Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 80 Dusk Decision

The phone vibrated.

After walking out of the stable, Huangshan leaned against the wall and answered the phone.

“I am the barren mountain.”

He took a deep breath and spoke in a hoarse voice.

".Okay, thank you."

The sky outside the stables had gradually changed from crimson to blue.

The outline of the stable was covered with a shadow and became a little blurry.

With a sigh, Huangshan put down his phone.

Things didn't go smoothly, as expected.

According to the list provided by the owner of the Kitano horse, a long-term riding commission was issued.

Rider Buyixue quickly declined the invitation through his agency team in Japan.

As for riders Moreira and Lien Daven, the answer was somewhat ambiguous, "Let's think about it."

Rider Kimura also responded in the transatlantic call just now that he "is not considering leaving the United States in the near future."

So far, it has been a complete failure.

Inside the stable, the lights came on on time.

Through the crack in the door, a faint light spilled onto the ground like honey.

The face of the desolate mountain was even darker than the sky.

In this case, there is only one left.

It is said that Hotan riders are not picky about the type of horse, but that only applies to central horses.

But now that things have come to this, I have no choice but to go ahead with it.

With a heavy heart, I dialed the contact number I got from my old friend Uchida.

After a few long waits, the call was connected.

"I'm Katsutoku Arashiyama, the horse trainer from Oi. Excuse me, are you the Wada rider?"

After a brief silence, a somewhat surprised voice came from the other end of the phone.

"I'm Wada, what can I do for you?"

"Could you please accept the commission for Mejiro Sakuya, the two-year-old mare in my stable?"

Sweat broke out on my palms unconsciously.

"Feel sorry."

Wada said this on the phone.

My mind turned cold in an instant.

"Even if I receive your attention, I will most likely not receive any commissions from the central government during the exchange day."

Wada's voice was calm, as if he was revealing a predicament that had nothing to do with him.

"No, it's not a reward for exchange."

As if he was exerting all his strength, he squeezed out the next sentence from his chest.

"It's an overseas commission."

After saying that, Huangshan supported his dizzy head with one hand and waited anxiously for the response from the other side.

"Overseas?"

His voice was as steady as before, and Wada continued, "If it's convenient, could you explain your expectations regarding the race schedule?"

"Yes, it is."

Huangshan's numb fingertips gradually regained feeling. He took a deep breath and said, "The plan at the stables is to take the Middle East route to the Kentucky Derby, and the next stop is the Saudi Derby."

The sound of tatami mats being moved came from the receiver.

"I understand."

Wada said.

"Would it be convenient for you to visit me at the stables tomorrow?"

"No problem, please come over."

As I blurted out these words, I seemed to hear my own heartbeat.

After agreeing on a time, Huangshan hung up the phone with difficulty.

The situation is still unclear.

The cold wind hit his face and he let out a long sigh.

The sound was quickly torn apart by the wind.

After calming down, he reported the commission to the owner of the North Wild Horse.

"That's right."

There was no emotion in Kitano's voice.

"Then I'll go to the stables tomorrow morning too."

After ending the call, I stared blankly at the glowing screen of my phone. The rider requests weren't progressing smoothly.

It can even be described as a complete mess.

However, there is no good solution.

As a new horse owner, Kitano didn't know many riders.

"If all else fails, I'll have to ask Mr. Yokoyama for help."

The screen slowly went out, and when it came back on, Kitano opened LINE.

Select one of the contacts.

Mr. Xuhe, I would like to ask you some questions about the Kentucky Derby.

After sending the message, I searched for information about the Saudi Derby and the Kentucky Derby Road while waiting for a reply.

It took a few minutes for the message to become "read".

[Haha, no problem, Kitano-kun, please feel free to ask questions! ]

The light from the screen hit his face, and Kitano typed out a line of text word by word.

Click Send.

I want Sakuya to participate in the Kentucky Derby via the Middle East Road.

The next moment, the message display changed to "read".

Ten seconds later, the phone rang.

It's Xuhe Zhang.

"Kitano-kun, are you really not kidding?"

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded very serious.

“I think it should still be feasible.”

Kitano responded calmly.

At least in the first stage of the Saudi Derby, the three analysts on the advisory panel were all positive.

"Then let's put aside the issues of strength and difficulty for now."

There was a rustling sound of papers being flipped.

"First of all, what is the planned next race?"

"Saudi Derby."

"Then the cost of traveling to the Middle East starts at 10 million yen."

The pencil made a crisp sound as it moved across the paper.

Kitano remained silent.

Starting from 10 million yen——

It does sound like a huge expense.

"In other words, we need to finish within the top four in the Saudi Derby to have a chance of making a profit."

"Next up is the UAE derby."

"To qualify for the Kentucky Derby hospitality through the Middle East Road, without any previous points, the UAE Derby must be within three moves."

“My competitors are three-year-old dirt horses from all over the world.”

"Even without mentioning the strength of the horses themselves, we face disadvantages in terms of riders and trainers from the outset."

"And these are just the challenges before the Kentucky Derby."

My throat becomes a little dry.

Kitano felt that he had to say something, but the words were stuck in his throat like rust and he couldn't move.

"Sorry, I accidentally became too mean."

Ogawa Jō's tone softened the next moment.

"However, how about you please give more thought to this Kentucky Derby consideration?"

"No, thank you very much for Mr. Xuhe's reminder."

Kitano thanked him sincerely.

After hanging up the phone, continue to review the situation on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby is a race you can run, not a race you have to run.

The same considerations apply to the upcoming Saudi derby and UAE derby.

There is no game that must be won, only the game that is most suitable at the moment.

This idea has continued from the beginning of my career as a horse owner to the present day.

So--

Regarding the expedition plan, should we really continue?

Looking up and out the window, the sunset glow in the sky has been pushed to the edge by the night.

He didn't know the answer.

(End of this chapter)