Life hasn't been easy for Joey Leatham. As a tiny orphan he had to fight to survive. Then he escaped to a circus, where he was captivated by Nina Korsakov and discovered an affinity with horses, but a trapeze accident forced him to leave to join his brother as an apprentice jockey in Newmarket.
Suddenly his lack of size is an advantage and Joey becomes one of the most sought-after jockeys in Europe. Success brings him happiness for the first time in his life. Then, by an ironic twist of fate, he is blackmailed. Despite his innocence, Joey knows that his tormentor could ruin his career as well as his relationship with Nina. When he discovers his only witness has been murdered, he fears he will be paying for the rest of his life. But how can he reveal the identity of his blackmailer? And how long can he hold out?