Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 36 Night Mixed Match

Chapter 36 Night Mixed Match
"It's really hot!"

"Yeah, I should have brought a few more sets of clothes."

"My face is also covered with sweat, I can't see anything at all—"

Inside the preparation room, the riders chatted while waiting for the next race to begin.

"After this, let's go have a barbecue together!"

Fujita, the youngest of the riders, suggested.

"Long live--"

Everyone cheered immediately, even Ochiai, who never liked crowds, joined in.

"Alright! The next game is about to begin, let's get ready."

Finally, it was the most experienced rider Inoue who stood up and spoke.

Standing up from his seat, Ochiai began to flex his wrists.

The sticky feeling all over his body made him very uncomfortable.

However, it was not enough to affect the game.

He looked up at the electronic screen hanging on the wall of the preparation room and began to recall the escape strategy he had planned.

The next race is a 1,000-meter two-year-old mixed race, commissioned by a North Wild Horse owner.

Putting aside her limp, the deer-haired mare named Mejiro Sakuya was of superior physique.

However, it remains unknown how such a racehorse can perform in official competitions.

"If you really can't run, just pull over and stop."

Before the game, the "safety first" directive was received from the North Mustang owners.

This surprised him.

Logically speaking, even if horse owners don't dream of getting rich overnight, they always hope to get a return that is at least equal to their efforts.

As far as he knew, the medical expenses that Kitano Shuuma spent on Mejiro Sakuya alone exceeded one million yen.

In return, all that is required is the goal of [finishing the race safely].

completely--

I can't understand it.

Wearing a sweat-soaked helmet, he and his companions trotted to the reviewing ground.

“Although I’m still a little shaky mentally, my body feels really good!”

After climbing onto the horse's back, I heard this comment from the stable attendant Kobayashi.

"Assistant Yoshimoto has been praising the horse's steady gait since morning drills."

Feeling the horse's back, which was completely different from Medaima's, Ochiai nodded slightly.

"please!"

Today, the owner of Kitano Horse once again appeared at the reviewing ground in a very solemn manner.

"Please leave it to me."

The two of them, like actors from a swordplay drama who had wandered onto the wrong set, maintained the ancient etiquette of riders and horse owners from the Showa era.

Because it was a night game, the stadium was brightly lit.

Under the light, the shadows of people and horses will be very conspicuous on the white sand.

For a racehorse that is frightened by its own shadow, this would undoubtedly be a nightmare.

However, Mejiro Sakuya is not that type.

Among the opponents wearing various equipment, the deer-hair horse looks a little out of place.

Although it was his first time competing, he entered the gate very obediently under the guidance of the stable attendant Kobayashi.

"This child is really well behaved."

Kobayashi, the stable attendant, walked aside and started chatting with his companions and couldn't help but say.

At this time, the last racehorse finally squeezed into the gate with difficulty after being pushed and pulled by the stable attendant.

"The gates to the Aachen Palace in Juban have also been opened."

"The tenth match of the JRA-certified two-year-old rookie race—"

The slow and leisurely sound of the live broadcast came through the radio.

Ochiai gripped the reins tightly.

The moment the gate opened, I noticed something strange.

Mejiro Sakuya was a full beat slower than the other horses before he took his first step.

However, Ochiai remained calm. Lame horses are usually slower than normal horses when they start to exert force.

Both Kitano, the owner of the horse, and Tanaka, the veterinarian, had informed us of this before the race.

"Game start!"

At this time, the live broadcast sound that appeared at the same time as Mejiro Sakuya finally sounded.

"First-rank Kazama Yukari has taken the lead smoothly, while Third-rank Wise Fool is chasing closely from a slightly lower position. Ninth-rank Mejiro Sakuya had a bad start and is now at the very back."

Ochiai held the whip in his backhand and hit Mejiro Sakuya's ear several times, while increasing the force of the reins.

While other rivals were vying for a good position, he moved to a slightly forward position on the spacious outer track.

This was the original plan.

However, when it comes to actual implementation, the progress is somewhat unsatisfactory.

Perhaps it was because of his slow personality, or perhaps it was because it was their first official collaboration, but in any case, his whipping didn't have much effect on Mejiro Sakuya.

Although the position is indeed slowly improving, it is much slower than expected.

The bend is right in front of us.

Ochiai had no choice but to give up his plan to continue accelerating and began to move slightly closer to the inner track.

“The location is a little bit behind.”

In the stands, Kitano narrowed his eyes slightly.

However, I was not too worried about the direction of the game.

Rather, considering the escape strategy decided before the race and Mejiro Sakuya's starting condition, the current position is actually within expectations.

“Perhaps, being able to understand this, I have already shed my status as a beginner in horse racing and begun to move towards a higher realm.”

Kitano couldn't help but think so.

On the other hand, Ochiai is facing a dilemma.

Should I give Mejiro Sakuya the order to speed up when turning?

Judging from her training and initial performance, Mejiro Sakuya is undoubtedly the type who is not very sensitive to orders.

Moreover, he doesn't look like he has a strong fighting spirit like his fellow hero Megumi Hakuba.

Riding a racehorse like this is a big test of the rider's physical strength and ability to grasp the timing.

Something called "intuition" or "experience" is constantly reminding Ochiai.

Now is the time to step forward.

But it's too early.

At the beginning of the game, some of my strength was wasted trying to move forward.

Also, the location is not ideal.

Outside of Mejiro Sakuya, Juban's Aachen Palace was vaguely stuck in place.

As for the tracks in front and on the inside, they were occupied by horses early on.

If you want to speed up, you will probably inevitably have a physical collision with the Aachen Palace.

This is exactly what Ochiai tried to avoid.

In addition to not being confident about Mejiro Sakuya's identity as a mare, what is more important is the pre-race instruction to "finish the race safely."

If an accident occurs during the collision, I have no idea how to report it to the owner of the North Mustang with dignity.

He chose to remain inactive.

In front of my sight, the fourth bend soon came to an end.

Aachen Palace took the lead in choosing outward expansion.

"It's now."

Following closely behind, Ochiai manipulated the reins to move to the outside.

During the process, the two racehorses inevitably collided.

Unexpectedly, Mejiro Sakuya easily squeezed past the stallion Aachen Palace and even slightly interrupted the opponent's acceleration momentum.

"It's time to move forward."

Ochiai, who didn't notice this, held the reins with one hand and waved the whip.

　Thanks to the moon in the sea for the 1000 starting coins, and thanks to Getadian for the 100 starting coins.

　　Thank you for your support