Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 101 Death Fight
To the right of my sight, figures in colorful clothes came like a tide.

Sure enough, we were already lagging behind when we left the race.

Although I had some expectations of a good start before the race, now I can only act according to the original plan.

With his left hand holding the reins, Wada quickly selected an inside route that was only one stack away from the inner rail.

The track was in a similar condition to the previous racecourse inspections, and it felt like running faster on both the inside and outside.

However, in terms of mileage, the positions closer to the inside still have a slight advantage.

In addition, the starting straight line is not very long, so the competition for the initial position is quite fierce from the beginning.

After arriving at the expected route, Wada's hands did not move much.

"Try to keep up if you can."

This was the strategy the camp had prepared for the initial stages of the match.

Although it is conservative to the point of being passive, it is also a last resort for Mejiro Sakuya, who has difficulty in getting out of the gate.

Soon, overlapping figures of various colors appeared in front of my eyes.

During the fight, a pink color drifted towards the center of the field of vision.

When he blinked again, Happy Time had already reached the front of the inner track.

It is not what you expect, that is, waiting to enter the corner and then merge inwards.

"That would be a bit troublesome."

Hetian frowned slightly.

The decision on pace fell to Rodun.

This is not good news for Mejiro Sakuya, who is determined to win and is in the last position.

Transparent beads of sweat slid down his temples, and Hetian held the reins tightly.

"Would you like to come a little closer?"

At a certain moment, such hesitation arose.

Although he is in the position that is theoretically most likely to play the last foot, his vision and forward route are quite poor.

If you don't accelerate early, you may end up being completely blocked by the horses on the innermost side after entering the curve.

"Don't be led by the nose!"

In an instant, Hetian made the decision to run at his original pace.

When the initial chaos has almost subsided, if you want to move forward, you have to go around to a fairly far outside place.

In this way, it can basically be said that they have given up the fight for the championship.

There is only one goal——

Win the game!

In the brief moment when the herd swells outside when entering the curve, find the route to victory.

Using such a bold strategy in an unfamiliar racecourse where one has never ridden the horse before, and with a horse that is partnering with the horse for the first time in an official race, could very well lead to a rather ugly result if it fails.

He might even lose Mejiro Sakuya's riding commission because of this.

However, a mere ride was not what he wanted.

A texture finer than sand hit his face, and Hetian suppressed the urge to sneeze.

In such a game, whether you can maintain your composure is the key to victory or defeat.

Putting aside all distractions, he quickly calmed down and began to read the pace on the court.

It seems to be a little slower than the initial stage, but still maintains a fast pace.

"In this case, we should accelerate according to the original timing."

He Tian continued to observe the development of the field, thinking so.

An almost undetectable strange feeling crept up on me at this moment.

In the sight, Lian Dawen, who was wearing a yellow and black winning suit, suddenly whipped the horse.

When entering the bend.

wrong--

The joyful time of the release of the flower is consciously slowing down!
After reaching this conclusion, my consciousness wavered briefly.

But soon Hetian forced himself to calm down.

"still have a chance."

His slightly sweaty hands clenched the whip.

Seize the moment of entering the corner and start chasing from the inside.

The window for action is only a few seconds.

It is enough.

Knowing that the opponent still had some strength left, he began to wait anxiously.

"It's not yet time."

He looked through the herd of horses and fixed his gaze on the figure in front.

"No, not now."

The horses of the first group have not yet opened up a gap.

We must catch up to a point that exceeds the happy time in one go.

Amidst the tension that almost crushed his thin figure, Wada remained motionless.

Now—even though there was no space on the inside in front, he raised his whip as if he had a premonition.

The moment the whip fell, he began to urge the horse forward.

The figure with deer hair raised its front hooves, and the colorful silk made a rustling sound in the wind.

The next moment, the front of my sight split open like Moses parting the sea.

"The time has come for the decisive battle."

Although the final straight line is still some distance away, for Mejiro Sakuya, now is the time to win or lose.

While urging the horse hard, he used the whip to adjust the direction of advance.

There is no room for leisurely reining.

Under the rough riding, the distance between Mejiro Sakuya and the front was rapidly closing at an unreasonable speed.

At the junction between the bends, the horses almost collectively slowed down.

At this time-

From the back of the inside track came the clatter of uneasy hooves.

"Happy Time is in the lead, followed by Riezama from the fourth division, but inside, Mejiro Sakuya is coming! Mejiro Sakuya is coming!"

The on-site and broadcast reporters were all surprised by the white and green clothes that suddenly appeared in their sight.

Instead of slowing down in the corners like a normal dirt horse would, it chose a strategy that went against common sense.

Lumao's figure splashed yellow sand all over the sky in the inner path.

Facing the setting sun on the horizon, Hetian raised his whip again.

The sound of hooves in my ears was like thunder.

Luo Dun, who was wearing the pink decisive suit, finally spotted the figure approaching from the left rear.

So the Irish rider pulled the reins to the side without hesitation, trying to block Mejiro Sakuya's way to the left.

There was no fluctuation on Hetian's face as he continued to push forward with an unstoppable attitude.

Two horse bodies
A horse body

In the end, the two sides closed the distance to less than a horse's length.

They started fighting in close combat almost with their hooves touching.

“Will it unfold like this?”

Will the more determined Joyful Time prevail, or will the larger Mejiro Sakuya triumph over the opponent?

No one could have predicted this.

In front of the stands and railings, members of the "Mejiro Society" even exclaimed in advance.

During the push, Hetian threw a left whip in a twisted posture.

It didn't take much effort.

However, it is sufficient as a whip to adjust the direction.

The eleventh Joyful Time is on the left, and the fourth Riyesama is on the right.

At the moment of approaching the straight line, the two riders running side by side made different choices.

At this moment, a narrow path appeared in front of the sight, which was only wide enough for one horse to pass through.

Mejiro Sakuya bit it and squeezed it in.

"Three horses lined up in the straight, and Mejiro Sakuya managed to pull away! Brilliant ride from Japanese Triple Crown jockey Ryuji Wada!"

The hoarse voice of the live broadcast was drowned out by the chaotic shouting from the stands in the blink of an eye.

At the front of the railing, the remaining five members of the expedition leaned forward significantly.

The rumbling sound of hooves gradually approached.

Mejiro Sakuya and Happy Times gradually left the herd behind in the race.

Hotan, who was slightly to the outside, took the lead.

He raised his hand and whipped the horse, then began to urge the horse on the straight section without hesitation.

"Mejiro Sakuya, Japan's Mejiro Sakuya is in the lead, about half a length ahead! Happy Time, turning to the inside lane, is in pursuit!"

Hotan urged the horse forward vigorously in rhythm with its body, whipping it from time to time to adjust the direction.

Fine white foam oozed out from between Mejiro Sakuya's teeth.

Hetian on the saddle also clenched his teeth.

100 meter

50 meter

20 meter

finally--

The chestnut horse's body stood out in the fight.

Right in front of the finish line, Kitano pursed his lips tightly.

Pink and green crossed the finish line one after another.

"Happy Hour in Ireland is number one! The second one is Mejiro Sakuya from Japan!"

"Happy Time won the mare duel!"

　16:20 Leopardstown (IRE) 05 Jun 2025
　　Moments of Joy
　　Broke well to lead, headed after 1f, 3rd after 2f, effort over 2f out, improved to 2nd 1 1/2f out, led over 1f out, strongly pressed inside final 100 yards, kept on best closing stages.
　　I wanted to give my mother-in-law a mouthful of poison, but Sister Huanyue just went straight to the dragon

　　
　
(End of this chapter)