My little pony

I retired from the business of owning racehorses a few years back.

And suddenly, at the dawn of 2018, not only do I have the enigmatic I'm-not-going-to-be-a-racehorse 'Dynamite Paul' (pacer, New Zealand) about to launch himself on the tracks of Canterbury, but there is this little lady ..

She is called Zaffirina and she only partly mine. About one hoof. And that by circumstance. A couple of years back, I was staying with my beloved long-time friends, Barry and Rosie Collins, in Lane Cove, Sydney. Barry and I started in horses together nearly 20 years ago. Trotters for me, and gallopers for him, and, at the start, we each took a share in the other's horses before shifting each to his own species. Well, I had, as I say given up, but after looking on a little wine when it was slightly red, Barry tried to shoehorn virtuous me into taking a share in his latest purchase, a pretty Stratum filly out of Zedity. I resisted valiantly, but in the end agreed to take HALF a share ...

Dear Barry (who managed the horse, and the money side of things) died last year, and I remembered I had this wee share of ... what? she's already named, she's already raced? Two starts for a fair fourth and a fast-finishing third? Rosie had to dispose of the horsie empire -- a heck of a job -- so, when it came to the point, well it was just as easy to keep my wee share ...

So I did. And then Dynamite Paul decided to come out of the paddock and decide to become a racehorse!

So, watch for Zaffirina, trained by Jason Coyle in Melbourne ... and think, that back left hoof is MINE!