Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 102 The End of Saudi Arabia

Still failed.

Kitano sighed with regret.

There is only a thin line between glory and setbacks——

However, the feeling of excitement quickly replaced the regret and spread into my heart.

Sakuya's performance has far exceeded expectations.

"Good job!"

He hugged the barren mountain tightly.

"Thank you very much, everyone."

The trainer's eyes were red as if he had eaten spiced curry.

I couldn't help but worry that I would sneeze or something in the next second.

"Thank you for your hard work."

Kitano lowered his neck towards the people in the camp.

In Riyadh under the setting sun, the dazzling lights and the faint stars above complement each other.

Ahead of the road, thin cirrus clouds were stained with madder red.

Kitano walked slowly as he passed in front of the stands.

He repeated his gratitude to the expedition horse fans over and over again.

The cell phone in my pocket kept buzzing.

Maybe it was all the calls from people involved.

In front of the inspection room, facing the questions of the Dongti reporter, Huangshan could only answer with sobs.

At the end of the interview, the trainer managed to squeeze out a patchwork of staccato sounds.

Perhaps because it was the first game, the inspection room was surprisingly not too crowded.

Carrying the medical kit, Kitano easily found Wada who was unsaddled.

Standing aside was Zep, holding the leash tightly with both hands and an embarrassed expression.

"Thank you for your hard work."

He lowered his head and spoke to the rider.

"Sorry, I'm still a little short of breath."

Taking off his somewhat heavy helmet, Hetian bowed slightly in response.

"Then win it back in the next game."

Kitano's tone became relaxed.

Regarding the content of this game, I don't have much desire to dig deeper.

It is enough that Mejiro Sakuya can also show her strength in the mixed track in the Middle East.

"Thank you for your hard work, too."

He took the leash and nodded to the German hoof trimmer again.

"Nothing, and it seems like quite interesting work."

Zep breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed his stiff wrist.

Next, Kitano will serve as the camp's veterinarian to accompany Mejiro Sakuya to collect urine after the game.

Although most of the time this job is done by the stable boys.

In front of the collection room, two Saudi medical examiners were already waiting outside the door.

"You have one hour. If urine collection is not possible, we will use blood collection as an alternative."

One of the examiners reminded before entering the collection room.

"Also, the collection room is equipped with full-angle surveillance. Please refrain from any attempts that might violate the rules."

Another examiner added with a serious expression.

The collection room is divided into separate areas similar to a bathroom.

When Kitano led Mejiro Sakuya in, he heard all kinds of boos coming one after another.

The deer-haired horse looked startled, rolled its eyes and leaned its head against Kitano's chest.

"Relax, relax~"

Kitano gently stroked the deer-haired horse's forehead while carefully pulling the leash.

After arriving at a relatively quiet cubicle in the corner, he slowly filled a small cup of warm water and brought it to Mejiro Sakuya's lips.

Whether it is normal post-race hydration or to cope with urine collection, racehorses must follow the principle of drinking small amounts and multiple times during the cooling process.

The deer-haired horse slowly rolled up its tongue and licked the warm water in the cup like a kitten.

Instead of immediately getting a second cup of warm water, Kitano helped Sakuya Meguro do some hind limb stretches. Gentle pelvic movements and relaxation can help trigger the urination reflex to some extent.

While stretching, Kitano observed the condition of the horse.

The amount of sweat on the wet deer-colored hair was quite exaggerated, but fortunately it did not develop to the level of white sweat.

Racehorses that have just finished a race will go through a period of excitement, and even Mejiro Sakuya, who is usually a bit slow, is no exception.

The deer-haired horse stuck out its tongue and rubbed its slightly wet head against Kitano's chest.

"Praise me now—"

It seems to be saying this.

A smile unconsciously appeared in Kitano's eyes, and he raised his hand to gently scratch Mejiro Sakuya's chin.

After the deer-hair horse's body temperature and breathing gradually returned to normal, he finally took out the sampling bottle.

Sampling was accomplished fairly easily.

The stable attendant of Hori Nobuyuki's stable was still trying to comfort the excited Taoyuan Tea House with a worried look on his face.

When I took out the sampling bottle and walked out of the collection room, the examiner at the door showed a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Okay, you guys can go now."

After confirming through the surveillance playback that Kitano had not violated any regulations, the examiner waved his hand reluctantly.

Two local stable boys in green vests were responsible for escorting Mejiro Sakuya back to the stables.

Kitano returned to the hotel where he was hosted after reuniting with his camp.

On the way, I finally made time to reply to the messages filling up the notification bar on my phone one by one.

In addition to various stakeholders, we also received an invitation from NAR to the 2025 awards ceremony.

The “NAR Grand Prix 2025” awards ceremony will be held on the last Saturday of this month, and voting for the various awards closed earlier today.

Mejiro Sakiyo was unanimously elected as the 2025 NAR Best 2-Year-Old Mare for her victory in the JBC 2-Year-Old Best Horse competition and her second place behind Chuo in the All Japan 2-Year-Old Best Horse competition.

This is not surprising at all.

"A commendation ceremony..."

He sighed somewhat distressedly.

As previously expected, the camp will move directly to the UAE after the three-day rest window to prepare for the next stage of the UAE derby.

It was not easy to leave my current job and return to Japan.

After much consideration, Kitano decided to squeeze out at least half a day to attend the commendation ceremony.

At least for now, the expedition still relies on subsidies from the NAR.

But this will inevitably lead to another round of hard work.

Picking up his phone, he quietly checked the flights between the Middle East and Japan that day.

"For transportation, how about continuing to choose Flyt Express?"

As if he had blocked out his emotions, Huangshan turned back to the next stage of work after the competition.

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

Kitano agreed to his proposal very readily.

The second-place prize in the Saudi Derby is a whopping $300,000, which, if you're a bit frugal, can even cover the entire cost of the Kentucky Derby.

"Then I will send them a consultation regarding the plan."

Nodding his head, Huangshan's fingertips tapped the phone screen quickly.

When we returned to the hotel, everyone was almost unable to open their eyes.

Even dinner was just a hasty one, and Kitano dragged his almost exhausted body towards the guest room.

"Mr. Kitano—"

A girl's voice came from behind.

"This, let's just consider it as a commemoration of Saudi Arabia."

Ogawa Kana gave him a wicked smile and stuffed the gift box into his arms.

Then, he returned to his room as if escaping.

It is a combination of dates and chocolate that is particularly popular during Ramadan.

Is this a Valentine's Day gift?

Holding the gift box wrapped in golden red, Kitano couldn't help but think so.

　Thanks to Wanyi Fei for the 500 starting coins, thanks to Maomao Chicheng Zhuzhu for the 500 starting coins, thanks to book friend 20230515114556659 for the 1600 starting coins, thanks to Magic Dragon Durin for the 100 starting coins

　　Thank you for your support

　　Ciallo～(∠ω<)⌒★
　　
　
(End of this chapter)