It is nearing the calendar dates for those prestigious jump races: The Cheltenham Gold Cup, The Aintree Grand National and The Scottish Grand National. Newtonian Steven Corner, a lecturer at Darlington College, has driven his passion for National Hunt racing into his second novel, ‘The Whispering Pegasus.’
The story follows a fictional local trainer, jockey and former SAS member, John Brennan, as they fight to keep John’s brother’s prized chaser safe so he can rank alongside Red Rum, Arkle and Desert Orchid.
Steven has presented his novel to the 1968 Grand National winning trainer, Mr Denys Smith, whose yard was based at South Church, Bishop Auckland. Denys trained the winner, Red Alligator and retained the services of Aintree legend jockey, Brian Fletcher, who later rode Red Rum twice to National victory. It was the exploits of Denys and Brian that inspired Steven to write his novel.
The author has also placed a bet with Coral Racing that a horse bearing the name, ‘Whispering Pegasus’ will go on to win the Grand National within ten years. The bookies must think this outcome is achievable and have offered odds of 200-1! Mr Corner has placed a bet of £20 and the slip is held in a Coral Shop safe.
Mr Corner has contacted jump trainers like Jonjo O’Neil and local Sedgefield owner, John Wade, to ask if they would consider naming one of their future jump stars, ‘Whispering Pegasus’.
The rules of horse racing forbid horses having names longer that 18 characters: Whispering Pegasus is within these rules and there is no jump race, in training, that bears this name. “I think the real question is whether the eventual real horse can match the deeds of the fictional horse”, concludes Mr Corner.
The Whispering Pegasus is available as a paperback or eBook from Amazon and the Racing Post Online Shop.
