Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 258 Defeat and Pride

The sprint horses from the Aster Stakes are making their debut in the show ring.

The twelve racehorses shone brightly in the cascading sunlight.

My gaze remained fixed on that petite chestnut-colored figure.

"I'm so nervous—"

The sound of Sasaki and ice cubes lightly hitting the paper cup came from beside my ear.

The horse owner, a former athlete, tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of barley tea, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.

"Mr. Sasaki is getting too excited."

"There's nothing we can do about it. Every match makes my heart race."

This is true.

Watching the tuft of chestnut hair disappear into the gate, Kitano slowly withdrew his gaze.

Without realizing it, my heart suddenly contracted.

No matter how many times I experience it, this feeling of excitement remains unchanged.

"The grand prize of the opening week of Zhongshan Racecourse, today's eleventh race is the main race."

The announcement came along with cheers from the stands below.

"The 12th Aster Trophy, an international Grade 2 race, a 2,000-meter turf race for three-year-old mares."

"The number of those that ran away was thirteen."

The opening music for the Zhongshan Racecourse's grand opening ceremony began, and the starting tower slowly rose.

"The 120-Second Championship Heading Towards Autumn—"

The command flag was waved down.

"Game start!"

Amidst thunderous applause and cheers, the gates opened.

The unfolding of the gate opening was as most people expected.

Atalanta and Sasakawa, starting from the sixth gate, were the first to rush out of the gate and head straight for the boardwalk in front of the stands.

After a quiet summer, the Cloud Horse was relentlessly pursued by rider Kitamura, while the popular Sanfan horses Bachta and Kawada calmly stayed in the middle of the herd.

The rapid hoofbeats grew louder as horse racing fans cheered for their favorite horses with thunderous shouts.

The stage is the Zhongshan 2000-meter race track, where autumn is gradually deepening.

With only 310 meters of straight track and a fleeing horse ahead of them, any slackening of pace is absolutely not allowed.

Following closely behind Atalanta, who was leading the way, the herd of horses surged into the first bend with an extremely bulky spread.

Riding the autumn breeze stirred by the greenery, the chestnut horse gracefully maintained its own rhythm.

"Well done, Ata-chan! You can do it, you can do it!"

Slightly sweaty palms gripped the reins tightly, conveying a shared decision between man and horse through the bit.

As they entered the straightaway from the bend, the increasingly naive and powerful mares began their battle.

Setting aside their proud bloodline and the pride of both man and horse, today the Cloud Steed is adopting a tactic of closely monitoring the popular Atalanta.

Kitamura pulled on the reins early on, starting his challenge for the top spot from the second-highest position on the inside, while Bakhta, further back, stayed in the middle of the herd after being patiently reassured by Kawada.

The rematch, which hadn't even ended in spring, was thus completely ignited.

Meguro Atalanta and Yunju, two racehorses with completely different bloodlines and backgrounds, instantly became the focus of attention.

As the camera panned across the electronic screen, fans offered their support to their favorites.

Under the clear autumn sky, the first week of racing at Zhongshan Racecourse saw the two leading horses engage in a fierce battle in the narrow space close to the inner lane.

Urged on by Kitamura's left whip, the dark gray horse, Yunju, cut inwards.

“Oh no—”

Using the reins to steady his partner's fleeting hesitation, Sasakawa's unease only intensified.

Using its unusually large physique as a weapon, the dark gray shadow from the side and rear approached in the blink of an eye.

The game took the turn that neither side wanted to see.

"On the straight downhill section directly opposite, the sixth White Atalanta continues to lead, while the Cloud Horse is slightly on the outside and close by."

The live broadcast was instantly drowned out by the uproar in the stands.

"58.4 seconds to run 1000 meters, a slightly fast pace!"

Sasakawa's plan to continue fleeing at the current pace did not go as planned.

Under the relentless onslaught of challengers, the fast-paced rhythm dominated by Escape Horse is gradually crumbling.

"If we let the other side take the lead, we might lose."

Realizing the danger before him, the rider gave a urging command through the reins.

—While the path ahead is still unobstructed, use your superior physical strength to expand your advantage.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kitamura, perched on the saddle of the Cloud-Drawing Steed, raised his whip in the next instant.

"Go! Go! Go!"

"Don't lose to her, Ata-chan—"

The shouts coming through the glass window gradually faded in their ears, and Kitano and Sasaki beside him unconsciously sat up straight.

Their eyes were fixed on the screens on the tables in front of them.

The straight road begins—

The long-awaited cheers erupted.

The horse's well-proportioned body contracted, and the first thing to step onto the ground before its chestnut hooves touched the ground was a flowing, silky gray-black.

Not to be outdone, Sasakawa swung his whip.

Despite the violently swaying vision, the gap between the two racehorses ahead remained stubbornly small.

Sasagawa switched the riding whip to his right hand and swung it two or three times.

He switched hands and lashed the whip twice more, constantly encouraging his companions below.

"On the steep slope before the finish line, Bakhta is coming from the outside! Bakhta's coming! Can we make the arrest successfully—"

The approaching shadow on the outside is Bakhta.

In stark contrast to Atalanta, the feet stretched out dramatically.

Kawada whipped his horse and roared, but the chestnut and grey-black horses at the front of the herd continued forward, ever forward.

In a world that has become slow motion, all sounds seem to disappear suddenly, with only the heartbeat echoing violently.

At the very front of the herd were three horses marching side by side.

The final 100 meters of the game—

Kitamura swung the whip again without wavering.

"Cloud Steed leads the way! Cloud Steed leads the way! Next up is Bakhta on the outer side. Can Megumi Atalanta catch up? Can Atalanta catch up?!"

Slowly shaking off Atalanta's tight grip, Cloud Steed, with its tenacious tenacity, took the lead.

They never let up for a moment, and the team was determined to prove themselves with a victory and continue moving forward.

"The first move is to draw the cloud horse! The second move is Bakhta of the ninth class, and the third move is Noda Maiden."

On the screen, Yunju and Kitamura were clearly shown raising their hands in response to the cheers.

Atalanta, four.

"It failed—"

Kitano and Sasaki sighed almost simultaneously.

Even with the strategy of accelerating ahead as planned before the match, it was still a defeat that left them with some energy to spare.

From the very beginning, the start of the race was a head-on disadvantage for Ma Da.

Although the match did not descend into a decisive final game, which Atalanta is least adept at, it also did not unfold as the attrition war the faction had hoped for.

"Where did that mare get such a strong last leg?!"

I couldn't help but complain.

"It is! It is!"

Sasaki Masahiro, who was standing to the side, kept nodding in agreement.

Under the setting sun, the light reflected from the grass at Zhongshan Racecourse suddenly felt a bit dazzling.

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"Master Majima"
"Her strength is still formidable, and the rider's decisions were flawless; it's just that today's performance was unfavorable for us."

We will learn something from this defeat and apply it to the next Qiuhua Award match.

—Post-Sperm Championship Interview—Trainer Daisuke Mashima

(End of this chapter)