Grass Mile Championship

"West River Moon has a one hundred percent chance of winning this race."

Zhang Jun waved the West River Moon win ticket he had bought, comforting Luo Heng.

"I haven't been studying for nothing lately. West River Moon's bloodline tends toward late maturity; four is her peak, and it can last until the end of her five-year-old season. Bright Moonlight's bloodline tends toward early maturity; she reaches her peak in the latter half of her three-year-old season. She's now in the latter half of her four-year-old season, and it's close to year's end. Her peak has definitely passed."

"Compared to her, West River Moon's chances of winning are more than a hundred times greater than Bright Moonlight's. That's what my intuition tells me too—Bright Moonlight's peak has already passed."

Liu Shixing, the owner, looked utterly calm, as though he had everything under control. Hearing Zhang Jun's words, he extended his hand. "Thank you for thinking so highly of West River Moon. I'll take that as a good omen. I hope West River Moon can defeat Bright Moonlight and finish on a high note."

Zhang Jun shook his hand. "I'm only stating the facts. Judging by her bloodline, West River Moon really has only recently entered her prime."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Luo Yong pulled Zhang Jun aside. "What do you think of West River Moon's breeding potential?"

Ever since he had taken Zhang Jun to visit West River Moon, Luo Yong had wanted to ask this for a long time. After the July auction ended, Zhang Jun's occasional evaluations of horses' breeding abilities had lingered in Luo Yong's mind, keeping him awake for months.

West River Moon had happened to be scheduled to retire after this race and begin breeding next year. Her foal would be born the year after that, and within a few months to a year after its birth, the staff at Jianzhou Ranch would be able to make a rough assessment based on its daily performance.

Asking now would allow them to judge the accuracy of Zhang Jun's evaluation three or four years earlier than if they used horses bought at auction.

Hearing Luo Yong's question, Zhang Jun thought for a moment. "I think she might be about the same as Jianzhou Senior General."

"Are you sure?" Luo Yong asked again and again.

Zhang Jun nodded. "I'm sure."

"Good." Luo Yong breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he could organize Jianzhou Senior General's early stud records when he got back and compare them with West River Moon's in two years.

After they talked for a while, the racehorses entered the gates one after another. The race was about to begin. Everyone except Zhang Jun and Luo Yong held their breath, staring fixedly at the horses inside the gates.

Luo Yong was exceptionally relaxed. Though he still could not confirm Zhang Jun's intuition regarding breeding, Cloudstream Flying Shadow had proven that Zhang Jun's judgment of a racehorse's competitive ability was extremely accurate. He had already accepted West River Moon's victory in his heart; now he only wanted to see by how much she would win.

As the red light above the gates turned green, the gates flew open with a roar. All eighteen horses broke neatly, and the commentator's voice rang out.

"What an incredibly even break! Just what you'd expect from one of the world's premier races! After the early battle for position, the field currently looks like this."

"Number Five, Pastoral Scenery, is leading the field. Two lengths behind is the major pre-race favorite and second choice, Bright Moonlight. On the inside is Number Three, Thunder Drums, while Number Eight, Golden Sunshine, runs on the outside."

"Half a length behind, the first choice, Number Six, West River Moon, is here, followed closely by..."

Seeing Bright Moonlight secure a favorable forward position while West River Moon was boxed in by the field, Liu Shixing and Luo Fei both wore pained expressions. Luo Heng also looked tense, clasping his hands together and praying without stop.

"All right, the field has now entered the backstretch. Let's sort out the positions again. Pastoral Scenery still leads. Three lengths back is the second choice, Bright Moonlight; Thunder Drums remains on the inside. The first choice, West River Moon, is gradually moving up, while Golden Sunshine is on the outside."

"One length back, Fierce Wind and Blazing Fire, at the head of the trailing group, is gradually closing in. Is it making its move this early? Behind it is... and bringing up the rear is Number Thirteen, Northern Star. The field is stretched out, spanning roughly seven lengths from front to back."

When West River Moon gradually escaped the box and moved into a favorable stalking position, Liu Shixing, Luo Fei, and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

As the race gradually reached the fourth turn, Luo Fei nervously held Liu Li. Liu Shixing's hand shook constantly as he held his wineglass, the wine sloshing about and occasionally spilling a few drops.

Wu Feng, the renowned central jockey riding West River Moon, assessed the situation. Three lengths directly ahead was the leader, Pastoral Scenery, already breathing hard and certain to sink back into the field at the end.

Half a length away on the inside was their greatest rival, Bright Moonlight. Behind her came Thunder Drums, while Golden Sunshine ran level with him on the outside, boxing him in perfectly. If Pastoral Scenery dropped back into the field, West River Moon would definitely be blocked and unable to break through.

"I have to move to the outside!"

With that thought, Wu Feng made his decision. He pushed West River Moon's neck twice, urging her forward to create some distance from Golden Sunshine, then pulled the reins and guided West River Moon toward the outside.

"They're about to enter the final stretch. The capital's five-hundred-meter stretch is quite long—who will claim victory? West River Moon is moving! West River Moon is swinging out to the outside!"

The commentator's excited voice rang out. Inside the box, everyone stood and moved to the front.

"They're into the final straight! Pastoral Scenery is the first to break clear, with Bright Moonlight two lengths behind. West River Moon on the outside refuses to yield, followed by Thunder Drums and Golden Sunshine!"

"They're catching up, they're catching up! Bright Moonlight and West River Moon are rapidly closing on Pastoral Scenery! Will the final straight really be a battle of the two moons? The gap is widening! The gap is widening! The final straight really is a battle of the two moons!"

"Nix breaks out from the pack, with Sea Palace and Poetic Bloom close behind! What speed! But they are closing the gap on the two moons ahead extremely slowly. Can they still catch them?"

"Final hundred meters! West River Moon is gradually pulling away! Bright Moonlight has nothing left! A neck! A quarter length! Half a length! One length! West River Moon! The bright moon reflected in the waters of the West River truly surpasses moonlight filling the sky!"

"West River Moon takes it! Bright Moonlight is a length and a half behind, with Nix another length back!"

"She won! She won!" Luo Fei and Liu Shixing hugged each other, jumping up and down. The last time Jianzhou Ranch had won the Founding Celebration Series dated back ten years, with Jianzhou Senior General.

Liu Shixing was also thrilled. This was his first Founding Celebration Series victory in twenty years as an owner.

Luo Heng hugged his mother as well. Luo Yong was somewhat calmer, but the hands holding his glasses as he wiped them were trembling faintly too.

Clap, clap, clap. Zhang Jun applauded, looking at everyone with envy but full of confidence. "Congratulations, congratulations."

Liu Shixing and Luo Fei separated, wiped away their tears, and embraced Zhang Jun from either side.

"Just as you said, Bright Moonlight's peak has passed. I believe now that not only can you establish your own ranch, you can develop it into one of Huaxia's finest."

Luo Fei spoke excitedly. When Luo Yong had previously told him that Zhang Jun's intuition was exceptionally strong, he had only half believed it. Liu Shixing's intuition was also strong, but he had still made plenty of bad calls during his years as an owner.

He had never expected Zhang Jun's intuition to be useful not only for judging horses, but also for sensing whether a racehorse's peak had passed.

Luo Yong put on his glasses and wrapped an arm around Zhang Jun's shoulders.

"Your intuition really is accurate. I'm looking forward to the quality of West River Moon's foal in two years."