To an expert, this was a sign of a lack of chemistry between the jockey and the horse. Dr. Shu Wen, who had been startled by the sudden burst of speed from Chasing Wind, smiled again upon seeing this.
Although Chasing Wind was quite fast just now, it was still inferior to a top Thoroughbred. The fact that it slowed down afterwards led Dr. Shu Wen to believe that the horse was running out of energy.
There was no chemistry between the rider and the horse, and the rider's stamina was inferior to that of a Thoroughbred. In Shuwen's view, it was impossible to win the race.
Chapter 1219 Horse Racing Betting (Part 5)
"Zhuang Rui'an replied, I'm back..."
Because of his strong personality and inability to be second to anyone, Timur, though he wanted to run a few more laps, was afraid of revealing his speed, so he turned back after one lap.
"Brother Timur, wipe your sweat..."
Seeing Timur covered in sweat, Zhuang Rui handed him a handkerchief and wiped it on Zhui Feng's neck. He looked up but found nothing unusual.
"Luffy..."
Zhuifeng twisted its neck and let out a dissatisfied neigh. After being cooped up on the ship and with the Qin family for several days, it finally had a chance to run around today, but it couldn't do so to its heart's content, which greatly disappointed Zhuifeng.
"Alright, I'll let you run all you want tomorrow..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and gently combed Zhui Feng's fur.
"Zhuang Rui'an replied, 'It's not that I don't want to run slower, it's just that Zhui Feng doesn't want to...'"
When Timur handed the reins to Zhuang Rui, he whispered something under his breath.
"Hehe, Brother Timur, you've worked hard..."
Zhuang Rui then realized that Timur's profuse sweating was probably due to pulling the reins, and couldn't help but laugh loudly.
However, the way Zhui Feng and Timur were behaving just now was met with disapproval from onlookers. Guo Daheng even bluntly said, "Xiao Zhuang, I have two decent knights. Why don't you let them ride your horses in a race?"
Timur's horse-walking session lasted only five or six minutes, yet he was already drenched in sweat. No wonder Guo Daheng wouldn't even look at him.
"Old Guo, let's forget about it. I think Brother Timur is quite good..."
Zhuang Rui knew perfectly well why Timur was sweating profusely. If someone stronger had gone up to challenge Zhui Feng, their fate probably wouldn't have been much better than Timur's.
In fact, Zhuang Rui initially intended to be the jockey himself, but after thinking of the calligraphy by his grandfather, he ultimately chose to let Timur participate in the competition.
A few years ago, Zhuang Rui's lack of fame would have been insignificant, but now he is widely known, especially after the discovery of Genghis Khan's tomb. Almost everyone in China has heard of him.
It's understandable that an archaeological exploration expert likes antiques and jade, but adding a world horse racing champion to the mix would truly make him stand out from the crowd. While he might not necessarily be brought down by the saying "the wind will surely destroy him," his prominence would certainly attract trouble.
"Fine, I like you, kid. I'm betting on you to win or lose. You better play your game..."
Guo Daheng shook his head and said nothing more. Anyway, he had lost to Dr. Shu more than once or twice, so he didn't care about losing one more time.
"Old man, just wait to collect your money..."
Zhuang Rui chuckled, flipped himself onto Zhui Feng, and started jogging slowly on the track. The tacit understanding between him and Zhui Feng was far superior to that of Timur. If he wanted Zhui Feng to slow down, Zhuang Rui didn't even need to pull the reins; he only needed to whisper something in Zhui Feng's ear.
The robust and graceful Zhui Feng certainly attracted a lot of attention, but after observing for a while, they couldn't help but shake their heads.
Most of the people present were experts, and they could tell from the way the horse ran that it had not undergone systematic speed training. It ran steadily and calmly, and it might be able to stand out as a skill-based racehorse.
However, these people did not know that this was because Zhuang Rui was afraid of the bumpy ride and had specifically asked Zhui Feng to do so. If Zhui Feng really let go of its speed, then by tomorrow no one present would have the confidence to compete with Zhui Feng, and they would lose interest in horse racing.
After spending an afternoon at the horse farm, Zhuang Rui even held his children on horseback for a while, a scene that made the horse trainers shake their heads. Was this a horse training session or a family outing?
Of course, Zhuang Rui didn't care about any of that. It wasn't until evening that he drove his family back to the villa arranged by his fourth wife. ...
The next morning, Zhuang Rui personally fed Zhui Feng horse feed, and then, in a vehicle arranged by the Jockey Club, they arrived at the Macau Racecourse. As they entered the racecourse, they could see through the car window a long line of people waiting to enter.
Old Master Qin and his entourage were led directly to a private room by the staff of the horse farm, while Zhuang Rui and Timur led Zhui Feng to the stable.
The stables are built behind the racecourse, where more than a hundred horses are waiting. Unlike the noisy scene outside, the area around the stables is very quiet. Horses are easily startled and are most afraid of being disturbed before a race.
Some experienced horse trainers and jockeys also stayed with the horses, trying to control their excitement levels so that they could reach their maximum speed the moment the starting gun fired.
This is crucial in horse racing, and it also highlights the role of the jockey. A good jockey will always bring the horse to its peak of excitement the moment it bursts out of the fence.
"Mr. Zhuang, it's still early. You don't need to wait here. The company has private rooms at the horse farm. You can go there and rest for a while..."
Today, Mr. Chen accompanied Zhuang Rui as usual. As for the fourth wife, Zhuang Rui had not seen her since arriving in Macau. It was not because Zhuang Rui was being neglected because he was transferring shares, but because the fourth wife had been too busy these past few days and could not spare a single moment of time.
The high prize money attracted dozens of the world's most expensive racehorses to Macau, and these noble horses also attracted many celebrities from all over the world, making this Macau horse race even more eye-catching.
Among the guests who have already arrived in Macau are the world's richest man, who is said to earn hundreds of thousands of US dollars every second, the handsome Prince William of the United Kingdom, King Mohammed of Morocco, and Bhutan's Bolkiah from Brunei, among others. Their arrival has truly made this horse race a grand event in the international horse racing world.
Besides these celebrities and tycoons, many big stars from the sports and film industries also came to Macau to participate in this horse racing event. For example, the tough-guy governor Arnold, whom Zhuang Rui knew, the handsome young actor Tom Cruise, and Michael Jordan, who is known as the god of basketball, all came to Macau to participate in this horse racing event.
Of course, this doesn't mean that all these people like horse racing. I can't speak for others, but Jordan definitely prefers golf to horse racing. After all, the height of basketball players is indeed not very suitable for riding horses. Clothes can be custom-made if they are too small, but there are very few horses that are suitable for them.
However, the fact that these people still gathered in Macau demonstrates the strength of the organizing committee. It should be noted that, apart from the four companies that obtained the Macau gaming license, the other two companies have deep backgrounds in Europe and the Americas.
Furthermore, some rumors have circulated that the oil tycoons of the Arab world are very dissatisfied with Macau hosting such a competition with a prize pool of up to 80 million US dollars, believing that it has stolen their thunder.
I've heard that an Arab crown prince has also arrived in Macau. Whether he's there to watch the horse races or to place bets and cause trouble remains to be seen.
Regardless of the veracity of these reports, the horse racing event organized by the three gambling companies in Macau has truly promoted the sport worldwide. Even the ongoing US Open tennis tournament has been significantly affected by this Macau horse racing event.
When these celebrities and politicians came to Macau, it was only natural that the fourth wife would come out to greet them. So Zhuang Rui could understand that, although he had a strong background in mainland China, his influence was much smaller compared to these people.
"Alright, let's go out and see what's around..."
Zhuang Rui glanced at his watch. It was only 7:30, and there was still more than half an hour before the audience could enter. The first horse race was at 9:30, so there was really nothing to do in the stable right now.
Zhuang Rui'an replied, "Go ahead, I'll stay here and look after Zhui Feng..."
Timur, however, was unwilling to leave. He was already thrilled to be able to participate in horse racing in a foreign land.
"Temur's sworn brother, let's go together. Just leave one staff member behind..."
Zhuang Rui scoffed at the horse trainers and jockeys who were trying to connect with the racehorses. He thought, "What good is a good jockey if the horse has absolute speed?"
In Zhuang Rui's view, the difference between those racehorses and Chasing Wind was like that between an infant and an adult; there was no comparison between the two. Even if Chasing Wind showed no respect for Timur, it was a sure thing to win first place.
"Forget it, I'll just stay here. I can't understand what those people outside are saying. Zhuang Ruian, just take good care of Qiqige..."
Timur scratched his head and said in a simple and honest manner. In fact, he knew this principle, but compared to the bustling and noisy racetrack, he still felt more comfortable staying in the stable.
"Okay, I'll be back in a bit..."
Zhuang Rui didn't insist, but he left one staff member to look after Zhui Feng with Timur. He then led President Chen through the stables and into a private box on the first floor of the racecourse.
The entire wall facing the racecourse is made up of floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing a clear view of every corner of the racecourse from inside. There are also sliding doors that allow you to go outside and watch the race up close.
Of course, you can only watch from the box entrance; otherwise, you will be stopped by the racecourse staff. There are also high fences on both sides of the track.
Private rooms like these are impossible to book even with money; they are reserved for special guests and dignitaries from various countries. The room next to Zhuang Rui's is said to be reserved for that tough-guy governor.
Upon seeing Zhuang Rui enter, everyone in the private room except for Old Master Qin stood up. It should be noted that without Zhuang Rui, the Qin family, with its power in Hong Kong, might not have been able to secure such a prime private room.
Chapter 1220 Extreme Speed Storm
"Xiao Rui, how's it going? Is Zhui Feng in good shape?"
As soon as Zhuang Rui entered the private room, he was surrounded by people, especially Qin Haoran and his wife. After entering the horse farm, they seemed to have become different people, and all their previous composure had disappeared.
"Uh, Dad, it's alright, Zhuifeng is about the same as before..."
Zhuang Rui glanced at Qin Xuanbing and saw that she was playing with her children on the sofa. He was relieved. If his wife was unhappy, he knew he wouldn't have a good night.
Although psychologists have repeatedly urged couples not to use sexual punishment, this method still works for most couples. Of course, those men who have affairs will vehemently deny that such a situation has occurred in their homes.
Qin Haoran pulled Zhuang Rui to his side, flipped through the electronic display screen in front of him, and asked, "Xiao Rui, do you think Zhui Feng can come in first?"
"Cough cough, Dad, do I have eyes in the back of my head or the front of my eyes? How could I know what's going to happen in a moment?"
Zhuang Rui was left speechless by his father-in-law's question. He realized that there really was no difference between the wealthy and the ordinary citizens at the racetrack; they all shared the same fear of loss.
"Uh, Dad, Mom, how much money have you bet on Zhuifeng?"
Zhuang Rui was also a little curious. His father-in-law and mother-in-law must have bet on Zhui Feng to win, but how much money was it that could make these two well-known figures among Hong Kong's second-generation tycoons act like this?
"Not many..."
Qin Haoran glanced furtively at the old man sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed, and lowered his voice to say, "A sum of money recently came back from Southeast Asia, and I happened to have nowhere to spend the money, so I bet on Chasing the Wind to win the second game..."
Zhuang Rui pressed further, "How much is it?"
"No...it's just two...two hundred million Hong Kong dollars..."
Qin Haoran was somewhat embarrassed. The old man strictly forbade any member of the family from gambling. Although horse racing was not prohibited, Qin Haoran had never dared to gamble so heavily before. This time, he placed such a large bet based on his confidence in Zhuang Rui.
"Uh, two hundred million Hong Kong dollars isn't much, it's fine..."
Zhuang Rui didn't care when he heard this. He had already bet 100 million with Dr. Shu Wen. With his father-in-law's wealth, betting 200 million was nothing. He guessed that he had also placed his bet with Dr. Shu Wen. Making a small profit of 200 million was not bad.
Seeing that his son-in-law seemed somewhat dismissive of the 200 million yuan bet, Qin Haoran continued, "Well, Xiao Rui, I'm betting on an off-the-books lottery, jointly organized by three other gambling companies in Macau. It has nothing to do with the Jockey Club..."
"Offshore betting? What is offshore betting?"
Zhuang Rui had heard of this term before, but he never understood what it meant. It seemed that in coastal areas of China, many people had lost everything by gambling on illegal lotteries.
Qin Haoran lowered his voice even further and said, "It's like this, off-the-books betting uses the results of the official lottery to determine the odds, but the winning conditions are set by the bookmaker. The odds for each horse to win are different from those of a regular horse race. If you can bet on an underdog, that 200 million could become 2 billion, or even 20 billion." "2...20 billion? Dad, don't scare me like that..."
Zhuang Rui was startled by Qin Haoran's words and quickly asked, "Then what are the odds for my Chasing the Wind?"
"Your horse has never raced before and hasn't received any professional training, so after evaluation, the bookmakers have given it odds of 1 to 50 for the second race. As for the odds for the final race, they haven't been released yet; they'll be determined based on the results of the second race..."
As Qin Haoran spoke, there was a gurgling sound as he swallowed, clearly indicating that he was under great pressure to use the family funds for horse racing this time, and that this was done secretly without the knowledge of Old Master Qin.
Zhuang Rui realized that his father-in-law was trying to gamble big with a small investment. With odds of 1 to 50, 200 million would amount to a full 10 billion Hong Kong dollars, which exceeded all of the Qin family's assets.
Zhuang Rui couldn't believe that his father-in-law, who was usually so steady and methodical in business, would dare to be so reckless. But upon closer reflection, Zhuang Rui realized his father-in-law's brilliance.
If Qin Haoran uses 200 million yuan to gamble on horse racing and loses, the Qin family will at most experience a temporary cash flow problem, but it won't be a major blow. However, if they win, it will be a huge fortune that will allow the Qin family to join the ranks of Hong Kong's top tycoons.
So this level of risk is still worth taking, but the betting companies that run the gambling operations will probably be left with nothing but tears.
"Dad, these... the odds are way too high! What if the bookmaker can't pay out? You've already lost your principal..."
Zhuang Rui suddenly thought of this problem. He had seen some news reports before, and it seemed that many people in coastal cities in the mainland bought illegal lottery tickets and won the prizes, but the small bookmakers just ran away because they simply couldn't afford to pay out the huge prizes.
Qin Haoran shook his head and said, "No, these three companies are all legitimate gambling companies with licenses. Their combined assets are over a hundred billion US dollars, and they can afford to pay tens of billions of Hong Kong dollars..."
"Oh, that's good..."