Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 17 Towards July Night

In the pre-dawn hours, a light drizzle was falling from the sky.

The deserted Menbie Racecourse was free of the daytime bustle.

But soon, the silence was broken.

At three o'clock in the morning, the lights in the training ground were turned on one by one.

The sound of horse hooves came from the direction of the stables.

Yawning, Tanaka walked slowly towards the stands.

"I'm surprised you're still so energetic, Sato-senpai."

He greeted the solitary figure in the stands.

"There's nothing you can do about it. Besides, at this age, sleep becomes even more abominable."

Sixty-three-year-old Sato still looks strong, with his white hair neatly combed.

Fifty-three-year-old Tanaka echoed a few words with empathy.

Then, the two horse trainers sat side by side.

In sight, the figures of the herd of horses began to approach.

Horses that are about to compete adjust and prepare here, and horses that have just finished the competition also relieve fatigue and restore their strength here.

In addition to the rider, the trainer may occasionally appear on the horse.

Some trainers are accustomed to grasping the horse's body condition through personal experience.

As a non-rider, Tanaka prefers to rely on his own observations.

The two trainers were busy with their respective duties.

"The foot looks a little tired. Maybe it will be better if I rest for a while."

Tanaka recorded his evaluation of the horse's body truthfully.

After this, the review is passed on to the owner along with recommendations for the race.

As for the decision of the horse owner himself.

That is not something he can control.

After the training, Ochiai led the horse to the edge of the stands.

“It’s not in a very good condition.”

He expressed his views concisely.

"There is nothing we can do about it."

Closing the notebook in his hand, Tanaka looked at the chestnut-haired horse in front of him and spoke slowly.

Although it had a period of good performance when it first debuted, after it turned three years old, its physical growth began to lag behind.

After nearly nine months of recuperation, he finally struggled in the first game after returning.

The horse owner's already exhausted patience completely disappeared.

Even without asking, Tanaka knew where such a horse was most likely to end up.

For them, the only thing left is to keep running.

Ochiai's grip on the reins tightened slightly, but he quickly loosened it again.

He patted the head of his companion beside him.

Since I was very young, I have fallen in love with horses, such a beautiful and fairy-like creature.

That's why I hate horse racing.

I also hate myself as a rider.

This was the first time that horse owners, trainers, riders, and ranch representatives had gathered together to discuss horse racing since Baima's debut.

The location is an izakaya called "Hidaka" in the town.

The content of the discussion was about Baima's next trip.

Before starting, Kitano ordered a Genghis Khan barbecue set meal for four people.

The way they sat was somewhat casual, as if they were about to discuss a light topic like the weather or baseball.

The sea urchin served as a side dish was finished in no time.

At the beginning of the discussion, Master Tanaka first explained his intended purpose of escape.

The seventh race, titled "Makayama Special," will be held at Monbetsu Racecourse on July 16th. It is a two-year-old-only race. The race course is 1200 meters outside the Monbetsu Racecourse, and the prize money for each race is a fixed 500,000 yen.

Kitano expressed his concerns about the distance being 200 meters longer than in his debut match.

"One thousand two hundred meters. Isn't that a bit long?"

Putting down the event schedule, Kitano asked uncertainly.

"It's okay. Even if it's extended by two hundred meters, it won't be a problem for Pegasus."

The one who answered Kitano's questions was Ogawa Jō.

"And by next month, the horse should have grown further."

Recently, Medaima's appetite has begun to slowly increase, and naturally his weight has also changed.

Tanaka, a horse trainer, offered his own advice.

“For a two-year-old horse, it’s essential to figure out the range as quickly as possible.”

Of course, this margin of victory only belongs to the "excellent students" who have escaped from the winning group early on.

"One thousand meters, two thousand, five thousand, seventeen thousand. It's always a good idea to test the range you can run in this order."

Ogawa Jō nodded and continued, "Given Pegasus's fighting spirit, a race within the 1,200-meter range should be more than enough for him."

"It's fine."

Ochiai also spoke at this time.

Medaihira is a racehorse with his own principles.

During competitions or training, it will first act according to the results of its own thinking rather than just blindly accepting instructions.

When their own actions produce positive results, they tend to appear proud; when the results are negative, they will cheer up and make new attempts after a brief period of frustration.

Compared to the overly simple and somewhat vague evaluation of "combatant", "distinctive personality" is probably a better summary of Medaihime's personality traits.

Ochiai, aware of this, supports his master Tanaka's decision.

"Then there's no problem on my end."

After his concerns were eliminated, Kitano readily agreed to the proposal to leave.

"In that case, please work hard together towards next month's competition!"

Tanaka was the first to raise his beer glass.

"Please, everyone!"

Kitano quickly stood up and bowed.

After a moment of cooling, a slightly bitter aroma like citrus peel begins to spread in the mouth.

"Thank you for your hard work, President."

Tanaka said jokingly.

Ogawa Jō and Ochiai also raised their glasses.

The person sitting next to me glanced over briefly, but quickly looked away.

Most likely, it was another gathering of some unknown small club.

Following the beer, the salted Genghis Khan lamb was served.

Put the mutton on the charcoal fire and it soon started to sizzle.

Turn it over appropriately, and the lamb, which changes color rapidly, will emit an appetizing aroma.

"I'm gonna start now!"

The four of them stretched out their chopsticks at the same time.

It's not an overly complex flavor.

But barbecue itself is something that can easily bring people happiness.

The fresh and delicate taste and the juice bursting between the teeth after chewing are enough to make people unable to stop.

After finishing his beer, Kitano stood up first.

Walking slowly on the way home, he loosened the second button of his collar.

The remaining snow beneath the cherry trees should have melted long ago, but a faint chill still lingered on the tip of the tongue, as if holding a piece of thin ice that would never melt.

What will July be like soon?
He was vaguely looking forward to it.

(End of this chapter)