Hokkaido Horse Racing Story

The direction of the game will naturally not be that simple.

In addition to the conditions of the field, the gate position, the strength of the horse and rider themselves, on-the-spot performance and even other horse racing factors all have an impact on the final result.

Kitano, who is about to enter his second year as a horse owner, has also begun to have such thoughts.

However, my tense mood since morning finally relaxed a little.

Afterwards, the two horse owners took a photo together.

Kitano stood straight, looking at the camera with a serious expression.

In contrast, Dr. Kobayashi, who was actually born in the Showa era, playfully stuck out his tongue and pointed at Kitano, making the "Ichiban" gesture.

The riders walked out of the preparation room one after another.

Ochiai, who had already fastened his helmet in the preparation room, walked towards Kitano.

"Come on, Genta."

Kitano patted the rider's thin shoulder.

There came the mixed sounds of footsteps and horse hooves.

My heartbeat began to quicken involuntarily.

"Please leave it to me."

Ochiai's answer was calm, without any excessive emotion.

After saying this, he pursed his lips resolutely.

When he turned around, the rider in white and green clothes had a razor-sharp look on his face.

Facing the direction of the reviewing ground, he took a step forward.

The slightly dazzling light made him squint subconsciously, but he still easily found his partner in the crowd.

Climbing onto the horse's back, the ups and downs in my heart were calmer than I had imagined.

The sense of reality of the race itself is gradually disappearing with the ups and downs of the horse's back.

Before the game, Master Tanaka said, "Maybe we can win."

The reason is negative pounds.

Mejiro Sakuya weighs 55kg for a mare, while the other eleven opponents, including Mr. Caesar, weigh 56kg for a stallion.

This 1kg difference in weight is enough to change the direction of the game.

Of course, this is only based on the premise that there is not much difference in strength.

In this regard, Ochiai has far more confidence than anyone else in the camp.

It's not about winning, but about not being able to lose.

This dreamlike goal flashed through my mind one day not long ago, and it still echoes in my mind now as the competition is about to begin.

"Come on, Miss."

As he spoke, Ochiai gently patted Mejiro Sakuya's neck.

The black braids trembled, giving off a delicate silky texture under the night sky.

Mejiro Sakuya moved her head slightly as she walked, as if nodding.

After the parade, the three-headed horse dressed as an elk came to the front of the team.

Then, start heading towards the stadium.

"The Road To Victory"——

The band played the Kawasaki Jusho entrance song.

Accompanied by the passionate symphony, the host began to introduce the situation of the runaway horse.

"Kawasaki's eleventh race, the runaway horse's entry."

"The 76th All-Japan Two-Year-Old Horse Race, a Grade 1 race, 1,600 meters, with twelve two-year-old horses running."

"In the previous competition, the visitor from Miho, Kobayashi Eidan, who had won three out of four matches and was in excellent form, weighed 468 kilograms, with a weight gain of negative eight. The rider, Iwata Nozomi, was on the saddle, with a weight of 56 kilograms."

Dr. Kobayashi let out a slightly smug laugh at the Kawasaki runaway horse owner's room, which was said to be as luxurious as the central one.

"What do you think, Kitano? We have a good seat here."

"In that case, our gate position seems to be pretty good too."

Kitano smiled and shook his head, turned around, placed the disposable paper cup under the beverage machine, and pressed the button for fresh water.

There was no response.

Tried the American coffee button again.

This time it worked.

Dark brown liquid flowed out from the water inlet, and under the light, a slightly tense face was reflected in the cup.

He picked up the coffee and pursed his lips subconsciously.

When I returned to the sofa, I rubbed my stiff face.

Then, he kept an upright posture and looked at the stadium outside the window.

At this point, the introduction to the running horse has reached the second half.

"Sixth Division, arriving with a completely victorious attitude, the goal is to conquer the world."

"Mr. Caesar, four hundred and seventy-eight kilograms, weight gain or loss of four, rider Sakai Rusei on the saddle, weight of fifty-six kilograms."

Subconsciously, I turned my head to look at the track.

Under the light, the black horse's body shone like silk.

A very beautiful racehorse indeed.

Although judging strength based on appearance is a bit arbitrary, it has a subtle effect when applied to horse racing.

Generally speaking, horses with smooth lines tend not to run too badly.

"Whether it's grass or mud, whether it's a good field or a heavy field, the footsteps of the hooves are the answer."

"Azure Beacon, five hundred and three kilograms, weight gain and loss of three, Miura Imperial Rider on the saddle, carrying a weight of fifty-six kilograms."

He picked up the paper cup and took a sip, then Kitano raised his head again.

coming.

A familiar outline became clear in front of my sight.

"A new chapter of history is right before our feet. Let's begin with this unquestionable last step, from Hokkaido."

"Mejiro Sakuya, 496 kg, weight gain/loss 6, Ochiai Genta rider on saddle, carrying 55 kg."

Thunderous cheers rang out from the stands.

Chapter 73 First and Last

"Oh--"

Until the next horse came, the horse fans in the stands were still shouting Mejiro Sakuya's name.

When entering the gate, many racehorses showed varying degrees of resistance.

The racehorses from the central government need to overcome the unfamiliar environment of night racing, while the local racehorses feel uneasy about the big scene ahead.

Mejiro Sakuya entered smoothly.

The traction rope was loosened, and he stood firmly in the gate.

His eyes looked a little dull, just like usual.

"How about it?"

With his hands on the railing, Tanaka leaned forward slightly and asked Kobayashi.

"No problem, it's the same attitude as usual!"

Holding the helmet with one hand, Xiaolin shouted as he jogged.

The same attitude as usual——

Tanaka had a somewhat subtle expression on his face.

But, it should be fine.

The guy riding on the horse is Genta.

Even under great pressure, he is able to seize winning opportunities in the ever-changing game.

Tanaka admired his courage.

On the field, the number of racehorses outside the gates is decreasing.

He watched this scene unfold and slowly exhaled.

My palms unconsciously became damp.

The starting tower slowly rose in front of my sight.

The final game is about to begin.

The rider named Genta Ochiai was in a state of "nothingness" at this moment.

All distractions outside of the game disappeared at this moment.

In front of my sight, the gate popped open.

Mejiro Sakuya took a step forward, a step behind the others.

Almost at the moment the game started, he fell to a significantly backward position.

He controlled the reins quite easily and led the horse slightly to the inside.

It is not a route close to the inner fence, but a position about two to three layers to the outside that was explored before the game.

As early as when I was inside the gate, I had already planned the next route in my mind.

Then, the initial game unfolded.

He passed by the other opponents and locked his sight on the colorfully dressed back of Ebi.

He did not move forward too aggressively, and seemed to be planning to stay in the middle.

The two riders approached the inside at about the same time.

Mr. Caesar was slightly ahead, and Mejiro Sakuya was slightly behind, and neither horse was involved in the fight for the lead.

While a fierce competition was going on ahead, Mr. Caesar and Mejiro Sakuya each arrived at the good position chosen by the rider.

It is said that as riders and horses get along, their temperaments will tend to converge.

But when it comes to Ochiai and Mejiro Sakuya, it is hard to say who started to influence whom first.

The flying sand and dust hit their faces, and the man and the horse silently endured the pain.

Most racehorses will feel anxious to some extent when faced with similar situations.

But Mejiro Sakuya is such a dull horse in every sense, and she will not be easily shaken even when facing harsh environments and challenges.

While most of her opponents were forced to make adjustments in order to avoid the rising sand, Mejiro Sakuya was able to firmly maintain her original route.

Of course, the reverse position advantage brought by the late exit also made it much easier for Ochiai to choose the route than his opponents.

This is how the initial stages of the match unfolded.

Before entering the first bend, the horses were in a relatively compact formation.

"The pace was pretty fast when I left the gate."

In the horse owner's room, Kitano made this judgment.

I'm vaguely looking forward to a more intense rhythm.

But soon, in his disappointed eyes, the team began to lengthen obviously, and a very obvious gap had opened up between the leading horse Kobayashi Eidan and the last horse entering the second turn.

After taking their positions, the riders decisively broke away from the competitive state of the initial stage.