Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 156 Summer Chat in Tokyo

"It's still midsummer in the city—"

Looking at the boundless blue sky above my head, this thought subconsciously emerged in my mind.

The air in Hokkaido has taken on a distinct chill.

At this moment, the sky in Tokyo is clear, but the sun is still scorching.

Leaving the resentment from the people of Chiba behind, Kitano took a step forward.

The trees on both sides of the tree-lined path filled with the chirping of cicadas are still lush and green.

In a corner of the open corridor, Majima crunched the remaining popsicle into pieces and waved his arms towards the entrance.

"Oh hey—President Kitano!"

The horse trainer, holding the remaining wooden stick, came over with an inexplicable excitement on his face.

Sasakawa, who had been standing shoulder to shoulder with him, let out an inaudible sigh.

But he still silently drank the boxed drink and followed Majima towards the entrance where Kitano was.

"Good morning, President Kitano."

The riders greeted him in a much more normal way.

"Good morning."

Kitano nodded slightly in response, then looked helplessly at Majima who was still holding onto his palm.

"Master Majima, let's go inside and talk."

He had no choice but to remind her in this tactful way.

"Good good!"

As if waking from a dream, Majima untied his hands and continued to talk as he walked, "How about the Momiji set meal for the appetizer? I recommend the main course."

Looking at the two people walking in front, Sasakawa sighed again.

Today was the day that Majima had promised to treat everyone, so he even rushed from Oi to Chiba Kobayashi early in the morning.

However, when he arrived at the place, he was told that it was a meeting with the horse owner, so he had to hastily borrow a suit that didn't fit him well.

What a cunning senior—

"Welcome, President, to Kobayashi's stables. Regarding Atalanta, please give us your guidance!"

The language is disgusting, the lines are full of pretentiousness but the actor bites his tongue, and the deliberate expressions make it really hard to watch.

Kitano, however, maintained a fairly calm expression, allowing Majima to fill his glass, then nodded politely in thanks.

"Perhaps, I will never be a horse owner in this life."

Sasakawa couldn't help but think.

If this is also a compulsory course for horse owners.

However, after the formal discussion began, the atmosphere suddenly became much more serious.

"The feeling under Atalanta's feet is changing."

Majima picked up the sashimi mixed with pickles and spoke.

“And it’s a change for the better.”

The hoof, which was already known for its flexibility, continued to grow, and I received feedback from the hoof trimmer that "the touch under my feet is getting better."

"My steps have become lighter when I fold them, and my personality seems to be changing for the better."

Sasakawa, the main rider, also expressed his thoughts.

The horse's supple body coupled with its overwhelming speed among horses of the same age, if you only look at these two points, it is definitely a strong horse that can show its potential at the age of two.

However, things are not that simple.

"Although my exercise rhythm has improved slightly, my temperament is still mostly on the neurotic side."

Sasakawa smiled helplessly, but Kitano just nodded.

"Please keep up the good work, Master Majima. It's okay if you're a little stricter."

He said, facing the trainer.

"Understood!"

Majima immediately put on a serious expression that seemed unfamiliar to him.

Blind indulgence will only spoil the racehorse and make children who may have good potential lose the motivation to work hard.

Majima, who grew up in the horse racing world, naturally understood this.

Having said that, turning this awareness into determination is by no means easy, especially for trainers and stable staff who work with racehorses day and night.

Moreover, Mejiro Atalanta has more than one problem.

"As mentioned in the last report, Atalanta's physique appears to have stopped developing." 349 kilograms, that was her weight last week.

For a racehorse, competing at such a young size would be a serious challenge.

Although we have been trying various combinations of scientific supplements and feed formulas, the actual results can only be described as disappointing.

"That's right."

Kitano's tone is still some distance away from being serious or even stern.

Whether in terms of feed or daily care, Atalanta is above standard in the Majima stables.

Even with careful care, the horse's growth is still not as expected, so there is not much that can be done.

After finishing the discussion on horse racing, Kitano asked about the route plan.

"The plan at the stables is to participate in the Hesek Memorial through this month's Golden Youth Walk."

The two races are 1400 meters in late September and 1600 meters in early November, which are relatively reasonable plans in terms of distance and interval time.

Normally, strong two-year-old horses from Southern Kanto would choose this kind of route planning.

And for the mare Mejiro Atalanta, even if she does not perform well in the mixed race, she can try to switch to the 2-year-old mare route through the Laurel Stakes in early November.

Of course, this will make the intervals between games a little tighter.

This is a slightly disadvantageous choice for the escape horse, which will consume more energy during the competition.

For Atalanta at the moment, it will take at least seven or eight weeks to completely eliminate the fatigue accumulated from the game and return to competitive form.

This is one of the reasons why the route discussion has been delayed until now.

"Even if the distance is extended by 200 meters, it shouldn't be a big problem given Atalanta's flexibility."

Sasakawa added his own perspective as a rider at the right moment.

“But there are still some things worth noting.”

Majima handed Kitano the pre-prepared competition rules and said, "Although it's a mixed race, mares don't have a weight advantage in the Golden Youth Racewalking."

Kitano took the rule book and carefully walked around the plate in front of him, scanning the text line by line.

It is true, as Mashima said, that there are no rules regarding mare weight reduction.

In the Golden Youth Walk, horses born in the Northern Hemisphere are all given a fixed weight of 54 kg.

After putting down the rule book, he thought seriously.

In terms of distance and time, there are not many problems with the route planning for the Golden Youth Competition and the Heseker Memorial.

The concern is the intensity of the competition.

It seems a bit too early for Atalanta to compete in high-level 2-year-old mixed race walking.

Throwing yourself into fast-paced or high-level competitions too early does not do a racing horse much good.

In this respect, Kitano rarely maintains the mainstream view of the Japanese horse racing community.

He opened the panel, looked at the green amulet he had accumulated with great difficulty, and sighed.

The next second, the digits behind the amulet changed.

"Just do it."

After a moment, Kitano put down his phone and said this.

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

"[@hochichihokeiba:

【#OiJima·Golden Youth Race Walk】

The Golden Youth Walk has been added to the faction for Mejiro Atalanta (Female 2, Ooi Majima Daisuke stable).

Mashima: "We must let her fully recover so that she can be better prepared for the next game."

Could this be the first major prize winner since the opening of Majima Stables?]

——Sports News·Local Horse Racing
@WadaRagio:

Thank you very much for your continued support.

Starting next year, I will begin to engage in activities other than as a rider.

To all the people who have supported me and cheered me on, I am truly grateful.

Wada Ryuji】"

——Ryuji Wada
　Thanks to Yiyifei for the 1000 starting coins reward

　　Thank you for your support

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