The first race of the new year of "Ban'ei Horse Racing", in which big horses pull sleds and compete for speed, was held at the racetrack in Obihiro City, Hokkaido.
In "Ban'ei Horse Racing", a large horse called Ban'ei competes for speed on a 200-meter straight course with a sled weighing over 500 kg.
The first race was held at Obihiro Racecourse on the 2nd, and many fans lined up to wait for the gate to open at 10:50 am.
Then, when the first race started, he approached the fence beside the course and applauded and cheered as the horse climbed two slopes on the way.
A woman who came to watch the game from Otaru, Hokkaido, said, "I'm glad to see a powerful race up close for the first time in a long time."
Even with the prolonged corona sickness, Banei horse racing is still popular and online betting ticket sales are strong, so on December 30, the daily betting ticket sales amount exceeded 700 million yen and reached a record high. ..
In addition, Obihiro City is the central city of the Tokachi region where dairy farming is flourishing in Hokkaido, and on the 2nd at the racecourse, 300 200 ml milk packs were distributed free of charge to help increase the consumption of milk and dairy products. ..
The New Year's race of "Ban'ei Horse Racing" is scheduled to be held until the 4th, and 400 milk cartons will be distributed again on the 4th of the final day.