Tokyo.
"Has everything been taken care of?"
"I don't have anything important to do at the ranch. Of the two racehorses we own, one is resting and the other is training, so there's nothing major going on."
Koichi stretched, then spoke.
He certainly had it much easier than other jockeys.
"But I heard your ranch recently bought a broodmare."
Tetsuya Futawatari smiled as he drove.
He naturally had Koichi to thank for their Autumn Tenno Sho victory, so their relationship had been growing steadily closer.
The upcoming Japan Cup was the truly crucial race.
But the opposition hadn't grown weaker for this race. If anything, it had become much stronger.
"Our ranch is still primarily focused on racing, so buying a broodmare is perfectly normal. We just don't have pockets as deep as everyone else's."
Koichi was naturally laying the groundwork for his future, but he still carried a substantial debt.
Even without so many trainers and owners approaching him, he could use these horses to keep the ranch running and gradually expand it.
Since he had entered this industry, he certainly wanted to achieve something.
And he now had the ability and competitive edge to do so.
"You were already making money at quite an impressive pace last year."
Tetsuya Futawatari shook his head.
If Koichi Sasaki could produce another good result in the upcoming Japan Cup, his prize money for the year would reach a very high figure.
For a jockey just starting out, that was already the stuff of legends.
"I suppose. My financial burden is pretty heavy, after all, so I definitely need to earn more. I really do have to thank you for introducing me to this job."
Koichi smiled.
The job riding Japan Jordan had not only introduced him to a wealthy owner, but