Morning, at the stable.
Koichi naturally remembered this place, where he and Golden Masterpiece had come for their second race together.
So much time had passed that most of the racehorses housed in the nearby stalls had probably changed.
Fortunately, he could check the identification cards posted by the doors.
After only a few steps, he spotted Triumph Ballet from the Tokyo Yushun.
That was also the only racehorse that had managed to keep up with Golden Masterpiece in their last race.
Neigh-
Neigh-
A few steps farther on, Koichi heard Golden Masterpiece.
It was probably throwing another tantrum.
According to Yosuke, Golden Masterpiece had recently gotten bored and dug a hole in its stall.
Unfortunately, that hole had soon been filled in.
"Asho, stop fussing. I'll be done brushing you in a moment."
Hitachi Yosuke hurriedly caught hold of Golden Masterpiece's reins.
He had probably hurt it while brushing it just now.
Golden Masterpiece's coat took up quite a bit of his time every day.
"Good morning, you two."
Koichi poked his head in for a look.
After several months apart, he had no idea what condition Golden Masterpiece was in now.
Golden Masterpiece, which was being groomed, hurriedly backed up two steps.
The person who had suddenly appeared really had startled it.
Then it recognized exactly who he was.
Carrot Dispenser!
Neigh-!
"Asho, long time no see."
Koichi greeted it as well.
Counting the days, it had been almost four months.
This time, the pressure on them was greater than ever before.
With two crowns secured, everyone hoped they could claim the third and finish perfectly.
Neigh-
Golden Masterpiece came over to the door again.
It was the Carrot Dispenser it knew.
His appearance really had startled it. After all, he had been gone for a long time.