By the time he left the stable, the eastern sky had turned fully dark, with only the faintest trace of sunset remaining in the opposite direction.
"Then I'll leave it to you two."
"We're the ones who have caused trouble for the president."
Waving off Ikee and Wada, who had insisted on seeing him off, he headed for the station alone.
After Yutaka Take was injured, both Poetic Banquet and Traveler needed new primary Jockeys.
That said, even after the owner and the two trainers had discussed the matter for quite a while, they still had no leads by the time the sun had completely set.
Ikee had not failed to make similar suggestions, such as trying to contact them again and offering to negotiate with the other camp himself.
As the owner, he had naturally refused every one of them.
Even now, this went without saying. Even decades ago, during the Heisei Era, it was hardly unusual to replace a less experienced Jockey with a more experienced one when a talented horse was heading into an important race.
But—
If someone snatched away a Jockey their camp had settled on long ago despite having made an agreement beforehand, even the most mild-tempered person would inevitably harbor some resentment.
Even Haruki, whom Wada had recommended, was ultimately declined after careful consideration.
It was not because he looked down on Haruki's ability as a Jockey. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Haruki had been in excellent form lately, having just won the Tulip Sho, a prep race for the fillies' classic campaign, aboard a longshot from Wada Stable. He had finally earned the chance to ride a Spring Emperor's Prize contender owned by the same owner.
Whether it was the Grade 1 riding opportunity he had fought for or the connection he