Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 324 Decision-making at both ends

March 17th, 4:25 AM.

Dubai International Airport.

After passing through the gate and disembarking, I felt the temperature was slightly higher than at Haneda Airport, where I was transferring.

The weather forecast says that temperatures will be above 30 degrees Celsius after sunrise today.

"No wonder the final pursuit was scheduled for 6 a.m. before sunrise."

Thinking this, I tapped my phone screen with the other hand besides the one holding the luggage bag.

The first thing that pops up is a notification that begins in English.

After waking my phone from standby, I opened my email while moving towards the airport.

The usual monthly bill from Reed, the horse trainer.

After making a rough estimate and finding that the amount was not too problematic, the money was transferred to the trainer's account.

Then, I opened another email, also from an American horse trainer.

Regarding the discussion of the route for the next lucky trip.

In the email, Reed stated that he plans to register for one of the two grass court championships in late March and early April for the next Good Luck tournament.

The 1½ Mile Turf Second-Tier Pan American Championship was held as a warm-up game at the Gulfstream Park Florida Derby Day in late March at Helendale Beach, Florida.

And the 5½ Front Turf Grade 3 Shekton Stakes, held in early April during the spring races at Lexington Kineyland Racecourse.

One is a medium-distance race, and the other is a short-distance race.

Sharing the same view as the horse owners, Reed believes that the next Lucky Hour is not suitable for dirt racing.

However, American trainers believe that the strong muscles developed by Lucky Strike in dirt races may have a more significant effect in turf races a mile away, so they have tried to increase and decrease the distance.

While its short burst of power isn't top-tier, I believe it's sufficient as a weapon over a mile-and-a-half distance, and it could certainly perform well in shorter races as well.

[Furthermore, its competitive spirit is exceptional, allowing it to perform beyond its true potential even in matches where it is not feeling well—although this also makes the recovery window after the match much longer.]

While traveling from the airport to the Medan Hotel in a car provided by the race organizers, I opened the attachment to the second email from the American trainer.

In addition to the usual comparison photos of the horse's physique with last month's and photos of its life in the Good Luck stables, there are also several analytical charts that appear to be related to cadence.

To be honest, I didn't understand it at all.

In most situations, after the horse owner pretends to persist to this point, they will usually have no choice but to honestly reply with something like, "It's all up to you to arrange."

but--

This applies only to ordinary horse owners.

I opened the panel in front of my eyes. Although I had a feeling that I could extend the range to 2,400 meters next time I was lucky, I still selected the Shektun Championship, which was higher in the target event column.

"Om-"

Even overseas, far from Japan, the message was received very quickly.

Tap the notification bar that pops up at the top of the phone screen, and you'll see the same three advisors you already know quite well.

Changfeng:
After a two-month recovery and adjustment period, the accumulated fatigue will be well relieved, allowing the horse to give its all in the race, both physically and mentally.

Having already honed their skills through countless trials since entering the Year of the Horse, their spirits have become even stronger, making this level of competition a suitable target for them at this stage. Recommended rider: Moya (outside)

If we ignore the recommended rider section, the evaluation from Changfeng Consultant seems to be optimistic.

Could it be that my premonition was wrong?

With these questions in mind, I continued reading.

[Kappa wood:

The experience of playing on mud courts has given my hindquarters, especially my hip muscles, a good workout. Since winter, my shoulder muscles have also increased to some extent, and my fore and hindquarters have developed in a more balanced way.

The condition of its fur is also completely different from that at the end of last season. Despite the still somewhat cold weather, the winter fur has shed quite well.

Based on this, metabolism may have improved to some extent, and this might lead to a good result in a match where the best shooting range is targeted.

Recommended rider: Du Manlai (Li/Self/Currently training overseas)

"So it really was a mistake—"

He sighed under the somewhat surprised gaze of the driver ahead.

Fortunately, it wasn't too late.

Ignoring Mr. Du Manlai's name, who seemed to be mistaken for a training rider, I then clicked on the last unread message.

[Meixiang:
For a sprinter, the horse's physique is a bit loose, but it actually runs better than it looks. Its gait is not bulky when it runs, and its coat is glossy and shiny, indicating that it is in very good condition.

The shoulder muscles, which were originally somewhat lacking, have grown to a certain extent, and the muscles covering the waist are quite firm.

The hindquarters are slightly robust, but in the case of Meizhi, they might have an unexpected effect.

Recommended rider: Ao Tianxin (foreign)

While the outcome of the Pan American Championship remains unclear, based on current assessments, advisors are optimistic about the next Shakerton Championship, which is expected to be a lucky one.

Although I wasn't entirely clear on the specific basis of the trainer's and consultant's analysis, I immediately followed their advice and made a decision.

Please allow him to participate in the Shakerton Championships; the rider should continue using the Ochigatari.

After sending such a reply email, the trainer soon sent another bill for the runaway, including the registration fee, intra-state transportation costs, and stable rental fees.

I wired the second payment before getting off the bus.

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

"Katsutoku Arashiyama and his world-class horse, Sakuya Mejiro, will join forces to defend their Dubai World Cup title."

"Replicating the achievements of Goro Blizzard is extremely difficult; you're facing some of the best dirt track horses in the world right now," said Katsutoku Arayayama. "Considering her performance has declined compared to last year, achieving this goal becomes even more challenging."

The renowned trainer from a local Japanese horse racing association stated that Mejiro Sakuya's condition after the winter grazing was not optimistic, and therefore the team decided to arrive in Dubai earlier than planned for training.

"The cost of expeditions is usually borne by the owner, so in most cases we tend to prioritize cost over the actual condition of the horse," he said. "But my client, Mr. Kitano, is not only an owner with extremely high-level horse judging skills, but also a breeder from a prestigious family with a long history. His long-term vision always benefits us."

"We will only let her participate in the competition under ideal conditions," Huangshan stated. "If we detect even the slightest problem, we will re-evaluate the possibility of her participating in the competition—even at the very last moment before she enters the gate."

——《Id○l Horse》-《The Last Dance: Mejiro Sakuya Ready for the Dubai World Cup》

By Mo Jinxian

(End of this chapter)