Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 57 The Last Dance

He opened his eyes and lay there for another ten seconds before sitting up from the bed.

The bed in the hotel was much softer than the one at home, which was not a very good experience for Kitano, who was used to sleeping on a hard bed.

I quickly finished washing up and then quickly completed the check-out procedures.

As we walked out of the hotel, the heat gradually faded away in the wind.

Among the few pedestrians on the road, people wearing sweaters and jackets began to appear.

Although the temperature drops a little bit every day, the real change of seasons always starts on "a certain day".

The day before yesterday, two other matches, Daily Crown and Arc de Triomphe, were launched simultaneously with NEXT STAR.

With the Japanese army suffering another defeat, the local horse racing community officially entered the autumn amidst the bleak wailing.

Of course, human joys and sorrows are not shared.

When I opened the car window, the breeze blowing towards me seemed to become lighter.

The burning smell on the asphalt road quietly dissipated, and the sunlight shining on my hands through the windshield returned to the strength of a lazy cat's back.

The weather is just right for a house call.

"Be careful, don't get hurt!"

Tanaka raised his head and reminded the two stable boys who were folding up the draft tent.

Only after the two of them successfully folded up the wind-guiding tent did they look away with some concern.

Putting on his coat, he went to the lounge.

There was still some time before the two riders arrived.

Sitting on the bench, Tanaka, lost in thought, unconsciously tensed his face.

There is still about a month until the JBC 2-year-old Youjun race starts on November 3rd.

Looks pretty ample.

At least, that's how it seems to visitors from the center.

Train step by step, and then easily reap the bounty in the competition.

This is what the central camp needs to consider.

Apart from the inconvenience of long-distance transportation, there is nothing to worry about in the competition itself.

For local areas, this is not the case.

Even though there are strict restrictions on the qualifications for leaving, the majority of people still suffer a complete defeat in front of the central government.

Scenes of "the lower classes rebelling against the upper classes" are becoming increasingly rare.

But this time, Tanaka grasped the possibility.

To this end, in exchange for the priority selection of potential stable horses for next year and the qualification to run away with a big reward in the first half of the year, he obtained the second JBC 2-year-old elite runaway spot from Kawashima, a trainer who also belongs to Menbetsu.

What he wanted to replicate was the unfinished "miracle" that he had created two years ago.

certainly--

Although it is called a miracle, it is not really to the extent that it is completely impossible to achieve.

Even for the central government, it is very rare to send strong horses to participate in exchanges and receive generous rewards.

In fact, I only encountered an opponent of the level of Eternal Youth once, just the year before last.

No matter how hard you try, there's no way you can lose to an opponent of that level.

And this time, he had considerable confidence.

"Master."

At this time, Ochiai walked into the lounge.

He nodded and gave his usual polite and brief greeting.

"Here you are, Genta."

Tanaka stood up from the bench, his face hesitant.

Regarding the considerations of rider configuration, the answer actually came a long time ago.

As a horse trainer, I have a better idea of ​​the compatibility between racehorses, riders and competitions.

However, there are not many cases where things can be actually executed as planned.

Of course, it can be done if you are determined.

His heart began to beat violently.

"Master, let Hattori-senpai ride Sakuya this time too."

At this moment, Ochiai suddenly spoke.

The words that were on the tip of my tongue were interrupted.

"no problem?"

After taking a deep breath, Tanaka asked with some difficulty.

Originally, we had already prepared for the worst. We had even considered the possibility of finding riders from other stables to take our place.

Such troubles were easily resolved.

"No problem, this is a joint decision between me and Hattori-senpai."

Shaking his head slightly, Ochiai said.

If such words are applied to others, it is easy for people to associate them with workplace bullying.

But at Tanaka Stables, there was no such possibility between the two main riders.

Hattori, who is working hard to pass the trainer exam, has pushed his good horses to Ochiai's side many times.

Ochiai is also a rider with his own persistence and opinions.

"And it's the best option for the camp."

As if stating some fact, Ochiai's tone was so calm that it was difficult to discern his emotions.

Hattori, who is more proficient in whip techniques and push riding, is responsible for riding Mejiro Sakuya, while Ochiai, who has a better level of coordination and tacit understanding with the team, is responsible for riding Mejiro Hakuba.

This is the result of the discussion between the two riders.

"You kid."

Lightly hitting Ochiai's chest, Tanaka smiled and shook his head.

Then, rub the tip of your nose vigorously a few times.

At this time, Hattori also walked in.

The lounge, which was not big to begin with, seemed a bit crowded.

"You guys are already chatting."

Hattori had a slightly serious expression on his face.

"Yeah, but you're the only one missing."

Tanaka sighed and asked the two to sit down.

"Then Ochiai should have said it already, right?"

"Yeah, it's amazing that you could do such a thing."

After saying that, the three of them laughed out loud.

However, unlike the other two, Tanaka's face was more of a helpless smile that said, "Ah, you guy!"

"Then let's talk about another thing."

"JBC two-year-old excellent horse, I am ready to retire after this race."

Hattori said with a smile, his eyes narrowed into slits as usual.

"Eh--"

"is that a lie?"

There was a cry of surprise from outside the lounge.

Tanaka and Ochiai also showed some surprise on their faces.

Looking at the scattered backs of the stable attendants, Tanaka shook his head helplessly.

"Will you not hold on a little longer?"

After closing the door, he turned around and asked.

"Never mind. It's too hard for me to be a jockey and prepare for the trainer exam at the same time."

Hattori waved his hand and gave a seemingly casual answer.

The expression on his face seemed as if he had already made up his mind.

"Is that right?"

Tanaka took a deep breath.

It seems that Hattori is serious this time.

"Then let's treat JBC Year Two as our last dance and work hard."

"Oh--"

Before the two riders arrived, some scattered responses came from outside the door.

He rubbed his temples with a headache, but the two people beside him had smiles on their faces.

On a late summer morning, light slants into the lounge through the window.

[Goal——JBC 2 years old!!!]

The undried handwriting on the whiteboard was cut in half by the sunlight, like butter that had not completely spread in the oven.

From JBC 2 years old to the start of the urgency -

29 days left.

(End of this chapter)