Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 173 The Great Well at Dusk

The winter afternoon sun struggled to penetrate the clouds and finally cast some warm rays on the ground.

The lingering damp and cold air in the air seemed to dissipate at this moment.

The open carriage drove along the end of the track at just the right speed and finally stopped precisely in front of Wada.

"This is too exaggerated."

Hetian raised the corner of his mouth helplessly and cast his eyes on the local legend holding the reins - Dechang Wen'an.

"Please don't be shy, come up!"

He smiled heartily, took off his top hat and made an invitation gesture.

"It seems that the rider Wada is a little shy. How about we encourage him with a big clap?"

Before he finished speaking, there was a burst of applause from the stands, mixed with some good-natured cheers.

On Fuji's main station, several guests laughed cheerfully, but Fukunaga and Hosoe were nowhere to be seen in their seats.

Hetian boarded the carriage somewhat embarrassedly, and embarrassment began to show on his face.

Just as I was about to say something, the wheels under my feet had already started turning.

It drove towards the reviewing ground at the other end of the road with a momentum of no return.

After the wheels stopped, Hetian pursed his lips slightly and trotted onto the ceremony venue that had been set up in advance.

The host raised the microphone and began to introduce the riders’ careers. The lights at the top of the L-WING stand also slowly lit up.

"Finally, my thirty-year career as a rider has come to an end here. What are your thoughts now?"

In response to the host's questions, Hetian slowly raised the microphone in his hand.

"As expected, I'm still not satisfied with not winning the Chrysanthemum Contest. I clearly had a good chance."

Although the rider had a smile on his face, there was a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"Although there are many good memories, the losing games are even more profound."

"but--"

Bathed in the cheers of farewell fans, the rider stood with his chest held high at the Ojing Racecourse, which witnessed the farewell.

“Nothing in life is in vain. Every accumulation of setbacks is proof that we are taking one step forward.”

"Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone for their long-term support!"

Amidst thunderous applause, NAR Chairman Saito and JRA Vice Chairman Yamaguchi took the stage one after another and solemnly handed the commemorative bibs to Wada.

Then, there were flowers presented by the horse owners.

The owner of the horse, Masatsugu Takezono, who had originally declined NAR's invitation due to illness, suddenly changed his mind the day before and rushed to Tokyo from Kagoshima, Kyushu.

“It’s really not easy—”

Zhu Yuan's tone was a little flat as he stood on the podium.

"Thank you so much for your continued care."

After taking the bouquet with both hands, Hetian bowed deeply.

The two of them turned around in tacit understanding, freezing their smiles in the camera.

At the same time, the lights at the top of the L-WING changed, flowing into neon colors of peach, green and yellow.

Next up is Kitano.

“Thank you for your hard work”

The moment he handed over the bouquet, he bowed slightly and smiled.

"No, this is my side."

Wada returned the greeting with a deeper bow and took the bouquet with both hands.

The lights shining above the reviewing ground have quietly turned into pure white and dark green.

The last person to appear was the trainer who had retired eight years ago.

"Master."

As the white-haired figure slowly approached, Hetian could no longer hold back his tears.

"That's really amazing. Thank you for your hard work."

With a gentle smile on his face, Iwamoto Ichizo gently patted his disciple's shoulder.

"However, we can't let our guard down from now on."

The retired horse trainer suddenly changed the subject and his voice became a little harsher.

"If you fail the exam again next year, I'm going to hit you on the head."

"Yes!"

Wiping away the tears that kept flowing, Wada responded loudly.

A staff member handed out a handkerchief at the appropriate time. During the brief pause, the area behind Hotan was already filled with riders who had changed into matching commemorative shirts.

After Sakai and Takeshi Yokoyama presented flowers on behalf of the Kansai and Kanto riders respectively, Takeyuki Take, president of the Japan Riders Club, appeared on stage.

"Thank you for your hard work over the past thirty years."

Wu Feng, holding the flowers, rarely stopped joking, and his tone was full of sincerity.

The two bowed to each other, and after handing over the bouquet, Taketoshi turned around and joined the formation of riders.

At this moment, there was an exclamation from the audience.

"scare!"

The figure that suddenly appeared behind him scared Wada so much.

Then, Fukunaga and Hosoe, who rushed over from Fuji TV headquarters in Minato Ward, grabbed his wrists without saying a word.

The riders behind him took the opportunity to rush forward and together they threw Hetian high into the air.

"Long live--"

At the same time, sunlight slanted into the meeting room of the racecourse.

Chairman Saito and Kitano sat opposite each other, and the atmosphere was like a leisurely afternoon tea.

"Next year, NAR plans to host the World Rider Series in Japan."

After a few pleasantries, Saito went straight to the point.

"So I'd like to hear what President Kitano, the sponsor, has to say."

It wasn't too surprising to Kitano.

"This can be considered a good thing."

After a brief consideration, Kitano nodded and said.

Although in his opinion, the main reason for the failure of the first WJS was elsewhere.

However, it is always good to get support from the local racing club.

"I see--"

Saito also nodded, his eyes thoughtful.

"I understand."

The topic was then easily changed.

"Although the selection committee has just completed its vote, it's nothing that needs to be kept secret."

After smiling and winking, Chairman Saito pretended to be mysterious and revealed to Kitano the whereabouts of the various awards of NAR Grand Prix 2026.

In addition to being unanimously elected as the best 3-year-old mare, special commendation horse and representative horse of the year, Mejiro Sakuya was also selected as the special award horse for this year's dirt track graded race.

This is also the first time that a local horse has been selected for this award since Mingzheng Opera in 1999.

The Kentucky Expedition received the NAR Special Award in the name of the camp.

In addition, Master Huangshan was also rated as a Distinguished Trainer, a title that had been vacant for five years.

It is generally not much different from the outside world's expectations.

The conversation after this briefly returned to the topic of WJS.

After bidding farewell to Chairman Saito, Kitano fell into deep thought on the way to the celebration banquet.

Having NAR host the WJS Japan station may not be able to play a big role.

However, many things will not produce results if you don't try.

At least--

Wait until you've tried it.

When we left Oi Racecourse, the sun had already slipped down from the sky and was almost reaching the tall buildings in the port area.

Arriving at the celebration party venue, the surroundings began to grow dark.

It was already dusk.

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

"[@nar_keiba：

In today's Tokyo Grand Prix, the last South Kanto Triple Crown winner, Mihu, lost speed on the final straight and finished sixth.

Rider Mikami Honkenshi, his long-time partner, thanked his partner for his efforts.

The horse's retirement ceremony will be held on December 31 (Thursday) after the ninth race (around 4 p.m.).

- National Association of Racing (NAR) Formula

"Shenwei Anna will start the 2027 season with the Dubai World Cup as its first race."

——TDN
(Volume 1, end)
　Chapter 2: Late
　　
　
(End of this chapter)