Rick and The Race Horse

The Adventures of Rick Mansworth
Private Detective

RICK AND THE RACE HORSE. MORE VERB TENSES

Read Rick’s adventure quickly. Then go back to the beginning and choose the best verb form. Use the ‘Help’ box if there are a lot of difficult words.

'I hate Australia.' said Rick to Bruce Fleece, police Chief Inspector of Melbourne's Fraud Squad, 'It's nothing personal Fleece, but I hate the flies, the heat, the warm beer and the dust. Instead of Baseball and football you stupid games like rugby and cricket. Cricket must be the only game you can play for three days and not have a winner at the end of it. And there are so many ways here too. Snakes, scorpions and spiders. Poisonous fish and sharks.'

Fleece was undercover, so Rick at him. They the horses getting ready for the start of the race. Chief Inspector Fleece looked at Rick before he answered.
'That's true Rick, but I’d rather around in the Australian bush at night than in Central Park, New York or in parts of Detroit, Washington or Chicago.'

They in the sun for two hours and Rick was sweating. 'Which number is Finnegan’s Stake?' asked Rick, wiping his sweaty neck with a bandana.
'Number Seven', said Fleece. 'The brown one.'

Rick looked through his binoculars and the man he'd been following for nearly two months. Sean Lamb, the famous Irish , was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland and had connections with the I.R.A. He was Rick’s main suspect, and the reason Rick half way around the world.
Rick was looking for the Irish racehorse called Jamie’s Son, which from a stable in Kilkenny, Southern Ireland three months ago. Since then the racing world has been surprised by a succession of unusual wins by obscure and unknown horses. A lot of money could on these outsiders. These horses smelled fishy to Rick, and he was sure another outsider today in Melbourne. Rick had a feeling it Sean Lamb riding Finnegan’s Stake.

The race began and the crowd around Rick started shouting. Rick felt his heart beating faster. He doesn’t usually bet, but he $500 on Finnegan’s Stake to win, when Fleece wasn’t looking, and the odds were 100-1. Rick could win $50,000.

It was a close race. Finnegan’s Stake was in third place as they came around the final bend and into the home straight. It was neck and neck as Finnegan’s Stake the line. A winner by a nose.

Rick said nothing. He looked at Chief Inspector Fleece and together they looked up at the sky as the first drops of rain their faces. ‘But of course!’ shouted Rick. ‘It’s obvious. How could I have been so stupid? Come on Fleece!’
Rick ran down to where the horses were and arrived to see Finnegan’s Stake with a blanket. Rick could see the rain dripping off the horse and making a brown puddle on the floor. It was paint, and soon he could see the grey head and neck of Jamie’s Son which the photograph in Rick’s wallet.

Rick grabbed Sean Lamb’s arm as he tried to push past.
‘The game’s up Lamb,’ said Rick.
‘The only thing you now is a bed in an Australian prison. Take him away Fleece.’
‘Well done Rick, said Chief Inspector Fleece. The Melbourne police and Australia you.’
Don’t mention it Fleece.’ Replied Rick, as he walked away to get his $50,000.

Follow the exciting adventures of Rick Mansworth-Private Dick-only at ‘La Mansión Del Inglés’

Horse Racing Vocabulary

stable = cuadra
outsiders = caballo que no figura entre los favoritos
bet = apostar
the odds = los puntos de ventaja del caballo
bend = curva
home straight = recta final
neck and neck = ir muy iguales
cross the line = cruzar la meta

Help

fraud squad = grupo de estafas
dust = polvo
snakes = serpientes
spiders = arañas
poisonous = venenosas
sharks = tiburones
undercover = un policia secreto/de incognito
bush = el monte
to Sweat = sudar
bandana = pañuelo
binoculars = prismáticos
to smell fishy = oler a chamusquina
drops = gotas
to drip = gotear
puddle = charco
to grab = agarrar
to push = empujar
the game’s up! =el juego esta descubierto
Don’t mention it! = ¡no hay de qué!, ¡De nada!

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