Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 213 Plans for the end of May
"So hot--"

As soon as I stepped out of the cabin door, the heat wave accompanied by humidity hit me in the face.

In the morning news these days, the Japanese archipelago is almost covered with yellow spots of heat stroke warnings.

Especially in Okinawa and Kyushu, the southernmost parts of the country.

It was still morning, but the sun was already scorching.

We rented a car from Kitakyushu Airport and headed to Saga. The sky above the connecting bridge was the same azure blue as the sea, and the light reflected from the asphalt road hurt our eyes.

Looking away, Kitano rubbed his slightly swollen temples.

After winning the game, perhaps the only moment of true joy is the moment of confirming the result.

After that, the positive side of emotions was constantly eroded and mental fatigue accumulated layer by layer.

For the next few days, I was completely overwhelmed and couldn't cope with it.

Tulips, roses, phalaenopsis, irises. The ranch received an astonishing number of flower baskets in a short period of time. It is no exaggeration to say that the number is enough to open a flower shop.

There were also souvenirs like sake sent by various stakeholders, and just replying to the thank-you letters alone became a daunting workload.

In addition-

Although the breeding season is approaching and we are busy, we still celebrated with the ranch members.

The price is that the work at hand has suddenly piled up to the point where it is too much to handle.

This is exactly what victory is.

From the moment the awards ceremony began, I could feel the familiar feeling of exhaustion.

But unfortunately, this is not a light novel but reality.

There is no comforting setting like "enough events have been triggered today, so let's jump to a certain day in the future according to the author's will."

There was a sudden vibration in his pocket, so Kitano took out his cell phone.

It’s been almost a week since the Oaks Tournament, and the congratulatory messages are still pouring in.

This time, it wasn't just the same old polite words.

How about setting Pegasus' next race for the 2000m Red Brick Memorial Race in the third week of next month?

Didn't this just collide with Sakuya's side?

Thinking of this, Kitano switched the screen and clicked on n○tkeiba.

If the conditions are limited to the reward being given to those over three years old, there really aren't many options.

Although Pegasus's aptitude allows him to try the Big Dipper Gate Sprint Race in the first week of June, the 1000-meter distance is still a bit short for him.

The Red Brick Memorial is indeed a better choice.

but--

I met Bell Jiajun again.

Of course, the last loss wasn't ugly.

Tanaka-sensei, Ochiai, and Kitano himself didn't really care.

Rather, it is because of the loss that the desire to win back has become even stronger.

Then I'll leave it to Mr. Tanaka.

The message is sent, and other unread notifications are crossed out.

This time I traveled across half the country to Kyushu, not only to go to Saga Racecourse to observe Noah Mejiro's gate test, but there was actually another thing.

An investigation into horse-producing areas in Kyushu.

Of course, Kitano has no plans to follow other breeders and open a branch here for the time being.

This time, it is more like a prelude to the Kyushu one-year-old market auction in mid-June.

Despite operating for a few years, the reputation of Kyushu horses among breeders, stables, and owners remains mediocre. In fact, as progress becomes clearer, breeders' evaluation of the Kyushu breeding region is declining.

Even Mr. Nishiyama, who has a cooperative ranch in Kitakyushu, advised him not to have too much confidence in Kyushu horses.

Although Hokkaido's shortage of manpower is becoming increasingly apparent, Kyushu is facing an even more serious problem.

From breeders to stable staff, even veterinarians and feed suppliers, no one is available.

Furthermore, the vast majority of practitioners are based in Hokkaido, and Kyushu has almost no appeal to them.

Furthermore, even the Kyushu Limited Race for horses, which can be considered an advantage, is actually limited to two racetracks: Kokura in the central area and Saga in the local area.

Even Wikipedia bluntly states that "Kyushu's status as a horse-producing area has declined."

However, for Kitano, the one-year-old market in Kyushu has become a rare opportunity to collect non-SS-line foals.

Of course, he didn't have high expectations for this auction, which had only had one high-prize horse on its record since its inception.

After an hour of shaking in the car, we finally arrived at our destination, Saga Racecourse.

Compared to the surrounding Monbetsu where only grazing lands are connected, the Saga side is a little more lively.

However, perhaps because it was not a race day, there were only a few old cars parked in the parking lot, which is said to have the largest capacity among public racecourses.

After I told the security guard at the door that I was there to watch my beloved horse's gate test, he let me in without checking.

"Hey, is this really okay?"

With this thought in mind, Kitano still took a step forward hesitantly.

Just as I was about to leave, I was stopped again.

"Ah—what's your name?"

After yawning, the security guard asked listlessly.

"Kitano Yuki."

"Okay, then please come in."

There was no need to even show ID or register, and I was able to enter the racecourse quite easily.

There are several stalls next to the main entrance that seem to be selling souvenirs, but there are no people behind the stalls.

I set off towards the venue with a somewhat subtle mood, and on the way I happened to meet Master Hattori who was holding Mejiro Noah's hand.

Upon seeing Kitano, the new trainer greeted him enthusiastically.

"Chairman Ma from Saga might get lost on his first visit. How about I take President Kitano there?"

"No need, I'll just watch from the railing."

After looking at Mejiro Noah's horse body from a distance, Kitano took a step forward and touched the deer-haired horse's head.

Although they hadn't seen each other for a while, Noah quickly recognized him.

He took the initiative to rub Kitano's palm with the tip of his nose, then turned his head back to the front with a serious expression on his face that said, "I'm going to start working next."

"You've become a little adult, Starship."

Smiling, he moved his hand away, then turned around and started chatting with Master Hattori while walking.

"Is everything going well here, Hattori-sensei?"

"Please just call me Shigeki. It's really a bit embarrassing to call me Hattori-sensei."

Scratching his face a bit sheepishly, Hattori continued with a smile, "It went very smoothly! Noah adapted very quickly after arriving here, and the training over the past few days was also very good."

As soon as the words fell, the deer-hair horse shook its ears as if it had noticed something.

It's just normal, nothing to be proud of.

The sudden change in the amplitude of the tail's swing seemed to convey these words.

　Chapter 2: Late
　　
　
(End of this chapter)