Hokkaido Horse Racing Story.

Chapter 198 Spring is just around the corner

The setting sun melts gold, and the light gradually softens.

In the gentle spring breeze, eighteen figures slowly walked towards the gate.

The starting tower rose to the same level as the branches, and with the red flag flying, the horn of the classic event at the beginning of the year sounded.

"The opening battle of the 2,270-year classic battle line, the 87th Cherry Blossom Viewing."

The voice of the live commentator Takagi pierced the clear sky, and time flowed again in Incheon, where greenery and cherry blossoms intertwined.

The clouds dissipated, and a ray of warm sunlight like early summer fell on the stands.

Cheers erupted, causing a brief commotion among the still young mares.

This time, the small figure of Li Mao did not waver.

Although he was a little timid and naughty, and could not hide his inner fragility, he still stood firm.

Is it people who make horses brave, or horses who make people strong?

At this moment, none of it matters anymore.

"Seventeen horses in the center, one in the middle, and eighteen racehorses marching under the cherry blossoms in full bloom straight across the street!"

The gate popped open, and Sasakawa pulled the reins sharply to the inside.

Through the tightly clenched bit, the minds of man and horse seem to be connected at this moment.

You must escape!
The petite body bounced up with force and leaped to the front of the herd.

"It's Mejiro Atalanta! Mejiro Atalanta of the 16th division is leading!"

"Then there are the famous generals Yuegui and Wufeng from the third group. The popular Sudis from the second group is biting a bit on the outside, and the popular Apricot Aurora from the first group is waiting for the opportunity in the middle group."

The cheers swept across the Incheon stands like a flurry of cherry blossoms.

Even the opponents would not be surprised by Atalanta Mejiro's lead.

In the peripheral vision, the green and peach colored figures slowly retreated.

Despite having a favorable start, Taketoshi still patiently appeased his eager partner, and waited for his opportunity to strike in the fourth or fifth place behind Atalanta.

At the Hanshin Racecourse, which has been extended through reconstruction, cherry blossom viewing is now often a latecomer advantage.

and--

Whether it was the "Magical Cherry Blossom Viewing" that was advantageous at that time, or the current "One Mile Race Back to Fuchung", both were very unfavorable developments for the fugitives.

The last time a cherry blossom viewing contest was won by escaping and cutting was nearly 30 years ago.

Li Muhua, sitting on the apricot-colored Aurora saddle, also pulled the reins slightly and retreated towards the desired good position.

The popular horse's avoidance made Atalanta's pace even more cheerful, and her slightly raised head seemed to carry a bit of complacency.

Having successfully looked into the sky, Sasakawa no longer had any worries and devoted himself wholeheartedly to controlling his pace.

"A little faster than normal pace."

Always keep this key point in mind, and the only thing left in your sight is the track ahead.

Turning into the third bend, the chestnut horse seemed to become anxious again due to the continuous interference of noise and light.

However, the familiar force through the armature calmed her emotions in time.

"Don't panic."

Sasakawa silently conveyed these words through the reins.

"The first 800 meters took 46.9 seconds, a 46-second lead led by Mejiro Atalanta!"

Takagi's voice was a little hesitant, and the horse fans in the stands also looked up repeatedly to confirm the broadcast images.

"Isn't it a little slow?"

"Could it be that Liang Chang's information is wrong?"

The third turn, the fourth turn, the rhythm all the way was without any sluggishness.

The rider of Dajing led the team smoothly, without the weirdness of "devil" or the tragedy of "survival".

Then, a voice of sudden enlightenment was heard from the stands.

"It turns out Ata-chan didn't go berserk—"

In the main battle room on the fifth floor of the stands, Kitano stared intently at the numbers in the upper left corner of the screen. The 58-meter dash time was 7 seconds.

My heart was beating wildly as if it was about to burst.

Next up is the 200 meters that will decide the outcome.

"Mejiro Atalanta is leading the charge, Bakhta of the ninth group is about inside the seventh or eighth group in the middle, Apricot Aurora is farther back on the outside, and Sudis is starting to accelerate on the inside!"

At this time, the horse fans in the stands were surprised to find that the famous runner Laurel, who was in the lead after leaving the gate, actually fell behind Sodis.

“Not the pace of a great escape horse, and not the pace of a normal one either.”

The legendary rider with forty years of riding experience quickly saw through Sasakawa's intentions.

At a fast pace without any buffer, the leading horse following Atalanta will be exhausted, and the following horse will need to waste more energy to catch up.

The remaining seventeen horses that had run away from the field already had one foot on the earthen altar.

One step back, another step back—

Take the initiative to create space for respite.

This was the decision Taketoshi made in a split second.

but--

This kind of running style of "starting to fight hard in the final stage" requires a route that is extremely favorable to one's own team in order to be carried out smoothly on the straight.

"This is it!"

Following the reckless apricot-colored Aurora, Wu Feng raised his whip without changing his expression.

"Mejiro Atalanta is ahead. Can Mejiro Atalanta escape and win?"

Amidst the roaring sounds from the stands, the little chestnut-haired challenger was the first to step over the cherry petals scattered on the grass and enter the straight line.

The time taken to complete the 1200 meters was 1 minute 10.2 seconds.

The situation where the herd of horses flooded the leading horses like a tide did not occur. The strong horses that should have won by coming from behind advanced slowly as if they were under a spell.

However, it is not time to start celebrating yet.

"The famous general Yue Gui is here! The famous generals Yue Gui and Wu Feng are here!"

Just as Atalanta maintained her lead, the famous general Laurel, who had broken out from the outside at some point, was approaching.

Facing the blue deer-haired figure approaching in his peripheral vision, Sasakawa showed no panic, nor hesitation—

The man who had failed to become a JRA rider twice, proudly accepted the challenge from the legendary rider of Central.

"Famous General Laurel! Memories of Atalanta! Famous General Laurel! Memories of Atalanta!"

Sasakawa pulled the reins with all his might, but the figure of the famous general Laurel was getting closer and closer.

"He's passed! It's the famous General Laurel! Coming up with him is Apricot Aurora!"

The furlong pole of the last two hundred meters flashed before her eyes, and Atalanta, who had half of her body trapped in the herd of horses, chased after them tenaciously.

Takagi's exclamation was intertwined with the cheers of the fans, who turned into shock.

"Mejiro Atalanta is coming up again! Mejiro Atalanta is catching up again behind Apricot Aurora!"

"Famous General Laurel has successfully taken the lead, but Apricot Aurora and Mejiro Atalanta are still resisting!"

"Famous General Laurel! Famous General Laurel wins!"

"The second move is Mejiro Atalanta from the local area! The third move is Apricot Aurora!"

"Two brothers, united in purpose, dominate the cherry blossom viewing!"

Amidst the cheers from the stands, Kitano let out a long sigh.

In the end, I still lost.

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

"——"You achieved such a high level of popularity with the 16th extra chapter. How do you feel now?"

——"As expected. It's a pity. Sorry, I really don't want to say more."

——"East Sport Horse Racing" - Interview with trainer Daisuke Majima after the Sakura Viewing Race
(End of this chapter)