Funing Mile

By the second week of June, the weather had already turned somewhat hot.

In the stables at Funing Racecourse, River Moon was quietly eating hay.

The chestnut stallion was already four years old, and the crescent-shaped white marking on his forehead stood out especially under the lights.

Zhang Jun stood before the stall, watching River Moon eat leisurely, his face full of smiles.

Zhang Jun reached out and stroked River Moon's neck. River Moon lowered the hay in his mouth, lifted his head, and rubbed his wet nose against Zhang Jun's hand.

"How's his condition?" he asked Zheng Xing, who stood beside him.

"Excellent."

Zheng Xing smiled. "Everything has been checked. There are no problems. Now we just wait for the race."

Zhang Jun nodded. The ninth race, scheduled for tomorrow from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m., was the 1,600-meter Funing Mile, a CN2 race run counterclockwise with total prize money of 3.3 million. Fifteen horses would be competing, and River Moon had drawn the middle gate, number six—a very good position for a frontrunner.

"Everything depends on tomorrow."

Zhang Jun spoke softly.

Zheng Xing echoed him. "Yeah, we just wait for tomorrow."

Patting River Moon's neck as he lowered his head to eat again, Zhang Jun encouraged him softly, "Of the four young horses who came together, you're the only one left. Do your best tomorrow, good boy."

The following afternoon, the hottest part of the day had passed, and the evening clouds had been dyed an intoxicating wine-red by the setting sun.

In the parade ring, the fifteen competing horses were being led in circles by stable staff.

Zhang Jun and Zheng Xing stood outside the ring, watching the chestnut stallion brimming with fighting spirit, as well as a tall bay horse and a sturdy gray horse.

The