Two-Year-Old Championship I

A week had passed since the account was created, and Forest Hero had won a Class C1 race during that time.

The account's follower count had grown rapidly. In just one week, the various accounts had amassed over a hundred thousand followers altogether, with every video receiving tens of thousands of comments.

Some praised the little horses for being adorable, some wanted to cuddle them, and some even wanted to steal them. Zhang Jun liked every comment one by one—except for the ones about stealing the horses.

That's my horse, mine! o(￣ヘ￣o＃)

Mindu Racecourse, conference room

Today was the post-position draw for the Eight Min Two-Year-Old Championship: Dirt Race. Zhang Jun arrived early, and Lin Zhi had already claimed seats at a table, with Shan Yao sitting beside him.

"How is Shadow Hunter's condition? Nothing wrong physically, right?"

The first thing Zhang Jun did after sitting down was ask about Shadow Hunter.

"He couldn't be any better."

Lin Zhi lowered his voice, a smile on his face.

"He's three kilograms heavier than he was in his last race, and it's all muscle.

In yesterday's final workout, he was a full 0.3 seconds faster than last time. You could say he has no rivals at all in this Two-Year-Old Championship.

We also had a veterinarian examine him. He's in excellent health, and his shoes were replaced three days ago. Everything is ready.

Over the next few days, I only plan to arrange maintenance training to preserve Shadow Hunter's racing condition while letting him conserve his strength."

Zhang Jun breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as there's no problem."

The draw began soon after. Mu Fei stepped onto the stage and briefly recounted the history and prestige of the Eight Min Two-Year-Old Championship before quickly moving on to the guest segment.

This time, the guest was Li Muzhi, president of the Min Province Branch of the Central Racing Association. His hair and beard were already completely white.

He slowly walked onto the stage, reached into the draw box on the left, and gradually pulled out a ball. "First—Longxi Mad Shark."

One horse name after another was called. The owner, trainer, or jockey from the corresponding camp went onstage and drew a gate number from the box on the right.

Some were delighted, while others were disappointed.

Sitting in his chair, Zhang Jun nervously rubbed the rim of the wineglass in his hand.

"Ninth—Shadow Hunter."

After the old man called out the name, the cameramen along the side of the conference room turned their cameras toward Zhang Jun and the others. The other camps also looked their way.

Zhang Jun took a deep breath, stood up, and slowly walked toward the drawing stage.

He was still nervous, but with the experience of Cloudstream Flying Shadow's Eight Min Mile Race, his hand was much steadier this time.

He reached into the draw box, grabbed a cold little ball, and took it out.

Li Muzhi looked at him gently, carrying the gratification of seeing an outstanding young successor in Huaxia's racing world. He accepted the ball, twisted it open, and took a look.

Zhang Jun held his breath. Lin Zhi's eyes widened, while Shan Yao clasped her hands together and closed her eyes.

"Shadow Hunter—Gate Twelve!"

Whew~

Zhang Jun relaxed, Lin Zhi smiled, and Shan Yao patted her chest.

For Shadow Hunter, who could use any racing style, any gate that was not the outermost gates from fourteen onward counted as a good draw.

December 23, 2022, 4:15 p.m.

The sky was gray and overcast, dark clouds hanging above the racecourse as tiny drops of rain fell from the sky.

Zhang Jun did not watch from a private box today. Instead, he chose to sit in the owners' seats beside the finish line.

The dirt Two-Year-Old Championship was a 1,600-meter race. Starting from Mindu's finish line, the horses first ran thirty meters down a straight.

They then entered the sweeping 342-meter first and second turns before moving into the 458-meter backstretch.

After that came the equally long 342-meter, gentler third and fourth turns, followed by the 428-meter final straight.

Holding an umbrella, Zhang Jun watched Zheng Shan lead Shadow Hunter into the parade ring.

Shadow Hunter's ears flicked constantly back and forth, his tail raised high and sweeping arcs through the air behind him. His hooves kept stamping as he breathed heavily.

Lin Zhi frowned as he stood in front of Shadow Hunter. "Shadow Hunter is a little too excited."

Zheng Shan wore a miserable expression. "He was perfectly fine at lunch. He's been getting more and more excited since three o'clock. I've tried everything, but I can't calm him down."

Zhang Jun made a phone call. "I'm over by the stands. Shadow Hunter's condition seems a little off. Should we withdraw?"

Lin Zhi spoke bitterly. "Shadow Hunter is a little too excited right now. He's always been a smart boy. He probably knows today's race is important, so his fighting spirit is running high.

But I don't know whether he'll be affected in this state. Sometimes high fighting spirit lets a racehorse perform beyond expectations, but sometimes it has the opposite effect."

"Then should we withdraw?" Zhang Jun asked.

Shadow Hunter suddenly stepped forward and reared his front hooves high in the direction of the track. "Neigh~! (p≧w≦q)"

"All right ╮(╯＿╰)╭, it looks like Shadow Hunter doesn't want to withdraw." Zhang Jun sighed. "Then let's continue with the race. Please tell Shan Yao for me: safety first."

Lin Zhi became solemn. "Understood."

Shan Yao and the other jockeys came out of the jockeys' room, bowed, and ran toward their horses.

Lin Zhi grabbed Shan Yao. "Shadow Hunter is a little too excited today. Try to calm him down during the warm-up. Also, Mr. Zhang said safety comes first. Don't force it."

Shan Yao nodded gravely. With Lin Zhi's help, she mounted Shadow Hunter and slowly rode him along the track, stroking his neck with both hands.

"You're excited too, huh? But don't get too excited. We need to save our strength and unleash it during the final sprint. Hold it in... hold it in..."

Shadow Hunter snorted, and his breathing gradually steadied.

"The pre-race favorite, Shadow Hunter, looks a little excited. I wonder whether it will affect his performance?"

The commentator's voice came through the loudspeakers, while discussion filled the packed grandstands.

"All right, the horses are entering the gates one after another. The first is Number One, Southern Township, followed by Number Three..."

When it was Shadow Hunter's turn to load, he walked toward Gate Twelve on his own without needing to be led by the staff.

"All right, all horses are now in the gates. Race Nine at Mindu Racecourse, the 49th Eight Min Two-Year-Old Championship: Dirt Race, CN1, 1,600 meters on dirt, right-handed... and they're off!"

The gates burst open with a bang, and the fifteen racehorses charged out one after another.

Zhang Jun closed his eyes, while Lin Zhi looked as though he had put on a mask of pain, unable to bear watching.

"Not a clean break! Number Seven, Jiahe Scenery, and the favorite, Number Twelve, Shadow Hunter, broke late! Can Shadow Hunter adjust quickly and live up to the fans' expectations?"

A collective sigh rose from the stands, and some people tossed their cheering tickets into the air.

Beneath her helmet, Shan Yao's delicate face showed a trace of bitterness. She had not expected Shadow Hunter to remain so restless even after calming down.

"No choice. Shadow Hunter can use any racing style anyway, so I might as well switch to a closing run and catch up through the turns."

She looked at the pack one length ahead, pulled Shadow Hunter toward the inside rail, and followed behind Jiahe Scenery, who had also broken late but was already accelerating to chase the field.