Chapter 44: A Gutsy Showdown
"Maou Opera! Number four, Maou Opera, is catching up! Only a hundred meters left, Mejiro Pegasus maintains a one-length lead."
The sound of hooves from behind was closing in.
Then, a series of whip cracks.
The pursuer and the pursued.
If it devolved into a one-on-one duel, the pursuer closing in from behind would have a decisive advantage.
This was common knowledge.
Ochiai tried his best to control the sway of his body.
Maou Opera from the outside and Ruri Ningyo from the inside were sandwiching Mejiro Pegasus from left and right.
The situation was extremely precarious.
No matter how the final outcome was decided, the one caught in the middle would surely be the first to drop out.
The three horses gradually drew level.
Under the earplugs, Mejiro Pegasus's grey ears were pressed tightly back.
A distinct exhalation came from his maximally flared nostrils.
He quickly responded to the challengers' affront.
Even the sand kicked up by his hind hooves seemed to rise higher.
However, the situation still began to develop unfavorably.
Raising his arm, Ochiai tried to push forward.
It seemed to have little effect.
Instead, he lost his balance and fell back onto the horse's back.
"Can't you stop causing trouble at a time like this, kid!"
If Mejiro Pegasus could speak, he would surely say that.
He quickly gave up on the clumsy push riding.
He had a clear understanding of his own abilities.
At a time like this, it was better not to cause trouble on his own.
"From now on, it's all up to you."
His gaze was firmly fixed on the finish line not far ahead.
Although he had been exploring and adjusting tactics based on the race situation.
However, it had indeed come to a decisive moment, or rather, an all-or-nothing moment.
There was only one path ahead.
A shallow sense of suffocation began to spread in his chest.
On the track, the struggle between the three horses continued.
Heavy breathing intertwined in the air.
Looking up ahead, something seemed to be burning in Mejiro Pegasus's eyes.
"Number three Ruri Ningyo and number four Maou Opera are hot on his heels, but—"
His hind legs pushed forward fiercely.
For a brief moment, the grey horse's head and neck almost formed a straight line.
"Number six Mejiro Pegasus escapes to victory!"
Releasing the reins, it took some time for Ochiai's consciousness to return from its detached state to reality.
"MEJIRO—"
On the stands, a cheer even louder than before the race erupted.
"We won."
He let out a slight sigh of relief.
If they had lost the race, there wouldn't have been such a level of cheering.
Then, a few scattered Ochiai calls.
He raised his head in surprise and waved in the direction of the sound.
After lowering his hand, he patted Mejiro Pegasus's sweat-soaked mane.
The grey horse shook his head slightly, breathing heavily.
"It seems you've reached your limit too."
Loosening his tightly fastened helmet, Ochiai thought with a touch of weariness.
"He actually won."
At the moment of crossing the finish line, Kitano's face showed a slight emotion.
[Your racehorse has won three races: 3/3 (Completed)]
[Reward: Green Omamori × 5]
[Your racehorse has won three dirt races: 3/3 (Completed)]
[Reward: Green Omamori × 5]
Closing the translucent window that popped up, he gently clenched his fist.
Then, he couldn't help but wave it.
"That's great!"
Ogawa Masaru raised his hands high in celebration.
With a sweet smile, Ogawa Kanna was also pleased with her judgment.
Even Ogawa Take, too, had an unconcealable smile on his face.
The priority breeding right for Declaration of War—
For a small, newly established ranch like Nishiken, it was definitely a considerable encouragement.
In fact, he was already somewhat eager to start planning next year's breeding schedule.
"Congratulations, Mr. Kitano!"
At the entrance of the weighing room, Tanaka greeted Kitano warmly.
"It was a tough fight, but it's great that we won."
Grabbing Kitano's shoulder, Tanaka patted him hard.
Not yet recovered from the afterglow of the race, Kitano vaguely dealt with various similar and different congratulations.
The final results posted on the display board showed the distances between the top three as a nose and a neck respectively.
For Mejiro Pegasus, it was undoubtedly a gutsy showdown by a hair's breadth.
Before the race, he had received advice from Tanaka and Ogawa Representative: "This distance might be a bit challenging, but you can give it a try."
He registered for the race according to the original plan, harboring a somewhat anxious feeling from the start.
"Can fifteen hundred meters really work?"
With such doubts, he arrived at Monbetsu Racecourse today.
Then, he witnessed an unexpected front-running performance from the horse and Jockey.
On the last straight stretch facing the stands, he was almost caught.
This is bad—
This was his true state of mind at the time.
Even Kitano, who considered himself a beginner in horse racing, was aware of the disadvantage of a front-runner when dealing with opponents from behind.
But neither Mejiro Pegasus nor Ochiai Jockey gave in easily, stubbornly resisting the attacks from behind.
At the moment of crossing the finish line, he felt another inexplicable emotion, separate from the joy of victory.
He took a deep breath.
"Thank you very, very much."
Then, he bowed and said this to Ochiai Jockey, who had just emerged from the weighing room.
"No, it's I who should thank you."
Ochiai responded with a slight bow.
Although he had made various decisions during the race, the ultimate victory still relied on Mejiro Pegasus's own performance.
Horse racing is precisely such a process where human and horse are closely combined and perform together.
As a Jockey, he had only fulfilled his duty.
During the lead-in ceremony, Mejiro Pegasus hung his head, looking a little dispirited.
Perhaps due to extreme fatigue, he appeared much quieter than after his first victory.
"After this race, you can try to rest for a while."
Before the photo session, Tanaka offered his suggestion to Kitano.
Mejiro Pegasus's optimal distance was roughly clear.
For 1700 meters and above, there was no need to consider it too much at this stage.
Moreover, the consumption from this race seemed to be greater than expected.
Instead of continuing to participate in low-prize two-year-old limited races, it would be better to have a period of grazing and recuperation, and then consider the race schedule based on his condition at that time.
"I think so too."
Kitano nodded.
Mejiro Pegasus looked quite exhausted.
Large areas of his coat were soaked, and conspicuous foam had formed under the saddle from the friction of sweat and dust.
After putting down the lead rope, Kitano patted the grey horse's head.
It was time to let him have a good rest