Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 363 A Glimpse of Darkness (Congratulations fy!!!)
The moment the gate opened, the pulling sensation through the reins seemed stronger than ever before.

Instead of rashly trying to stop his partner's forward momentum, Devongo lightly tapped the horse's belly with his heel, offering a subtle reminder: "Wouldn't it be better to be more careful?"

One significant difference between stallions and mares is their temperament.

Even if you are a little strict with the former, you can still exert influence through clear hand gestures. In contrast, the latter is more sensitive, and excessive instructions will only have the opposite effect.

If a mare suffers a mental setback, she is likely to be completely demoralized during the race.

Therefore, the most basic thing to do when riding a mares is to treat them like young ladies, and be careful not to offend them or spoil their mood for the race.

—The experience accumulated so far has also come in handy for Mejiro Hōsuke, who is a stallion.

"It is quite docile most of the time, so riding it is not difficult, but it can be immature like a child at times."

Upon accepting the riding commission, I received quite detailed instructions from the trainer, Yoshida.

Even for a two-year-old Singaporean, this curiosity is somewhat excessive—

Once I actually got on, I quickly developed that feeling.

Riding a popular racehorse is easy, but finding a rider who suits the horse's temperament is difficult.

In particular, the employer also issued an instruction to "not use racehorses too much".

Despite having a head start, the New Zealand rider surprisingly did not participate in the sprint, much to the surprise of horse racing fans and commentators.

After gently tapping the horse's belly once more and sending a gentle "relax" message to Baozuo, De Wengao chose to take the second position, following behind the lead horse.

As if the reassurance from his partner had taken effect, or as if his attention had been drawn to the back of his opponent in front of him, Meguro Hojo's head, which had been raised, drooped slightly.

With its small ears, still covered in winter coat, drooping down, the Black Deer Horse followed lightly behind the lead horse with its distinctive, signature gait.

Was he actually using his full strength?

Many horse racing fans at the scene had this question in their minds.

Turning from a short straightaway of only 300 meters onto a curve, Devongo, who was initially worried that his two-year-old steed's partner might be using too much force and was about to send a warning through the reins, quickly noticed that his partner had made an adjustment on his own.

The body's center of gravity shifted slightly towards the inside of the railing, and even the small ears on the top of the head changed accordingly.

The preparations for entering the bend are complete.

The footsteps still appeared chaotic, but the rider on the saddle vaguely sensed it.

but--

Did he really switch legs?

At this moment, even the most experienced New Zealand riders couldn't help but have similar questions.

—They quickly turned their attention back to the game in front of them.

As it continued along the curve, Meguro Hojo kept running at its unique rhythm.

After the bit was attached, the eyes of the black deer and the horse flashed with both fighting spirit and doubt.

Despite the fierce whipping of the riders behind, the New Zealand rider's reins remained completely still.

Horse racing fans have finally realized—

Today, what they are witnessing is indeed a horse race that defies common sense.

As the car was about to turn from the curve into a straight line, even before the rider could give any instructions, a sense of anticipation for further movement already emanated from its body covered in jet-black fur.

Bathed in the cheers of the summer sun, Meguro Hojo effortlessly overtook his opponent and entered the straightaway.

Take the lead —

He barely had time to swing his whip once before the power hidden beneath the dull-smelling black deer fur burst forth impatiently. After confirming his lead with a glance out of the corner of his eye, Devonko, remembering the camp's instructions, tightened his grip slightly.

"That's enough for now."

Its fluffy little ears twitched slightly, as if conveying a response like, "Hey, I haven't run enough yet."

With a gentle loosening of the reins, the black deer horse playfully raised its head slightly.

"The second-ranked Mejiro Hōshō, a slam worthy of being over two horse lengths!"

"The cheers and applause from over five thousand people in the stadium marked a victory for this titled horse racing team, returning to the Central Racing Club after many years!"

The on-site commentary, mingled with applause and cheers, echoed in my ears.

Sapporo welcomed this kind of match on the opening day.

Despite being two-year-old horses, the two seemed to be racing on completely different levels, at least two horse lengths behind each other.

My life as a horse owner, which began through a series of coincidences, has lasted for more than three years, but the bond between man and horse, connected by the sound of hooves and the sound of running, still moves me deeply every time.

"Well done, Eli!"

"This kid is really strong!"

"The president has a really good eye."

"From now on, I will go to the stadium to cheer for every single match!"

Right next to Chairman Ma's designated seat, there were not only enthusiastic Ma fans who had made their stance clear beforehand, but even neutral individuals who had initially taken a wait-and-see attitude joined the cheering team.

The representative from the production ranch, Guguchi, was so excited that he kept pressing the shutter button on his phone and almost fell off his seat.

Well—

As a horse owner, I feel the same way now.

If there's anything to regret about winning the race as a central horse owner for the first time, it's that the central government has a different rule than local governments, which strictly prohibits hanging banners.

During the oral delivery ceremony, the people involved, standing beside the black deer and horse, displayed genuine, radiant smiles under the early summer sun.

The feeling of "joy" that is associated with horse racing.

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

"[Focus on Singapore and Malaysia]"

Meshiro Hozuki (male 2, Miura, Toyo Yoshida stable), a foal born in Yoshiro's full bottle and debuting in Sapporo, won his first race back in the Meshiro title-named Central line by a margin of 2 1/2 lengths.

Toyoshi Yoshida
"There are still areas for improvement, but he delivered a performance that exceeded the team's expectations. Overall, it was a very rewarding game."

We will first send him back to the pasture for a week of grazing, and only after confirming that he has fully recovered will we begin the next phase of our arrangements.

Regarding his next race, the two-year prizes in Hakodate and Niigata are both within our consideration, but considering his good adaptability at Yoshiba Circuit, we cannot rule out the possibility of him continuing to compete in Sapporo.”

Devon High Rider

"What's amazing is not only his physique, but also his intelligence."

Although he showed some immaturity at the beginning, like a two-year-old horse, he seemed to quickly grasp the strategy of "running at this pace here, and then sprinting at full speed from here to here."

——《n○tkeiba》

"David Heath said that last season's Hong Kong horse champion, Ka Ying, will continue to race, but considering his age, he may focus more on local races in the future."

——HKR
(End of this chapter)