Hokkaido Horse Racing Story

Looking at the two people walking in front, Sasakawa sighed again.

Today was the day that Majima had promised to treat everyone, so he even rushed from Oi to Chiba Kobayashi early in the morning.

However, when he arrived at the place, he was told that it was a meeting with the horse owner, so he had to hastily borrow a suit that didn't fit him well.

What a cunning senior—

"Welcome, President, to Kobayashi's stables. Regarding Atalanta, please give us your guidance!"

The language is disgusting, the lines are full of pretentiousness but the actor bites his tongue, and the deliberate expressions make it really hard to watch.

Kitano, however, maintained a fairly calm expression, allowing Majima to fill his glass, then nodded politely in thanks.

"Perhaps, I will never be a horse owner in this life."

Sasakawa couldn't help but think.

If this is also a compulsory course for horse owners.

However, after the formal discussion began, the atmosphere suddenly became much more serious.

"The feeling under Atalanta's feet is changing."

Majima picked up the sashimi mixed with pickles and spoke.

“And it’s a change for the better.”

The hoof, which was already known for its flexibility, continued to grow, and I received feedback from the hoof trimmer that "the touch under my feet is getting better."

"My steps have become lighter when I fold them, and my personality seems to be changing for the better."

Sasakawa, the main rider, also expressed his thoughts.

The horse's supple body coupled with its overwhelming speed among horses of the same age, if you only look at these two points, it is definitely a strong horse that can show its potential at the age of two.

However, things are not that simple.

"Although my exercise rhythm has improved slightly, my temperament is still mostly on the neurotic side."

Sasakawa smiled helplessly, but Kitano just nodded.

"Please keep up the good work, Master Majima. It's okay if you're a little stricter."

He said, facing the trainer.

"Understood!"

Majima immediately put on a serious expression that seemed unfamiliar to him.

Blind indulgence will only spoil the racehorse and make children who may have good potential lose the motivation to work hard.

Majima, who grew up in the horse racing world, naturally understood this.

Having said that, turning this awareness into determination is by no means easy, especially for trainers and stable staff who work with racehorses day and night.

Moreover, Mejiro Atalanta has more than one problem.

"As mentioned in the last report, Atalanta's physical growth seems to have stopped."

349 kilograms, this is the weight when I weighed myself last week.

For a racehorse, competing at such a young size would be a serious challenge.

Although we have been trying various combinations of scientific supplements and feed formulas, the actual results can only be described as disappointing.

"That's right."

Kitano's tone is still some distance away from being serious or even stern.

Whether in terms of feed or daily care, Atalanta is above standard in the Majima stables.

Even with careful care, the horse's growth is still not as expected, so there is not much that can be done.

After finishing the discussion on horse racing, Kitano asked about the route plan.

"The plan at the stables is to participate in the Hesek Memorial through this month's Golden Youth Walk."

The two races are 1400 meters in late September and 1600 meters in early November, which are relatively reasonable plans in terms of distance and interval time.

Normally, strong two-year-old horses from Southern Kanto would choose this kind of route planning.

And for the mare Mejiro Atalanta, even if she does not perform well in the mixed race, she can try to switch to the 2-year-old mare route through the Laurel Stakes in early November.

Of course, this will make the intervals between games a little tighter.

This is a slightly disadvantageous choice for the escape horse, which will consume more energy during the competition.

For Atalanta at the moment, it will take at least seven or eight weeks to completely eliminate the fatigue accumulated from the game and return to competitive form.

This is one of the reasons why the route discussion has been delayed until now.

"Even if the distance is extended by 200 meters, it shouldn't be a big problem given Atalanta's flexibility."

Sasakawa added his own perspective as a rider at the right moment.

“But there are still some things worth noting.”

Majima handed Kitano the pre-prepared competition rules and said, "Although it's a mixed race, mares don't have a weight advantage in the Golden Youth Racewalking."

Kitano took the rule book and carefully walked around the plate in front of him, scanning the text line by line.

It is true, as Mashima said, that there are no rules regarding mare weight reduction.

In the Golden Youth Walk, horses born in the Northern Hemisphere are all given a fixed weight of 54 kg.

After putting down the rule book, he thought seriously.

In terms of distance and time, there are not many problems with the route planning for the Golden Youth Competition and the Heseker Memorial.

The concern is the intensity of the competition.

It seems a bit too early for Atalanta to compete in high-level 2-year-old mixed race walking.

Throwing yourself into fast-paced or high-level competitions too early does not do a racing horse much good.

In this respect, Kitano rarely maintains the mainstream view of the Japanese horse racing community.

He opened the panel, looked at the green amulet he had accumulated with great difficulty, and sighed.

The next second, the digits behind the amulet changed.

"Just do it."

After a moment, Kitano put down his phone and said this.

------------

"[@hochichihokeiba:

【#OiJima·Golden Youth Race Walk】

The Golden Youth Walk has been added to the faction for Mejiro Atalanta (Female 2, Ooi Majima Daisuke stable).

Mashima: "We must let her fully recover so that she can be better prepared for the next game."

Could this be the first major prize winner since the opening of Majima Stables?]

——Sports News·Local Horse Racing

@WadaRagio:

Thank you very much for your continued support.

Starting next year, I will begin to engage in activities other than as a rider.

To all the people who have supported me and cheered me on, I am truly grateful.

Wada Ryuji】"

——Ryuji Wada

Thanks to Yiyifei for the 1000 starting coins reward

Thank you for your support

Ciallo～(∠ω<)⌒★

Chapter 157 Escape Song on a Rainy Night

On the night of September 21, the greenery of Central Seaside Park was washed brightly by the rain.

The streets blocked by the rain rustled.

On the other side of the canal, colorful lights are gradually dyeing the sky.

At the top of the L-WING stand, the light show for the Grand Prize Day was lit up on time.

But at the reviewing ground, it was a completely different scene.

There were few people in the humid air.

The umbrellas are spaced farther apart than usual.

"Sorry, please keep your voice down."

Sasakawa shouted to the crowd behind the railing.

Perhaps because the local horse fans were somewhat familiar with Atalanta's temperament, the discussion soon became quieter.

——Of course, there may be other reasons.

Atalanta is extremely sensitive to sound, and almost all sound sources other than those to which she has been desensitized can frighten her.

Even as the main rider, Sasagawa took a long time to get her to accept the feeling of being ridden and given orders.

If you receive too much unnecessary interference in the performance circle, it may affect your condition.

Atalanta is exactly like that, a racehorse that will be a bit troublesome.

If you want her to be in relatively good condition for the race, you have to take more care of her than you would with an ordinary racehorse.

However, it seems that this has caused a lot of trouble for President Kitano.

Sasakawa silently apologized to the figure wearing a raincoat and bowing continuously behind the railing.

"I'm sure you'll be burned."

Okizawa, the stable attendant holding the leash in front, turned around and reminded him.

“There’s nothing we can do about it.”

In response to this, Sasakawa could only smile bitterly.

As the main combat rider, you still have to shoulder certain responsibilities.

"Besides, sometimes the 'heel' comes along and wins the game."

However, even Sasakawa himself did not have much confidence in this.

Although he had won the Golden Youth Race Walk before, that was before it was upgraded to a major prize.

After that, every time it seemed like it was just a little bit short of the mark.

Although I don't feel fear, I can't help but have some strange thoughts before the game.

In addition, the only vague instructions she received from the trainer before the race were "please try to hold her."

Although the horse owner has placed a lot of trust in me, from a realistic point of view, I can only run an improvisational race.

The field was soaked into mud by the continuous rain, and it became difficult to walk both inside and outside.

Trying to win by escaping and cutting in such a venue is undoubtedly a big challenge for horse racing.

In comparison, the anger from horse fans may not be a problem.

Entering the Juban Gate near the outside of the twelve horses running out, Sasakawa unconsciously clenched the reins with his fingertips, which were cold from the rain.

On the other side, Majima kept looking towards the gate, with his upper body almost sticking out of the track.

"You're too nervous, Majima—"

Several trainers, wearing only summer shirts, let out a cheerful laugh.

"Hey, hey, how can you guys who have already received a large reward understand my feelings?"

Majima, who was still dressed in a suit and tie in the rain, protested with some dissatisfaction.