Hokkaido Horse Racing Story

One step back, another step back—

Take the initiative to create space for respite.

This was the decision Taketoshi made in a split second.

but--

This kind of running style of "starting to fight hard in the final stage" requires a route that is extremely favorable to one's own team in order to be carried out smoothly on the straight.

"This is it!"

Following the reckless apricot-colored Aurora, Wu Feng raised his whip without changing his expression.

"Mejiro Atalanta is ahead. Can Mejiro Atalanta escape and win?"

Amidst the roaring sounds from the stands, the little chestnut-haired challenger was the first to step over the cherry petals scattered on the grass and enter the straight line.

The time taken to complete the 1200 meters was 1 minute 10.2 seconds.

The situation where the herd of horses flooded the leading horses like a tide did not occur. The strong horses that should have won by coming from behind advanced slowly as if they were under a spell.

However, it is not time to start celebrating yet.

"The famous general Yue Gui is here! The famous generals Yue Gui and Wu Feng are here!"

Just as Atalanta maintained her lead, the famous general Laurel, who had broken out from the outside at some point, was approaching.

Facing the blue deer-haired figure approaching in his peripheral vision, Sasakawa showed no panic, nor hesitation—

The man who had failed to become a JRA rider twice, proudly accepted the challenge from the legendary rider of Central.

"Famous General Laurel! Memories of Atalanta! Famous General Laurel! Memories of Atalanta!"

Sasakawa pulled the reins with all his might, but the figure of the famous general Laurel was getting closer and closer.

"He's passed! It's the famous General Laurel! Coming up with him is Apricot Aurora!"

The furlong pole of the last two hundred meters flashed before her eyes, and Atalanta, who had half of her body trapped in the herd of horses, chased after them tenaciously.

Takagi's exclamation was intertwined with the cheers of the fans, who turned into shock.

"Mejiro Atalanta is coming up again! Mejiro Atalanta is catching up again behind Apricot Aurora!"

"Famous General Laurel has successfully taken the lead, but Apricot Aurora and Mejiro Atalanta are still resisting!"

"Famous General Laurel! Famous General Laurel wins!"

"The second move is Mejiro Atalanta from the local area! The third move is Apricot Aurora!"

"Two brothers, united in purpose, dominate the cherry blossom viewing!"

Amidst the cheers from the stands, Kitano let out a long sigh.

In the end, I still lost.

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

"——"You achieved such a high level of popularity with the 16th extra chapter. How do you feel now?"

——"As expected. It's a pity. Sorry, I really don't want to say more."

——"East Sport Horse Racing" - Interview with trainer Daisuke Majima after the Sakura Viewing Race

Chapter 199: Extreme Endurance Battle in the Mansion

"I'm really. So sorry."

"You ran a great race, but there's nothing you can do about losing."

Kitano smiled helplessly and patted the rider's shoulder gently.

Although I don't know how much comfort these words can provide, there is no way I can't help but say them.

Although, I am also feeling mostly depressed.

"terribly sorry."

Sasakawa bowed deeply, and Master Majima, who was completely speechless beside him, also lowered his head.

As if she was confused about the scene in front of her, Atalanta suddenly raised her head and showed three white eyes.

"No, it's nothing."

Gently patting the chestnut horse's shoulders and neck, Kitano shook his head and said.

Atalanta's ears quickly softened again, and she continued to use her tongue to deal with the bit.

As for the trainer and the rider, their faces were still overly tense.

"How about putting horse racing aside for now?"

Kitano put his arm around their shoulders and advised them in a calm tone.

An obvious hesitation crossed Sasakawa's face.

"Before that, there is something I want to let the president know."

He squeezed out the sound from his throat as if he was struggling.

"The Oaks Tournament."

A completely unsurprising proposal.

However, Kitano just happened to have such a plan.

"If Sasagawa-kun has no problem with this, let's go."

"Do not--"

Sasakawa just shook his head.

"if you can."

After a pause, the rider's tone became firm, probably because he had finally made up his mind.

"I hope President Kitano won't let Ata-chan run the Oaks Race."

"Eh?"

The person who was most surprised by Sasagawa's unexpected suggestion was Kitano.

Losing the game is certainly frustrating.

On the other hand, it is hard not to look forward to Atalanta's future performance when it still achieves such results despite many factors such as range, track and gate position being less than ideal.

The 2400-meter Oaks Race in Tokyo seems to be the stage for Atalanta to show her skills.

In reality, it was Sasakawa, the main battle rider, who first proposed that Atalanta had the potential to travel longer distances.

Even Majima gave the rider a confirming look.

"For Atalanta, Tokyo's 2,400 meters is a more disadvantageous development than Hanshin's 1,600 meters."

At first glance, it doesn't seem like a very reasonable statement.

So Kitano raised his own questions.

"But isn't Tokyo a racetrack that's good for endurance and a good place for runaway horses?"

When I was collecting information about Hanshin Racecourse, I also took the opportunity to learn about several other racecourses in central Japan.

A fast paced start, good for endurance racehorses and escape horses——

This is the impression given by the Tokyo Racecourse.

No matter how you look at it, this is a very advantageous track for Atalanta.

Sasakawa shook his head, removed the saddle, and patiently explained as he walked towards the inspection room.

The Tokyo Racecourse, where races are mostly conducted at a fast pace, is indeed more suitable for endurance horses.

As for the advantage of escaping horses, the same is true.

however--

This is just an estimate for distances within 2000 meters.

The 2400-meter route in Tokyo requires passing through four bends with complete ups and downs.

The winning rate of the escape horse suddenly dropped from the first place to the last place among all kinds of foot qualities within 2400 meters.

For Kitano, who is still a half-newcomer to horse racing, such a reversal is really hard to understand.

After folding the saddle cloth and solemnly handing it to Kitano, Sasagawa began to explain further.

Although his results were not ideal, he still learned some things that could be considered insights from his riding experience in Tokyo.

“Horses with a lower range tend to perform well in Tokyo.”

On the other hand, the horses that have an endurance advantage in the Tokyo track are often the types that actually have a longer range.

"If you can win the 2,000m race in Tokyo with your endurance, then generally speaking, 2,200m or even 2,400m races won't be a problem."

"And to win the 2,400-meter race in Tokyo with stamina and the lowest winning rate of a runner—"

Having said that, Sasakawa took a deep breath and paused as if he was organizing his words.

"I'm afraid only a true long-distance horse has this kind of stamina."

No matter how confident he was, he didn't think Atalanta's range could be extended to this extent.

After a brief silence, Kitano nodded slightly.

With the reply, “Please allow me to think about it for a moment,” Kitano said goodbye to the trainer and rider.

On the way to the airport, the atmosphere was noticeably more depressing than when we arrived.

Zepp, who had been yelling since the fourth turn, was now completely unable to speak.

The other people were in a similar situation.

In such an atmosphere, Kitano maintained his sitting posture as if he was thinking about something.

Sasakawa's suggestion is indeed quite convincing.

"But, we still have to take a look—"

Thinking of this, I opened the panel and exchanged for the [Advisory Group].

The notification sounded and Kitano took out his cell phone from his pocket.

Still the familiar three consultants.

Changfeng:

The overall muscle mass is relatively small, and at first glance it seems to lack explosive power, but the legs and body are very flexible, which makes it particularly suitable for long-distance competitions.

It’s a bit regrettable that there has been no obvious change in body shape since entering the classic year.

At this stage when most racehorses can achieve rapid growth, we look forward to seeing more significant growth and transformation in it.

Recommended rider: Xue Daqi (foreign)

Maybe Atalanta really is a long-distance horse.

Although no one would believe such a statement except Kitano himself.

After a brief thought, he looked at the next item.

[Kappa wood:

He has excellent muscle flexibility and a body strong enough from training on slopes and muddy grounds, which allows him to always keep moving forward. He also has enough leg strength to take the lead in this event.

In this event, the coordination between rider and horse and the control of pace are the keys to victory.

Recommended rider: Sasakawa (local·Oi)]

It seems that even the system recognizes the connection between Sasakawa and Atalanta.

but--

Mr. Feng, who briefly entered the recommended rider list, disappeared again.

Kitano continued to look at the last message.

[Meixiang: