There was a reason a century-old establishment had lasted a century.
Koichi had to admit he was thoroughly satisfied with the meal.
Matsutomo Kazuma had joined them for dinner too, of course, but none of his usual arrogance was on display that evening.
He simply sat in a corner and ate in silence.
Ayano Aoe said nothing about it, merely casting him a glance.
In the ideal scenario she had originally envisioned, they would have taken both first and second place.
Of course.
Matsutomo Kazuma still refused to accept the result. He believed Koichi Sasaki had simply gotten incredibly lucky this time.
How could someone with more than a decade of professional racing experience possibly lose to a youngster?
The next race!
Sasaki would definitely show his true colors in the next race!
After returning to the hotel.
Koichi couldn't help shuddering whenever he thought of the man sitting in the corner, radiating resentment.
It was genuinely frightening.
By the time he took out his phone, it was already flooded with messages.
Besides people he knew well, some of his old classmates had messaged him too.
News of his victory had long since spread online, and even the video of his interview had drawn plenty of comments.
"These media outlets really have no shame."
After washing his face, Koichi sat on the bed and started browsing his phone.
He was rather curious about what was going on now.
These newspapers had trashed him relentlessly, and now they were praising him just as enthusiastically.
After all, he was the first young jockey to move straight up through multiple racing tiers and secure a Grade 3 victory on his very first outing.
These newspapers were certainly good at changing their tune with the wind.
Of course.
He also knew that the higher they built him up, the harder he would fall.
All these newspapers wanted right now was attention.
Whether a jockey sank or swam had nothing to do with them.
Still, he had to admit that the photo they had posted at the end looked seriously cool.
It showed him and Golden Masterpiece crossing the finish line as he raised his arm in triumph.
"I do look pretty cool."
Once he had seen enough, Koichi began replying to everyone's messages one by one.
He replied to his uncle and Mirai first.
Their excitement came through clearly in their words.
He had earned two million yen in prize money alone this time.
After replying to the people closest to him, he moved on to Megumi Mitsumori.
He hadn't expected her to be so decisive. After watching his race, she had headed straight to Osaka to catch a flight.
She would spend tonight in Sapporo, then arrive at Hokkai Ranch tomorrow.
Once he had replied to most of the messages, Koichi rubbed his hands together in anticipation.
It was time for the Lucky Draw.
No more food!
Carrots could get a pass, though!
Thinking back to his first Lucky Draw made Koichi's heart ache.
Fortunately, the Calming skill had been immensely useful to a newcomer like him. Without it, he really wouldn't have made it this far.
After spending so much time with Asho, he had gotten a good grasp of the horse's temper.
He went straight for a ten-pull.
Ding. Congratulations! You received carrots x10. Ding. Congratulations! You received carrots x20.
Koichi wondered whether Asho had taken control of the system.
Why were all the prizes carrots again?
He felt as though Asho, currently resting in the stable, might laugh out loud in his sleep.
Skills.
Give me some powerful skills!
Something like that memory palace for the racetrack.
With that skill, he could simulate his opponents' upcoming speeds and positions on the track.
That would help him spot opportunities more easily too.
The Lucky Draw wheel began spinning rapidly once again.
Ding. Congratulations! You received a physique that never gains weight, no matter how much you eat. Ding. Congratulations! You received bananas x5. Ding. Congratulations! You received one Racehorse experience book.
"I guess that's not bad."
One skill, one experience book, and everything else was food.
The experience book seemed capable of increasing his racing experience.
As a newcomer, he certainly lacked that.
As for the skill, he figured he would never need to watch his diet again.
He could eat whatever he wanted.
Time for a banana.
Koichi took a banana straight out of the system and started eating.
He would be heading back tomorrow.
It was time to put Ship's training schedule in place too.
They would be flying back from Osaka this time, of course, and the next Spring Stakes would also be held at Hanshin Racecourse.
[Why would the owner let a youngster be Golden Masterpiece's Jockey?]
[Didn't they only win because Golden Masterpiece is so strong? This jockey is nothing but dead weight. He won after using the whip just once in the whole race.]
[Replace him! Replace him!]
[I could do it too. Asho's talent deserves a better jockey.]
[This is definitely rigged. A rookie actually won a Grade 3 race!]
[A youngster actually wants to follow in the End-of-the-Century Overlord's footsteps? Young people shouldn't get so full of themselves.]
Staying on the hotel's top floor, Ayano Aoe smiled as she read the online comments.
Racehorse had its own dedicated website, where all the thoroughbreds in Japan were registered.
It was also somewhere racing fans could learn about horses' results and bloodlines.
Of course, the most entertaining part was still the comments.
A bunch of amateurs actually thought they could tell her what to do?
"They really are losing their minds."
Ayano Aoe narrowed her eyes.
Clearly, Sasaki and Golden Masterpiece's impressive performance had struck a nerve with these people.
Before the race, no one had thought highly of the pair. Otherwise, given Golden Masterpiece's pedigree, they wouldn't have been only seventh favorite.
"Young Lady, all the travel arrangements are ready. As for Danon Blue?"
The female secretary lowered her head as she asked.
Originally, she too had placed the most hope in Danon Blue, a son of Deep Impact. Unfortunately, he had only finished fourth in this race.
Just what was so special about Sasaki and Golden Masterpiece?
"Have them enter Danon Blue in next month's Kisaragi Sho in Kyoto."
That was the race she had originally wanted Golden Masterpiece to enter.
Now their situations had completely reversed.
"Yes. And regarding the jockey?"
Clearly, Jockey Matsutomo hadn't performed particularly well this time.
He had focused too much on the early stages, allowing his rivals to overtake him easily toward the end.
At least he had still earned a little prize money.
Of course, compared with Golden Masterpiece's forty million, the difference was enormous.
"Replace him."
Ayano Aoe naturally wasn't going to concern herself with a jockey's feelings.
In her eyes, Koichi Sasaki was a rising star. She had no reason whatsoever to spare the pride of a middle-aged jockey with no achievements to his name.
That was how ruthless this industry was.
Of course, she wouldn't give up on Danon Blue easily either. Whatever else might be said, she was still quite fond of the young horse.
"Understood. I'll go make the arrangements now."
The female secretary naturally knew her mistress was in a very good mood.
Golden Masterpiece's upset victory had earned their ranch a considerable sum.
And it seemed the Young Lady was considering giving Sasaki a bonus too?
(End of chapter)
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