The Racehorse Who Disappeared

by Clare Balding

  Boris stuck close to Charlie’s side. He wagged his tail at the children and kept his eyes peeled in case they dropped any ice cream, swooping in quickly to mop up the mess. Charlie was just about to slip away for a well-earned break when another group of people cornered her to ask questions about how fast Noble Warrior could gallop and whether Percy had really tried to bite the Queen.

  ‘Is it true that the horse won’t go anywhere without the fat – sorry, I mean fit – pony?’ asked a man wearing dark glasses and a flat cap. It was hard to see his features, apart from a long, thin mouth, and his voice was barely above a whisper.

  Boris started growling and Charlie reached down to pat him, telling him not to worry.

  ‘Well, he’s getting better,’ she said to the whispering man. ‘He’ll come out of the barn on his own now, and into the farmyard, but he doesn’t like to go any further than that without Percy. They’re best friends, you see.’

  ‘Just like us,’ said the man next to him, with a chuckle. He was wearing a black baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. It had a picture of an eagle above a badge with three wide swords, one above the other, on a red background. The man had a loud, jolly voice and a rosy face and he was grinning as he spoke. ‘That pony must be somethin’ special. What did you give ’im as a reward? I mean, what’s ’is favourite food?’

  Boris growled again and Charlie tapped him on the nose.

  ‘Stop it, Boris,’ she hissed. ‘They’re just asking questions like everyone else.’

  She patted Percy, who looked thrilled that he was getting so much attention.

  ‘Bananas,’ she said. ‘He loves bananas. We started getting them to help Noble Warrior recover his potassium levels after exercise, but Percy went nuts that he wasn’t having any, so we had to give him some as well. Now Noble Warrior spits them out and Percy eats the lot. He loves them more than carrots or mints or sugar lumps. He’d do anything for a banana.’

  Percy frisked her pockets in the vain hope of the banana he’d heard mentioned.

  ‘So interesting,’ said the whispering man. ‘And has Noble Warrior ever tried pulling anything? I mean, a cart or something like that? Me and my friend, we love those old Roman films where they’re doing the chariot racing. It’s dead exciting.’

  Charlie laughed.

  ‘No, we haven’t tried anything like that. I think he might be a bit too fragile to risk in a chariot race!’

  The whispering man stretched his mouth into a thin-lipped smile. He looked as if he was about to ask something else, but just then Charlie saw Mr Williams coming over and, when she looked round, the whispering man and his friend had melted back into the crowd.

  Boris growled again.

  ‘I don’t think he liked them much,’ said Polly, as she gripped Percy’s rope tightly. ‘Can’t say I blame him. They were weird.’

  ‘They’re probably just gamblers on the lookout for some inside info,’ said Joe. ‘There are some strange types in racing, believe me.’

  He smiled at Polly, who flushed and looked away.

  Charlie shook her head. Why was her friend behaving so oddly?

  ‘Charlie!’ Harry shouted from the other side of the farmyard. ‘We need you over here!’

  Leaving Joe and Polly to deal with the selfie-hunters, Charlie walked over to her brother, who was with one of the camera crews.

  ‘This is Dan and Kate from the BBC,’ he said, sounding like Winston Churchill again. ‘They’re making a documentary about us winning the Derby and they want to talk to you.’

  Charlie narrowed her eyes.

  ‘You didn’t say anything about me having to give an interview.’

  Harry carried on as if she hadn’t spoken.

  ‘I’ve told them all about how Larry and I contributed to Noddy’s preparation and, of course, how we were indispensible on the day. For some reason, they still want to talk to you, though.’

  Harry shrugged his shoulders as Kate stepped forward to shake Charlie’s hand.

  ‘Nice to meet you, Charlie. I’m the producer and we’re hoping to make a one-hour documentary about you all. We’re calling it Derby Dreams. Dan here is the cameraman and we’ve got some lovely shots today. We just need a few interviews to round things off and then we’ll come back another day to watch Noble Warrior in training. Harry said that would be fine.’

  ‘Oh, really?’ said Charlie.

  Kate didn’t pick up on the sarcasm in Charlie’s voice or the death stare she shot her brother, and continued enthusiastically. ‘Yes, and we were very interested in what Harry told us about how Noble Warrior really didn’t trust anyone apart from Percy, and how Harry managed to tame the pony’s wilder nature so that he could help rather than hinder the racing side of things.’

  ‘He told you that, did he?’ Charlie was incredulous at how her brother could rewrite history so shamelessly. ‘Yes, well, I think you’d better ask me a few questions then. That is, if you want an accurate account of what actually happened …’

  Chapter 4

  ‘Well, I think that all went swimmingly,’ said Mrs Bass, as she poured a cup of tea from the pot. ‘So many lovely people came along and they were all so keen to get their photo with Noble Warrior, weren’t they, Charlie? They loved that. Who would have thought so many people knew we’d won the Derby? It’s amazing.’

  ‘Even more people will know all about it soon,’ said Larry. ‘That crew who are making the documentary were so impressed with how many people turned up, they want Charlie to go on the BBC Breakfast show tomorrow morning to talk about it. Mum and Dad, they want you there too, and Joe, of course. I told them the Open Day was mine and Harry’s idea, but they said they didn’t need us, which, frankly, was a bit disappointing.’

  Larry shook his head. ‘They said something about already having a boy band on the sofa so they wanted to balance things out.’

  ‘Can’t have too many handsome young men in one show!’ said Harry triumphantly. ‘That’ll be the reason, I guarantee you.’

  ‘They want us on breakfast television?’ said Mrs Bass in horror. ‘I can’t spare a whole day to go up to London and back. I’ve got books to read and chores to do. Anyway, I’ve got nothing to wear.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ explained Larry. ‘It’s not in London. It’s in Salford. That’s not far.’

  ‘Do you know where Salford is?’ Mrs Bass didn’t trust Larry’s geographical knowledge.

  ‘Yeah, it’s Devon, isn’t it? We went there once on holiday.’

  ‘That’s Salcombe, you idiot. Salford is near Manchester. It’s hours away.’

  ‘Ohhh,’ said Larry, as if something was suddenly making sense in his brain. ‘That’s why they kept saying they’d put you up in a hotel tonight.’

  ‘We can’t go all the way to Salford,’ said Mrs Bass. ‘It’s out of the question.’

  ‘Darling! You can and you MUST!’ Granny Pam waved her arms dramatically. ‘I talked to that lovely, sweet girl Kate and I told her you’ve been a natural performer since you were a toddler. That gorgeous man Dan came to film me in the milking shed and he told me he had NEVER seen Alan Bennett performed quite like it in all his life.’

  ‘I’m sure he hadn’t,’ Caroline muttered.

  ‘Anyway, they will look after you beautifully and you will SHINE. I’ll help you pick something to wear and they’ll have a proper make-up artist do your face, darling.’

  Mrs Bass frowned.

  ‘Not that you need it,’ Granny Pam added hurriedly when she saw Caroline’s reaction. ‘It’s just that the TV lights can be a bit HARSH so they need to put on extra powder.’

  ‘They’ve even offered to send a car for you,’ added Harry. ‘I bet it’ll be a really posh one. It’s coming this evening at six, so as soon as Dad’s finished the milking, you can be off to Salford.’

  ‘What’s that?’ Bill Bass looked up from his magazine; he had been reading about a dairy cow called a Norwegian Red that could produce up to ten thousand litres of rich, creamy milk per year. ‘
Where are we sailing? I’d quite like to go to Norway if that’s an option.’

  ‘Not sailing, Dad,’ Charlie said slowly. ‘Salford. They want us to go on the breakfast show tomorrow morning on the BBC. The boys can stay here with Granny Pam. That’s OK with you, Granny, isn’t it?’

  ‘What did you say, dear?’ Granny Pam was fiddling behind her right ear. ‘I’ll just switch this hearing aid back on. Had to turn it off with all that applause for my performance in the milking shed. There we are – now I can hear you again. What was it?’

  ‘Would you mind staying here tonight with the boys?’ asked Charlie gently. ‘So Mum and Dad and me and Joe can go up to Salford to be on the telly first thing in the morning?’

  ‘Of course, dear,’ replied Granny Pam. ‘How could I deprive you of your screen debut? Leave the boys here with me. Everything will be FINE.’

  At six o’clock precisely, a silver Mercedes made its way carefully up the drive to pick up Bill, Caroline, Joe and Charlie. Boris wanted to come too, but Charlie was worried he might be sick in the car and she wasn’t sure if the hotel was dog friendly or not.

  ‘You stay here and look after the boys and Granny Pam,’ she said, as she kissed him on the nose. ‘Make sure they don’t kill each other.’

  ‘Don’t stay up too late, boys!’ shouted Caroline, as the chauffeur held open the car door for her.

  ‘We won’t!’ chorused Harry and Larry, smiling innocently.

  Charlie shook her head. She knew what those expressions meant. Granny Pam would have her hands full for sure.

  ‘You’ll need to avoid a few potholes, I’m afraid,’ Mrs Bass explained apologetically to the chauffeur. ‘We’re getting the drive resurfaced next week.’

  ‘Don’t worry, ma’am. I’ll take it slowly.’

  Even though there were four of them in the car, Charlie was amazed at how much space there was. Her father sat in the front seat while she, her mother and Joe were comfortable in the back. They headed down the drive and turned left into the lane, negotiating roads that grew ever wider and busier before they hit the motorway to take them north.

  Charlie was not relishing the prospect of a television interview. She hadn’t minded the attention after Noble Warrior won the Derby because it was mostly about him and Percy. But she didn’t like it when the attention was solely on her. At least she had Joe to share it with now and it was good for him to get the acclaim for his riding. Maybe, if he saw Joe on television, Seamus O’Reilly would still let him ride his horses, even if he didn’t relocate to Ireland.

  Charlie wondered what Harry and Larry were up to back at the farm. She felt a slight twinge of anxiety, but pushed it to the back of her mind. The Open Day had gone really well and that was largely down to the boys, while Granny Pam had more than played her part. Charlie felt a sudden wave of tiredness and closed her eyes. Before long, she was fast asleep in the back of the car as it glided smoothly northwards.

  ‘Right, boys, it’s eleven o’clock – time for BED!’ announced Granny Pam, fiddling with her hearing aid. ‘I’m going to take this out so I can get a good night’s sleep. I’m EXHAUSTED from all that excitement today.’

  ‘Us too,’ said Larry, yawning loudly. ‘We’ll be right behind you. Just got to let Boris out for a pee.’

  ‘Oh, you ARE good lads. Always thinking of the animals. Sleep well and I’ll see you in the morning.’

  Granny Pam smiled indulgently at her grandsons as she closed the door.

  Larry turned to Harry and grinned. ‘Time for one more DVD, I reckon.’

  ‘Yeah,’ Harry replied. ‘What about Aliens vs Vampires? Mum never lets us watch anything scary like that.’

  ‘Cool!’ agreed Larry. ‘And Granny Pam won’t hear a thing, so it’s not as if we’ll keep her awake.’

  An hour into the film, just as the lead character was about to be eaten by an alien after being bitten by a vampire, Boris whined and pricked up his ears. He ran to the door and growled, before scampering back to the television, barking as he did so.

  ‘It’s OK, dude.’ Larry tried to soothe him. ‘It’s only a film. It’s not real life.’

  But Boris wouldn’t stop.

  ‘Maybe he really doesn’t like vampires,’ said Harry, turning up the volume to drown out the noise Boris was making. ‘Be quiet, Boris, or you’ll have to sleep in the kitchen.’

  With a final frustrated bark, Boris slumped down beside the door.

  ‘Was that a car outside?’ asked Larry.

  ‘No, don’t be daft. That’s the alien,’ replied Harry, pointing at the screen. ‘What’s the matter? Scared?’

  ‘Shut up!’

  ‘No, you shut up!’

  It was long after midnight when the film finally ended. As the boys let Boris out into the hall, he ran to the door and barked again.

  ‘Stop it, Boris,’ mumbled Larry, as they staggered upstairs. ‘’Stime for bed. Come on, boy.’

  But Boris wouldn’t come. All night long he lay by the front door, whimpering, waiting for someone to notice that all was not well.

  Granny Pam was the only one up early enough the next morning to watch BBC Breakfast. She let Boris out for his morning pee, but when he came back he was whimpering.

  ‘What’s the matter with you, little one?’ she asked.

  Granny Pam had never had her own dog because her acting had taken her on the road too often, but she had a soft spot for Boris. He always seemed so … human. He looked at her now with his head on one side and gave a low whine. Then he looked at the front door and back at her.

  ‘I know, Boris. It’s not fair that they’ve left us all on our own here, is it? Do you miss your Charlie? Is that what it is? Well, let’s cuddle up together and watch her on the telly. That’s the best I can offer, I’m afraid. Here’s a biscuit as well. Good boy.’

  She leaned down and offered him a biscuit, but he refused to take it. He whined again.

  ‘Suit yourself,’ she said, shaking her head, then she shouted up the stairs: ‘BOYS! Time to get up. They’ll be on soon.’

  Granny Pam made a cup of tea before settling down in front of the television. It showed a quick shot of Caroline, Bill, Joe and Charlie backstage. Caroline looked slightly alarmed, while Bill was clearly uncomfortable in tight trousers and a brand-new checked shirt. Charlie smiled nervously and waved at the camera. Her hair was styled slightly differently and she looked as if her cheeks had been polished with a cloth. Joe was wearing blue jeans and a white shirt and looked very fresh-faced.

  Larry appeared, yawning.

  ‘Is Dad wearing mascara?’ he said, as he sat down heavily beside her.

  ‘They’ve all been made up,’ replied Granny Pam. ‘For the cameras, darling.’

  Soon Charlie, Joe, Caroline and Bill were sitting awkwardly on a red sofa opposite the presenters, who asked questions about the Derby and showed footage of the race.

  ‘We’ve also got this angle, which I don’t think you’ve seen before,’ said Mike Morgan, as the screens switched to a view from the camera in the blimp floating above the racecourse. It showed Charlie galloping across the middle of the racecourse before she slipped through a gap in the rails and on to the course itself.

  ‘What happened next?’ asked Hannah Hooper, the other presenter.

  ‘I realized I was standing too close to the winning post,’ Charlie explained. ‘If Noble Warrior had seen Percy there, he might have started to slow down before he crossed the line, but I guessed that if I went a bit further down the track, he would keep galloping. I always knew he was fast enough to win the Derby: it was just a case of making him want to do it.’

  Charlie looked across at Joe and he picked up her cue.

  ‘It was as if he’d suddenly sprouted wings,’ he said, as the screens showed a shot of him raising his whip to the sky. ‘I’ve never felt anything like it and doubt I will again. It really was the best day of my life.’

  Mike then asked Charlie what the Queen had said to her in the winner’s enclosure and th
ey showed footage of Percy nearly biting her and Bill putting his arm in the way to stop him.

  ‘That pony looks a bit vicious,’ laughed Mike. ‘You wouldn’t want to mess with him.’

  ‘He’s very protective of Noble Warrior,’ explained Charlie. ‘He doesn’t like to let anyone get too close to him, not even the Queen.’

  The TV now showed footage of the farm and all the people at the Open Day. There were shots of Harry and Larry flapping their arms at the chickens as they tried desperately to make them dance, and a brief glimpse of Granny Pam doing a speech from Macbeth in front of a small knot of confused-looking visitors.

  ‘They didn’t appreciate the intricacy of the piece,’ Granny Pam muttered to Larry. ‘When I gave my Lady Macbeth in Chichester, the director cried with admiration.’

  ‘Is that all they’re showing?’ asked Harry, who had wandered in halfway through. ‘After all the trouble I took organizing the day? Barely a minute’s worth of footage.’

  ‘Well, it looks like it was an extraordinary day,’ said Hannah, smiling kindly. ‘You really have captured the hearts of the nation.’

  ‘But here’s the question everyone wants to know the answer to …’ Mike bent forward and lowered his voice. ‘What’s Noble Warrior worth now he’s won the Derby?’

  ‘Well, we don’t want to sell him,’ said Charlie calmly, ‘so it doesn’t really matter what he’s worth. There are plenty more races he could run in, like the King George at Ascot, or the Arc in Paris, or even the Breeders’ Cup in America, but we really haven’t decided yet. He’s having a rest and enjoying himself at home and that’s the only plan at the moment – keep him fit and healthy and happy.’

  ‘And that’s all we’ve got time for,’ said Hannah before Charlie could take another breath. ‘Next, we’ll be finding out what keeps Lulu looking so young and why it makes you want to shout.’