Hokkaido Horse Racing Story

"Ah, you're a horse owner too?"

On the sofa, the gray-haired old man asked with a smile.

The old man had a calm face, his silver hair was neatly combed, and his drooping eyelids revealed a calmness.

"If you don't mind, how about taking this seat?"

As he spoke, the old man picked up the windbreaker folded on his knees and moved it to the side.

"Then I shall be grateful for your kindness."

After hesitating for a moment, Kitano accepted the old man's invitation.

After sitting down by the window, the old man did not show any intention of starting a conversation as expected.

Kitano breathed a sigh of relief.

The two of them just stared out the window, quietly waiting for the game to begin.

As the announcements were made, the racehorses began to enter the gates one after another.

At present, Baima's gate position is favorable for competing for the first three gates.

Mejiro Sakuya's gate position was slightly outside the seventh gate, but for the horse in the back position, this gate position did not have a fatal impact.

The opponent's number one Shonan attack is the number one gate position.

Looking down at the track below, I felt a little excited.

It was an emotion that was much stronger and more complex than when watching the race as a horse fan.

The fence, which can be easily climbed by both humans and horses, acts like a high wall, isolating the horse owners, riders, trainers, stable staff and other related parties.

In this isolated area, the stakeholders witnessed a more real scene than that outside the high walls.

Just like Formula One racing in the 5s and 60s, horse racing is also growing wildly amidst cheers and worries.

Long before becoming a horse owner, Kitano had a clear understanding of the various things in the industry that people were "unwilling to face" or "unwilling to take the initiative to understand."

Even so, I was inevitably attracted to this sport.

Even in this cruel and cold land of interests, there are occasional intoxicating moments of emotion.

The rain began to get heavier, hitting the glass in front of me with a dense sound.

"If that happens, it will become a rain battle."

The old man spoke slowly.

Kitano wasn't sure if the other party was talking to him, so he just nodded slightly.

If you make a mistake, it won't become an embarrassing situation.

At this moment, a loud cheer suddenly came from the stands.

The old man also turned his head at this time.

In this way, the siege was resolved.

Then, the lounge fell into the silence it had been at the beginning.

In my ears, there is the sound of rain mixed with noise.

Hattori silently tightened his grip on the reins.

The winning suit on his body had long been soaked by the rain, and the cold touch stimulated every inch of his skin.

But on the contrary, something in his heart was burning as if it had been ignited.

The condition of the field quickly changed from "slightly heavy" to "heavy", and it is not impossible that it will become a "poor" field during the official competition.

And it seems that there is a high probability that we will be in a headwind position during the final sprint on the straight.

It is foreseeable that this will be a very difficult game.

However, this is a favorable situation for Mejiro Sakuya.

Unlike the racehorses around him that were starting to get agitated, his partner remained calm even after it started raining.

The strong deer-haired body, soaked by rain, stood like a rock in front of the gate.

"Come on horseback!"

He let out a long breath.

Then, the muscles on the inside of your thighs begin to tighten instinctively.

Just as it has been for the past thirty-one years.

Amid the noise, the starting committee member walked up to the starting tower in the rain.

His suit soon got wet, but he still waved the small flag in his hand meticulously.

This time, Kitano was also unable to see the girls in the wind orchestra of the technical high school in person.

The temporary shelter perfectly blocks the view from above.

"The eleventh race at Monbetsu Racecourse is being held today. The Future Horse Series is at 2,250 meters. The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award, the sixth JBC Two-Year-Old Horse Award, is held. The JPNthree Exchange Prize is offered. The distance is 1,800 meters, and ten runners are participating."

Through the indoor broadcast, the live sound is clearly transmitted to the ears.

Kitano's heartbeat began to speed up unconsciously.

Through the rain, you can vaguely see a few blurry outlines in front of the gate.

"Five from JRA, and then five from regional Hokkaido."

"Whether this year will be a victory for the central government or a triumph for Hokkaido, let's wait and see."

"The weather conditions given for the review venue were rainy, and the conditions at the venue were still heavy."

There was a brief pause in the live commentary, seemingly as if he was checking with the surrounding staff.

Apparently due to the heavy rain, many racehorses had difficulty entering the gates.

Especially during the Shonan attack, the rider Ikezoe with a white hat on his head was almost thrown off his horse.

After all the horses entered the gate, there was obvious water accumulation on the track.

"Okay, although it wasn't smooth, everyone has finally passed through the gate. The staff can leave--"

"Game start!"

Chapter 61: Fighting in the Heavy Rain

Ten racehorses rushed out of the gate one after another.

In the heavy rain, the gray-white figure stood out like lightning.

Mudaiba's exit from the gate was quite smooth, and he even opened up a gap of about a horse length from his opponent in the second gate at the start.

Ochiai pulled the reins slightly and was not in a hurry to take the lead at the beginning.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the white helmet on the right.

As expected, Shonan's attack was as strong as expected, and they tried to fight for a front position after leaving the gate.

Given a gate position like this, most riders would probably make the same choice as long as their start wasn't too bad.

Pulling the reins sideways, Ochiai controlled Mudaishima to move closer to the inside.

After completing the gate draw, he had a long discussion with Tanaka and worked out two plans.

The first plan was to let Baima take the lead after the start and set a faster pace as expected from the beginning.

The second plan was designed specifically for the popular Shonan impact.

When Shonan Impact showed its intention to fight for the leading position after leaving the gate, Ochiai, who was one horse away, would stick close to it to interfere with it.

The current situation is the unfolding of "Plan B".

Medaima easily reached a position parallel to Shonan's attack.

He neither continued to exert wrist strength to catch up, nor did he go around to the back to take a more advantageous route.

The two horses were engaged in a head-on battle before the initial race was fully unfolded.

Mu Tianma pressed down his ears, and transparent beads were dripping intermittently from the tips of the earmuffs.

Shonan Impact also shook their heads as if irritated.

“It worked.”

Ochiai withdrew his gaze.

However, the subsequent developments were not as smooth as he had imagined.

Ikezoe controlled the reins steadily. Although his pace was temporarily disordered, Shonan's attack did not deviate from the route or make any obvious mistakes.

"In that case, the plan will have to change slightly."

Ochiai tapped the horse's belly twice with his heels.

With this action, he gave the order to Mudaiheima to speed up slowly.

It is not about taking the lead at a fast pace in one breath, but adjusting the pace range according to the rhythm of the field, and then using the last foot after the warmth in the middle stage to win in the second half.

This is the ideal running method that is most suitable for Mu Baima under the leading strategy.

In many ways, it's not a typical escape strategy.

Of course, this is also inseparable from Medou Hakuma's lack of explosive power.

However, today, there was another consideration for not rushing to bring out a fast pace in the early stages.

Through such close combat, the attack of Shonan can be consumed.

Streaks of rain slid across the goggles, leaving obvious marks.

It's already enough to become an obstacle.

But compared to the guy eating sand behind, this view is much better.

The two horses ran side by side, creating a gap between them and the herd behind them.

"After the gate, the situation was slightly calmer. This was probably due to the field conditions. The formation of the ten horses was relatively compact."

"At the front of the team are the parallel teams of Shonan Impact No. 1 and Medaima No. 3. Will the match start off in a one-on-one fashion?"

Lumao and Limao were competing at the front of the team, refusing to give in to each other.

The heavy clatter of hooves was accompanied by the increasingly heavy breathing of the racehorses, and the cheers rushing over the railings were intertwined with the heartbeats close to the ears.

Kitano pursed his lips and applied a little pressure on his fingertips on the sofa.

My breathing became rapid without me noticing.

At this moment, the crisp sound of a can opening came from beside me.

Then, a slight sigh came from the old man's mouth.

"It really has to be a different door—"

"Hey bro, do you want a can too?"

As he spoke, the old man pointed to the refrigerator.

"Is that delicious?"

Looking away from the glass window, Kitano asked in confusion.

"The taste is just average, and the sweetness is a bit too much for my age."

The old man shook his head in surprise.

"But it's free after all."

It was an answer that was too reasonable to question.

So, Kitano took out a can of oolong tea from the refrigerator.

It is indeed as the old man said, it tastes quite ordinary.

He's the type who isn't very good with overly sweet things.

He took a sip and placed it on the table.