Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 88 The End of Reiwa 7

Chapter 88 The End of Reiwa Seven Years

Under the leaden sky, Kitano was wearing full cold-proof clothing.

The early winter was chilly, and even the breath seemed to have frozen.

Work in Tokyo has come to a temporary halt.

On the last day of the seventh year of Reiwa, he returned to this cold and snowy country.

Apart from Mr. Caesar's camp, which announced its expedition plan early, Mejiro Sakuya is the second Japanese force to make a clear decision to go to the Saudi derby.

Questioning, ridicule, encouragement, I heard many voices from people familiar or unfamiliar.

In addition to the preparations for the expedition, Kitano has been busy these days dealing with calls from various stakeholders.

As a producer, Kimura even complained bitterly to Kitano.

However, he quietly provided the camp with one million yen in expedition aid in his personal name.

In addition, judging from the discussion on social platforms, Mejiro Sakuya's popularity even overwhelmed Mr. Caesar, who had defeated her not long ago.

At least there should be no need to worry too much about the vote for entertaining Ma.

I dragged my heavy body back home after a long absence.

Before Kitano could breathe a sigh of relief, the phone rang again.

It was a little surprising that the caller was the horse owner Matsumoto, whom I had only met once.

Unlike the other callers, Matsumoto didn't rush to state his position. After a brief greeting, he spoke in a gentle tone, "At the beginning of the year, Toyo and Tahara achieved good results together in Dubai, but at that time, it was only a hasty consideration after confirming the exclusion of the Osaka Cup."

There was a somewhat helpless laugh from the old man on the other end of the phone.

"It wasn't until March that Mamoru suggested, 'President, why don't we try going to the Middle East?' I was wondering, 'Would Dubai really work?' But I still managed to catch up with the registration deadline with the idea of giving it a try."

"Although I don't really understand things that are too technical, judging from the subsequent report, I think we were not well prepared."

"Since returning from Dubai, the stables have mentioned more than once that 'it would be nice to have a veterinarian we know.'"

"A familiar veterinarian?"

Kitano paused inwardly and asked, "Do you have any special opinion on this?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but Shou said it seems like they're being completely manipulated by the organizers, and Tian Yuan has been forced to waste a lot of unnecessary energy."

There was a hint of apology in Matsumoto's tone.

"I'm sorry, as a senior horse owner, I set an inappropriate example and wasted Mr. Kitano's time by rambling on."

"Not at all."

Kitano said quickly.

"Mr. Matsumoto's information was very helpful."

"Haha, it would be great if this could actually help."

After thanking Matsumoto again and again for his cooperation, Kitano hung up the phone.

Then, he let out a long sigh.

Although Mr. Matsumoto did not explain it, the reason why the famous general Tahara's camp was troubled is actually not difficult to understand.

It is nothing more than requiring racehorses to be retested on the grounds that a certain test needs to be updated or the data is abnormal.

The camp had anticipated this level of local preferential treatment.

However, the only solution that I can think of at the moment is to prepare as much relevant information as possible, which is a passive response.

"Let familiar veterinarians collaborate on the expedition"

For most camps aiming to go overseas, having a veterinarian who knows the situation well and provides assistance can indeed save a lot of unnecessary trouble.

But it will also lead to a significant increase in the cost of the expedition.

but--

Speaking of veterinarians who know Mejiro Sakuya, Kitano himself, as a horse owner, is such a person.

From the moment he first took her away, he had been closely monitoring Meguro Sakuya's health. Moreover, he had already planned to accompany the team on the expedition as their owner.

One of the reasons for returning to Hokkaido this time was to deal with the closure of the clinic.

Since there is already a role in the camp that is unclear whether it is a farrier who also works as a stable attendant or a stable attendant who also works as a farrier, it is not a big deal to have another veterinarian who is also a horse owner.

In the week since I decided to leave for Kentucky, I have felt the pressure coming from all directions very clearly.

It's like someone is whispering in my ear all the time.

The anxiety that was about to burst out from the depths of my chest subsided a little at this moment.

As long as the people and horses are there, human feelings will always be there——

This is Mr. Matsumoto's famous motto.

At this moment, I can more or less understand a similar state of mind.

Although, it is very likely that this is not the same as Matsumoto's original intention.

I picked up the kettle and brewed a cup of barley tea, silently feeling the warmth that was a little hot on my tongue.

At this time, I received the training reports sent regularly by Master Tanaka on my mobile phone.

[Pegasus's body appears to have grown somewhat, and its appearance has become more symmetrical, with its weight reaching a rather delicate 472 kg.]

Although he still occasionally displays some childish mischief, he has gradually adapted to the initially difficult slope training, and as his physical strength grows, he has gradually demonstrated an outstanding sense of stability.

[As for the riders, the combination of Pegasus and Genta is also working well together. This pairing should bring good performance in the three-year-old lineup next year.]

[I wish Sakuya a smooth expedition and great military luck! ]

At the end of the message is Tanaka Stables's original expression based on the trainer and main rider.

"Does anyone outside the stables really use this kind of thing?"

With this thought in mind, Kitano clicked on the sticker details.

The download volume was unexpectedly high.

I'm sorry, Mr. Tanaka.

After silently apologizing to Tanaka in his heart, Kitano picked up the remote control.

Turn on the TV and the Red and White Songs Battle has begun.

This year's cast list is still a long list of unfamiliar people.

Still, there are one or two names that bring reassurance.

I just left the TV on and picked up my phone to pass the time.

Although there is still some time before the new year, I have already received quite a lot of blessing messages.