Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 362 Summer of Horse Racing

Saturday, July 29th.

Summer has arrived in Hokkaido before we knew it.

Although there is a term called "changing seasons," the differences before and after are not actually that clear.

Recently, the cherry blossoms near the south stable of this racecourse have fallen to the ground, leaving only leaves; there has been a noticeable increase in conversations about the auction among both owners and breeders; and Chongli's fluffy winter coat, which resembles a kiwi, is finally starting to shed.

There might be people who are keenly aware of the seasons, but most people probably only realize it when they open the calendar.

Change spreads gradually.

By the time everyone noticed, the surrounding scenery already belonged to summer, but the rainy season in Hokkaido had not yet come to an end.

The morning sunlight streamed through the clouds, and soon the altocumulus clouds overhead disappeared.

All that's left is a blue sky.

It has been a week since I officially became the owner of the central horse.

Setting up a forage fermentation system, building fences, and even with high-end agricultural machinery and the help of relatives and neighbors, the reclamation of grazing land was still a struggle. Just when everyone was extremely busy, the season quietly changed.

More than just the seasons.

Baozu passed the gate test smoothly, just as expected.

Even though it was only "running around casually" as Yoshida mentioned, it showed excellent forward momentum from the very beginning and clearly pulled ahead of the two-year-old horses participating in the gate test.

"A very well-behaved top student, but sometimes he might be a little too serious."

The rider, Devonko, continued his assessment from the first training session, describing Baozuo as "a motocross motorcycle similar to a racehorse."

Although it sounds like an exaggerated analogy, Baozuo unsurprisingly became the favorite for today's race after the gate test results were released.

On the opening day of Sapporo Racecourse, long queues had already formed at the main entrance by 8 a.m., before the racecourse opened.

It was a rare collective outing, and everyone at the ranch was present except for Ravid, who unfortunately drew the "stay behind" sign.

Pulled along by the members, I almost ran through the security checkpoint and then headed towards the area away from Chairman Ma and the designated seats.

On the green space not far from the stands, a group of horse racing fans, mostly young men and women, circled around several times, holding up their phones.

Led by a seemingly excited Zepp, they managed to squeeze in with relative ease.

In the center of the crowd, a studded horse that looked strangely friendly was interacting with the horse enthusiasts around it through the fence.

Somewhat unexpectedly, the stallion, Golden Ship, announced its retirement early after this year's breeding season ended, and came to Sapporo Racecourse as the "opening guest".

"He still looks so handsome!"

"Even if he's bald, he's still cute—"

"As expected of idol Ma~"

Even without hearing the young men and women discussing it, it's not hard to come to the same conclusion.

It's basically a place for fan meet-and-greets.

After the fans who had gathered around dispersed a little, they greeted the idol with spiky hair who had been patiently responding to them.

"Hello, Noah's father."

—The result, however, was ignored.

As if saying, "Alright, that's all for today's business," the Golden Ship wagged its tail and turned its rear towards the side where the fans were gathered.

The sound of camera shutters clicking around us actually became more frequent because of this scene.

After the press conference for the Golden Ship concluded, the special passage leading to the reviewing stand came into view.

As a result, without taking advantage of his status as a horse owner, he accompanied Zepp and Rachel Ho to buy a lot of merchandise at the souvenir shop on the first floor of the grandstand.

When I arrived at the horse racing viewing area, located in a corner of the parade ground, it was just in time for the opening race.

Although it was still early, many horse racing fans had already gathered at the front of the parade ground railings, and the difference between locals and tourists could be clearly distinguished from their clothing.

Those who remarked, "It's so cool here," should be able to feel the warmth of the Hokkaido sun, so different from that of lower latitudes, by tomorrow at the latest.

Near the exit of the racecourse, horse racing fans erupted in cheers of "Wow!"

"That's amazing!" "It really looks just like it—"

"Oh no, I forgot to buy the commemorative tickets for this race again!"

As Baozu, who had left for the second time, made his appearance, voices like these rose and fell around him.

Despite it being its first time running away, the black horse quickly regained its composure under the reassurance of stableman Ikeda, and obediently followed behind the horse in front.

"It looks like everything is going smoothly—"

Just as I was thinking that, an even more enthusiastic cheer erupted from all around.

As if responding to the support of horse racing fans, or as if curious about the pipes that spray water mist, Baozu turned her head and blinked her rather comical eyes.

So engrossed was he that he even unconsciously took sideways, crab-like steps, which also affected another horse that was running away from behind.

What was originally a fairly normal inspection process instantly turned into chaos.

After finally getting Baozuo's attention back to the reviewing stand, Ikeda, the stableman, bowed to several stablemen behind him who were also holding the reins and said something with a helpless expression.

Thanks to summer heat control measures, the chaotic inspection of the two-year-old horse did not last long.

Amid the sighs of regret from a few horse racing fans, the riders emerged one by one from the preparation room and lined up neatly in front of the marked white exit line.

"The first race, on horseback—"

Perhaps because it was the opening race, the racecourse regulators' voices sounded particularly powerful when they gave the order today.

At the same time, he bowed in the direction of the reviewing stand. The rider who raised his head first looked significantly taller than the others.

However, contrary to his public image, according to Yutaka Ando, ​​a horse racing agent and translator, he is a jockey known in the Australia and New Zealand region for his ability to create lightweight jockeys.

As the riders crossed the starting line, the horse owners also got up and set off to begin their pre-race team meeting.

"The weather here is much cooler than on Honshu Island. Although Eric's appetite has decreased a bit after the gate test, he is still in good physical condition."

After exchanging somewhat reserved greetings, Yoshida said this.

My initial weight of 461 kilograms was less than one kilogram compared to when I left Hokkaido.

However, considering what I've been through recently, being able to keep my weight within the range of 460 units is already a pleasant surprise.

Neither the owner nor the trainer gave any specific instructions regarding the race itself.

"Hopefully, we can run a race that is equivalent to the average score."

When translating this sentence, Ando hesitated for a while before restating it as "I hope you can provide a riding style that suits the horse's temperament."

"Understood, please leave it to me."

After hearing Ando's account, Devongo, the rider, turned around and spoke in somewhat broken Japanese.

Before the rider turns around and mounts his horse—

"If possible, I hope we don't exhaust him too much in this match."

Unlike "using a certain running style" or "winning the race," this is a request that the horse owner conveys to the rider.

Regarding Baozuo's route for his second year, as a horse owner, I already have more than one fairly clear idea.

The New Zealand rider quickly agreed, revealing a friendly smile that was the complete opposite of his fierce gaze.

He exchanged a few more words with Yoshida, who seemed more nervous than usual, before leaving the reviewing stand and walking toward Chairman Ma.

Unlike other central racetracks on Honshu Island, Sapporo's Grand Prix is ​​an open-air design, just like the regular grandstands, allowing you to clearly hear discussions and cheers from the front even before the race starts.

The straight path extending below the line of sight is covered with smooth, vibrant grass, lush and green in the sunlight. Further away from the stands, the inner path reveals glimpses of white sand.

The first match of the first day in Sapporo will begin here.

The wind instruments played a high-pitched, soaring melody.

This was originally the first time that a centrally owned horse had participated in the race, so in theory, he should have had more to say about it.

But in reality, before I could even react, the competition had already started.

(End of this chapter)