Hokkaido Horse Racing Story

Sure enough, it is still a bit difficult to see the situation clearly in the ever-changing game, at least for now.

"Mr. Kitano!"

As I passed Chairman Ma's seat, which was painted blue, I heard a slightly unfamiliar voice.

It was Kimura, whom I had met once before, and he was the only one sitting alone in Chairman Ma's position.

Kimura had an obvious smile on his face.

It turned out that it was his horse that won just now—

"Congratulations, Mr. Kimura."

Kitano said.

"Nothing, it's just luck."

Although he kept speaking modestly, Kimura could no longer suppress the smile on his face.

"Is Mr. Kitano's horse racing today?"

He asked with a grin.

"No, I just came to watch the game."

Kitano shook his head to deny it, and Kimura looked slightly surprised.

"Haha, I didn't expect Mr. Kitano also likes horse racing so much."

After saying that, Kimura tugged at his tie and said, "By the way, the weather is really hot. Let's go to the preparation room for a cup of tea later."

As a member of the Hokkaido Racing Club, you can always use the preparation room to watch the race with a better view and less distractions.

The refrigerator in the preparation room is always stocked with unlimited oolong tea for horse owners.

"Let's forget about today."

Kitano waved his hand and pointed to the clothes he was wearing.

"It would be extremely rude to enter the preparation room wearing this."

He came to the stadium after finishing his medical work.

Although the smell on his body was not disgusting, the shorts and short-sleeved shirts worn for the sake of convenience were not suitable for formal occasions.

"I see. I didn't think it through."

After saying that, Kimura patted Kitano on the shoulder and said, "But if you have the chance, please come to Xinsheng Ranch. My wife's lobster soup is absolutely delicious."

"Of course, of course."

Kitano nodded repeatedly, dealing with Kimura somewhat absentmindedly.

By the time he came to his senses, Kimura had already walked a considerable distance towards the commendation area.

Thinking of the lobster soup just mentioned, Kitano touched his empty belly.

Although I ate two energy bars in the afternoon, I was already feeling noticeably hungry.

"Let's just solve it here."

Like other racecourses, Monbetsu Racecourse also has restaurants serving food.

One is a Hokkaido-style Genghis Khan barbecue restaurant, and the other is a snack bar selling simple fast food dishes.

Kitano chose the latter.

It's not because of financial constraints or ascetic self-torture.

It's simply because the free vegetarian meal at Genghis Khan BBQ is bean sprouts.

Being picky about food is an adult's right.

This is true even when choices are limited.

"A dine-in curry rice."

After entering the snack bar, Kitano found a seat near the door and sat down.

Then, he turned his eyes to the broadcast screen on the wall.

"Please enjoy your curry rice!"

Even before the next race list scrolled to the bottom, the hot curry rice was served.

From this point of view alone, this "Katsuma Curry" is worth the 620 yen price.

Pick up the matching plastic spoon, scoop up a mouthful of curry and put it into your mouth.

It really tastes like 620 yen.

While Kitano was munching on curry rice, Ma Min, who was sitting next to him, was calmly stirring the raw egg liquid.

Then, pick up the still sizzling Korean beef and roll it in the egg liquid.

The game started.

The moment the sound of the gate opening rang in their ears, almost all the guests in the snack bar were put on pause.

It was as if all sounds had completely disappeared at this moment.

Kitano took another mouthful of curry with an expressionless face.

Ma Min, who was sitting next to me, rolled the beef in the egg liquid again.

"The herd has now reached the third bend. The fifth-ranked Hokuriku and Wakoku horses have opened up a clear gap with the horses behind them!"

On the screen, the live speech speed is getting faster and faster.

Only a small part of the edge of the curry rice was left in front of Kitano.

The beef on the chopsticks of the guy sitting next to me has been rolled back and forth in the egg liquid several times.

“Hiss—so spicy!”

Although I didn't feel it at first, I can now feel a faint tingling sensation on the tip of my tongue.

"It's actually Indian curry. The boss is really too cunning."

After silently adding the two stores in Monbetsu Racecourse to the blacklist, Kitano hesitated and took the last bite of curry.

"Boss, a glass of ice water."

He said in the quietest voice possible.

At this time, Ma Min, who was sitting next to him, finally raised his chopsticks.

"The third avalanche, the avalanche is coming from behind! There are only the last hundred meters left in the straight line. Can we successfully arrest the avalanche?"

Then, the chopsticks stopped abruptly in mid-air.

"Hokuriku Wakoku! It's Hokuriku Wakoku from the fifth division! A very beautiful escape cut to win!"

All sorts of noises suddenly erupted in the snack bar.

"What a pity! We were so close to catching up."

At this time, the roast beef covered with egg liquid was finally put into the mouth.

Putting down the empty cup, Kitano slowly stood up from his seat.

He pulled a Kitasato Shibasaburo note from his wallet, paid, collected the change, and left.

"Next time, let's wait until we get back to town to eat."

He thought so.

Chapter 23: Daily Life Towards Summer

"This time it's 469. It's a full two kilograms heavier than when I debuted!"

After taking the weighed Mudanma back to the stable, Ogawa Katsu couldn't wait to report to his father.

"Thank you for your hard work, Asheng."

Ogawa Jō patted his head.

Although the progress is slow, Medo Hirano has indeed grown physically compared to when he first debuted.

If you don't observe carefully or are not the staff who interacts with it every day, it would be difficult to notice such subtle changes.

Because of its coat color, the body shape of the reed horse often gives people an unclear feeling.

However, some traces of the chest muscles that were covered by hair a few months ago can now be seen.

This is inseparable from Ogawa Masaru's careful care.

"Then I'll go report this good news to Brother Kitano, Mr. Kitano!"

"Well, let's go."

Xuhe Zhang nodded and sat down next to the computer.

I didn't notice that Ogawa Masaru changed the way he addressed Kitano.

Turn on the computer and record the current weight changes of your white horse in the horse management form.

Then, he held the mouse and fell into thought.

Medaima is a horse that can maintain its racing form even without much training.

Although he is not outstanding in terms of cardiopulmonary strength and physique, this alone is enough to give him a considerable advantage over horses of the same age.

What needs to be worried about is the development after the age of three.

By the age of three, it was inevitable to start competing in mixed age groups.

In addition to the more obvious physical difference, they are also likely to be no match for Gu Ma and others in terms of competition condition and experience.

"It's such a headache—"

While saying this, Xuhe Zhang's eyes were still fixed on the screen, and he kept adjusting the scheduled training plan.

Even if nothing is done, no one will stand up and blame you.

But once the direction of the attempt goes wrong, every move will be magnified infinitely under the spotlight.

This is the reality that racehorse trainers face.

The owner, Mr. Kitano, is not very keen on competitions and bounties, and rider Ochiai has not received any feedback that the horse's training level is insufficient.

Therefore, in fact, we only need to complete the grazing work honestly to deal with the requirements of all parties.

This is the easiest way to do it.

However, from the very beginning, he gained the trust of the Kitano owners, to the extent that it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was given full authority.

In this case, Ogawa Jō believes that he must at least make a considerable effort and trust.

"Although Pegasus's recovery speed is somewhat beyond our expectations, this level of training is sufficient."

It took some time, but Ogawa Jō finally arranged his training schedule for this week.

Mudaiba is not a racehorse with strong physical strength, but the fatigue accumulated from competitions and training seems to be eliminated well the next day after returning to the stable.

If horses weren't growing so slowly, this would be a potentially great asset.

On the other side, Kitano hung up the phone.

Then, he smiled unconsciously.

"Great!"

Although he had already said it once on the phone, he couldn't help but repeat it again.

When you visit in a few days, bring a few more boxes of hay.

With this intention, he flipped the sign in front of the clinic to read "Open."

A new day has begun.

Kitano walked slowly back to the lounge, and when he came out he was holding the new issue of "Youjun" and some cookies he bought at the pastry shop on the way.

I don't have any medical appointments scheduled today, which is a long time coming. If nothing unexpected happens, I can at least enjoy a few hours of leisure time.

While thinking this, a completely unfamiliar car stopped in front of the clinic.