Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 296 Unusual Fortune
Although the discussion had not yet reached a conclusion, everyone still got up from their seats.

Dinner, served a little earlier, is in the restaurant on the fourth floor.

Although it was a buffet with Japanese cuisine, it was a rare opportunity, so I tried some dishes I hadn't tried before.

In addition to various tropical fruits that are rarely seen in Japan, they also took a lot of Cantonese dim sum called "radish cake".

On Rachel Ho's recommendation, I tried a local specialty drink called "sarsaparilla".

Surprisingly, it tasted quite good.

Although Rachel Ho's face probably showed a look of disappointment after her prank failed.

After dinner, I returned to my room and took a shower. Now all that was left was to go to bed.

The following morning, there will be a gate selection meeting for the Hong Kong International Race Walking Day.

On the second day after arriving in Hong Kong, I woke up at 9 a.m., much later than usual.

After breakfast, we headed towards Tiu Keng Leng Station outside the hotel in order to catch the East Rail Line.

While waiting for the train on the platform, Majima flipped through a newly printed manual and began explaining the precautions for Hong Kong.

"On the day of the race, owners, trainers, riders, and all related parties are prohibited from wearing clothing containing advertising content, and the horses are prohibited from using any horse equipment containing advertising content."

Upon reading this, the trainer couldn't help but complain a few times.

Rachel Ho also let out a disappointed sigh.

The original plan to wear Ata-chan's themed outfit to the competition had to be abandoned.

During the train ride, Majima continued his introduction—

"The pack of runaway horses can arrange for their own hoof trimmers to be put on their hooves, but they must notify the Hong Kong Jockey Club Veterinary Department in writing three days in advance, informing them of the expected arrival time of the hoof trimmer at the quarantine stable."

This is similar to the regulations in the Middle East and the United States, so there's no need to worry about it too much.

"In addition, except for trainers, training assistants and stable staff, those with factional affiliations are not allowed to enter the quarantine stables."

As a result, Atalanta can only be seen during training sessions and the main competition.

"This is really difficult to handle—"

For a fleeting moment, he probably frowned.

However, there's nothing we can do about it.

Besides transportation or adaptation difficulties, overseas expeditions also need to overcome many other factors that are difficult to see directly.

The trainer's explanation didn't last long; about three minutes later, the tram arrived at a station called Fo Tan Station.

Although it was the closest station to the hotel and the racecourse, it still took about twenty minutes to walk along the sidewalk next to the road.

By the time we arrived at Sha Tin Racecourse, my back was already slightly sweaty.

Because Majima and Sasagawa had obtained passes for their respective factions a day in advance, they entered the racetrack without much difficulty through the access route for those with connections.

From this perspective, it has become slightly more reliable.

Arriving at the venue thirty minutes before the draw began, I found that less than a third of the seats were occupied.

Many teams only sent one trainer, while it was rare for everyone to participate.

While waiting for the draw to begin, the factions started talking about the gate positions.

"While I would prefer to draw a gate position closer to the middle, I would also be willing to accept one that is slightly further out."

A statement from Sasagawa.

Earlier yesterday, after conducting an on-site inspection of the racecourse, the riders concluded that "outer gates are more advantageous than inner gates."

The Sha Tin 2400m race is usually characterized by a slow start, followed by a collective surge in the second half.

Judging from previous Hong Kong Bottle editions, each year it has evolved into a race with a slow pace that gradually increases in speed.

Being able to take the lead in the early stages or having a strong ability to sprint at the end are prerequisites for achieving good results.

Conversely, it is often more difficult for endurance racehorses that are chasing from behind.

In general, given a favorable starting position, there's a good chance it could turn into a favorable race rhythm for Atalanta. On the other hand, the 2400-meter distance, often referred to as the "mile and a half," is rarely used in regular Hong Kong races, and most of the strong local horses also shoot at distances under 2000 meters.

The most worrisome event is the Satsuki Shonuma Seikai Bond event this year.

"The Saint-Rieter Memorial's performance was a success. Although there are still questions about its range due to the fact that it didn't leave for the derby, its strength as a classic-level horse should not be underestimated."

Another one that needs attention is the Golden Soul, which also comes from Japan.

Although they haven't won a single match in the past two years, the Soul of Gold has achieved quite good results in the Osaka Cup in the first half of the year, the Sapporo Memorial in August, and the Kyoto Grand Prix in early October.

Moreover, the rider on the saddle was Wu Feng.

Given the right timing, it's not impossible for this pair to win G1.

Such a hypothetical enemy needs to be treated with the same level of importance as the Starry Sea Bond.

In addition, several Group 2 horses from Europe are also worth noting.

In international competitions, it is not uncommon for overseas teams with seemingly ordinary past records to upset their opponents.

Overseas expeditions are precisely such severe challenges that allow no room for carelessness.

As time went on, representatives from each faction took their seats one after another.

The selection process began with two emcees, a man and a woman, taking the stage first.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Sha Tin Racecourse for the Longines Hong Kong International Races draw."

The opening remarks were given by a male emcee with a Western appearance in English, and then repeated by a female emcee in the local Cantonese.

After the lengthy introduction to the Hong Kong International Race Walking Day, the opening ceremony for the draw of gate positions took place.

It's slightly better than the formulaic opening ceremonies of the JRA and NRA.

As for the gate selection ceremony in the United States, the word "dull" is enough to describe it.

The first step was the selection of the gate positions for the Longines Hong Kong bottle.

The representatives of the twelve runaway horses rose and took the stage at the same time.

On the stable side, Majima and Sasagawa, who had a "glorious record," refused to step into the limelight.

In this situation, Kitano, who was also having a bad run of luck, had no choice but to take the stage on behalf of his team.

"Good morning, Mr. Kitano."

As soon as I stood in front of the gate drawer marked with the Arabic numeral "12", I heard some broken Japanese.

"Hello, Yue Boren, horse trainer."

After a slight hesitation, I chose to reply in English.

After exchanging brief greetings, the two turned their heads and focused on waiting for the gate positions to be drawn.

The panel of guests, represented by the CEO of Longines, revealed the teams that drew the first starting positions.

"Number 12, Mejiro Atalanta."

A little surprising.

Will my luck improve today as well?

With this optimistic mindset, I randomly chose the nearest cardboard sign for the gate.

I peeked at it a few times before the emcee made the announcement.

【9】

This is a very favorable position for Atalanta.

I felt like I was about to cry from being so moved.

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MEJIRO ATALANTA
Mejiro Heroine
Age, Gender: 3, Female
Participating country: Japan
Morning exercise call number: 9
Arrival time: 1/12
Morning exercise location: QS”

——2027 Longines Hong Kong International Racecourses Schedule for Overseas Racehorses Morning Exercises
(End of this chapter)