Hokkaido Horse Racing Story

"When did you notice something was wrong?"

Kitano asked, standing up.

"Probably around April or May."

"April or May?"

Kitano's expression turned a little strange.

Speaking of which, there's something a little off about the way Grandma Takamura dresses.

It's already November, but I'm still wearing out-of-season, light clothing.

It looks a bit like a precursor to Alzheimer's.

"Um. Aru-chan's footwork really doesn't look good."

Grandma Gaocun held his hand and emphasized it repeatedly.

"Ah, I see."

Kitano nodded repeatedly, then bent down and checked it again patiently.

It really seems like there's no problem.

"Does Grandma Gaocun have any relatives we can contact?"

Kitano asked seemingly casually while helping to lead Aru-chan back to the stable.

"Relatives?"

Grandma Takamura frowned slightly, but then raised her finger with a cheerful look on her face. "My son is a lawyer in Osaka Prefecture!"

"I see. That's really remarkable."

After undoing the buckle of the leash, Kitano nodded slightly.

Since there are relatives who can be contacted, there shouldn't be any big problems.

But to be on the safe side, let's talk to the town's self-governing committee.

Chapter 69: Tripartite Talks at the End of the Year

It was a uneventful Thanksgiving.

Despite saying this, he still sent various souvenirs and holiday gifts brought from Tokyo to all the people involved.

Compared to usual days, these are actually a little busier.

On the last day of November, I received a call from Master Tanaka.

A long-awaited tripartite meeting.

The location is the "Wuxingshan" Chinese restaurant not far from Monbetsu Racecourse.

When Kitano arrived, the first floor of the restaurant was almost full.

In addition to the local townspeople, there were also some tourists.

It’s amazing that some people are still willing to come to Hokkaido.

Near the door, Tanaka was holding a menu and ordering food, while Ochiai beside him was shaking a glass of ice water boredly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Kitano."

After greeting, Tanaka handed the menu to Kitano.

As expected, apart from Mapo Tofu, there are all kinds of dishes with deadly thickening.

He ordered a twice-cooked pork set meal.

After a while, Ochiai's cold noodles and Tanaka's mapo tofu set meal were served first.

When Kitano's twice-cooked pork set meal was served, Ogawa Jō also hurried over.

Taking the menu, he ordered a special Five Elements Mountain Salt Ramen.

Several people started discussing while eating.

Tanaka put down the spoon and took a big gulp of ice water, making a hissing sound from time to time.

"How's Sakuya doing?"

He asked while taking a deep breath.

"I'm gradually getting into the game form, and my weight is now 492 kilograms, two kilograms heavier than the last game."

After saying that, Ogawa Jō picked up a little ramen, stirred it in the soup along with the chopped green onions, and then sucked it into his mouth with a loud sip.

"That would be great."

Tanaka looked painful, but said the exact opposite.

Since it is a harsh and difficult task, it is better not to be too aggressive.

Kitano thought so.

"I plan to take Sakuya to Kawasaki two weeks in advance to help her get used to the venue."

As he spoke, Tanaka pulled out his hand and wiped his eyelids, which were red from choking.

"There's no problem with my words."

Xuhe Zhang agreed very readily.

The endless blue sky above Hokkaido looks like it could snow at any moment.

As the snow season approaches, training here will become more difficult.

"There shouldn't be any problems with transportation, right?"

Kitano raised his head and asked after taking a big mouthful of rice with the slightly spicy twice-cooked pork.

Although there are some "transport-resistant horses" that do not feel stressed by transportation and can quickly adapt to unfamiliar environments, the impact on the horse's body is unavoidable when facing a long distance route such as "Hokkaido-Kawasaki".

After long-distance shipping, even overseas shipping, drastic weight changes, even as little as 10kg, are possible.

"Don't worry, stable attendant Kobayashi will be coordinating the entire transportation process and will be responsible for taking care of Mejiro Sakuya during the journey and upon arrival. In addition..."

At this point, Tanaka sneezed, covering his nose with his hands before continuing, "Also, I'll send another horse from the stable to do the transportation at the same time, so you don't have to worry about the environment."

"That's it-"

After swallowing the food in his mouth, Kitano nodded.

"Then there's no problem on my end."

Then he looked in the direction of Ochiai.

"I will devote my whole body and soul to the competition."

Putting down his chopsticks, Ochiai spoke solemnly, as if he was swearing something.

"Ochiai-kun is taking things too seriously. It would be better if you could relax a little."

Kitano smiled and shook his head.

Regarding the next game, he doesn't want to put too much pressure on the camp.

After drinking the ice water in the cup, Tanaka patted Ochiai on the shoulder and said, "This is not like the 'Ice General' Ochiai."

"Feel sorry."

Ochiai lowered his head slightly.

"Forget it. Regarding Pegasus, does Mr. Kitano have any considerations?"

Shaking his head helplessly, Tanaka turned to the next topic.

"What about Master Tanaka's advice?"

Kitano looked up and asked after taking a sip of the miso soup that came with the set meal.

"While we can try areas with higher bounties, staying in Menbetsu is also an option for Pegasus."

After pursing his lips and thinking for a while, Tanaka replied.

"If you stay, you should be able to compete well for the age-limited prizes after you turn three."

Although he suffered a crushing defeat in the JBC 2-year-old Youjun, Tanaka is still optimistic about Medahiro Ma.

At least in the early part of the three-year-old race, the highly compatible pair of Medaima and Ochiai should still be able to show good competitiveness in the big prizes.

"Then I'll leave Pegasus's care to you next year as well."

Kitano made a decision quickly.

He does not have too many expectations for the performance of Medahiro's three-year-old season.

In this case, it is obviously a more reasonable choice to stay in a category that is more familiar and more likely to win competition prizes.

"That's my side."

Tanaka breathed a sigh of relief.

I have finally managed to keep some of the two-year-old powerful horses I have.

"Regarding Pegasus's route for next year, does Mr. Kitano have any ideas?"

Tanaka asked as he ordered another glass of ice water.

"Next year's route?"

After swallowing the last few grains of rice at the bottom of the bowl with the side dishes, Kitano said, "Let's first listen to what Master Tanaka has to say."

"Then if you don't mind, I'll tell you what I want to say."

Tanaka nodded slightly, and after a moment's thought, he continued, "For the first half of the year, how about focusing on April's three-year-old limited prize, Future Star North Japan, as your main goal?"

As a local prize newly established in 2024, the NEXT STAR Series North Japan is suitable for Medairo in terms of competitiveness and prize money, and the distance is also 1200 meters within Medairo's range.

"There's nothing wrong with what I'm saying."

"Then there's the Beidou Cup in May."

Tanaka's expression turned serious.

Although the Beidou Cup, once established as a precursor to the Chrysanthemum Admiring Competition, has lost its former status, it still holds a very important place in the hearts of horse racing enthusiasts.

At the same time, it is also the first level of the Daoying Three Crowns.

"Are you going to take the Triple Crown route?"

Putting down the empty bowl, Ogawa Jō asked.

"That's right. If we can get a good ranking in the Beidou Cup, we can also try to run in the Beihai Youjun and Wangguan Cups."

As he said this, Tanaka couldn't help but think of Medahiro's sudden deceleration in the previous game.

This guy is totally unexpected.

Listening to the conversation between the two, Kitano felt a little doubtful.

What kind of triple crown is this?

Thanks to Destiny Lingfeng for the 500 starting coins reward,

Thank you for your support

Ciallo～(∠ω<)⌒★

Chapter 70 Winter Thoughts

On the first day of December, the air was filled with a damp smell different from rain.

Early in the morning, a considerable crowd gathered outside Tanaka's stables.

"We'll use buffer transport, with a twelve to twenty-four hour layover at the Iwate branch. However, the corresponding fees will increase slightly. Is that okay?"

Shikimiya, wrapped in a down jacket, held a tablet in his hand and confirmed with Kitano while planning the transportation route.

He is a crew member from Oe Transport Co., Ltd.

Oe Transport is based in Shin-Hidaka Shizunai, near Shin-Kou Town, and has been undertaking long-distance transportation of racehorses since 1969.