Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 342 The Collector of Bloodlines

"How should I put it about that mare's pedigree? When I first saw her foal appear in the auction catalog a few years ago, even I was taken aback."

"After all, it's a bloodline that looks impressive at first glance."

"Yes, that's it!"

On the way to a stable, I chatted with Kawakami about the horse he cared about.

"Bloodline collector"—that's what Kawakami calls the mother of that deer-haired foal.

As for why he is a collector rather than a connoisseur, it is probably because the bloodline he uses is far too ancient for modern racehorses.

"Free X-rays and laryngoscopy?"

I noticed the content of the stable promotional poster next to me, so I read it aloud.

"Oh, these are things that are usually not made public at auctions here in Australia. If you want to know, you can only pay fifty Australian dollars per horse to have a veterinarian examine it in advance."

Kawakami, who was walking ahead, stopped and turned around to explain.

This is another place different from horse racing in Japan.

Continuing forward, we came to a stable located in a secluded corner.

"This is it."

Kawakami pointed to the crowd that had gathered slightly ahead.

—It seems to be even more popular than the popular horse that just appeared.

"...What a nostalgic bloodline."

"I never expected to encounter such a horse in Australia."

Passing through the murmurs, we arrived at a spot where we could see inside the stables.

Because Australian auctions typically do not publish horse measurements, at least at this stage, you largely have to rely on your own judgment.

However, just like auctions in Japan and Europe, the most obvious indicator is the size of the horse, which can be easily identified at a glance.

"Wow, that's really high!"

That's the initial impression.

Although this auction is classified as a yearling auction according to the Northern Hemisphere classification, most of the horses that actually appeared were only between one year old and their current age.

However, whether they are stallions or mares, the Australians are mostly strong and muscular.

Aside from the generally robust physique of horses born in the Southern Hemisphere, the Deer Mane foal in front of us seemed quite ordinary.

Neither the hooves nor the waist looked particularly noteworthy, and the ball joints seemed rather ordinary.

Looking further down, the fascia appears even flatter than normal.

It's really quite ordinary.

Thinking this, I opened the panel in my field of vision.

Since it is a mare, the first thing to investigate is her reproductive characteristics.

Of course, it was mostly out of curiosity.

Dialta 2026 (Untitled)

【Female 1】

【Deer hair】

[Father: Attack from the side door]

[Mother/Father: Bushes]

【physical strength】

[Difficulty in controlling one's temper]

【strength】

To be honest, it was somewhat unexpected.

According to information gathered from previous auction catalogs, Dialta's first few foals with similar bloodlines all showed a tendency toward shorter distances.

To confirm further, I selected the [Detector] item in my inventory again.

Dialta 2026 (Untitled)

【Female 1】

【Deer hair】

[Distance Suitability: 2600-4000]

【Race suitability: Grass ◎ Muddy ○】 【Foot type: ?】

【Growth type:?】

[Temperament:?]

【character:?】

【speed:?】

Stamina: S

[Winning or losing nature:? ]

【Instant power:?】

【strength:?】

【healthy:?】

【Xian:? 】

[Spiritual power:?]

【Softness:? 】

Rather than being surprised, I was more confused.

如果长途倾向来自于德雷西“5×5×5”的配合，那么在迪阿尔塔前几胎与侧面迎击父亲何其热的配合上，“4×5×5”的德雷西血应该更容易表现出长途倾向的优势才对——

However, my thoughts as a breeder will stop here for now.

After casually asking for a brochure, I arrived at the auction venue located inside the hotel.

The layout is completely different from that in Japan and Europe and America. The seats for buyers and sellers are arranged around round tables, and tableware has already been set on the tables.

I randomly picked a seat near the front, and the staff quickly brought out two servings of appetizers for us.

While enjoying an overly lavish appetizer, they listened as Kawakami continued to explain the precautions for the Australian auction.

Regarding horses that fail to sell at auctions in Australia, the results are usually uploaded to the auction website within five minutes of the auction ending, at which point the seller's reserve price will be published on the website.

For horses that fail to sell at auction, sellers are usually willing to sell as long as the offer is not lower than the price.

Alternatively, you could go back to the stables to speak with the seller again, or have the horse examined more thoroughly.

However, if the horse is auctioned through a consignment auction, the consignee sometimes needs to confirm with the horse owner.

It is worth noting that at Inglis's auctions, even horses that failed to sell at auction were handled according to the procedures for purchasing them at auction.

It is said that this is how it is handled within a month after the transaction, and some competitions only allow foals sold at this auction to participate, which is why there are such rules.

"anyway--"

Suddenly, a question arose that seemed unrelated to the current topic.

"Mr. Kawakami, do you know any well-known long-distance races?"

Upon hearing this, Kawakami displayed a somewhat subtle expression.

"Australia has many long-distance Group 1 races with Europe, especially Great Britain and the United Kingdom, but when it comes to the most famous or the long-distance races that President Kitano is more familiar with, it can only be Japan."

—The Emperor's Prize for the winner, with a prize of 300 million yen, in spring.

Despite the slightly awkward situation, the travel consultant patiently continued explaining.

"Even for races outside of the top prize pools, the long-distance prize money in Japan is much higher than in other parts of the world."

“However, the competition on long-distance racetracks in Australia is relatively much easier. In recent years, we have been trying to introduce long-distance pedigrees from Japan and other horse racing regions to Australia.”

"In addition, although it is only a Tier 2 event, if I remember correctly, the prize money for the Red Sea grass handicap tournament in Saudi Arabia is quite considerable."

"So that's how it is."

After nodding, he casually changed the subject, pretending nothing had happened.

They whiled away the time with casual conversation and snacks served intermittently, and soon it was time for the auction to begin.

The sounds of conversation around me grew louder, and more buyers sat down at the round table.

Without even asking if anyone was there, a man wearing Bluetooth headphones and a casual suit casually sat down in the empty seat next to him.

"Did you find anything, KITANO?"

Before she had even fully sat down, Mahana had already impatiently turned her head away.

"I guess so, maybe I met a really interesting kid."

After a slight pause, he gave this answer.

(End of this chapter)