HLM – Chapter 926 The Old-Style Racetrack

There was even a racetrack inside the Luke family’s equestrian estate—this truly surprised Wang Bo.

As they walked toward the track, Marlon explained along the way. Only then did Wang Bo realize how complete the facilities were: an indoor arena, a jumping arena, a practice arena, a training arena, and grazing fields—everything one could possibly need.

“This is the very first formal racetrack built in the Oak City region. In the first half of the last century, many horse races on the South Island were held right here. Later, as big cities rose, the racetracks relocated.”

“But even now,” he continued, “many South Island racing teams still board their horses here and train here. After all, the Luke family’s equestrian estate is still large and very professional.”

“And the fees are very low,” Luke added with a smile.

Two people were leading horses around the track. Both were mounted on genuine, impressive thoroughbreds. Wang Bo didn’t know much about the sport or horse breeds, so he couldn’t tell what kind of horses they were—but he could see they were definitely good stock.

When they approached each other, Luke waved and greeted the two riders. “Hey, got a new buddy here today. How about we run a race together?”

One short, thin young man laughed. “That’d be perfect. My Red Rocket just finished warming up—this kid is dying to move.”

The other man was similarly small and lean. That’s when Wang Bo realized something: jockeys were all short and skinny. It made sense—many factors influence a racehorse’s speed, but the weight on its back is one of the biggest.

Just like during their dogsled race in Rovaniemi at Christmas—the reason Zhuang Ding and the Queen ran so fast was because the sled carried a tiny, lightweight little girl.

Once they reached the track, two more people brought over two horses.

These two horses were wearing something like raincoats. Wang Bo asked, puzzled, “Why are they still wearing clothes?”

Luke gave him a strange look. “That’s mosquito-proof gear. Summer insects are a nuisance and can hurt the horses. Even if they don’t hurt them, the irritation affects their comfort and rest.”

After explaining, he couldn’t help asking, “Don’t tell me you’ve never put this on your horses?”

Wang Bo cleared his throat, embarrassed. “I’ve never put anything on them.”

Of course he hadn’t—Tuhao Jin and Black Horse King weren’t bothered by insects at all. They were wild-bred horses—thick skin, tough bodies!

Other people’s horses were treated like treasures—mosquito sheets, grooming after they’re removed, a little food to boost energy, then led through warm-ups.

Meanwhile, Tuhao Jin stood there like an idiot, eyes wide, looking around everywhere. When another horse came close, it suddenly lunged forward and let out a loud roar.

That horse was startled. The jockey hurried to calm it down and said to Wang Bo discontentedly, “Control your horse. My Wildfire is very sensitive. If you scare him again, you guys are going to be in trouble.”

Tuhao Jin was indeed at fault—it was only fooling around, not actually trying to hurt the other horse.

Wang Bo wanted to apologize, but the jockey’s words annoyed him. “Let us look good”? What’s that supposed to mean? Looking for a fight?

Irritated, he couldn’t be bothered to apologize anymore.

Marlon was even angrier. He sneered, “This is the first time I’ve heard someone talk big in such a refined way. But fine—your horse is three and a half years old, isn’t it? At that age, being timid makes sense. It hasn’t seen much of the world.”

The jockey was enraged by his sarcasm. “What did you say? Old man, you probably don’t know much about racing. Racehorses are all sensitive—not like yours. Oh, sorry—is that even a horse? It looks ridiculous.”

Marlon laughed. “Sure. But I bet in a moment you won’t be laughing. From now on, every time you see my Tuhao Jin, you won’t be able to laugh.”

Now Wang Bo understood why this old man had offended so many people on racetracks. In everyday life he was kind, but the moment he stepped on a track, he turned domineering.

Just as the argument was heating up, Luke came over to stop them. “Alright, we’re about to race. Can everyone calm down?”

Leaving behind a “See you on the track,” both sides led their horses to the gates to prepare.

Unlike many sports, racetracks around the world do not have standardized sizes. There are many variations, though most mainstream courses are oval-shaped.

The Luke family built theirs along the mountainside, making full use of natural terrain. The slope changes were obvious, the straight sections long, creating an irregular track.

Wang Bo worried such a course might injure the horses. Luke, knowing he was a rookie, didn’t laugh at him and patiently explained:

“This is a European-style racetrack. Built along the mountain, with slopes. It forces the horses to stay alert while running. True, it can make running more tiring.”

“Modern tracks are mostly flat ovals—better for spectators. But when ours was built, that style hadn’t become popular yet.”

The Luke track had two lanes:
– The outer loop for competition: 1,200 meters long, 20 meters wide.
– The inner loop for training: 1,100 meters long, 15 meters wide.

On one side stood an open-air grandstand, three levels tall. The first floor was a hall; the second and third had simple VIP rooms.

Luke handed Wang Bo a telescope. Sitting in the vast grandstand, the few of them felt rather lonely.

Wang Bo looked around and saw the venue was indeed very old. The grandstand had clearly been renovated many times, but many issues remained—weathered concrete, guardrails patched with different woods, uneven in appearance.

The race was about to begin. Luke asked, “I heard your horse has only ever run on grass. Can it handle my sand track?”

Generally, racetracks use grass, dirt, sand, or synthetic ground—just like tennis players perform differently on different courts, horses run differently depending on the surface.

Wang Bo replied, “It should be fine. Sometimes it runs on the road too. I didn’t notice any change in speed.”

The race began.

At the signal, the gates burst open and the jockeys urged their horses into full speed.

It was Tuhao Jin’s first race. At first it didn’t understand what was happening—when the gate opened, it just stood there, stupidly looking left and right.

Meanwhile, the other racehorses shot out instantly, already more than ten meters ahead.

Luke shook his head. “This horse still hasn’t figured it out—oh holy shit, holy shit!”

Once Tuhao Jin finally noticed the others were running, it still had no idea why they were running—but its nature refused to let any horse get ahead of it. So it also rushed forward.

Other horses, with their explosive sprint, could cover ten meters instantly—a remarkable feat.

But Tuhao Jin’s performance…

was even more overwhelming.