Hokkaido Horse Racing Story

In the splashing mud and water, the chestnut horse raised its head and took a step forward.

In the center of the track, the close combat will be intense.

The next moment after leaving the gate, Hetian made this judgment.

So he pulled the reins sideways, trying to guide Katuna to the inside close to the railing.

Unexpectedly, the innermost Moya rider blocked outwards with a more forceful attitude, directly blocking the route to the inner fence.

"There's nothing we can do about it."

Hetian pulled the reins slightly, intending to slow down the pace.

Although the course is similar to the Kentucky Derby, the starting straight for the Ascot Stakes is slightly shorter.

If you enter the curve at your current pace, it's easy to waste too much energy.

The feeling coming from the armature was one of resistance.

Katuna has no intention of slowing down.

The chestnut horse raised its head high and stepped into the curve, keeping close to its opponent.

The flow of the game changed in an instant.

The other four riders on the outside skillfully manipulated the reins, forcing each other to the inside close to the railing.

In races with fewer horses and more complex tracks, the role that riders can play becomes more obvious.

This is exactly what is happening right now.

Almost every rider wanted to drive the other to the inner box, while at the same time they were wary of opponents with the same intention.

Although it was only a competition between six pairs of people and horses, the intensity was no less than any game that Hetian had ridden in the past.

Along with the mud kicked up by the hind hooves came a figure that was constantly approaching.

The competition completely turned into a clash between humans and horses.

Moya, who was closest to the inside, cursed vaguely.

There is no way out.

The situation did not improve after entering the straight.

The route to the outside was tightly guarded, with riders doing their utmost to block each other's path.

It's a slightly slower pace.

Hotan, who was in the center like the middle layer of a sandwich, raised his head.

Although the fight continued, everyone was deliberately controlling the pace.

"still have a chance."

He silently tightened his grip on the reins.

The moment the rhythm changes, there will be a brief disconnect between the team.

We must seize that gap!

Before the game, almost everyone had no expectations for Katuna, who was ranked sixth in popularity.

But this is no reason to do nothing.

Due to the misjudgment in the initial set, the game has become the difficult situation it is now.

Well, at least you have to clean up the mess you made.

As the curve approached, Hetian threw all thoughts out of his mind.

All that remained in the rider's eyes was the impenetrable wall of horses in front of him.

Appeared?

not yet.

Until the black and white furlong rod flashed by in the peripheral vision, the expected gap still had not opened.

The final straight line is not far away.

Do you want to pull it out forcefully?

Do not--

During this process, there is a high probability of collision between horses.

Given that Katuna's physique is not outstanding among the participating horses, fighting will only further increase his disadvantage.

As if unaware of the increasingly unfavorable situation, the rider patiently waited for the opportunity.

Then, at the last part of the curve—

Moya squeezed out forcefully, leaving a narrow gap at the innermost side.

Can you go there?

Before I could even begin to hesitate, I instinctively pulled the reins.

It seemed like something rubbed against me.

But it passed.

So he waved the whip and began to urge the horses along with the movements of his hands.

Katona was breathing heavily, and his whole body exuded a murderous aura that kept strangers away.

but--

The distance did not get closer.

Even the royal blue outline at the very back of the herd was shrinking little by little in sight.

It seems that I can’t catch up.

So, Hetian simply put away the whip.

The sound of hooves ahead gradually faded away.

The white and green figure crossed the finish line alone.

Thanks to Xiaotian for the 1500 starting coins reward

Thank you for your support

Ciallo～(∠ω<)⌒★

I have a bit of diarrhea, so there are only two updates today.

Chapter 122: After the Game and Before the Game

"terribly sorry."

After falling off the horse, the rider lowered his head without even bothering to wipe the mud off his face.

We misjudged the situation from the beginning and lost the initiative in the game very early on.

Although he managed to seize the opportunity to break through at the end of the bend, the horse's limited spare energy was completely consumed in the process.

"It's all my fault. Katuna ran very hard."

Hetian bent down deeply, and mud mixed with sweat dripped from his face.

“It’s good to be able to finish the race safely.”

Kitano was unusually calm about the result.

In the horse racing world, there is no shortage of successful horses making a comeback.

But for those with lower popularity, losing games is the norm.

Faced with a completely unfamiliar event, the tactics and strategies formulated by the camp based on inherent cognition are far from enough.

In high-level competitions, tactical disadvantages will be magnified infinitely.

Especially the world-class race like the Kentucky Derby, which far surpasses the average G1.

It was because we realized this early on that we suffered this defeat.

Even if I fail, it doesn't matter——

This is the advance admission ticket for tomorrow's Churchill Gardens.

"Please wait for me for a moment."

He didn't even have time to meet his relatives and friends who had come from Japan after the race. After leaving these words, the rider hurried to the lounge.

The final meeting started in the hotel lobby ten minutes later.

Although the Oaks Tournament Day has not yet ended, the camp's thoughts are already flying to tomorrow's game.

“It would be nice if the Kentucky Derby ran a little smoother.”

Recalling the scene of the competition not long ago, Huangshan frowned slightly.

Judging from the old game thinking, it cannot be said that there is any serious problem with Wada's positioning in the first set.

However, when everyone around is vying for position, such a strategy seems too conservative.

In the Kentucky Derby, where there are far more runners than today, it would not be good if we were to end up in today's situation.

He was defeated miserably by being drowned in the herd of horses before he could even show his prowess.

Such a result is unacceptable in any way.

"Feel sorry."

Wada remained sitting upright, lowering his head slightly.

"No, I don't mean to blame Wada-kun."

Huang Shan waved his hand and said in a deep voice, "After all, everything here is new to us, so it's understandable that we got this result."

"but--"

After a pause, he turned his gaze to the rider.

"Hey Wada-kun, what are your thoughts on today's game?"

After a brief moment of consideration, Wada said, "Rhythm is indeed more important than established running methods or strategies."

"If I can follow the momentum of the herd, I might be able to run better."

After saying that, the rider pursed his lips tightly again.

“Is that so—”

Kitano nodded slightly and looked back at the trainer.

"As expected, we can only play along with the competition."

After sighing, Huang Shan said somewhat dejectedly, "I really don't know what else I can do."

Whether it is the riders or the trainers, their pre-race expectations for the Ascot Trophy are based on their experience in past races.

The results proved to them that past experience was of no use here.

It was like a large-scale biting event between humans and horses at the same time. Such fierce competition in the initial stage was completely unimaginable in the past.

In Japan, clay court races tend to be more like grass courts.

Even in gates where thick sand easily accumulates on the inside track, riders are accustomed to taking a route as close to the inside as possible.

In other words, in most top-tier horse racing countries outside the United States, sticking to the inside circle and avoiding loss of distance is the natural choice.

In the United States, the situation is different.

Inside is a trap——

The counterintuitive development was put before everyone's eyes.

"I'm not very clear about horse racing."

Kitano shook his head, maintaining a relatively relaxed expression on his face.

"But if you have any ideas, just go for it."