Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 263 Twilight
The brightly lit Menbetsu Racecourse under the night sky, the synchronized clapping, the horns signaling Hokkaido's grand prize—

There were also white figures lingering in front of the gate, reluctant to enter.

The last Thursday of September is the day of the Mizuho Award.

The competition, dubbed a "three-way battle," has yet to begin.

Standing on the stage where he had run countless times, Mu Baibai suddenly lost his temper for some reason.

"Good boy, Pegasus."

Rough hands gently stroked the mane, but the rider's tone revealed an undisguised worry.

As he gets older, Mu Baitianma seems to become more composed, but his inherent willfulness remains unchanged.

The horse's forelegs were firmly planted in the sand, and it refused to move no matter how much the stable staff pulled and pushed it.

As Kitano stepped down from the stands, he gazed at the gate not far away and spoke—

"If there's a problem with the horse's body, don't force it."

The trainer shook his head with a helpless expression, then sighed.

"The checks conducted yesterday and today before departure were all normal."

It's not a problem with the horse's body.

Don't push yourself if you're not feeling well.

Just as Kitano was about to speak, Luma reluctantly stepped through the gate.

The faint sound of the stable boys' sighs of relief could be heard.

Like the fans in the stands, the long-awaited live stream host finally perked up.

"The final match of the day is the highlight of the three-way battle."

"The 60th Mizuho Prize, a second-tier event in Hokkaido, is awarded by the Master of Light and Shadow."

The uneasy whispers in the stands were once again replaced by cheers.

"For children aged three and above, the local national exchange race walking event covers 1,800 meters, and the racecourse is in good condition with clear skies."

Amid the noise, Kitano still looked at the gate with some unease.

What he was holding in his hand was a slightly thicker racing paper than usual.

"Seven leaders fled, the final showdown at the top of the Dao Camp—"

The gate popped open.

"Game start!"

The black deer-mane horse, wearing its signature mask, was the first to step out.

Bell Jiajun usually tries to catch up immediately after the start, but on this day he successfully took the lead.

Asahi no Sho, who had not left the race and returned to the field after nearly three months, was not to be outdone and was close behind.

The two popular horses, starting from the second and third gates on the inside lane, were locked in a fierce battle almost from the very beginning.

Soldier Harano, starting from the sixth gate on the outer lane, continued his race from the middle of the herd, as always.

We finally got through the gate smoothly!

Kitano breathed a slight sigh of relief upon returning to the stands.

Rachel Ho, standing beside her, let out an exaggerated sigh.

"It's so good that there's no high knee lift!"

As the horse herd passed by the stands for the first time, Ochiai ignored the noise around him, seemingly oblivious to it.

The rider's gaze fell on Beljajun, who was occupying the inner position to the side and slightly ahead.

To win this match, it is essential to seize the right moment to apply pressure.

Neither Pegasus's unpredictable fighting spirit nor the soldiers lurking in the fields behind him could allow the entanglement to escalate in an uncontrollable direction.

Having made this judgment, Ochiai kept a close eye on his opponent ahead and pulled on the reins.

however--

However, Bai Tianma was unable to suppress the fighting spirit that had been overflowing before the race and became noticeably excited.

They caught up side by side, and the Reed Horse refused to go back to its position.

As they approached the first bend at the end of the straight, the rider from Sangcun on Belgajun's saddle decisively pulled on the reins.

We absolutely will not give up the lead so easily!

This decisive leadership tactic put both the White Horse and the Ochiai in a dilemma.

They had to maintain their fighting spirit and engage in a battle of wits with Belgajun in the vanguard, while also being wary of the soldiers in the fields behind them. They were surrounded by hungry wolves in front and fierce tigers behind.

The room for choice is gradually disappearing.

As he prepared to step onto the straight ahead, Ochiai made the same decision he had made in countless previous matches—

Believe in Pegasus.

This decision pushed the competition to a final showdown of strength early on.

Almost simultaneously, Ochiai and Kuwamura started their whips ahead of time on the straight road directly opposite them.

On the saddle of the soldier Yuanye, the rider Ono, sensing that "if we don't follow now, we'll lose," resolutely pulled on the reins.

"How can we admit defeat so easily!"

Entering the race as the undisputed champion of Daoying horse racing, Beljajun put up a fierce resistance against Sangcun.

Because they had pursued Belgajun earlier, the white horse and the soldier in the field had far outpaced the main herd. The three three-crown horses, with their superior speed, charged into the final straight line.

Between the two whips, the rider steadily pushed his arms forward.

"Two more games left. Let's give it our all in these last two games this year, Pegasus!"

In my peripheral vision, the dazzling crimson finally slid away into the distance.

At that moment, a gasp erupted from the stands—

"The soldiers are here!"

The pace of the live broadcast also quickened at this moment.

"Soldiers from the Sixth Division, Harano, have caught up from the outer route! But Belga Shun hasn't given up! Belga Shun is leading the way!"

In this top-of-the-table clash that staked the honor of the Daoying Triple Crown horse, the Luma horse had somehow been left behind.

"The soldier made the first move in the field! The second move was by Belgajun!"

It stopped abruptly after crossing the finish line, and the horse snorted angrily.

The white horse in the eye has five movements.

If we hadn't built up a huge lead over the pack early on, we probably wouldn't have been able to keep this ranking.

"Soldier Yuanye is indeed very strong."

"It's a war of revenge, an eye for an eye!"

As for the White Horse, which was defeated with almost no resistance on the straight, horse racing fans began to discuss whether it had reached its limit.

"This is really——"

Kitano stood up from the somewhat hot seat and let out a long sigh.

The feeling after losing a game is undoubtedly one of frustration.

However, it wouldn't warrant flying into a rage or being terrified.

After this familiar scene finally happened, I felt a sense of relief and liberation.

"As expected, it's still Pegasus—"

He couldn't help but let out another sigh.

It is late at night.

The cold wind, though bearing the name of autumn wind, brings a touch of chill, yet it cannot dispel the pent-up emotions that have gathered in my chest.

It simply carried the noise into the sky.

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

"There was no reason why the motivation to move forward was exhausted very early on."

—Post-race interview with trainers at the Mizuho Sho race—Junji Tanaka (trainer section)

"[Time report]

Cherry blossom award winner and laurel wrestler aiming for the Autumn Flower Award.
"My biggest goal for the second half of the year is the Arima Commemoration; I must achieve it no matter what."

——《n○tkeiba》

"Key points of the new JRA regulations for exempting trainers and riders from licensing trials published"

The announcement date for those who have passed the qualification test is December 9th for trainers and February 8th of the following year for riders.

——《n○tkeiba》

(End of this chapter)