Free Alice-Miranda Shows the Way by Jacqueline Harvey

and Alice-Miranda led Bonaparte into the box. The two horses stood nose to nose sniffing each other, before Rockstar began again to rub his face on Bonaparte’s neck. It was the most extraordinary sight.
    Wally edged his way inside and was surprised at how quickly and easily he got the bridle and saddle on Rockstar.
    â€˜Now, Alice-Miranda, I need you to lead Bonaparte back outside. Don’t move too far away from this fellow,’ Dick instructed.
    Alice-Miranda did as she was asked and the two horses, Rockstar the seventeen-hand giant and Bonaparte the fourteen-hand pony, stood side by side – an odd couple indeed.
    â€˜You know they could almost be twins,’ said Millie, laughing as she looked at the black pair. ‘Except that Rockstar is gorgeous and Bonaparte is short and fat.’
    â€˜Get a helmet for Wally,’ Dick barked at Freddy.
    Wally shook his head. ‘Oh, no! I’m not riding him, sir.’
    â€˜Well, then, we’ll just have to put him away again,’ Dick said. ‘I can’t do it. I’ve got a bad back and Freddy can’t stay upright on a fence rail.’
    The lad in question returned with a helmet, which he passed to Wally.
    By now Rockstar was behaving like a perfect gentleman. Bony was too. Wally hesitated, then jammed the helmet on his head. Dick gave Wally a leg-up and he sat atop the giant beast.
    â€˜You too, miss,’ said Dick, indicating that Alice-Miranda should mount Bony. ‘I think you should go down to the track together and see what happens. But I don’t imagine it will be much.’
    Alice-Miranda urged Bonaparte forward. Wally did the same to Rockstar. Side by side the unlikely duo walked out of the stables and towards the track. There were nickers and neighs and lots of chatting between the two beasts. Millie, Dick and Freddy followed on foot.
    â€˜That’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen,’ Freddy said. ‘Only person who can handle him is Miss Pepper and the only jockey who can stay on him is Diego Dominguez.’
    â€˜Wally seems to be managing okay,’ Millie commented as they watched Bony and Rockstar jogging towards the track.
    â€˜This way.’ Dick Wigglesworth led Millie and Freddy through a gap in the hedge and they emerged on the side of the course.
    Wally looked over at Alice-Miranda. ‘I really don’t know what’s going to happen when we get on the track. If he goes off, we could both be in trouble.’
    â€˜Perhaps I should just try to keep up for a little while,’ she suggested. ‘Bony’s no champion but we could give it our best, just to get Rockstar off and running.’
    They reached the entrance to the racetrack and walked through.
    â€˜All right, are you ready?’ Wally asked, taking a deep breath. He lowered his goggles and Alice-Miranda adjusted her helmet. ‘Off you go first and I’ll see if I can hold him.’ Wally tightened his grip on the reins. He felt as if he’d swallowed a bucket of sand. The young lad licked his lips and told the butterflies in his stomach to keep still.
    Alice-Miranda dug her heels into Bonaparte’s flank and he took off.
    â€˜Come on boy, run fast and then you can have a treat,’ she urged. At the mention of a treat Bony seemed to pick up the pace and his fast canter became a gallop. Behind them Walt Whitstable was doing his best to hold Rockstar, who was whinnying and dancing all over the place.
    â€˜All right, it’s now or never.’ Wally gave thechampion his head and he bolted towards Bonaparte. He was gaining on the pony and it didn’t take long before he rounded the turn and raced for home, leaving Alice-Miranda in his mud-spattered wake.
    â€˜Go, Rockstar,’ Millie shouted. ‘Go, boy!’
    â€˜Whoo hoo!’ Freddy pumped his fist into the air and clicked off his stopwatch. ‘It’s a good time too,’ he said, staring at the numbers in front of