"That's the favorite for this year's Kikuka Sho, right?"
"Of course. That's this year's Double Crown Winner, Golden Masterpiece."
"I didn't expect Jockey Sasaki to arrive so early. He's even riding the workouts himself."
"It's not really early anymore, is it? The race is about to start."
With little to do, some of the training ground staff naturally chatted about the upcoming race.
Judging by the officially released figures, Golden Masterpiece's condition had been improving steadily over the past few days.
Unfortunately, none of them were responsible for Golden Masterpiece.
Of course, nothing was guaranteed in horse racing. Training figures weren't everything; the contest on the track mattered far more.
Only claiming first place in that brief span of time truly proved a horse's worth.
No matter how good the training figures looked, they were still just numbers.
Out on the track, Koichi began using his whip to accelerate.
This workout covered 1,200 meters, with figures recorded every 200 meters to track Golden Masterpiece's acceleration.
When it came to the Final Kick, Golden Masterpiece was naturally among the very best.
Almost every race featured that golden Final Kick.
It demonstrated not only the racehorse's ability, but also how consistently Golden Masterpiece performed.
Of course, the jockey's decisions played a part as well.
After all, a racehorse didn't know which route to choose or where to accelerate.
Huff-
Huff-
Golden Masterpiece picked up more and more speed.
The horses training alongside him were left far behind.
Whether racing as a Closer or using a Pressing strategy, Golden Masterpiece had the physical ability for it.
And this was Golden Masterpiece after being further enhanced.
Koichi could also feel how good Golden Masterpiece's rhythm was right now.
Sometimes, a jockey's instincts offered a more immediate assessment. If everything felt right, he could confidently