Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 189 The Tested Man and the Tested Horse
The last Saturday in March, Dubai World Cup night.

As expected, there was no low-probability event like rain that morning.

Despite this wish, Kitano also does not expect the venue to change.

Because it is a race day, there will be no on-track training today.

Arriving at the brightly lit international stables, most of the training assistants were helping the racehorses with stretching and pulling exercises.

Mejiro Sakuya is naturally no exception.

"Okay, other foot."

Putting down the deer-hair horseshoe in his hand, Ogawa Katsu walked to the other side and patted Mejiro Sakuya's other hoof.

The deer-hair horse, with half-closed eyes, shook its ears, yawned, and raised its legs.

"Just like usual, nothing has changed."

Turning his head to look at Kitano, Huangshan said in a deep voice.

After a pause, the trainer added.

"She should be able to face the competition smoothly."

Hearing this, Kitano breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he relayed it in English to Kim Maggie, who was standing on tiptoe to look inside.

The corners of the female rider's mouth suddenly rose.

"Great!"

After stretching, Ogawa Katsu did not forget to use a brush to carefully comb Mejiro Sakuya's black mane.

Looking at the deer-hair racehorse that rarely appeared with bangs, Huangshan nodded slightly.

"Let's go——"

Last night, the camp had successfully passed the X-ray inspection.

However, before officially participating in the competition, all running horses need to complete a final gait check.

The sound of hooves in the corridor became more frequent, and the runaway group on World Cup night left the stable one after another.

When it was Mejiro Sakuya's turn, the veterinarian assigned by the Midan stadium silently completed a full-body palpation.

Then, under the slightly nervous gaze of the camp, the gait inspection began.

First circle to the left, then circle to the right.

Finally, walk in a jogging circle.

After completing all the examination items, the veterinarian suddenly raised his head and strode towards him.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

The veterinarian's face was full of enthusiasm when he took off his mask.

"Hello, Mr. Kitano!"

He shook the hand that Kitano subconsciously extended.

“Your paper on cost-sensitive treatment of Thoroughbreds with neurological lameness has been very inspiring to me and my colleagues at the Welsh Light Horse Medical Society!”

After letting go of his hand, the veterinarian pointed to the ID tag on his chest with an apologetic look.

"Sorry, duty lies."

Then he pulled his mask back on.

"Well, that's my duty."

Kitano nodded, an understanding look on his face.

"how's it going?"

On the way back to the international stables, Huangshan followed Kitano and asked in a low voice.

Kitano, who was walking in front, let out a sigh of relief.

"I guess I passed it successfully."

At the breakfast meeting after the morning inspection, the horse trainers generally looked heavy and listless.

In addition to the pressure of competitions and inspections, it is probably also closely related to the local climate.

It was just dawn and the temperature was already over 30 degrees Celsius. No matter where I went, I was hit by the heat.

"What's wrong, Kitano-kun? Is the food here not to your liking?"

Kimura put a few more Indian fried balls on the plate and turned his head curiously.

Earlier yesterday, Kimura, the representative of the production ranch, arrived in Dubai by plane. "It's not just that the weather is a little too hot."

Kitano took a sip of watermelon juice, trying to use the coolness to cover up the heat rising from inside and outside.

The scene from the faction meeting a few days ago resurfaced in my mind.

Mejiro Sakuya, who played as the second guard, actually did not have many tactical options.

However, the camp was hesitant about the specific positioning.

The 2000m Dubai World Cup race starts in front of the stands, with only 300 meters between the gate and the first bend.

This means that the initial positioning window will be very short, and the horses are likely to enter the corner in a relatively bloated queue.

Moreover, there is a high probability that the horse cutting in from the outside will obstruct the advance of the horse on the inside.

Considering the conditions of the track and gate positions, it would be more advantageous to take a position as far forward as possible in such a layout.

However, in an international first-class race where there is no shortage of world-class racehorses, the lead-release tactics will be a great test for Mejiro Sakuya's ability to take the lead and sustain.

On the other hand, staying among the horses to conserve energy is actually not an ideal choice.

But if we are surrounded, it is very likely that we will suffer a defeat with some strength left.

however--

Running ahead of so many strong horses is really too risky.

Just as the trainer was hesitating, Kitano, who had remained silent, took the initiative to express his opinion.

“Don’t carry too many burdens, and try your best to give it a try.”

So, the tactical hesitation disappeared at this moment.

“Even when riding a risky horse, you must ensure you have clear view.”

This decision comes from Kitano's absolute trust in Mejiro Sakuya.

Thinking back on it now, my heart still shrinks a little.

but--

Providing support to the stables is also the responsibility of the horse owner.

"When you have a good enough racehorse, you have to put it on the right stage to be tested, rather than avoiding difficulties."

The sound coming from the screen across a hundred meters brought him back to reality.

As expected, it was John's face that appeared on the screen.

American horse owners are sharing their horse ownership experiences with a sincere look on their faces.

However, apart from a few embarrassed interviewers, few people seemed to be interested in his outrageous remarks.

"Also, your tickets are too expensive..."

Before he finished speaking, the interview team hurriedly thanked him and cut off the signal cleanly.

The last image on the screen was fixed on John's face, which was obviously still unsatisfied.

Witnessing this somewhat funny scene, I couldn't help but laugh.

I don't know when my tense shoulders relaxed a little.

After drinking the watermelon juice in the cup in one gulp, Kitano stood up and walked towards the track being prepared.

At the same time, the white roof that blocked out the sunlight disappeared.

Clear skies.

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

"[Time report]

Tulip Award winner Solstice sets sights on cherry blossom viewing
Hiroyasu Tanaka: "She handled the pressure well and put in a brilliant performance at the Tulip Festival, so we plan to give her further challenges."

Moreira Rider on Saddle Booked”

——《n○tkeiba》

"[Time report]

Tulip viewing, three famous generals, laurel, cherry blossom viewing
"Although she ultimately lost the Tulip Festival race, her performance suggests she's still in good shape. After discussing this with the owner, we made this decision," said Master Takeyuki Shiro.

The rider of Wufeng on the saddle is appointed."

——《n○tkeiba》

　Chapter 2: Late
　　
　
(End of this chapter)