Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 135 The True Face Behind the Magic
Turning into the first bend, Ochiai slightly pulled in the reins.

However, there was a sense of resistance coming from the armature.

"It's not time to slow down yet!"

Mudaiba raised his head slightly, and seemed to make the opposite judgment with some dissatisfaction.

"There won't be any problem if we continue running at the current pace."

So far, the back feels smoother.

Then there is no need to change the pace for the time being.

In horse racing, being able to run in coordination is much better than not being able to do so.

However, if the target is a horse like Meduhira, who is running to some extent on the basis of fighting spirit, then it is a different matter.

In the leading position, its overly strong fighting spirit can serve as a driving force for moving forward.

As for what happened after Medaima lost his fighting spirit—

Just one experience like this with JBC’s 2-year-old Youjun was enough.

So, he relaxed his control over the reins a little.

Even on the curves, I didn't try to control the speed.

The distance between the horses closed and then widened, and the gray-white figure was still in the front.

“The rhythm should be about the same.”

After entering the straight line opposite, he slightly tightened the reins in his hands.

This time, Mudaiheima carried out the order very happily.

Just like some naughty children, if you don't let them play from the beginning, it is likely to provoke a rebellious mentality.

If you let it play freely to a certain extent, it will be much easier to rein it in when it is really needed.

While partnering with Medairo Hirama, Ochiai also began to think of some things that he had not considered before or had subconsciously ignored.

On the surface, horse racing is determined by the final leg of the race on the final straight.

However, the direction from the start to the initial set often has a greater impact on the direction of the game.

There are no other escape horses in the race, which means there is no need to put too much effort into fighting for position.

In this regard, we have accumulated certain advantages from the very beginning.

However, the situation is not that optimistic.

Opponents who see through the "pace magic" are likely to launch attacks earlier than normal.

Moreover, Beihai Youjun is the twelfth game today.

This means that a considerable amount of sand has accumulated on the innermost track.

For the escaped horse advancing in the inside lead position, this can be said to be a very unfavorable track development.

The key to winning at the escape horse race is "how to maintain your own rhythm."

If the horses in the second and third positions exert pressure in advance, the leading strategy will become passive.

So in this game, Ochihei did not slow down the pace in the middle as he did in the previous games.

Although I controlled the speed slightly when turning into the straight line, it was more for the consideration of cutting into the route.

The pace did not slow down at this position as the outside world expected.

At present, it is still maintaining a good forward momentum, and there is no sense that Baima is struggling.

Moreover, the pressure from the rear is not so obvious yet.

With his lips slightly pursed, Ochiai made no movement to tighten or loosen the reins.

"It's okay to keep running like this."

Before the game, the anxiety about the distance made it inevitable that the team was a little restrained when formulating tactics.

However, after realizing that "there is a high probability that he can run 2,000 meters", Ochiai decisively overturned several previously formulated tactics.

No need to slow down, just keep running -

If the overall pace tends to be uniform or even slightly faster, the situation will be reversed to a more unfavorable direction for the leading group.

In addition, due to the continuous rhythm after leaving the gate, the herd of horses quickly spread out in a long strip.

If the pace remains the same, the horses behind will have to expend more energy to catch up.

Only when the rhythm changes significantly and the herd becomes compact will the attack from the rear become easy.

At the beginning of the third turn, Ochiai turned his head sharply and looked behind him.

Among the horses left behind, it seemed that many riders had already started to urge them on.

Turning my gaze back to the track ahead, the last bit of uneasiness in my heart dissipated.

it's here--

The outcome is decided. For the fleeing horse, the key to victory lies in maintaining its own rhythm.

Turning to the chasing side, if you want to win the race, you have to follow the momentum of the herd, conserve your energy while seizing opportunities to move forward in time.

This is not an easy task in a gate with a tight route and short straight lines.

After taking the lead, try to keep as much distance as possible from the horses behind you. Even if you cannot win, you still have a chance to get a good ranking.

For local competitions, this level of tactics is sufficient.

However, Ochiai was not satisfied with this.

Although it felt like hammering nails into rice bran, he still made tactical adjustments based on the situation on the field.

Faced with the challenge of an unknown distance, the rider's choice is to "believe".

Trust your own judgment and trust Pegasus's strength.

After passing the last corner, Ochiai whipped his whip and headed straight for the finish line.

Amidst the joy and cheers, the faces of the man and the horse had similar expressions.

Medaima's calm demeanor was just like Miyamoto Musashi who had kept Sasaki Kojiro waiting for a long time on Ganryu Island.

The distance is not that long but it is always difficult to close.

The fantasy of being caught up by the horses behind was ruthlessly shattered halfway down the straight, and it became a one-man show with only one horse in the front.

"The one leading is Medahira!"

"Sixth-ranked Medaihiramachi achieved his second crown!"

Ochiai raised two fingers, struck a victory gesture, and patted Medouha's neck.

In the stands, Kitano clenched his left fist, swung it gently, then released it and hugged Ogawa Katsu beside him.

Ogawa Jō's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed.

But then, a hint of helplessness appeared on his face again.

Almost half of this year has passed.

However, after searching through the ranch's classic annual horse winning records, only Bai Ma's name still appeared.

In any case, this is no longer something that can be simply attributed to bad luck.

"Good job, Pegasus!"

"Congratulations, President Kitano—"

The noise, which had been going on for quite some time before the finish line, became even louder when Kitano walked down from the stands.

“Thank you very much for your support!”

Arriving at the front of the stands, Kitano bowed repeatedly to express his gratitude.

The commendation ceremony ended, but the crowd in the racecourse remained stagnant.

For today's local horse racing fans, there is another aspect that is almost as important as the competition.

Mejiro Sakuya and Mejiro Baima merchandise, presented by Kitano Ma's owner personally—

For this reason, many horse racing fans come from the city or even further afield.

HRA was also happy to facilitate this and even provided the square behind the entrance as the event venue free of charge.

"Mr. Kitano, is this really necessary?"

After helping to distribute the peripherals, Xuhe Zhang asked with some confusion.

If this happens after every game, it will accumulate to be a considerable expense.

Kitano leaned over and picked up the last baseball cap in the cardboard box.

Then, he put it on his head.

"of course."

------------

"March 3 Derby! The Mejiro curse is history!"

——【UMA】Nikkan Sprot Horse Racing Official
“(Ｔ▽Ｔ) I forgot to buy the commemorative ticket for this race.”

——n○tkeiba·Muddayama·The latest comments on the bulletin board

@MejiroShoji: To thank everyone for their continued support, our president, Yuki Kitano, will be distributing free merchandise to spectators at the Monbetsu Racecourse after the Hokkaido Uejun Race on the 11th of this month.

At present, the Baima number is full of derby! 】"

——(Same as) MEJIRO Shoji Formula
“Although I was very tired when I first returned to Japan, I seem to be gradually recovering.

I hope it can keep up its spirits and be ready for the big battle in the second half of the year."

—Trainer Yoshito Yahagi mentions Mr. Caesar
　Chapter Two will be later.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)