Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 311 The Final Struggle of Rooted Spirit

The Thursday after Lunar New Year's Eve.

On this day, Saga Racecourse was packed with horse racing fans from all over Kyushu starting at noon.

Looking at the crowds, you can see groups of young men and women everywhere.

Today's sixth race in Saga is the JRA 3-year-old exchange at the Maya Mountain Special, a Kyushu debut-limited event at 1400 meters in the sandy terrain.

Including the two mares, there were a total of ten runaway horses.

Noah, represented by Saga, is ranked fourth in popularity after the three central horses and will compete as the gatekeeper of the sixth team.

The three-year-old deer-haired horse calmly accepted the inspection in the show ring, its movements as light and agile as during training.

“Since last winter, Noah’s legs have become a little stronger, and the muscles in his hindquarters and chest have also grown to some extent.”

Hattori, who has been a horse trainer for three years, looks more composed and reliable than last year.

In every sense of the word.

"Although it was a long time since his last competition, the boy worked very hard in training, so there was nothing to worry about regarding his condition."

At this point, Hattori looked out over the railing toward the reviewing stand.

The deer-haired horse body, bathed in the warm winter sun, exudes a serious temperament.

"However, there are also some things to be aware of."

The trainer's originally gentle gaze turned somewhat serious.

"This child is still not mature enough in terms of leg strength, and his stamina for continuous running is also not very good. Please pay more attention to these two points."

"I will, thank you so much."

Kitano nodded seriously, noting in a corner of his mind that "Noah's stamina and strength are still insufficient."

While waiting for the final inspection of the debut ring to end, Hattori, who had already had several experiences of changing and taking over different teams, took the opportunity to talk about the topic of changing teams.

Changing one's registered residence to the southern Kanto region or the central region requires overcoming various conditions and is actually not an easy task.

There are many things that need to be checked on the day of the competition.

Whether the rider is agitated when saddled, calm during the debut lap, smooth during the test run, any abnormalities after the brakes, whether the rider can exit the brakes smoothly, whether the rider can keep up with the pace after exiting the brakes, whether the rider reacts when urged to ride, and whether the rider can return safely after the final sprint, etc.

Besides these routine checks, successfully completing the race and returning to the stables under the circumstances of changing nationality is a challenge no less than an overseas expedition.

From some perspectives, the mental pressure may be even greater than that of the local Singapore-Malaysia race.

For the receiving stable, taking over an adult racehorse that has been transferred is also an unusual situation.

In stable settings, trainers and riders have to slowly select routes based on riding feel and gate conditions, such as whether to choose grass or dirt, distance, left or right turns, and which track is more suitable.

Generally speaking, assessing the suitability of a horse for transfer often requires a great deal of additional communication between the owner and the stable.

"Therefore, if you plan to extend your range, please pay more attention to improving your physical fitness."

"Thank you so much."

The only way to express his gratitude to the horse trainer who patiently explained the information about Noah was to bow deeply.

but--

At least in terms of suitability for the venue and shooting range, the horse owner had actually grasped it long ago.

There was no obsession with things like, "Now that we've reached the central government, we must make at least one mile's worth of attempts."

Although the specific schedule is not yet clearly defined, it is at least clear what kind of matches would be more suitable for Noah in the current situation.

"Even if we go to Nanguan or Zhongyang, the main consideration will probably be short distances."

Upon hearing this answer, the chubby horse trainer breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"That would be great."

Noah, who had spent six peaceful months at the racetrack nestled in the mountains, was greeted with expectant applause as he made his final departure before transferring to another race.

Because this was the last chance to try and fail before the transfer to a new stable, after obtaining the consent of the trainer and the owner, Tobita adopted a completely different lead-out approach than in the previous race. At the start of the race, Noah, who was participating in a race for the second time in several months, burst out of the gate with an excellent advantage.

"If that child could stay in Saga, he would definitely be a 'secret weapon' level existence."

On one side of the railing, the gray-haired horse trainer, Majima Motonori, had a look of utter disappointment on his face.

"But wouldn't that be holding them back?"

On the other side of the railing, Daisuke Mashima, who had returned from Tokyo to Saga for his vacation, shook his head with a smile.

"That's true. After all, we live in a rural place where nothing can be kept."

Daisuke Majima, sensing something was wrong, broke out in a cold sweat.

"No, nothing like that—"

On the track, the 1,400-meter distance has reached the latter part of the curve.

Noah, who failed to create distance midway through the race, was quickly overtaken by the center horse in the lead position at the turn into the straight.

however--

Just as cries of "Something's wrong!" began to emerge from the stands, the deer-haired horse in the lead position stubbornly maintained its parallel line with the pursuers.

"Leading the way is Noah Meguro, the sixth commander of Saga!"

Amidst the cheers that rose and fell, the commentator's usually mild voice unconsciously quickened.

"Mejiro Noah is still leading! But Umaru is coming from the outside! The 9th Umaru!"

Ultimately, despite his tenacious willpower, he couldn't hold on until the end of the match.

"The champion of Eel Pond has made one move! The winner is the champion of Eel Pond in the center!"

Indeed, it was the thick central wall—

The fist that had been raised high fell limply to the ground.

"Ah~~~"

Kikuchi and Asayama, who had also rushed to Kyushu, cried out in frustration.

The bitterness of defeat lasted only a moment, but the regret lingered until after the match.

As he handed the sweat-soaked saddle to the stable boy, Tobita muttered something like, "I wish we could have won."

Beside the rider, Noah, panting heavily, revealed the same unwillingness in his eyes as that of the centaur.

After thanking the fans for their support, this is the scene I saw when I headed to the unsaddle area.

"Thank you for your hard work."

A deep bow to the trainers, riders, and stable staff.

"If it's not possible, I'm sorry to disappoint you!"

The seemingly absent-minded rider quickly changed his tune after raising his head.

"No, that's not true. Tobita-kun did a great job!"

He patted the rider's wet shoulder, then patted the equally wet head of the deer-mane horse.

"Noah-kun, the same goes for you."

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

"【Pay attention to horse movements】

Japan Cup winner Riki Manoda has confirmed he will accept an invitation to the Dubai Sima Classic.
"His physique and spirit have improved since the Japan Cup, and he has also gained valuable racing experience. We've decided to use this race as our current goal."

——《n○tkeiba》

(End of this chapter)