Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 246 The Figure in My Memory
"Takemasa of the sixth unit also entered the gate."

A faint live broadcast reached my ears.

"Good track cleared, Saga's first race of the day."

This time, the sound was slightly clearer.

The gate opened.

"Oh—a rather chaotic start, Sunrise Oasis is a little late!"

As the live broadcast showed, the current gate opening could only be described as subtle.

Besides the common late start seen in new horse races, all six runners, including Noah, showed the rustiness typical of two-year-olds at the start.

Compared to the other five runners who were still not used to the gate or seemed to be contemplating their fate, Noah had at least made a respectable start.

"Well done, Mr. Noah!"

The rider on the saddle silently praised his partner.

Although he felt a bit weak, Noah still got off to a good start.

This is an unimaginable opportunity for Singapore and Malaysia.

"Next, we'll eat and stay on the inner side."

Despite the overcast weather, Saga Racecourse was still in excellent condition.

Instead of taking advantage of the exit, Tobita pulled the reins to the side and moved closer to the inside rail.

In a 1200m sprint race, tricks like counter-strategies are generally not very effective.

However, situations with a significant difference in ability are a different story.

Generally speaking, the first few horses to gain an early advantage in the opening game can determine the outcome of the match.

However, in Saga, where the population is extremely small, this is not necessarily the case.

The importance of the route was significantly amplified by the fact that it involved navigating four complete bends and that the horse being ridden was a two-year-old with limited maneuverability.

In the intense early stages of the match, Noah gradually fell to the fourth or fifth position in the latter part of the game.

However, he was not allowed to fall too far behind his opponents.

Cheers and the sound of hooves rushed past.

"Is it okay to stay in such a late position?"

"Hey! Everything was fine when we were exiting the gate—"

Before such a question could even be posed, the herd of horses had already begun to move towards the first bend.

"That's really an exaggeration—"

Kitano, sitting by the glass window, clicked his tongue in amazement, a somewhat subtle expression appearing on his face.

Perhaps due to the noise from the stands, many horses showed obvious signs of agitation when entering the bend.

It was as if the momentum was about to surge towards the outer corner, but was then barely managed to be steered back towards the inner corner by the riders themselves.

"Isn't this just the reverse of a racing line?"

It's a running style that maximizes both distance and speed loss.

In the suddenly cleared inner passage, only one deer-haired horse was moving forward with steady steps.

The young rider pursed his lips, his hands deftly manipulating the reins with a gentle force that belied his expression.

Neither overly excited nor losing his fighting spirit, Noah displayed a seasoned experience on his first appearance on the field.

Amidst the oppressive heat and hustle and bustle, Lu Mao's figure steadily stepped onto the straight road directly opposite.

"it's time."

Tobita lightly tapped his heel on the horse's belly, signaling his partner to accelerate.

Noah responded immediately, stretching his body as if to say, "Well then, let's speed things up!" and launched the chase with an unwavering, marching momentum.

At the end of the straight line, the deer-haired pursuer had already closed the distance.

What kind of person are you?

"What kind of horse are you?"

Then, the rider and horse, who were partnering for the first time in the race, quickly reached a consensus—

"We must win."

As Noah approached the fourth bend, with about 200 meters remaining, his innate fighting spirit ignited. One opponent after another was left behind, but the deer-mane horse's steps remained unwavering.

At the very front of the path, the originally narrow gap gradually widens.

As if it were calculated, a passage was precisely formed at the exit of the bend, allowing Yima to pass through.

"The sixth-ranked painter, Takemasa Saga, is leading the way, followed by the second-ranked Shiyu, but Meguro Noa is catching up from the inside!"

Bathed in the applause and cheers of the horse racing fans, the three horses, determined to win the race, formed a horizontal line.

At this moment, Tobita belatedly lashed out with his first whip.

Unlike the rushing wind that whispered past his ears, Noah, biting his bit, slightly raised his head.

A thin layer of fine sand splashed up behind them as the deer-haired horse struggled to stride forward.

"That's true."

The momentum gained momentum significantly, but the speed did not increase noticeably.

So Tobita gave up on continuing to whip the reins and focused all his attention on pulling them.

"Noah Mebius, go first!"

Amidst cheers loud enough to shake the glass, Lu Mao's figure rushed to the front of the herd of horses.

The gap is widening little by little, and the second-ranked painter, Takemasa Saga, has lost the will to continue competing for the lead.

Noah stretched his neck forward with all his might and crossed the finish line in this unique posture.

"Noah's move!"

As he crossed the finish line alone, Tobita gently patted his partner's wet neck.

"Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Noah."

Slowing his pace, Noah's face quickly regained its usual calm and composure.

As if responding to the rider's words, its furry ears twitched imperceptibly at that moment.

The breaths exhaled seemed to subtly become lighter.

"Heh heh, I did a pretty good job, didn't I?"

Kitano walked at a slightly faster pace on the way to the oral sex ceremony.

"It's so great to have won!"

"Noah is running very seriously."

"I was a little worried when I saw that the beginning was so far behind, but I finally breathed a sigh of relief when it caught up."

Behind them, the three ranch members wore similar smiles.

Regardless of the prize money or the level of the competition, the joy of victory flowed slowly through my heart.

"They won using the exact same running style, huh? No wonder they're that guy's kid—"

"Unlike his father, he is a very serious child."

Conflicting words echoed in my ears.

On the other side of the line of sight, the moment Noah stepped into the "bathing circle," whether out of disgust or a desire to act spoiled, he suddenly stopped.

Even with Hattori's kind words of reassurance, the deer-haired horse firmly planted its front hooves and refused to move forward.

The horses following behind also started to act out, and the bathing ring, which was originally like a carousel, quickly turned into a chaotic swing ride.

The scene before my eyes gradually overlapped with the white figure in my memory.

"Isn't that the guy in white?"

Kitano couldn't help but show the same smile as the fans in the stands.

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"[@sagakeiba
Thank you very much for enjoying today's Saga horse race.

Today's matches were mostly played under cloudy skies, and the temperature was not too hot, just as predicted.

After the first match, the winner, Noah, showed his energetic side!

——SAGAKEIBA (Saga Racecourse)

(End of this chapter)