When the Cool Breeze Rose, Upon the Racetrack

About a week had passed since the club's recruitment tour. It was Saturday morning.

It had become the season when walking around in only socks made the soles of my feet feel cold, so I found myself stomping my feet while washing my face and shaving, then patted some toner onto my skin.

I also used the hotel's styling gel to tidy my hair a little—by "a little," I meant pressing down the strands sticking up after sleep.

Even this bare minimum of morning grooming was something I rarely did under normal circumstances.

As for why today was an exception—there were two consecutive days of Ikee Stable runners at Kyoto.

Besides Poetic Banquet's maiden race today, Traveler would continue partnering with Yutaka Take tomorrow in the Kikuka Sho, the final leg of the Classics.

After returning to Japan and completing quarantine, Traveler had immediately been sent back to the Nishiken Farm in Hokkaido for turnout and rest, recovering from the physical and mental exhaustion of racing overseas.

Although Traveler inevitably showed considerable fatigue, under the careful care of the club staff, the horse quickly regained vitality at a visible pace after returning to the farm, even finding the energy to hold impromptu races with Dawn in the neighboring pasture.

The result went without saying: the older bay horse won handily.

During that time, there was one thing that had to be done every morning—inspect Traveler's feed trough more carefully.

Traveler had been born rather late in the Southern Hemisphere, after all, and a rising appetite was also an important indicator of condition. The saying that "a horse that can eat is a good horse" was no empty talk.

However, whether on the day Traveler won the St Leger Stakes or after the long journey and quarantine before returning to the