Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 307 Marching Towards the Hurdles Race?

"It's almost time, Kitano-kun!"

As he spoke, Kimura couldn't help but shrink his head back.

The cold wind, despite its name, was so strong it made people shiver.

He shifted his gaze from the chestnut horse in front of him and announced the end of the pre-auction display period with the words, "Coming right now."

It is still the one that does not have reproductive characteristics.

After inspecting all forty-four breeding mares for sale, the consumption of Green Amulets was far less than expected.

The only one that could barely be considered a target was Tsukikage.

Even so, it still feels like a worthwhile experience.

After all, before coming to the UK, I was prepared to return empty-handed.

Walking briskly along the concrete road under the gray sky, my hand swiping across the screen displaying the online auction list.

Soon, they found Moonshadow's section among the few mares available for sale.

According to the information on the page, the seller, the Gumoia Beech Stallion, is hoping for a reserve price of £8000.

Although somewhat surprised, the reason for such a low price quickly became clear—

Tsukikage's first foal had to retire due to injury after only one race. As for the second foal, which wasn't mentioned in the intelligence report, it's likely in a similar situation.

In addition, among all the breeding mares for sale, only the "Covering" field below Tsukikage's name is blank.

Generally speaking, regardless of the quality of the foal, a mare that becomes pregnant under similar conditions often has an advantage over the non-pregnant one.

but--

In the eyes of a foreign buyer who already owns the system, this actually became a plus.

"It's her."

After careful consideration, the decision was made to target Moonshadow and complete the final piece of the puzzle for breeding mares on the ranch.

It's not that I have short-sighted ideas like "the Antlers fine auction a few months later won't find better mares" or "even Gu Moya couldn't solve the breeding problem, I can solve it myself."

While the latter can indeed find a way to deal with the situation by using the "advisory group".

In order to maintain financial health, the ranch will be looking for mares with the best possible value at auctions in recent years.

In addition, since there is no rush to expand on a large scale in the near future, there are not many vacant stables left.

"I really do want to buy everything in one go—"

Even after turning off my phone and seeing the densely packed schedule of European auctions disappear from my sight, I was still fiercely battling the urge to continue spending money.

"If I buy a few more in my own name, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Just as hesitation was creeping in, a somewhat unfamiliar shout came from the sharp whistling wind—

"Mr. Kitano!"

He immediately came to his senses.

A tall, thin man dressed much like the horse breeders around him waved from afar.

Because he was wearing a knitted beanie, it took a little time to recognize him by his body shape.

It was Mr. Simon, the ranch manager of the Overbry stallion, with thinning hair.

Good morning, Simon!

He turned back to Mr. Kimura and said, "Please go in first," before moving towards Simon.

Kimura nodded, replied, "Then I'll go ahead," and walked in the opposite direction.

"I never expected to see you here!"

Simon's outstretched hand was immediately grasped.

This time, it was a display of passion and intensity reminiscent of that of Americans.

According to Simon himself, in addition to promoting the foals produced by O'Frybo, he also had the important task of finding excellent hurdle racing mares for Ms. McGeewen and other customers.

Seemingly due to some misunderstanding, the ranch manager of Overbry began to launch into a long-winded account of information about hurdle racing.

"People often superficially believe that the offspring of long-distance racehorses will perform well in hurdles, but in reality, we value a horse's potential dynamic talents, such as its coordination and..."

Because both hands were held tightly, I was forced to acquire a lot of knowledge that was not necessary at the moment.

If there hadn't been buyers waiting nearby, this passive learning might have continued until 10 a.m. when the auction started.

While Simon was distracted by the buyer, he thanked her and fled as if running away.

After strolling around the stables area, some distance from Overbought, for a while, I entered the auction hall. At a glance, I immediately spotted another Asian face among the scattered buyers.

The layout of Goffs auction house is quite different from that in Japan and the United States, with a circular display area surrounded by a row of stands that covers most of the angles.

It has a slightly gladiator-like feel.

Until 10 a.m. when the auction started, I stayed in my seat obediently.

Besides the fact that there was simply nothing left to see, the weather was also extremely bad.

Of course, it's also possible that they might simply be trying to avoid overly enthusiastic ranch managers.

During a casual conversation with Mr. Kimura, I learned that the Antwerp Selected Auction in April and the London Auction in mid-June were even held in the evening.

"That way, it'll be late at night by the time it ends."

"Perhaps it's to cater to overseas buyers."

After thinking for a while, Kimura half-jokingly shook his phone.

Live broadcasts of the auction have begun on Goffs' official channel.

However, the number of buyers who returned to the site from the comparison display area was still not very large, and there were only a handful of viewers in the live broadcast room.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Doncaster.

On the high platform, the gray-haired auctioneer cast a slightly surprised glance, but was still mechanically reciting the opening remarks.

For the next while, the two Asian horse breeders were silently scrolling through their phones.

He listened absentmindedly to the auction rules, which he had already learned from the official website.

Because the first four horses were all absent from the auction, the auction started directly from Lot 5.

The first horse to be led up was a chestnut pony wrapped in a pink riding coat.

I have a feeling that he's not quite settled down.

After the first round of presentations, the auctioneer on stage finally spoke.

How about starting at £1,000 for the foal born to the 2,224th Anniversary Golden Horn and Dream Road chestnut mare?

At this point, the white-haired auctioneer suddenly quickened his pace.

"Is anyone willing to offer a thousand pounds? I've said my offer is a thousand, and now anyone's willing to make the first bid?"

I witnessed a bidding process that differed from that of auctions in Japan and the United States.

However, despite the auctioneer's best efforts, the first horse to appear on the field failed to sell.

In the subsequent auction proceedings, withdrawn or unsold horses accounted for a significant proportion, so it took even less time than expected to reach Lot 142 where Moonshadow was located.

The deer-haired mare, dressed in a blue riding coat, entered the display channel with an obedient expression. Unlike the previous horses, its belly, covered by the riding coat, was not bloated.

"Next up is Lot 142, Moonshadow, submitted by the Beech Stallion. She won a turf flat race at Lingfield and is a nine-year-old deer mare from Seaview Moon. Can anyone give me a bid of five thousand pounds? What do you think of that price?"

During the auction, another auctioneer, who had taken over from the older auctioneer, called out the prices without even looking up.

At that moment, a "Oh!" sound suddenly broke the silence.

"Kitano-kun——"

Kimura stared wide-eyed in surprise, giving him a look that seemed to ask, "What's going on now?"

"Now it's five thousand from that gentleman, can anyone else offer me five thousand one? Five thousand one, one, one—"

Faced with several failed bids, the auctioneer on stage seemed to regain some energy, and even unconsciously raised his voice when calling out bids.

However, the buyers around him still looked like they were about to fall asleep, showing no intention of joining the bidding.

It seems we'll have to raise the price ourselves.

"Please, Mr. Kimura."

After turning around and looking around, he said this to his still surprised companion.

While reluctantly nodding in agreement, Kimura muttered to himself, "Could it be just like the rumors say?"

It seems I'm bound to be misunderstood again.

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"[@GoffsUK:]"

At Doncaster's auction in January, Lot 142 Moonshadow from the Beech Stallion was bought by Mejiro Farm for £8,000, while the mare who bred Moonshadow in Hyde is valued at £17,000 in 2025.

——Goffs UK
(End of this chapter)