Hey everybody! This is something that I have been wanting to write for a while but I only just got the idea in my head! Please check out my other fanfics on my page, I have warrior fanfics there.

Chapter 1: Ashleigh's Return

The sun shone bright and clear as Ashleigh Griffen drove down the long driveway of Townsend Acres. Townsend Acres was a famous breeding and training farm for thoroughbreds in Kentucky. Ashleigh had moved there when she was 12 after her family's own farm Edgardale had been sold after a virus had swept through and killed most of their stock. Ashleigh's parents had become breeding managers at Townsend Acres and had left 2 years later when they bought another breeding farm. Ashleigh was now 23 and still came to the farm frequently to visit her favourite mare 'Ashleigh's Wonder', whom Ashleigh had raised from just a sickly foal. Wonder had gone on to win many titles including Horse of the year and now resided at Townsend Acres as a broodmare, having already produced several winners such as her first foal 'Wonder's Pride'. Because of Ashleigh's efforts, Clay Townsend-the former owner of Townsend Acres- had given her half-ownership in the copper-coloured mare and any of her offspring.

Whoever, today Ashleigh hadn't come to see Wonder. Brad Townsend, the handsome arrogant son of Clay Townsend and new owner of Townsend Acres, had asked her to come and help with a new two year old that he had in training. Brad had made Ashleigh's life at Townsend Acres miserable and his father had turned a blind eye to most of it. However, Brad's father Clay Townsend had retired from running the farm a few months before leaving Brad to run the famous stud. Brad had been doing a surprisingly good job but had recently had difficulties with one new filly. She was the daughter of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Wonder's Pride, the two year old filly had been playing up on the training track and given several exercise riders a trip to the hospital. Brad had been desperate when he called Ashleigh at her husband Mike's farm Whitebrook. Being the grand-daughter of Wonder, Ashleigh had jumped at the chance to help train the filly and was now on her way to meet her.

Autumn leaves littered the grassy paddocks as Ashleigh made her way past her old house and the foaling barn. Townsend Acres was a huge facility made up of a mare and foal barn with small yearling and mare paddocks, a larger yearling barn, a training barn for all horses in any stage of training and competing and a smaller stallion barn. In addition, there was a large turf training track and acres of rolling white-fenced paddocks.

Ashleigh pulled up outside the training barn and walked over to where she saw Brad standing.

"Hi Ashleigh!" he called once he saw her.

"Long-time no see," Ashleigh called back. She gave Brad a friendly hug and walked with him into the training barn. Rows of beautiful thoroughbreds lined the aisle and Ashleigh patted the noses of several old friends as she passed. They made their way to the middle of the barn where Brad stopped in front of a stall with a brass name-plate reading "Black Magic".

"Here she is," he said, gesturing towards the stall. Ashleigh looked in and gasped, a beautiful, tall filly stood facing her, dainty ears pricked towards her onlookers. Ashleigh could see where Brad had gotten her name from, the filly was almost jet-black, with deep, intelligent brown eyes that watched Ashleigh curiously.

"Well she certainly looks nothing like Wonder," Ashleigh commented looking back at Brad. Brad chuckled and started flicking through the training chart that was clipped to the wall beside Black Magic's stall. The filly definitely had Pride's beautiful conformation which the copper stallion had inherited from his mother, but her coat was like that of her dam Christmas Magic. Ashleigh studied the filly for a few more moments then turned back to Brad and he handed her the training schedule. She looked through it carefully and nodded at Brad.

"Looks like I'll have my work cut out for me," she said, smiling.