived back each time with eagerness and excitement, I did so now with trepidation and dismay, knowing that there would always be some sort of crisis waiting for me inside.
And today was no exception.
Chapter 9
‘Why have you been so long?’ Georgina wailed as I walked into the kitchen.
‘I haven’t been long,’ I replied, somewhat miffed. ‘As it was, I turned down an invitation to stay for a barbecue, in order to be back here for you.’
‘But James is being nasty towards me,’ she said.
‘In what way?’
‘He keeps telling me to pull myself together and to stop crying.’
He had a point, I thought.
‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I’ll have a word with him. Where is he?’
‘Up in his room.’
With a sigh, I climbed the stairs and knocked on James’s bedroom door. He didn’t immediately shout ‘Come in,’ so I waited, and after a few moments, he opened it.
‘Can I have a word?’ I asked.
‘What about?’
‘Mum says you’ve been giving her a hard time.’
‘That’s rich,’ James said. ‘It’s her that’s been giving me a hard time.’
‘Why?’
‘For playing music. She said it was inappropriate. God knows why. It’s not as if Amanda’s still missing. She’s just gone to live with her boyfriend, and I don’t blame her. Life in this house is rubbish at the moment. In fact, I’m also going back to Bristol in the morning. Gary’s collecting me.’
‘I thought term had ended for the summer,’ I said.
‘It has for me, but not for Gary. Medical School term goes on for longer. But I’m going back anyway. It’s more fun there. There’s another three weeks to go on our lease, and Gary and I need to find a flat for next year.’
‘Can’t you stay where you are?’
‘No chance. Five of us shared this year, but we are both fed up with that. We’re going to find a place for just the two of us. That’s provided I’ve passed my exams.’
‘When do you find that out?’ I asked.
‘I get the results at the end of this week. That’s another reason for going.’
‘Don’t you get them online?’
‘Yeah. But if there’s a problem, I’d be able to talk to my tutor.’
‘Do you think there might be a problem?’
‘Maybe. Maybe not. Mathematics isn’t easy, you know. I’ll have to wait and see, but I should have worked harder than I did.’ He pulled a face. ‘But as long as it’s all okay and we sort out a flat, Gary and I might go away for a bit in August. Italy possibly, or Spain. Definitely somewhere in Europe.’
‘How can you afford that?’ I asked.
He laughed. ‘I can’t really. That’s why we’re only going to Europe. We have a little money saved, and we’re planning to hitchhike and camp. If our cash runs out, we’ll just have to find some work in bars or restaurants.’
‘Don’t you need a visa to work in Europe these days?’ I asked.
‘Not if you’re paid in cash.’ He smiled. ‘A couple of our mates went to Italy last year and they said there were plenty of jobs available if you’re prepared to work very late in the nightclubs. Or you could always give me a sub. Especially after yesterday at Epsom.’ He smiled again.