Palio Page #4

were with horses I trained.

There are too many photos

to get them all in frame.

Too many? Not at all.

There aren't enough.

I need to get on with it

to get more photos.

You need

a couple more photos?

"A couple"?

I need more than "a couple".

I don't think "a couple"

are enough.

Because I feel I can go on.

To beat the record?

- Just because I feel like it.

Gigi will want revenge

in August.

No doubt.. goddamn it.

It's going to be a battle.

No doubt. No doubt.

Are you scared?

- No, I'm not scared.

Age is on my side. The others

should be afraid of me.

That's what I honestly think.

But cut that.

He's at the end of his

career.. you're at the beginning.

At 28, I'm in my prime.

- Don't you think?

Yes.

Come on, we have to go.

Let's go and get ready.

He was cheeky after the Palio.

He was so happy,

he jumped off the sofa.

He cut his forehead

and they had to stitch him.

- Where's dad taking you?

- To the seaside.

Where?

- The seaside!

- Listen.

What do you want to be

- when you grow up?

- A jockey.

A jockey? You're crazy!

No, please.. little one.

Do you ever put

him on a horse?

Always.. his horse is Guess.

- Who's your horse?

- Guess.

Let's go to the seaside.

Gimme the keys.

Where will you put them?

Let's hitch up your T-shirt.

To the seaside!

Come here.. Gina.

My friends are in love with you.

You have beautiful daughters.

He said something different.

You're all in love.

All in love?

- With Gina.

- This better not be true.

- No.. no.. no.

No.. no.. no.. no.. no.

Keep your distance!

Here are photos of him as a boy.

This is Giovanni.

when he'd just started out.

When I was little,

we were not well off at home,

so we'd go to the local races..

desperate to put food

on the table.

Is Giovanni

a hero for you?

A hero?

I would've preferred him

to get two degrees.

We'll see if he's a hero

in 20 years.

What do you mean?

It's just a job..

I was a builder, he's a jockey.

A hero is when you save someone.

He's just saving himself.

Trying to survive.

He was lucky

to have the best teacher.

That's right,

we owe a lot to Bruschelli.

The Palio doesn't work

the way you think.

So we have to thank him

and all the people

who've helped him.

Bruschelli...

Do you think

he'll become like Bruschelli?

I don't think so,

they have different characters.

Giovanni's an introvert but he's

tough when he needs to be.

Oh, yes.

What will you do this afternoon?

I don't know.

They don't understand

the risk they're taking.

I told them.. you need

a minimum of 70,000 Euros

to control the run-in-jockey

or else they'll screw you over.

Gigi rides for a high price

and uses some of that money

to pay other jockeys.

We're in favor of change

and against the power.

Against the power, but...

Don't tell me you're in favor

of Gigi's power?

I'm not a fan of Gigi himself,

but I like the way he wins.

Everything's unfolding

according to his strategy.

You can see it by which

horses are selected

and which horses are rejected.

How about the horses?

Well.. there's 32 to choose

from and we only need ten.

Are there good ones?

The level is not very high

mainly due to inexperience.

If he wins on Friday..

it's the umpteenth proof

he's controlling everything.

As long as you're criticized..

as long as you're

the talk of the town,

it's good.. it means they care..

so I welcome it.

Shell.

Bruschelli is going to win,

big time!

He must think Shell

has the best horse,

even though

it's Oppio's first Palio.

This is Oppio,

a six-year-old grey,

born in my garden in Siena.

He is destined to run the Palio.

I created him especially

for this little game.

The Palio.

I'd like him to do well,

but not to win

because he won't get to run

the Palio again

if he wins straight away.

In Siena..

the fastest horses are rejected.

That's the way it is.

It's all absurd in Siena.

It's dysfunctional.

If your horse is too fast..

it's rejected.

If your horse is too slow,

it's rejected.

So they're going for mediocrity.

Captains prefer mediocre horses

because

if all the horses are equal,

then the money deals prevail.

Gigi has benefited from deals

rather than from good horses.

- What's your horse like?

- What's my horse like?

- He's a horse.

- Holy Mary.

But what's he like?

- He's a horse.

- I know he's a horse.

A good horse.. but a beginner.

He's never run the Palio.

The best Palio jockey could've

chosen any horse he liked.

He chose this one,

there must be a reason.

The district also happens to

have a lot of money to spend.

Whoever has the money will win.

That's why he's gone to Shell!

Why didn't he ride

for Shell in July?

Why didn't he?

'Cause they had Morosita..

and he doesn't like her.

There are

two schools of thought.

Either you go for strategies,

like Gigi does

or you choose to ride

a good horse.

Wave.

This horse

could make all the difference.

When I saw she was allotted to

Wave, I called them immediately

to go and ride for them.

People have been saying..

"He's good..

but he only wins for Goose. "

This really bothers me.

So this August,

I'm going to go for it.

They'll all help Gigi

and leave us alone.

I'm not happy

that we've got Murtas.

Murtas is a footstool.

He's there to block people

for Bruschelli.

The jockeys are both good

and bad protagonists.

The horse is loved

and the jockey is hated

and sometimes hate

is not just verbal.

There are infamous events

from the past.

Jockeys were meat

to be butchered.

If you lose and your enemy wins..

you're considered corrupt.

When Bruschelli won

his first Palio for Goose..

I was riding for Tower

so my enemy had won.

I was quickly smuggled

into a building..

but the people saw where I went.

I grabbed

two big kitchen knives.

It's the truth.

Come on, you were paid off.

Your sister was paid off.

The police came to rescue me

at 10pm.

Even though I was protected..

there were 100 people against us

who assaulted me

as soon as I got out.

It's part of the game.

When we rode people spat on us.

It means that you scare them.

If nobody spits at you..

you're worthless.

The jockey is just a mercenary.

A person with no patriotism..

no boundaries... nothing.

The Palio is my passion..

but for them, it's just work.

They're like prostitutes.

Once the jockey wins the Palio,

you throw him away.

The horse is the core element

of the Palio.

Eagle.

Everyone thought Bruschelli

was going to ride for Eagle.

The thing about Bruschelli is

that I didn't quite trust him..

even though he always said

he'd ride for Eagle

and I gave him a bit of money.

When I went to speak to him..

he said.. "If you get a good

horse I'll ride for you. "

- What happened?

- He knew our horse, Naike,

hadn't trained for 20 days.

He knew 'cause

he trains that horse.

Yes, Naike's from his stable.

And your jockey.. Gingillo,

how did he behave?

The first time he tried her..

he said she was unfit.

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