First Derby

Friday of Week Four, Mindu Racecourse.

The sun scorched the earth, and the stands were already packed to capacity.

Today was the opening day of the Eight Min Local Derby: Dirt Race, and racing fans from all across Min Province had their eyes fixed on this place.

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Zhang Jun sat in the owners' seats beside the finish line, his palms drenched in sweat as his heart pounded furiously.

Luo Fei sat beside him and handed him a bottle of water. "Don't be nervous. Didn't we see Shadow Hunter in the stables just now? He's in great condition."

Zhang Jun took the water but did not drink it.

Half an hour earlier, he and Luo Fei had gone to see Shadow Hunter in the stables. He truly was in excellent condition, bright-eyed and calm, without even a trace of the overexcitement he had shown before the Two-Year-Old Championship.

But this was the Derby—the greatest race a Min Province local racehorse would ever get to run in, the highest honor for three-year-old dirt racers in Min Province. And Shadow Hunter had drawn the outermost gate—Gate Fifteen.

Although he had comforted himself when he first learned the draw, once the race was about to begin, he could not help worrying.

In the parade ring, the fifteen racehorses entered one after another under the guidance of their handlers.

The commentator's voice came over the broadcast, introducing each runner's record and pre-race popularity.

The top favorite was Feet on the Ground, a tall, powerfully built racehorse with sharp eyes. The stands erupted in cheers when he appeared.

As a Central Racehorse, he naturally drew more attention than local horses. Combined with the gate draw, he had narrowly edged out Shadow Hunter in popularity.

Zhang Jun raised his binoculars and used points to