Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 60 Rain Curtain
He climbed onto the horse, his fingertips trembling unconsciously.

"That won't do, Hattori."

He said to himself.

In this state, we can't defeat the guys from the center.

The rough palm gently stroked Mejiro Sakuya's neck.

The deer-hair horse's mane continued the design from the previous game, tied into an elaborate braid.

"I'm counting on you for this match, Miss."

he said.

With a trembling voice.

With steady steps, Mejiro Sakuya continued her pre-race circling.

It seems that this is the way to respond.

A reliable sense of warmth seemed to be transmitted through the horse's back.

Amid the sound of horse hooves, my mood gradually calmed down.

"please."

"Well, leave it to me."

Hattori's response came from the broad back of the deer-haired horse.

Then there was Ochiai on Medairo's saddle.

After exchanging greetings, the rider wearing the Mejiro title victory uniform tightened his expression again.

After bowing again to the backs of the two riders, Kitano slowly walked towards the stands.

Without any warning, a cold touch hit my face.

There wasn't much surprise about this.

Anyone who sees the thick clouds gathering overhead can easily conclude that it is about to rain.

The horse people around opened their umbrellas, making the already limited space even more crowded.

"Sorry, please give way."

"Sorry, give in."

After apologizing continuously all the way, he finally arrived at the horse owner's viewing room with the help of two staff members.

The edge of the suit was wet from the rain.

But there is nothing we can do about it.

After thanking the two staff members, Kitano pushed open the door of the preparation room.

Then, he hung the wet suit jacket on the hanger.

Only then did he realize that someone had already occupied the seat with the best view on the sofa.

"Ah, you're a horse owner too?"

On the sofa, the gray-haired old man asked with a smile.

The old man had a calm face, his silver hair was neatly combed, and his drooping eyelids revealed a calmness.

"If you don't mind, how about taking this seat?"

As he spoke, the old man picked up the trench coat folded on his lap and moved it to the side.

"Then I shall be grateful for your kindness."

After hesitating for a moment, Kitano accepted the old man's invitation.

After sitting down by the window, the old man did not show any intention of starting a conversation as expected.

Kitano breathed a sigh of relief.

The two of them just stared out the window, quietly waiting for the game to begin.

As the announcements were made, the racehorses began to enter the gates one after another.

At present, Baima's gate position is favorable for competing for the first three gates.

Mejiro Sakuya's gate position was slightly outside the seventh gate, but for the horse in the back position, this gate position did not have a fatal impact.

The opponent's number one Shonan attack is the number one gate position.

Looking down at the track below, I felt a little excited.

It was an emotion that was much stronger and more complex than when watching the race as a horse fan.

The fences, easily scaled by both horse and rider, acted like high walls, isolating owners, riders, trainers, stable hands, and other stakeholders. Within this secluded area, they witnessed a more authentic view than what lay beyond the walls.

Just like Formula One racing in the 5s and 60s, horse racing is also growing wildly amidst cheers and worries.

Long before becoming a horse owner, Kitano had a clear understanding of the various things in the industry that people were "unwilling to face" or "unwilling to take the initiative to understand."

Even so, I was inevitably attracted to this sport.

Even in this cruel and cold land of interests, there are occasional intoxicating moments of emotion.

The rain began to get heavier, hitting the glass in front of me with a dense sound.

"If that happens, it will become a rain battle."

The old man spoke slowly.

Kitano wasn't sure if the other party was talking to him, so he just nodded slightly.

If you make a mistake, it won't become an embarrassing situation.

At this moment, a loud cheer suddenly came from the stands.

The old man also turned his head at this time.

In this way, the siege was resolved.

Then, the lounge fell into the silence it had been at the beginning.

In my ears, there is the sound of rain mixed with noise.

Hattori silently tightened his grip on the reins.

The winning suit on his body had long been soaked by the rain, and the cold touch stimulated every inch of his skin.

But on the contrary, something in his heart was burning as if it had been ignited.

The condition of the field quickly changed from "slightly heavy" to "heavy", and it is not impossible that it will become a "poor" field during the official competition.

And it seems that there is a high probability that we will be in a headwind position during the final sprint on the straight.

It is foreseeable that this will be a very difficult game.

However, this is a favorable situation for Mejiro Sakuya.

Unlike the racehorses around him that were starting to get agitated, his partner remained calm even after it started raining.

The strong deer-haired body, soaked by rain, stood like a rock in front of the gate.

"Come on horseback!"

He let out a long breath.

Then, the muscles on the inside of your thighs begin to tighten instinctively.

Just as it has been for the past thirty-one years.

Amid the noise, the starting committee member walked up to the starting tower in the rain.

His suit soon got wet, but he still waved the small flag in his hand meticulously.

This time, Kitano was also unable to see the girls in the wind orchestra of the technical high school in person.

The temporary shelter perfectly blocks the view from above.

"The eleventh race at Monbetsu Racecourse is being held today. The Future Horse Series is at 2,250 meters. The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award, the sixth JBC Two-Year-Old Horse Award, is held. The JPNthree Exchange Prize is offered. The distance is 1,800 meters, and ten runners are participating."

Through the indoor broadcast, the live sound is clearly transmitted to the ears.

Kitano's heartbeat began to speed up unconsciously.

Through the rain, you can vaguely see a few blurry outlines in front of the gate.

"Five from JRA, and then five from regional Hokkaido."

"Whether this year will be a victory for the central government or a triumph for Hokkaido, let's wait and see."

"The weather conditions given for the review venue were rainy, and the conditions at the venue were still heavy."

There was a brief pause in the live commentary, seemingly as if he was checking with the surrounding staff.

Apparently due to the heavy rain, many racehorses had difficulty entering the gates.

Especially during the Shonan attack, the rider Ikezoe with a white hat on his head was almost thrown off his horse.

After all the horses entered the gate, there was obvious water accumulation on the track.

"Okay, although it wasn't smooth, everyone has finally passed through the gate. The staff can leave--"

"Game start!"

(End of this chapter)