After Megumi Mitsumori handled the first two days of training in June, Koichi took care of all the remaining sessions.
Before heading to the stables in Hakodate, he took Gold Ship to Aoe Ranch once more.
Grooming and a new set of horseshoes.
Then another check of his physical condition.
After all that, Gold Ship felt much more comfortable.
For one thing, he had a thick coat and sweated easily whenever he exercised.
For another, his old shoes had worn down, and the new ones clearly felt more comfortable.
As for Golden Masterpiece, he had naturally returned to Aoe Ranch from Tokyo Racecourse as well.
Once his examinations were finished, he would soon begin his long vacation.
During that time, he could spend each day however he liked, eating and drinking in his paddock. When summer truly arrived, he could soak in the hot springs or play at the beach, too.
Koichi could only envy that kind of life.
Of course.
All of this was because Golden Masterpiece had worked hard over the past few months.
As a two-time classic winner, he now received even better treatment.
"Koichi, bringing Gold Ship over for another checkup?"
Hitachi Yosuke, who also had some free time now, came over to greet him.
Gold Ship seemed to have grown even sturdier.
With Golden Masterpiece taking a break from training, his workload had naturally decreased.
His main job now was bragging to his coworkers. After all, the Golden Masterpiece he cared for had become a Derby winner.
Wherever he went, he could see the envy in other people's eyes.
He owed all of that to Koichi and Golden Masterpiece.
"Yeah, we're heading to the stables at Hakodate Racecourse soon, so I wanted to get him checked before we left. It'll give us some peace of