Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 335 A New Star Shining in the Twilight

It was already dusk.

The light on the other side of the glass window became even more hazy, and the colors and outlines were difficult to distinguish, but the sound from the broadcast remained clear.

"The first entry number is Mejiro Noah, weighing 479 kilograms, with a weight gain or loss of 5. His rider is Tobita Aito from Saga."

As the deer-haired horse leisurely ran past the stands during its trial run, cheers and shouts of encouragement came through the slightly vibrating glass windows.

"Go Noah!"

"Don't lose to those bastards from Honshu!"

I stood in front of the glass window and listened silently for a while before picking up the still slightly hot squid skewer and putting it in my mouth.

With each bite of the springy meat, the aroma of perfectly grilled squid spreads throughout the mouth as you chew.

Although I'm not sure if it's the Yoruko squid, a specialty of Saga, the texture and taste were surprisingly good.

However, the few skewers of squid were devoured in no time.

After finishing the meal, pick up the plastic cup containing the beer and let the cold liquid slide down your throat.

Just as I was looking at my empty glass, wondering whether I should have another drink, a staff member quietly approached from behind and handed me another glass of beer.

"Ah—thank you."

I was slightly startled.

I placed the cool-feeling plastic cup on the table and spread out the horse racing newsprint I had bought from the vending machine downstairs.

Although it is only a short-distance race of 1,400 meters, the race at the local Saga Racecourse starts from the extended section of the straight and requires navigating all four turns.

Even in situations where the central driver is strong, encountering such a tight turn for the first time might be a bit of a challenge.

Of course, this level of geographical advantage is far from enough to eliminate the vast power gap between the Kyushu region and the central government.

Even in races where only local racehorses are allowed to participate, Saga horse racing, despite having the advantage of a suitable track, often loses more often than it wins.

In today's rising star of West Japan, Noah, who is considered a favorite among horse racing fans, was highly anticipated before the race.

Unexpected development.

However, both the trainer and the rider on the saddle are equally confident about today's race.

—Noah's last race as a Saga horse runner.

"I really don't know what kind of race this kid will run."

Thinking this, he stood up again and walked to the glass window, casting a somewhat worried glance toward the gate at the end of the straight line.

Just as I was lost in thought, the announcement that the match was about to begin came over the loudspeaker.

"Today's Grand Prize Race at Dusk, the 5th Future Stars West Japan, JRA Grand Prize Race, 1400-meter race on dirt track for three-year-olds, the race is in good condition under the clear sky of Baba."

The clamor from the stands below quickly reached the third tier of the stands where I was, and I could faintly hear familiar names, probably from some enthusiastic fans cheering.

The starting tower slowly rose, and the indescribable music, accompanied by off-key applause, drifted into the setting sun and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

My gaze moved down from the racetrack logo bearing the words "Soul of Kyushu" and caught sight of the bright white and green colors that were almost blinding when the gates opened.

I subconsciously slowed down my breathing.

The start was somewhat chaotic; the deer-haired horse, moving forward from the innermost lane, didn't initially go very fast.

but--

Once, twice, and once more.

With the young rider's determined push, the figures of man and horse gradually emerged from the melee.

Undeterred by the sudden surge of the herd, the deer-haired horse boldly strode forward.

It was this determination that sparked wave after wave of cheers from the stands.

Approaching the first bend, Tobita gently loosened the reins, and Noah beneath him veered off to the outside, avoiding the thick sand on the inside. He then took a sip of beer, the glass still glistening with tiny droplets, and exhaled softly.

"That's it—"

Unlike central racetracks where grass is the dominant color, local racetracks with sandy terrain accumulate thick layers of sand on the inner side of the track as the number of races increases.

Generally speaking, during the big prize races, the inside is almost impossible to pass, so in local areas, it is common to see herds of horses passing through the very large outside bends.

Of course, the progress of training and the rider's skill level are also closely related.

"At the second bend, the situation was still dominated by Noah Meguro, who was in first place. Noah Meguro was maintaining a lead of about half a horse length, followed by Noah Takemasa Saga, who was in fourth place. Kashi no Kenkei, who was in third place, was chasing after the two horses."

While listening to the live broadcast, I looked at the silhouette of the horse herd that was gradually lengthening in the straight line directly in front of me.

—The direction of the race is almost clear to the naked eye, which is probably one of the advantages of the super small track.

Turning from the straightaway into the third bend, one could clearly see the whip raised by the rider in the peach-green finale suit behind Noah.

However, the distance was not shortened.

Even as the car turned from the bend into the straight of the final battle, the deer-haired horse's composed pace showed no signs of slowing down.

In the previous race, which was at a similar pace, Noah was already running out of stamina when he turned from the bend to the straight.

According to the rider, Tobita, he gritted his teeth and ran the last straight line.

Although it does indeed match the range detected by the [detector], as the horse owner, I still wanted to do something about it.

The primary focus of training is to address muscle enhancement in the central track, and this should not be easily changed.

However, after discussions with the stable owner, we attempted to adjust the supplementary ingredients in the feed.

It's unclear whether the supplements are more effective or if this is simply a unique development characteristic of Golden Ship foals.

However, as a horse owner, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

As for the current match—

"The first Mejiro Noah, a very beautiful amulet!"

"A victory that responds to popularity, Saga's Mejiro Noah escapes to win!"

As the fugitive crossed the finish line with a clear advantage, the even more enthusiastic applause and shouts that had preceded the race echoed in my ears.

He smoothed out the slightly wrinkled racing paper, folded it in half, rolled it into a ball, and tucked it under his arm.

Upon arriving at the unsaddle area, the trainer was embracing and celebrating with the rider who had dismounted.

Noah, who was pushing forward with all his might during the game, had already returned to his usual relaxed, top-student self.

"Thank you for your hard work."

With that, he bowed to the people in the room.

Then, he went up and touched Noah's wet head.

"You're amazing too, Noah."

The deer-haired horse swished its tail, its face slightly turned away from the touch of the fingertips.

It's like saying something a little shy, like, "No, it's just a normal amount of effort."

"Alright, it's time for a cooling shower!"

The wet little ears suddenly drooped down.

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“【@KW7MBql9fYjANgE:

The golden ship's foal has escaped! Megumi Noah!
I'll definitely go see his match live someday!

——Chi Xingzhou
(End of this chapter)