"Dad, has Golden Masterpiece come out yet?"
"Not yet."
The little boy from Osaka who had said he wanted to watch the race had turned up as promised in the reserved seats of the Kyoto Viewing Stand.
They had taken the Shinkansen there that day, too.
Then, on the local train over, they had nearly been crushed by the crowd.
There were simply too many people coming to watch the race that day, and the roads had been jammed with traffic.
Everyone wanted to see Golden Masterpiece race.
Back when he had first supported Golden Masterpiece, the horse had barely had any fans.
Now, tens of thousands of people across the racecourse were cheering for Golden Masterpiece. That immense roar could be heard even from far away.
Every other cheer was drowned out by Golden Masterpiece's name.
That was how overwhelming it was that day.
"It's been a long time since I've seen a reception like this."
The boy's father sounded rather wistful.
The last time seemed to have been when Deep Impact was about to claim the Triple Crown.
He had only come that day to keep his promise to bring his son to the race, but the support for Golden Masterpiece was truly staggering.
"There he is! There he is!"
The boy beamed when he spotted those familiar Racing Silks and the chestnut racehorse.
This was a crucial race!
"Yes."
Once father and son had finished speaking, the other spectators grew even more excited.
Especially since Golden Masterpiece's camp had already confirmed that the horse would be running in next year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Golden Masterpiece was the hope of a new generation!
The few watching from far away in Hokkaido were naturally even more nervous.
If this race ended in defeat, Golden Masterpiece might be