Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 315 Madmen and Madmen

February 7th, Monday.

It's that time of year again for the NAR Grand Prix awards ceremony.

Before I knew it, this was my third year attending the NAR Awards ceremony as a local horse owner.

They were quite familiar with the routes from New Chitose Airport to Haneda and Narita.

I counted, and there were a total of 39 round trips last year.

As a horse owner and breeder, I spend about one-fifth of the year outside of Hokkaido, where my ranch is located.

Although it was quite tough, it was all a choice made after making a firm decision.

Moreover, from the perspective of horse owners and breeders, horse racing is not an easy business that can be run by someone who can simply sit back and do nothing.

I was mentally prepared for this a long time ago.

The world of horse racing may be cruel, but fortunately, the results are presented in a direct and visual way.

From a certain perspective, this is also a very happy thing.

In early February evenings, a blue curtain had already descended upon the sky as one looked up through the gaps in the buildings.

Looking up at the other side of the skyscrapers, the neon lights of Tokyo Skytree have been lit up at some point.

I hope to personally breed horses capable of achieving success in competitions within the next three years.

The emotions that had been so hard to stir were forced back down by the sudden vibration.

While still wondering who it was, I swiped the screen and found that it only showed the simple login name "Ranch".

This contact is probably related to breeding.

Sure enough, I guessed it right.

According to Ravid, who stayed at the ranch, Anna did indeed enter her estrus cycle in early February, just as Professor Yano had predicted.

The ideal time for mating is the day after or the day after that after the quarantine release.

But there is a problem.

Perhaps due to the change in environment, according to feedback from the staff at the Jingnei Stud Station, Golden Horn, who was not exactly known for its good temper, seems to have been a bit restless these past few days.

If the mares are newly retired racehorses, there might be some unease.

"Let's observe further; it's on both sides."

Upon hearing this answer, Ravid's tone on the other end of the phone became noticeably somber.

In short, we should try our best first.

After ending the call, my initially cheerful mood turned somewhat heavy.

He couldn't help but quicken his pace.

The awards ceremony was held at a five-star hotel, which is about 300 meters away from Shibuya Station along Tamagawa-dori.

"Good evening, President Kitano."

While waiting for the elevator on the first floor of the hotel, a somewhat familiar voice came from beside me.

So he turned his head to look to the side and found that it was Mr. Yoshiki Noda, whom he had met a few times as a NAR horse owner.

As far as I can remember, Mr. Noda would personally drive his modified car from Osaka Prefecture to Hokkaido every year to attend the auction.

When he is a horse owner, he is said to be the type to be called a "madman".

Or rather, Mr. Noda here should be called a "madman of the previous generation".

Good evening, President Noda.

After exchanging greetings, the two moved together into the elevator.

"Um, President Kitano—"

Following the sound of the elevator doors closing, Noda spoke with slight hesitation.

"To be honest, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"It's alright, please feel free to speak."

Has the Golden Horn really come to Japan?

"Ah, that's right."

Because I was a little surprised, it took me a beat to react.

Wow, there are actually people interested in the Golden Horn!

While feeling moved, the fact that Golden Horn had produced a foal flashed through my mind.

Perhaps they're planning to move into long-distance or steeplechase races, where the competition is less intense. Thinking this, Noda continued speaking.

"In your opinion, what kind of image would a Golden Horn foal have?"

This was an even rarer scene than inquiring about the condition of the Golden Horn.

This is the first time since the decision to breed "Golden Horn x Divine Anna" was announced that someone has asked about breeding-related issues in such a serious tone.

"If we were to name a distinctive feature, it would probably be the horse's sturdy physique."

"So, does that mean the healthy aspects were inherited very well?"

"That's not wrong, but the unstable part of his temperament was also passed down."

Although it was just a textbook answer, it was reliable to some extent.

After the explanation, Noda nodded and said, "I see."

As the indicator light flashed, the elevator began to ascend at a uniform speed.

A strange silence descended along with the feeling of gravity.

"In that case—"

Just as the atmosphere was about to turn awkward, Noda finally spoke.

"Could you ask him to try working with this child?"

As he spoke, he tapped a few times and then showed his phone screen.

"It's a 3x3 day-sequestration system, isn't it?"

For a fleeting moment, I subconsciously frowned.

In any case, the "3x3" formation is far too dangerous.

Moreover, the Sunday Serenity lineage is practically ubiquitous in Japan.

"Yes, so we thought of using a slightly stronger stallion to breed with this child, but the first few foals didn't seem very promising."

Noda sighed as well.

Having also been involved in the horse ownership business for some time and having horses that I care about like family, I can somewhat understand this feeling.

"If President Noda wants to do this, then let's give it a try."

"That would be wonderful!"

The elevator doors opened, and they walked towards the meeting hall while discussing breeding arrangements.

A consensus was reached quickly.

Before parting, Mr. Noda expressed his gratitude, saying that if anyone needed to purchase an imported vehicle, he would take care of it.

Although I have absolutely no such thoughts.

The awards ceremony and the dinner itself didn't offer any real surprises—except for the fact that the food was finally served earlier after repeated requests.

Sakuya was unsurprisingly chosen as the best mares aged 4 and over and the special prize horse in the dirt race. The best turf horse, which had been vacant for many years since its establishment, was awarded to Atalanta along with the best mares aged 3.

Sakuya, the representative of the year, only received nine votes this year.

The remaining six votes were cast for Atalanta by the committee members.

The troubles of being too happy.

As for Majima not being elected as the youngest honored horse trainer in NAR history as previously rumored—

At least the trainer himself didn't seem to care much.

Another year filled with honors.

After the dinner ended and I said goodbye to everyone, I took the elevator back to the ground floor.

Outside the transparent glass doors, the dazzling lights of the skyscrapers illuminated the night sky above central Tokyo.

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"[@yoshiki_nida:

At today's NAR Grand Prix, I ran into @KitanoYukiPresident while waiting for the elevator.

I asked President Kitano some questions about the ever-indulgent Empress.