Chapter 7: Entering the Stable and Making a Choice
"What a truly beautiful physique!"
After just meeting with Horse Owner Kitano and the ranch representative, Tanaka couldn't wait to praise it.
This was a lie.
In fact, Mejiro Pegasus, at two years and two months old, was in the stage of transitioning from a foal coat, covered in dirty-looking grey spots.
Even Kitano, who personally named it "Pegasus," didn't see any connection between the dusty grey creature before him and the legendary Pegasus.
Moreover, Mejiro Pegasus's physique was quite ordinary; at 467KG, while not thinner than other horses its age, no muscle contours stood out.
As for things like gait, flexibility, or mental attributes, they were even less worth mentioning.
Ogawa Masaru subtly pursed his lips, somewhat disdainful of the insincere flattery between adults.
Then, he felt a sense of reluctance about the impending separation.
Ogawa Take, as the ranch representative, was giving final instructions to the Trainer and the accompanying Jockey.
It was, in common parlance, the handover ceremony of the instruction manual.
"This child is very intelligent, but sometimes a bit stubborn, so please don't hesitate to be strict or use the whip when necessary."
"Intelligent but stubborn, understood."
Tanaka pulled out a palm-sized notebook from his pocket and quickly jotted something down on a blank page.
"Got it."
Jockey Ochiai nodded somewhat coldly.
"I've generally understood the situation."
Closing his notebook, Tanaka nodded his head.
"Mr. Kitano, could we talk over there for a moment?"
He pointed to a spot a little further away.
The Ogawa siblings, who had been playfully teasing each other with their eyes, both stopped their actions and looked at their father with some concern.
"No problem."
Kitano followed behind Tanaka with his usual expression.
"It's like this, I wanted to ask Mr. Kitano, as a Horse Owner, for his opinion on the breeding ranch side."
"Especially regarding training."
Tanaka carefully chose his words, speaking slowly.
He was subtly disappointed with Mejiro Pegasus, who was about to join his stable.
Initially, he had thought that the horse chosen by "Mr. Kitano," who was said to be a veterinarian, would be something extraordinary.
But the result was quite ordinary.
It wasn't the kind of horse worth him dedicating special attention to among over a hundred racehorses.
However, although he had given up the idea of personally training this horse, he didn't want to neglect or offend "Mr. Kitano" in front of him.
For this, he had to come up with a solution acceptable to both parties.
"Nishiken Ranch?"
Although he wasn't yet clear on Tanaka's intentions, Kitano still responded quite objectively after a brief thought: "While it's a very new ranch in many respects, Mr. Ogawa's capabilities are undoubtedly excellent, and his attitude is very responsible."
After getting Kitano's answer, Tanaka subtly breathed a sigh of relief.
"So, what do you think about letting them continue to be responsible for Mejiro Pegasus's training?"
Worried that Kitano, as a new Horse Owner, might not understand the intricacies, Tanaka quickly explained: "You see, I manage over a hundred racehorses, and with my capacity, I can only attend to a limited few. Most of the remaining racehorses are a struggle even with the help of assistants and stablemen."
If he didn't have the capacity, why take on this job?
As if anticipating Kitano's similar question, Tanaka continued: "In fact, the situation is similar even in the Central, let alone local areas; only the very top racehorses usually receive meticulous care."
In other words, Mejiro Pegasus was not, at least in Tanaka's judgment, among this group.
Kitano calmly accepted this fact.
There was nothing to be surprised about.
As a veterinarian, he actually felt a little empathy for Tanaka's explanation.
He fully understood the difficulty of caring for large livestock.
Seeing that Kitano's reaction was not as intense as expected, Tanaka let out a long breath and then patted his chest: "Of course, if Mr. Kitano is not satisfied with the conditions offered by the breeding ranch, or if he prefers to trust the stable here, that's also fine. We will definitely take care of him as much as possible."
Kitano remained skeptical of Tanaka's "as much as possible."
"And there's no need to worry about races at all; whether it's route selection or Jockey selection, the stable here will strive to do its utmost."
Kitano was equally skeptical about how much "utmost" actually was.
Of course, this statement was slightly more credible than the previous one.
"Then I'll try to communicate with Mr. Ogawa first."
Ultimately, Kitano chose to accept Tanaka's proposal.
He also wasn't comfortable entrusting his only racehorse to a Trainer who was already responsible for over a hundred racehorses.
At least, Nishiken Ranch had fewer horses.
After finally reaching a consensus, Tanaka completely relaxed.
"Currently, the stable's envisioned main Jockey for Mejiro Pegasus is Genta—that's the young man who came with me. Of course, if you have any preferred or familiar Jockeys, we can always discuss it."
Tanaka pointed in Ochiai Genta's direction.
The somewhat stern-faced Jockey was holding carrot sticks he had snagged from the stable, trying to get closer to Mejiro Pegasus.
"Don't let Genta's youth fool you; his cumulative number of starts over the past two years has already exceeded 1,500 races. At least here in Monbetsu, he can be considered a capable Jockey."
Fearing Kitano might doubt Ochiai's age, Tanaka didn't forget to introduce his apprentice.
In fact, Kitano had already secretly inquired about Trainer Tanaka and Jockey Ochiai's information through software like "n○tkeiba" even before today.
Even as a new Horse Owner, he wouldn't foolishly wait around without actively seeking any information.
Tanaka had indeed not lied.
Jockey Ochiai, only one year older than Kitano, had extensive riding experience this year and fully deserved the title of "local capable Jockey."
At Monbetsu Racecourse, Jockey Ochiai Genta's yellow and black checkered, three-scaled sleeve, single-wheel racing silks were also quite famous.
"Regarding the Jockey, I have no objections at the moment."
Kitano nodded, accepting Ochiai Genta as Mejiro Pegasus's main Jockey.
"Then that's wonderful!"
The two briefly shook hands, signifying a preliminary agreement.
After that, the remaining matters were quite simple.
"We will continue to be responsible?"
Even as he tried to remain composed, Ogawa Take's joy was hard to hide.
Having the breeding ranch be responsible for the racehorse's training and conditioning until just before the race, when the horse is handed over to the Trainer and Jockey.
This mode of operation, even today, is not new.
But he hadn't expected Kitano to trust a ranch that had only recently opened so much.
On the other side, Ogawa Masaru was also excitedly waving his fists.
For him, this was also the best outcome.
"Don't like to eat it?"
Looking down at the carrot stick in his hand, which hadn't been touched at all, Ochiai scratched his head.
Mejiro Pegasus let out a disdainful snort.