Hokkaido Horse Racing Story

Although I'm not sure about its other attributes, I'm afraid that "G"'s [Stamina] might cause it to lose speed even in a short race.

".How about starting with one million. One million and a half? One million and a half—"

As Asano's somewhat unskilled bidding sounded on the stage, Kitano decisively turned to the second page of the name list.

Several horse owners around immediately followed suit.

"One million and a half million yen—what do you think of this price?"

"Is there really no one bidding 1.5 million? 1.5 million yen——"

Amid the enthusiastic singing of the audience on the stage, there was a strange silence in the audience.

Kitano, the culprit, even raised his head in surprise.

A somewhat crisp sound of a hammer rang in my ears.

It turns out that the first horse to appear can also be the main one -

The next few pieces were almost all sold at the reserve price.

"Debut number six, Pavlova 2026, father is Cape Branco, female, reed-haired, born on March 18th, height 156cm, chest 167cm, waist 19cm, weight 424kg."

Pavlova 2026, who looked intimidating both in her presence and size, was unusually meek as she followed the stable boy into the arena.

"What do you think of the price of 1,100,000 yen? 1,100,000—1,100,000."

The atmosphere, which had been slightly lively, suddenly became deserted again.

"Oh--"

"Okay, this customer in the white short-sleeved shirt, do you have any other offers? One million, one hundred thousand—"

Before Kitano could even raise his hand completely, Asano on the stage immediately began a new round of bidding.

"One million and two hundred thousand—anyone willing to pay one million and two hundred thousand?"

Dr. Kobayashi gave me a slightly surprised look.

"This female line looks quite interesting."

Kitano shrugged and explained in a slightly louder voice.

"I see. It seems Kitano-kun is planning to dominate the national racecourses by inducing horses."

"This plan is not bad."

The two of them put their arms around each other and started joking.

Several horse owners who were eager to try after seeing Kitano's bid suddenly became hesitant again.

"Okay, congratulations to the guest number 43, and thank you for your bid."

As if fearing that Kitano would go back on his word, Asano on the stage slammed the gavel down hard.

"One million, one hundred thousand yen. Purchaser number twenty-six, Mr. Kitano Yuki of the Hokkaido Racing Club."

As soon as the words fell, there was an uproar in the venue.

Even in the live broadcast room, a series of "?" comments quickly flashed across the screen.

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"[@kyushusanba:

April 2027, 06

Kyushu Yearling Market

6

Father Branco

Pavlova

mother and father ocean liner

Production ranch Yuji Tagami

The owner of the horse turned out to be that President Kitano!!!

The future of Kyushu-produced horses is uncertain.”

——Odagiri WAO

Sorry, only one update today.

I was just annoyed by the bizarre remarks of a hyperthyroid football player this morning, and then I received the news of Xiaocao's death in the afternoon. It's really hard to concentrate on writing today.

I'm really sorry (p′︵‵.)

Chapter 220 The So-called Vision

"No matter how you look at it, it should be a horse that can run well."

After finishing the observation, Zep stood up neatly, his tone full of confidence.

After purchasing Pavlova 2026 from the auction, Kitano did not send her to a local breeding farm for further training and breeding.

His plan was clear:

More important than her performance as a racehorse is her preparation for a career as a breeding mare.

however--

When the Ashima horses were transported to Mejiro Ranch, the members had different opinions.

"From the side, the hip proportions seem a bit off; balance is a big issue."

Lavid walked around the reed horse several times and almost made himself dizzy before he stopped.

"but--"

Before he finished speaking, the Indian grabbed a measuring tape from the tool rack in the stable and quickly drew a straight line from the hips to the shoulders and neck on the reed horse.

Faced with this somewhat unfamiliar tool, the one-year-old Pavlova 2026 simply shook her ears curiously.

“From a completeness perspective, this horse isn’t particularly ideal, but on the other hand, we can look forward to its future growth.”

Majima, the horse trainer who came to visit the ranch, also looked thoughtful.

"It's the withers."

The withers refer to the protruding area between the shoulder bones.

Racehorses that still have room to grow often have their rump higher than their withers. The larger the gap, the more incomplete the horse's development and the more room there is for growth.

Conversely, a racehorse whose croup and withers are essentially level will often have no more noticeable changes in its body.

A horse that has a chance to run a good performance——

After some observation, Lavid and Majima reached this consensus.

"The fetlock looks a little short."

Zep, who focused on the legs, then added his own views.

"It would be a bit tiring to run on grass then."

"Also, judging by his gait, his flexibility isn't particularly outstanding. Coupled with his foreseeable heavier weight, the femoral joints must be strained."

"But the hooves are large and round, so running on muddy ground shouldn't be a problem."

"That's right, it actually became an advantage during the short-court season on mud."

"Considering the horse's pedigree and physique, the range should also develop towards the middle range."

"That's right! That's it—"

As the discussion heated up, everyone became more and more excited, but Kitano's expression became subtle.

"Thank you for your hard work."

I rubbed the tip of the reed horse's nose, and a wet feeling immediately spread to my palm.

Finally, Kitano, who had remained silent, spoke.

"This child—"

"She was brought in as a breeding mare."

No one, including Majima, was too surprised by this.

For horse breeders, it is a very common practice to introduce good bloodlines from other regions and explore unpopular bloodlines.

"But this doesn't conflict with her being able to escape, right, Boss?"

Zep said, shrugging his shoulders.

Lavid and Majima nodded as well.

"Indeed, that's the case."

After a slight hesitation, Kitano said this.

Then, he took a breath like a sigh.

After stroking the head of the grey-haired horse, which seemed to have the temperament of a famous horse at first glance, Kitano asked the members to take her back to the stable.

"Maybe this kid can win the Emperor's reward."

"The forequarters look very good too. Perhaps it can perform well at a shorter distance."

Kikuchi and Rachel Ho were still discussing their plans for Pavlova 2026 with some excitement.

I now understand somewhat how Pavlova 2026's half-brothers and half-sisters were photographed.

Restraining his subtle thoughts from spreading further, Kitano brought Majima to the Japanese-style room where guests were entertained.

However, since the horse trainer was not very fond of tea, he just poured a glass of water for each of them.

Taking the cup of water, Majima drank about half of it in one breath.

"President Kitano is still very active in this year's auction."

"After all, you can never have too many excellent horses. We'll have to work hard at next month's Hachinohe Market and the Hokkaido Selection."

"What about the thoroughbred auction?"

"No, that's too expensive."

Kitano shook his head calmly.

Although there have been rumors of discord between Mejiro and Shatai, in fact, the relationship between the two sides is not as bad as imagined.

There are other reasons for not attending a thoroughbred auction.

As a breeder, introducing new mare bloodlines is an ongoing process.

In comparison, a thoroughbred horse auction is more like a speculative game where wealthy individuals spend a fortune.

Simply put, prices at thoroughbred auctions are simply too high.

Having tasted some sweetness at the Kyushu Yearling Auction, Kitano is now focusing more on the more cost-effective Hokkaido Select and Summer Auctions.

"That's true. By the way, regarding Ata-chan's next move, what are President Kitano's plans?"

The trainer's voice suddenly became a little nervous.

Although the change of topic was very abrupt, Kitano still gave the answer he had prepared long ago without any complaint.

"How about the Shion Stakes?"

On the second Sunday of September, a G2 Grand Prize for three-year-old fillies will be held at Zhongshan Racecourse.

Although the 2000-meter right-turn on the grass may be a bit short for Atalanta, the short straight line of Zhongshan Racecourse is enough to offset some of the disadvantages.

More importantly, the Aster Trophy is a precursor to the Autumn Flower Award.

Majima was visibly relieved.

"That would be great."

Let Mejiro Atalanta go to appreciate the chrysanthemums——

After Atalanta escaped the cut and won the Oaks, many people, from horse racing critics to horse fans, held this view.