Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 174 Barbecue Awards Ceremony

"What an amazing rhythm control, especially that part on the opposite straight line."

"If Mr. Wada continues to play, he will definitely win a lot of games next year!"

“No, no—”

When Kitano walked into the barbecue restaurant where the celebration banquet was held, Wada and Arashiyama were drinking cold beer and watching the video of the game.

Ogawa Katsu, who was standing next to him, kept biting the straw he had used to drink juice, and his face had the same aftertaste as Huangshan.

"Oh! President Kitano is here——"

Several excited voices mixed with the aroma of barbecue came to my face.

"Sorry, I was delayed a little on the way."

Having said this, Kitano sat down in the seat reserved for him.

"Well then, the barbecue service is about to begin—"

Hetian volunteered and picked up the tongs and announced loudly.

The first vegetables to be put into the circular grill are onions and mushrooms.

According to Hotan Hokkien, this type of vegetable takes more time to roast, while beef, green peppers, eggplants, etc. cook quickly, and corn that rolls around takes time and effort to roast.

Kitano, who previously only knew that grilled meat needed to be turned over, learned a lot of knowledge along the way.

While giving the explanation, Hotan placed various vegetables on the iron rack.

The meat is placed in the empty space in the middle.

Grease dripped and flames suddenly shot up from below.

The aroma of spices mixed with slightly burnt food invades the nasal cavity with unreasonable force.

“Oh, it smells so good!”

"The best barbecue——"

Everyone picked up their chopsticks and cleared out all the barbecue on the rack in the blink of an eye.

But before the meal officially started, everyone raised their beer or drinks.

"cheers!"

A cool feeling flowed through his throat, and Kitano gulped down half a cup of beer.

After a hearty sigh, he continued to pick up his chopsticks.

After a while, several people started talking about the game again.

"Sakuya is really amazing. Her exit has become smoother."

Hetian, the rider, was the first to express his feelings.

"It feels pretty smooth on my back, and more importantly, Sakuya is only four years old now. I'm really looking forward to her performance next year."

Looking at the rider's profile, Kitano smiled and said, "If Mr. Wada doesn't retire, I'll be able to witness it myself on horseback next year."

"I'm very sorry for causing this much trouble to our camp."

Putting down the clamp, Wada clasped his hands together and made an expression of confession.

"That's not the case, but the rider's considerations are indeed a bit troublesome."

As he said this, several uncertain figures emerged in his mind.

Thinking of the scene when the main battle riders were discussing, Huangshan couldn't help but smile knowingly.

"In the past few days, my phone has been bombarded with calls."

As he spoke, the horse trainer shook his phone helplessly.

"Does President Kitano have any candidates?"

While dividing the grilled meat with tongs, Hetian asked casually.

Xuhe Sheng and Huangshan also cast curious glances.

"As a long-term main battle rider, it's still difficult to make a choice."

Rather than things like recent win rates or reputation, Kitano is more concerned with the compatibility between rider and horse.

Furthermore, if the goal is to compete in overseas tournaments, factors such as experience and on-the-spot performance must also be taken into consideration. After using up all the protective charms at the Kienran auction, they still haven't been able to replenish them.

At least in the short term, don't even think about getting advice from the [Advisory Group].

Since the ranch opened, it has been extremely busy almost every day, and it is not easy to find time to watch the game on site.

Considering the possible changes in Mejiro Sakuya's running style, he did not intend to make a hasty decision in the short term.

It’s not too late to exchange the high-quality amulet you just got from the Tokyo Grand Prix for a green one even in January of next year.

"But after all, it's better to lean towards the muscle type."

Kitano continued half-jokingly.

"That's right. It wouldn't be a bad idea to think about the specific candidate a little more."

Wada nodded in agreement.

Being Mejiro Sakuya's rider is indeed a very strenuous job.

Especially when you just come out of the gate.

"Yeah, yeah, but which race do you plan to have Sakuya run in next, Kitano-san?"

Ogawa Masaru, who was eating grilled corn, raised his head and continued asking.

"Before the Grand Prix, Master Huangshan and I both felt that the Saudi Cup was better. After all, a slow start in Medan would be terrible."

Kitano stuffed the grilled meat and pickles into his mouth and swallowed them, then continued, "But it seems like Midan is in a good condition to run now."

A long time ago, Kitano and Huangshan had planned to go to the Middle East for competitions at the beginning of the next year.

However, at that time, they preferred the Saudi Cup held at the King Abdul Aziz Stadium.

In addition to the Saudi Cup's richest prize money in the world, there are also considerations from the track.

Of course, in reality, neither the King Abdul Aziz Course, which has a fine texture and is more inclined towards grass, nor the Medan Course, which is not favorable for the horses in the back row, were favorable venues for Mejiro Sakuya before.

At best, it is just a "lose-lose" choice.

As for options like consecutively leaving the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup—

It was not taken into their consideration from the beginning.

He who tries to catch two rabbits catches neither.

The short recovery window between the two games forced many teams that wanted to leave to make a second-guess decision.

For Kitano, who was originally wavering between the two, he is more inclined to the Saudi Cup.

However, after the Tokyo Grand Prix, both the owner Kitano and the trainer Arashiyama began to waver in their thinking.

If she could maintain even an average level of performance, Midan would become a more suitable venue for Mejiro Sakuya.

"In the Dubai World Cup, the opponents are tough to deal with—"

After chewing around the corn, Ogawa Katsu frowned slightly.

For horse racing fans, they just want to see more exciting races.

But as a practitioner, there are many more things to consider.

After thanking Wada for the barbecue, Kitano replied, "But, Meidan's side is more suitable for running than Azizi."

Although he has no interest in seeking trouble, he will not actively avoid challenges.

Let the right horse run the right race -

This has always been his view, both as a horse owner and a producer.

As for the Saudi Arabia Cup, with its unfavorable venue, or the Dubai World Cup, with its many strong competitors, which one is more suitable for Mejiro Sakuya at the moment?

That would have to wait until he collected enough money to exchange for the amulet for the [Advisory Group].

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Rank: 6
Rating: 124
Mejiro Sakuya
Year of Birth: 2023
Gender: F
Owner: Sachi Kitano
Trainer: Hatsunori Arayama
Training location: JPN
Course: I
Venue: D"

——2026 Longines World's Best Racehorse Ranking

(End of this chapter)