‘She looks so young. Bless her.’

They held hands tightly. With her spiky hair tucked out of sight under the scarlet cap, no one could have guessed Suzy’s gender.

At the bell, the stable lads led the horses in towards the centre and the jockeys were practically thrown up into the saddles. Maddy wiped her eyes as horses and jockeys circled the parade ring. She grinned up at Suzy as she passed. Suzy, white faced and grim lipped, gave a sketchy smile in return. There was no sign of the ebullient, confident, streetwise teenager that Maddy knew and loved.

‘She’s scared.’

‘Of course she’s scared.’ Fran blew a kiss to Richard as he rocked past calmly on his equally serene mount. ‘She wouldn’t be natural if she wasn’t. How much have you put on her?’

‘Two pounds each way on the Tote.’

‘Such confidence!’ Fran laughed. ‘Don’t tell her.’

‘Dancing Feet is thirty-three to one for heaven’s sake!’ Maddy protested. ‘We all know she hasn’t got a hope.’

As the runners for The Arlington Stakes filed out of the parade ring for the gallop to the starting stalls, the crowds around the fence immediately began to drift away towards the grandstand.

‘I’ll see you in the stand in a minute.’ Fran smiled. ‘I’m going to make myself scarce. You’re having a parental invasion.’

‘Don’t go!’ Maddy said in desperation, but Fran was already flying towards the members’ gate.

‘Isn’t this just wonderful?’ Mrs Beckett peered out from under the brim of the hat she had worn for weddings for as long as Maddy could remember. ‘This is the proudest day of my whole life. You look nice, Maddy, dear. You’ve lost weight. I hope you’re eating sensibly.’

‘Hello, Mum, Dad.’ Maddy kissed her parents. ‘It’s lovely to see you.’

‘We couldn’t have missed this, could we?’ Mr Beckett squeezed his daughter’s shoulders. ‘And it was about time we came to visit you. You never seem to get up to us.’

‘No.’ Maddy was instantly guilty. ‘I’m so busy. Maybe in the summer …’

‘We do understand, dear.’ Her mother smiled. ‘We’re very proud of you both, you know.’

‘Are you? Really?’

‘Of course,’ Maddy’s dad said. ‘You’ve got a good little business going by all accounts – and now Suzy … We reckon we’ve got two daughters to shout about.’

Again, tears prickled under Maddy’s eyelids. Why did she have to be so emotional? She hugged them both. ‘Come on, then, we’d better hurry if we’re going to get a good view of this first Beckett triumph.’

They squeezed into the stand reserved for owners and trainers and assorted visiting dignitaries. Fran was with John Hastings and Kimberley Weston. Diana was clinging to the handsome gangster who owned Saratoga. Luke Delaney was not in evidence. She could hear Gareth’s braying laugh somewhere in the crowd. Poor Gareth.

The whole of Milton St John seemed to be poured into the various grandstands, with the exception of Peter and Stacey. Of course, this was no surprise. Peter had no interest in horse racing. His interest had always been in the bank balances of the horses’ human connections.