The Last Horse Race
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While I was researching an earlier book I discovered that the early days of Brisbane were a rough and ready time for the residents, especially its few children. Their school teacher was drunk as often as not and if they weren't careful they might be knocked down by a horse galloping at full tilt along what is now the Queen Street Mall. There was no race track in those days, so the hard men of the district made their own fun betting on whose horse was the fastest. There was only one way to find out, of course. A race! Young Toby Thompson watches these races. More than that, he's in on a little scam to help his mate Stan win. But what he really wants is to ride one of those fine animals and test himself in a race. A new friend from up country teaches him to ride, but that's a long way from taking part in a wild race. Only when his mother is threatened by a man who knows of her convict past does Toby force his way into the saddle for what is destined to be the last horse race through the streets of Brisbane Town before the police ban this dangerous sport. You'll love this thrilling tale of a fiesty boy who dreams of working with horses and gets a chance to show his courage when it means the most. The "Do You Dare" series is a fabulous initiative of Penguin Books to bring life to Australia's rich history and get boys especially enjoying the past that has built our Australian character.
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