Hanshin Racecourse.
After briefly checking on Golden Masterpiece that morning, Koichi headed over to the racecourse.
A day of rest had brought no major change to Golden Masterpiece's condition. All that remained now was to wait for the afternoon's race.
After watching the morning races, he spent the afternoon in the jockeys' waiting room.
He drank some water and ate a few snacks.
He watched his seniors giving their all on the track, and when he had nothing else to do, he could even watch a show.
"Koichi, I've already set off with Asho. Get ready on your end, too."
Then he received a message from Yosuke.
Koichi wiped his mouth and went to the changing area to put on his protective gear.
He could still get hurt if he fell off a horse, of course, but wearing protective gear made it a little safer.
Otherwise, things could easily turn into a serious accident.
On the way, Koichi happened to run into Kenichi Ikezoe.
Seeing how much trouble he was having getting dressed, Ikezoe came over to help.
"Now that you're back, you should start thinking about finding an assistant."
"I've only just landed my first job. It's still too early to get an assistant."
Koichi shook his head.
Ultimately, his connections were still too limited. The other jockeys all had relatives of their own in the industry.
Still, things were fine for him at this stage. Once Gold Ship turned three, he would be making money at a decent pace, too.
"Ugh, this really is heavy."
Once the added weights were on, Koichi let out a cough.
"This is still pretty manageable. Once the horses turn four, the weight they carry will definitely be higher. Getting used to it now is a good thing."
Kenichi Ikezoe smiled.
After so