Hokkaido Horse Racing Story

After looking around several times, Zepu followed Huangshan with his butt sticking out.

On the other side, Hetian silently felt the feedback from the soles of his boots.

The Saudi track has a completely different feel from the mud tracks I've experienced before.

He bent down to check the materials on the track.

Dirt tracks in Japan usually have a rough surface made of sand.

The Saudi one is more delicate and has a powdery texture.

He tried it again several times at different locations on the track.

Generally speaking, it feels like something between grass and sand.

Hetian then pushed his feet backwards, imitating the way a racehorse exerts force.

It's not too strenuous.

The dust blowing backwards is different from the common block or granular dust, and feels like spray.

It will not have a significant impact on the horses behind.

In terms of quality, the dirt track at King Abdulaziz Circuit is undoubtedly the best in the world.

Grasping a handful of materials in his hand, Hetian pursed his lips slightly.

It was the first time he encountered such a strange track layout.

The mental picture of how the game would unfold was constantly being constructed, overturned, and then reconstructed.

The dust-like material slipped from his palm like a chipped sand clock.

"Wada Rider, it's time to go."

Huangshan said as he walked over.

"Can horseshoes be replaced with a style with stronger adhesion during official competitions?"

After leaving the track under the supervision of the staff, Huangshan turned his head and asked Zep.

The track was much looser than expected.

Compared to the traditional mud, it is more like a grass field.

In this case, the horseshoes that Sakuya Mejiro originally used to cope with the Japanese sand track had to be adjusted.

"No problem. How about the lighter aluminum alloy?"

Next to the horse trainer, a tall German farrier was crouching over and explaining something with gesticulations.

As a rider, Hetian also joined the discussion.

"In terms of design, if you don't need to drain the mud, you can replace the V-shaped edge with a deeper bottom pattern!"

Zep imitated the movement of horse hooves with his hands with a serious expression.

"In terms of texture, the track is slightly harder than in Japan, so it is necessary to consider lightweighting and increasing adhesion."

Huangshan nodded, then asked, "What do the Hotan riders think?"

"I think the adhesion considerations can be taken to a more exaggerated level, and it would be fine to even treat it as a grass track."

Recalling the situation during the horse farm inspection not long ago, Wada replied.

Both the inner and outer tracks tend to have a loose and dry texture.

On the day of the Saudi Cup, the Saudi derby will start in the third match earlier.

So when the race comes, the track will most likely be similar to today.

"Think of it as a grass track?"

After consideration, Huangshan decided to follow the advice from the rider.

However, if the texture is really more like grass, the escape strategy must be adjusted accordingly.

The three of them chatted as they slowly walked towards the hotel.

Although Mejiro Sakuya had a good performance on the dirt when she was two years old, both the trainer Arashiyama and the rider Wada have cautious expectations about the prospects of the competition.

There may be situations that you can adapt to easily, but there may also be situations that you cannot adapt to.

When the track type changes, any direction is possible.

Therefore, in the horse racing industry, many people are unwilling to change.

One could even go further and say that they hate change.

It’s best if everything is familiar to you.

Every year the schedule is familiar, the track is familiar, the route is familiar, and even the rhythm of the race is familiar.

In this industry that is extremely particular about tradition and rules, change often costs more than you imagine.

All they can do now is to pray that Mejiro Sakuya can perform as expected during the actual training.

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Chapter 95 The Attacking Expedition

On February 8, the six members of the camp arrived at the international stable early.

While Kitano and Huangshan were examining the horses, Wada took out his cell phone and continued to search for information about the Saudi Derby.

Although I have a general idea of ​​how to run, I have never actually ridden in a race in Saudi Arabia.

In terms of experience, he can only be regarded as a complete newcomer.

When the competition started, the actual development was completely different from what was expected, so there was still some uncertainty.

In addition to continuing to advance on-site horse racing reconnaissance in the past few days, we have also been asking for advice on the track from seniors who have experience in Saudi Arabia, such as Taketoshi and Norihiro Yokoyama.

Rhythm

This is the answer I got from my predecessors.

The 2000-meter dirt course at the King Abdulaziz Stadium is 500 meters long, both in the curves and the straight lines, and has a gentle slope similar to that of the American track.

Coupled with the special composition of the track material, the impact of "Kick Back" is far smaller than that of other normal dirt tracks.

Unlike the usual advantage in muddy terrain, here any strategy has the opportunity to be implemented.

It is precisely because of this fair design and the consideration of safety over speed that the King Abdulaziz Circuit has earned the high reputation of "the world's first dirt track" in just a few years.

"You have to always pay attention to the changes in rhythm on the court."

Upon learning that Hotan had the opportunity to participate in the Saudi Cup competition, Taketoshi congratulated him and repeatedly reminded him.

Although the final straight line of the track is not short, if you want to fully exert your last foot, you have to consider the timing of exerting force from the corners or even earlier.

The Saudi Derby, with a shorter total distance of only 1600 meters, places extremely high demands on the rider's ability to read the game.

On the other side, Kitano and Arashiyama meticulously examined Mejiro Sakuya's body.

After the two entered the stable, the deer-hair horse looked quite relaxed and had eaten the feed in the trough well.

On the day the transportation was completed, Mejiro Sakuya quickly regained her appetite.

From this perspective, a lot of effort is saved for the normal progress of the training plan.

Even with the best care, mares are prone to unexpected events like loss of appetite or unpredictable mood swings that can disrupt training and racing schedules.

After a long period of transportation, the probability of such a vicious incident suddenly reached a very bad level.

However, since the expedition, Mejiro Sakuya's appetite and spirits have remained as stable as usual.

He eats normally, trains normally, and often doesn't move much in the stable.

It was as if it had been teleported from the stable at Kobayashi Ranch to Saudi Arabia in an instant, without being affected at all.

The four kilograms of weight lost due to long-distance transportation was slowly gained back with the help of a stable food intake.

If the current momentum continues, there may be a need to reduce weight, which is a bit of a luxury for overseas expedition camps.

"There's no problem with the foot element either."

Kitano, who had been squatting on the ground checking, stood up and said.

Mejiro Sakuya took the baseball cap from his head out of curiosity, but slowly let go of it in the face of Kitano's gentle and helpless look.

"In terms of health, there is nothing to worry about."

Putting his hat back on, Kitano smiled and patted Deerhair Ma's head.

"The muscles in the hind legs have also become slightly fuller, so at least they're not too weak anymore."

After patting the deer-hair horse's gradually plump hindquarters, Huangshan's frown finally relaxed a little.

After completing the inspection, the two left the stable.

"I've recovered well and am completely back on track mentally."

After coming out, Huangshan finally showed a relaxed look on his face, which was rare since the expedition.

"There's nothing to worry about in terms of physical conditioning."

This was followed by comments from horse owner and veterinarian Kitano.

"Then let's go!"

Following the trainer's order, the group began to move.

While Ogawa Masaru was leading the horse, Kitano was checking the ice packs in the insulated box.

In addition to dealing with lameness, this is also a consideration for preventing suspensory ligament inflammation in high temperatures.

In the field of sports science, the use of ice packs for post-exercise recovery has become very common.

But in the world of horse racing it's a different story.

Even in the 21st century, there are still many diehards who advocate "roots supremacy" and "Spartanism".

After confirming that the insulation was in good condition, Kitano closed the box again.

He used a cheap homemade ice pack made from multiple layers of plastic wrap and ordinary crushed ice.

With a limited budget, every penny spent must be used wisely.

This is the helplessness of a small camp expedition.

After finishing the cleanup, Huangshan confirmed the changes in the stable status through the tablet.

With the help of the carriage provided by the stable, the camp quickly arrived at the stadium.

Huangshan plans to adapt to the appearance circle first.

After changing into protective clothing, Hotan trotted over, holding his helmet in his hand and easily climbed onto the horse's back.

The trainer and the stable boy, one on each side, led Mejiro Sakuya towards the reviewing ground.

At the reviewing ground, several horse fans from Japan were already waiting.

"Keep trying, Sakuya—"

A female horse fan wearing a cheering uniform waved her arms desperately.

Mejiro Sakuya tilted her head and was startled by the mist spraying from behind the railing.

But before Ogawa Katsu could reach out to comfort him, the deer-haired horse came up to the spray nozzle with a curious look on its face and pouted its upper lip.

"If you want some water, come back later."

Ogawa Masaru patted Mejiro Sakuya's head and whispered.

Hetian on the saddle also cooperated by pulling the reins, and the deer-hair horse then moved slowly.

"At least he doesn't look stage fright."

Kitano, who was standing in front of the railing, breathed a sigh of relief.

"So there are advantages to being a slow horse."