Faster Than Lightning

by Pam Harvey

  ‘I am in a swimming competition next weekend.’ Gabby glared at E.D. ‘It’s getting close to the finals.’

  ‘Are you going to wear black swimmers?’ Hannah said with a straight face.

  Ling came to Gabby’s rescue. ‘You’ve got a good chance of winning too.’

  ‘Yes, I have.’ Gabby nodded. ‘If only Andrea Taylor wasn’t swimming. She’s been so good lately. It’s unusual.’

  Hannah put her head on one side. ‘Maybe she’s a clone.’

  ‘Come on, people.’ E.D. started down the stairs. ‘Pizza at Angus’s. His horse just won so it’s his shout.’

  ‘Hardly fair,’ said Angus, jumping up and giving E.D. a punch in the arm.

  It was Mr Mac who bought the pizzas in the end. He left them to do the dishes and went back outside to his horses. Angus glanced at his friends fighting over the washing up and followed his dad out. It was just getting dark. King wandered to the fence line, looking golden in the sunset.

  ‘Hello, old boy. How’s the young one?’

  King shook his head and Angus laughed. They’d put the foal in with the chestnut for company, and King spent most of the day trying to keep away from him. ‘He’s beautiful, isn’t he?’

  Angus turned to see Ling behind him. He looked back at the foal coming up the paddock to stand next to the big horse. ‘He’s a bit long in the back but he might grow into it.’

  Ling laughed. ‘Yeah, but he’s beautiful anyway. What’s Sean calling him?’

  Angus shrugged. ‘I don’t think he’s thought of a name yet.’

  ‘He’s trying.’ Hannah had come out of the kitchen, followed by Gabby and E.D. ‘He spends all day thinking of names.’

  ‘What about Lightning Two?’ suggested Gabby.

  ‘Yeah, he does look like Lightning Strikes,’ Hannah said.

  ‘Nuh, it’s obvious.’ E.D. put his hands in his pockets and looked at the sky. ‘Phoenix.’

  ‘Phoenix?’ asked Gabby.

  ‘Yeah, as in that bird that rose from the ashes. Well, this little feller escaped the fire.’

  ‘I think he’s a lot like Strike,’ said Gabby.

  ‘That’s a good racehorse name,’ said Angus. ‘Like Strike.’ The foal lifted its head and Angus reached his hand out to him. The young horse sucked on Angus’s fingers.

  ‘Will he race one day?’ Gabby asked.

  ‘He’ll be faster than lightning,’ Angus said, smiling.

  Glossary

  Bay: A brown horse with a black mane and tail and black ‘stockings’ on all four legs.

  Betting ring: An area of a racecourse where people can come to check the odds for a horse and place their bets.

  Bit: A piece of equipment that is placed in the horse’s mouth to help restrain the horse.

  Chestnut: A reddish-brown horse.

  Cloning: The use of DNA to make or duplicate exact copies of living things. This is called reproductive cloning. There are also other types of cloning.

  Colt: A young male horse under the age of four.

  Dam: The mother horse.

  DNA: The material inside the nucleus of cells that carries genetic information. The scientific name for DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid.

  Form guide: A booklet that gives people all the information they need about a horse—its weight, wins etc.

  Furlong: A unit of length used in horse races. It is equivalent to about 201.17 metres.

  Gelding: A male horse that has been desexed.

  Genetic scientist: Genes are cells in our bodies that make us the individuals that we are. People who study these genes are called genetic scientists. Another name for genetics is heredity.

  Grooming: Cleaning and brushing a horse.

  Mare: A female horse.

  Parade ring: An enclosed area at a racecourse where the horses walk around in a circle with their trainers leading them. People can come and look at the horses.

  Pedigree: A record of the family of a horse.

  Silks: Each racehorse owner has their own colour pattern for the jockey to wear. This helps people identify the horse and its owner. The silks are the brightly coloured clothing worn by the jockeys.

  Sire: The father horse.

  Starting stalls: A big, movable iron barrier with twenty-four spaces or more for the horses to go into at the start of a race. When all the horses are ready, each stall is opened at the same time to make sure the race is fair.

  Stirrups: A support for the rider made out of metal. This is where the rider’s feet go.

  Strapper: A person who assists the trainer with the care and grooming of a horse. He or she looks after the horse’s equipment and stable too.

  Stud farm: A farm where horses are bred.

  Tack room: A room in which bridles, saddles and other riding equipment is kept.

  Thoroughbreds: A breed of horse that can be traced back to three foundation sires in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century. Thoroughbreds are considered pure and classy.

  Horse Trivia

  The Melbourne Cup

  The first running of the Melbourne Cup was in 1861.

  The record for the fastest time was achieved by Kingston Rule in 1990, when he ran the 3200 metres in 3 minutes 16.3 seconds.

  The biggest winning margin is 8 lengths—this happened in 1862 (by Archer) and in 1968 (by Rain Lover).

  Four horses have won the Cup twice—Archer (1861, 1862), Peter Pan (1932, 1934), Rain Lover (1968, 1969) and Think Big (1974, 1975).

  The longest odds for a winner were 100-1 for The Pearl in 1871 and for Wotan in 1936. This means that in 100 races the horse was expected to win once.

  The shortest odds for a winner were for Phar Lap in 1930. His odds were 8-11, which means he was expected to win the race eight times out of every eleven.

  What’s in a Hand?

  Early horse traders used their hands to measure horses.

  They would count hand-widths from the ground to the horse’s withers—the high part of its back, between the shoulder blades.

  A man’s hand is generally about 4 inches (10.16 centimetres) wide.

  A horse is generally about 14.2 hands—14 hands and 2 inches (5.08 centimetres)—or taller. Anything shorter than that is considered a pony.

  The smallest breed of horses is the Falebella of Argentina. The tallest of the breed stands about 74 centimetres (30 inches) at the shoulder.

  The largest horse ever recorded was a gelding named Samson, bred in England. Foaled in 1846, this horse measured 21 hands 21/2 inches high (2.18 metres) in 1850, and weighed 1524 kilograms—making Samson the heaviest horse as well.

  All about Horses

  The average lifespan for a horse is 20-25 years.

  The oldest recorded horse was Billy—he was an English horse who lived for sixty-two years.

  There are over 350 different breeds of horses and ponies.

  The world’s horse population is estimated at seventy-five million.

  The horse belongs to the Equus family. Equus comes from the ancient Greek word meaning ‘quickness’.

  One of the first horses was called a Hyracotherium. It lived about fifty million years ago and was as tall as a fox. It had toes! This horse changed over millions of years to become a modern horse.

  The world speed record for a horse is 69.5 kilometres per hour. It was set by a four-year-old racehorse named Big Racket.

  Bits and Pieces

  China not only has the most people in the world, it also has the most horses, with approximately ten million—give or take a few!

  The thoroughbred horse breed originated from the descendants of three stallions: the Godolphin Arabian (or the Godolphin Barb), the Byerly Turk and the Darley Arabian. The three horses were brought to England from the Mediterranean and Middle East in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century and were bred to native mares to produce horses suitable for the racetrack.

  The smallest pony in history was a stallion named Little Pumpkin. He stood 35.6 centimetres (not much bigger
than your average ruler) and weighed just over 9 kilograms.

  The longest tail measured was just over 6.7 metres long. It was grown by an American Palomino named Chinook.

  The longest horse mane was just less than 5.5 metres long. It was grown by a Californian mare named Maude.

  If you see a statue in a park of a person on a horse that has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

  Fast Facts

  A horse is considered adult at age four.

  A female horse over four years old is called a mare.

  A male horse over four years old is called a stallion.

  Horses cannot breathe through their mouths.

  When they are lying down, horses expend more energy than they do when they are standing up.

  Horses mostly sleep standing up.

  Horses have two blind spots. One is directly behind them and the other is directly in front of them.

  Adult male horses generally have forty teeth, while the females only have thirty-six.

  You can tell how old a horse is by how many teeth it has. A horse gets all of its teeth by the time it is five years old. After that, they just grow longer.

  At rest, an average horse takes approximately twelve breaths per minute, with each breath containing five litres of air. A horse at a full gallop will take over 150 breaths per minute, with each breath taking in approximately twelve litres of air.

  A mare is pregnant (or ‘in foal’) for eleven months.

  The only true wild horses left on earth live in Mongolia. They are called Przewalski by westerners but are known as Takhi (meaning ‘spiritual’) by Mongolians.

  History-making Horses: Three of the Best

  Phar Lap: chestnut gelding, bred in New Zealand 1926 (sire Night Raid, dam Entreaty)

  Although he was born in New Zealand, Phar Lap is a true Australian horse-racing legend. Like the cricketer Don Bradman, Phar Lap brought hope and excitement to Australian people during the difficult time of the Depression in the 1930s. Incredibly, when Phar Lap won the Melbourne Cup in 1930, it was only a few days after criminals had tried to shoot him.

  Phar Lap (which means ‘lightning’ in Thai) was known as ‘Big Red’ or the ‘Red Terror’, but was called ‘Bobby’ by his strapper, Tommy Woodcock. The horse became a national hero, winning thirty-six of his fifty races in Australia. Then he headed overseas, where he won the prestigious Agua Caliente Handicap, the richest race in North America.

  Tragically, he died two weeks afterwards. Some people believed Phar Lap had been poisoned, although others thought the horse had died because of a stomach condition. It was discovered after Phar Lap’s death that his heart weighed 6.2 kilograms, nearly twice the average weight of 3.2 kilos.

  Over the years, the legend of Phar Lap has kept on growing, and songs, books and films have been written about ‘Australia’s Wonder Horse’. His body is preserved at the Melbourne Museum, where it is one of the most popular exhibits, and his heart is in the National Museum in Canberra.

  Carbine: bay stallion, bred in New Zealand 1885 (sire Musket, dam Mersey)

  Carbine was probably the greatest horse to race in Australia in the nineteenth century. He managed thirty-three wins from forty-three races, including a famous victory in the 1890 Melbourne Cup, which he won in record time. For most of Phar Lap’s career, one of the questions people kept asking was—is he as good as Carbine?

  Carbine hated rain on his ears and nose and had a special canvas covering for his head if he was racing in the rain. He also liked to bite strangers!

  Because Carbine was so successful, it’s not surprising that he sometimes wanted to stop and show off in front of the crowd. His trainer, Walter Hickenbotham, used to hurry him up by flicking open his umbrella at the horse’s legs. Carbine’s skeleton is preserved at the Australian Racing Museum in Melbourne. So is the umbrella!

  Makybe Diva: bay mare, bred in England 1999 (sire Desert King, dam Tugela)

  When Makybe Diva won the 2005 Melbourne Cup, everyone at the Flemington racecourse knew they had witnessed Australian sporting history. Makybe Diva, who had also won the Cup in 2003 and 2004, became the first horse ever to win the ‘race that stops a nation’ three times. That victory took her earnings to an amazing $14.5 million, an Australasian (Australia and New Zealand) record. The horse’s owner, Tony Santic, announced Makybe Diva’s retirement straight after the race.

  Lee Freedman, who trained the horse, claimed that most people would never again see such a champion performance. ‘Go and find the smallest child on this course,’ he said. ‘There will be the only example of a person who will live long enough to see that again.’

  Makybe Diva is named after five women employed by her owner—Maureen, Kylie, Belinda, Diane and Vanessa—but she’s known as ‘Esme’ or ‘The Mare’ to her friends.

  Top of the Class

  MICHAEL PANCKRIDGE AND PAM HARVEY

  Second in the action-packed adventure and mystery series about the Clued-Up Six.

  The new principal at the high school is talking up the Tubeworks—an amazing new adventure park with coloured and themed pipes that children can venture into to experience extraordinary rides. He is also promoting the national Whatever, Wherever competition—a TV game show in which the winner chooses ‘whatever’ they want and ‘wherever’ they want to go.

  But something is not quite right. First, Gabby, one of the most powerful swimmers, loses the State Swimming Trials to Andrea Taylor. Second, Hannah, the brightest kid in school, loses the Whatever, Wherever playoff to David Evans. Neither Andrea nor David has the natural ability to beat the girls. How have they done it? Could it be linked to the strange events happening at the Tubeworks?

  Gabby, Hannah and the Clued-Up Six set out on a dangerous mission to uncover the truth.

  Acknowledgments

  The authors would like to thank Liana Spoke and Lisa Berryman from HarperCollins in Melbourne for their continued support, enthusiasm and wonderful guidance throughout this journey. To Patrick Mangan in Sydney, whose careful, patient and expert editing, as well as his friendly manner, made the whole editing process…almost a pleasure! Special thanks to Andrew Bell, whose keen eye and imaginative suggestions created Gale Force; and the Convent Gallery in Daylesford, which is one of our regular meeting spots. Pam would like to thank Michael for his light-bulb ideas. Michael would like to thank Pam for switching the light bulb on!

  About the Authors

  MICHAEL PANCKRIDGE is the author of the bestselling Toby Jones cricketing adventure series. He lives in Geelong, Victoria. His main interests include a wide variety of sports, music, reading and keeping fit. He has worked as a teacher for just over twenty years and currently teaches part-time at Geelong College.

  Visit Michael’s website at www.michaelpanckridge.com.au

  PAM HARVEY lives in Bendigo with her husband, two children, two dogs, two goldfish, two ducks, fifteen chooks and a ghost horse. Pam works as a physiotherapist, a TAFE teacher and other bits and pieces. She’s enthusiastic about a lot of things—including books, chocolate and getting up in the morning—and wears a bracelet made out of spoons. Pam has been writing since 1993.

  Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

  ALSO BY MICHAEL PANCKRIDGE

  Toby Jones and the Magic Cricket Almanack (with Brett Lee)

  Toby Jones and the Secret of the Missing Scorecard (with Brett Lee)

  Toby Jones and the Mystery of the Time-Travel Tour (with Brett Lee)

  Shielding the Truth (League of Legends, Book 1) (with Laurie Daley)

  Copyright

  Angus&Robertson

  An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, Australia

  First published in Australia in 2006

  This edition published in 2010

  by HarperCollinsPubli
shers Pty Limited

  ABN 36 009 913 517

  A member of the HarperCollinsPublishers (Australia) Pty Limited Group

  www.harpercollins.com.au

  Copyright © Michael Panckridge and Pam Harvey 2006

  The right of Michael Panckridge and Pam Harvey to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them under the Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000.

  This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  HarperCollinsPublishers

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  National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:

  Panckridge, Michael, 1962 - .

  Faster than Lightning.

  For children.

  ISBN 978 0 2072 0065 6 (pbk.)

  ISBN 978 0 7304 0146 9 (epub)

  1. Horses—Juvenile fiction. I. Harvey, Pam, 1965-.

  II. Title. (Series :The clued-up six ; 1).

  A823.4