Horse tale has pace of thriller
A literary novelist changes tack to tell a story with broad appeal, says David Herkt
On the first Tuesday of November, streets and offices in Australia and New Zealand grow quiet for a few minutes during the Melbourne Cup race, the richest ‘‘two mile’’ handicap in the world.
In Daylight Second, Kelly Ana Morey capitalises on the allure of the legendary Phar Lap, the lanky, unprepossessing, Timaru-born horse who won it in 1930. It is her fifth novel and her skill in recreating the past is obvious. She also does that almost unthinkable thing – she realistically creates the personality of a champion horse without cloying sentimentality. Her research is exact and sensory impressions are used skilfully.
The novel tells the story of two relationships, and how Phar Lap’s victories affect them. His owner Harry Telford marries Vi, who must deal with his financial recklessness and racing hopes. His handler Tommy Woodcock marries Emma, who must share her husband’s time and emotions with his loyalty to the horse in his charge.
There are other tensions as Phar Lap’s winning streak continues, the action unfolding with the pace of a thriller. In the midst of the Depression, the money from racing is both threatened and desired. Some would kill a rival horse without scruple.
It seems churlish to say that Daylight Second includes too many races. Morey’s strategy and fidelity to the historic record obliges their inclusion.
This is a book written by a literary novelist who has found a subject with wide appeal, and changed her style to encompass it. It aims for a broad audience and will probably gain one. It is also no small achievement to take on a story with a well-known ending and give it verve and suspense.