Upon seeing Zhuang Rui's appearance, Dr. Shu Wen felt slightly uneasy, but after recalling some arrangements made by the Jockey Club, his unease disappeared.
There is no absolute fairness in this world, especially in sports involving gambling, which are often shrouded in many unknown secrets.
Horse racing may seem fair, but it also has a dirty side, though most people are unaware of it.
"Five, four, three, two, one, bang..."
As the countdown ended with the sound of the starting gun, the twelve tightly closed wooden barriers simultaneously sprang open, and twelve figures, as swift as lightning, burst through the gates in an instant. The competition... had begun!
Chapter 1230 Ignites the Entire Scene (Part 2)
This time, Chasing Wind and Timur made no mistakes. The moment the gate opened, they rushed off the track and sprinted straight to the front like a whirlwind.
Although the load on its back was far greater than that of the other horses, with its almost abnormal physique, Chasing Wind still rushed to the front in the first time. In just two or three seconds, it was already half a horse length ahead of the second horse.
"The starting gun has fired, and the race has officially begun. This 2,500-meter sprint race features the twelve fastest horses in the world, who will present us with a spectacular horse racing feast!" The commentator's voice rang out in the arena, but before he could finish two sentences, his tone suddenly rose, "Oh my god, what have we found? Lane number twelve! Everyone, look at lane number twelve! That horse named Chasing Wind is in the lead!"
"This precious horse from the Inner Mongolian grasslands showed strong momentum from the very beginning. Could it create another miracle? Let's wait and see!"
"Oh, it's already run 300 meters, and Chasing Wind is still in the lead. Its speed hasn't decreased at all, and it's getting faster and faster. However... shouldn't the jockey manage the horse's energy more properly? Otherwise, it might run out of stamina."
The commentator watches hundreds of races almost every year, and his insight is no less than that of professional horse racing pundits. After seeing that the speed of the horse chasing the wind was increasing rather than decreasing, he offered his opinion.
It's important to know that a race of 2,500 meters is considered neither too far nor too close in horse racing.
This type of race not only tests the horse's explosive power but also demands its endurance. And like human middle- and long-distance races, it also involves many skillful tactics.
Experienced jockeys know how to allocate their horses' energy effectively. For the first two kilometers, they often use a trailing tactic, which allows them to maintain a distance from the horse in front that they can overtake at any time while conserving the horse's energy.
Many major competition results have shown that the horse that initially starts in first place often doesn't achieve a good ranking. The most direct reason is that the physical strength it expends in the early stages cannot support it to run at full speed to the finish line.
Just like human long-distance running, leading a racehorse is extremely physically demanding. All experienced jockeys will wait until the last one or two hundred meters before sprinting with all their might.
So now that Chase is in first place, the jockeys behind him aren't panicking. Instead, they're preparing to overtake him according to their previous tactical plans.
A horse race that is 2,500 meters long runs around the racetrack. According to the rules of horse racing, when entering the first bend, the horse can compete for the best lane.
Without a doubt, the inner track has the greatest advantage, which is why it has become the focus of the entire race. Although Chasing Wind is currently in the lead, it is very likely to fall behind if the track is merged.
However, several dozen seconds passed, and the race was one-third complete. Chasing Wind was still in the lead, which made many jockeys behind him feel uneasy. The jockeys in lanes three, four, and five had clearly begun to urge their horses to speed up.
At this point, the second-place horse was already three horse lengths behind Chasing Wind, and in the eyes of the jockeys behind, the horse with its pale golden coat showed absolutely no signs of slowing down.
It's important to understand that three horse lengths is already a significant gap in horse racing. If Chasing Wind can maintain this speed, those ten-meter or so distance will become an insurmountable obstacle for the horses behind.
Therefore, Chasing Wind's extreme speed forced even these experienced jockeys to change their tactics, urging their horses on relentlessly to stay close behind, making the race much more exciting. ...
From the very beginning, the race was drawn into a fierce competition, which made the 50,000 to 60,000 horse racing fans in the stadium excited, with huge cheers and shouts of encouragement resounding throughout the entire racecourse.
The speed of the chase completely ignited the passion and wildness deep within the hearts of all the horse racing fans.
At this moment, everyone in the racetrack, whether they were wealthy tycoons and officials in the VIP boxes or white-collar workers and ordinary citizens in the stands, stood up and cheered, shouting for the horses they favored.
"Oh my god, this is... insane! This is even more thrilling than the final game of the NBA Finals..."
In Bill Gates' box, the basketball superstar, known as the "God of Basketball," was also stunned by the scene before him. The enthusiasm of tens of thousands of fans made Jordan rediscover the sport.
Unlike Jordan, who simply enjoyed the game, Prince William looked at Chase in the lead with a hint of sadness in his eyes. He knew that Chase's performance, less than halfway through the race, had already cost him the chance to catch up with the horse.
Prince William faced immense pressure after initially asking for £100 million, and he also had to sell some of his properties and borrow money from banks. However, if he can actually acquire the property, then it will all be worthwhile.
William is a shrewd businessman. Investing in a good racehorse is no less than investing in a gold mine. With a horse like Chase, which has explosive power, Prince William is confident that he can earn back his investment in just one year of racing.
So don't think that William's previous offer to Zhuang Rui was presumptuous; it was a sign of having investment acumen. Unfortunately, Zhuang Rui did not agree to his offer.
After this match, William will completely lose the chance to win the game, because although he has a noble status, his wealth is far less than that of the people in this box.
"A very interesting young man. I'd like to know, how exactly did he train this horse?"
Bill Gates also watched with great interest as Chase Wind raced at the front and back. Although only a third of the race had been completed, Chase Wind's explosive power in the 1000-meter sprint was already arguably the best in the world.
Regardless of how well the Wind Chaser performs in the later stages of the race, it has the ability to win any race under 1000 meters. For a sport with such a gambling element, the Wind Chaser is simply a money-making machine.
Aside from Jordan and the celebrity governor, the rest of the people in the VIP box made no secret of their admiration for Zhui Feng. Zhui Feng's current strength had deeply impressed them.
In particular, the Arab crown prince, who was wearing a white headscarf, was making phone calls while watching the game, speaking in a hurried tone as if he were discussing something with someone.
"1000 meters! The race has reached the 1000-meter mark! My goodness, Chasing Wind still hasn't slowed down. Its speed is as fast as the wind, no, it's even faster than the wind..."
The commentator's voice was already hoarse, and he practically shouted every word. Zhui Feng did not disappoint his commentary, and he firmly held onto the first place position as he approached the 1000-meter bend.
"It's turning! It's turning! Without a doubt, Chasing Wind will get the best cornering track! Oh my god, what are we just seeing?"
When Zhui Feng was the first to enter the bend, the distance between him and the horse behind him had already increased to more than 20 meters. However, Zhui Feng's actions after entering the bend caused the entire racecourse to fall silent for a moment.
"What happened? Why isn't that horse taking the bend? The horses behind are catching up, the gap has been narrowed, what happened?"
Not only were the commentators puzzled, but the entire audience was stunned, because after entering the bend, Chasing Wind was still running on the twelfth track and did not immediately try to take the inside corner.
Although Chasing Wind was very fast, it was running on the outermost lane, which meant it was going around an extra circle compared to the horses on the inner lane. So, a few dozen meters into the bend, Dr. Shu's horse overtook it from the inner lane.
Not only that, there were also two other horses running on the inner track, almost neck and neck with Chasing Wind.
This sudden turn of events left everyone watching the race speechless with astonishment. They wondered if the jockey had lost his mind and squandered such a favorable situation.
"Damn? He's cutting in line? Unbelievable, why is Timur acting so recklessly again?"
Zhuang Rui, who was standing at the starting line, was also at a loss for words. The reason he didn't explain the rule to Timur was because he naturally assumed that Timur would understand it. Who knew that such a small mistake would make the race full of suspense again.
"The jockey of horse number twelve seems to have realized his mistake; he's already veering inwards. Good, the lead isn't too large yet; there's still a kilometer left in the race, so there's still hope of catching up..."
The commentator's voice roused the fans who had bet on Chase Wind to win, and they all looked towards the outer track. Sure enough, Chase Wind was constantly crossing the track and turning inward.
Timur genuinely didn't know the racing rules that allowed for cutting in, but he wasn't stupid. When he saw others changing lanes and turning inwards, Timur realized what was happening and spurred his horse to chase after the number three horse that was already ahead.
However, in the blink of an eye, not only did Dr. Shu Wen's number three horse take the lead, but the better positions on tracks two and three were also occupied by other horses.
"What did we just see? Chase Wind overtook horse number six. This jockey finally made the right choice..."
Just as the commentator was about to announce that Chase Wind had successfully overtaken, a sudden change occurred on the track. "Oh no, horse number six has crashed into Chase Wind! Has it lost control?"
Chapter 1231 Igniting the Entire Scene (Part 2)
In horse racing events exceeding 1,000 meters, it is almost always necessary to seize the curves. However, there are only two or three good curves available. If a horse running at high speed loses control, a collision is likely to occur.
In races in Hong Kong and Macau, almost every year there are accidents on the track where people and horses fall over. Now, seeing that horse number six seems to have lost control, everyone's hearts are in their throats.
The horse farm, which had been filled with tremendous noise, suddenly fell silent. All eyes, through binoculars and on the large display screen in the arena, were focused on Chase Wind and Horse Number Six.
"The jockey of horse number six seems to have lost control of the horse. Oh, we can see that he is waving his arms at horse number twelve, as if trying to get him out of the way. Good heavens, the distance is too close, they're going to crash into each other."
The commentator's voice never stopped, and when he saw horse number six, which was originally on track two, crashing straight into the wind, he almost closed his eyes in tension.
If a horse charging at full speed collides with another horse, it's like being hit by a high-speed train. Forget about continuing the race; it might even lose its life.
"What exactly happened? Why did jockey number six lose control? Is there some inside story?"
The commentator's words cast a shadow over the hearts of the horse racing fans in the audience.
The jockeys participating in this competition are the best jockeys from all over the world. They have an extremely strong ability to control racehorses, so in theory, it is virtually impossible for the horses to go out of control.
Prince William, inside the box, jumped up excitedly when he saw the two horses about to collide, waving his arms and shouting, "Conspiracy! This is a conspiracy!" Unlike the horse racing fans, these high-ranking officials familiar with horse racing knew some of the inside stories of the events. In fact, horse racing in any country is largely controlled by betting companies.
When too much betting is placed on a favorite horse, betting companies will use various methods to "artificially" create accidents to prevent the favorite horse from winning, in order to reap huge profits.
Today's Chasing Wind is such a favorite to win the championship. In previous races, it caused several betting companies to suffer heavy losses. Now it is about to emerge as a dark horse, which is definitely something that certain forces do not want to see.
Of course, only the impulsive Prince William would utter such words. Others, even if they had doubts in their hearts, did not show them on their faces. Conspiracy... is part of the competition itself, not only in horse racing, but also in other sports.
Just like the sport of short track skating, which has become more widely known in recent years, in order to achieve good results, countries often arrange "sacrificial pawns" in many important competitions. This means that athletes who have no hope of winning the championship are "accidentally" bumped into athletes from other countries during the competition, so that their teammates can achieve good results.
If this is the case for human sports, then horse racing is even more so. Moreover, the interests involved behind the scenes are often in the hundreds of millions or billions of dollars. Those behind the scenes have every reason to manipulate all of this.
Dr. Shu Wen, who had returned to his private box, saw the scene on the field through his binoculars. His previously furrowed brows immediately relaxed, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
Although what happened on the field was not arranged by Dr. Shu Wen, he knew the reason why horse number six was a "discarded pawn" because his horse number three was the champion in this race.
Among the world-renowned horses participating in this race, three are ranked higher and have a better reputation than Dr. Shu Wen's horse. It would be normal for any of those three horses to win. However, if Dr. Shu Wen's horse wins, it would be a minor upset.
This upset will bring the betting group behind the game a huge return of tens of billions. Coincidentally, Dr. Shu Wen owns shares in this betting group, so although he is not involved, he is very familiar with these matters.
Zhuang Rui was unlucky. Originally, it wasn't meant to be a "sacrificial pawn" arranged by him, but it was used on him because of Zhui Feng's sudden rise to power.
This is because after the second game, Zhui Feng Wan Ran also became a favorite to win the championship. Those betting groups would not let Zhui Feng win the championship. If they did, they would not only not make money, but also have to pay out a huge amount of betting money.
So when the jockey saw the wind racing ahead, seizing the corner and charging forward with great momentum, he received instructions from someone through his headset, leading to the tens of thousands of spectators who were on edge.
How could this happen?
Zhuang Rui, who remained at the starting line, frowned deeply when he saw this scene on the monitor.
Given Zhuang Rui's understanding of horse racing, he wouldn't think that far ahead. He genuinely believed that the current situation was caused by the horses losing control. It's common for horses to collide when chasing wild herds on the grasslands.
Zhuang Rui's current concern is not whether Zhui Feng can win the championship, but whether such a collision will cause Zhui Feng great harm.
All of this happened too suddenly. Even if Zhuang Rui wanted to help Zhui Feng, it was too late, because Zhui Feng was turning inwards, and the horse was heading straight for him. The difference between the two was only four or five meters.
For racehorses, a distance of four or five meters is practically no different from a human stride, and when running at high speed, it is almost impossible to rein in the horse and change lanes, making a collision seem inevitable.
"Go for it, Zhuifeng!" Zhuang Rui silently shouted in his heart. The spiritual energy in his eyes was already overflowing from his body, ready to save Zhuifeng after the collision.
Tens of thousands of horse racing fans in the stadium, regardless of whether they had placed bets on Chase the Wind to win, all closed their eyes in tension, silently chanting in their hearts: "Chase the Wind, come on!" "Chase the Wind, come on, go!"
At the same time, Timur, on horseback, also spotted the number six racehorse charging sideways.
However, changing direction while running at top speed was almost impossible at this moment. Timur could only hope that Chase could speed up and overtake it before horse number six collided with it.
Timur lay flat on the back of Chaser of the Wind, trying to minimize wind resistance.
If it were any other rider, they would likely have jumped off to escape, but Timur had no such thought whatsoever. He was showing the Wind Chaser through his actions that he was with it... Did the Wind Chaser hear the prayers of tens of thousands of spectators? Did the Wind Chaser sense Timur's emotions?
Just as the two horses were about to collide, Zhui Feng suddenly exerted his strength, and the speed that had already reached its limit suddenly increased significantly. The entire horse seemed to be lifted into the air, and it darted forward more than ten meters like a ghost.
The sixth horse, which was behind Timur, almost grazed the rump of the horse and rushed towards the outside lane. Timur on the horse could almost feel the cold wind coming from behind. Even though he had lived on horseback for more than 30 years, he was still sweating profusely from this thrilling scene.
"It...it crashed into it..."
"Oh no, a miracle, a miracle happened! Chasing Wind dodged it! My God, what just happened? Why did I close my eyes?"
"Replay, director, please play the replay quickly. I think... all the horse racing fans here, like me, want to know what exactly happened just now?"