Early the next morning, Koichi took the train to Chiba.
From there, he would naturally have to use another form of transport.
Ranches were not built near cities, and trains did not run through those areas.
Koichi quickly found a taxi and gave the driver his destination.
"Are you heading to a ranch, sir?"
"Yes. My racehorse is staying there right now. I happened to have some time today, so I'm going to visit."
The two of them chatted along the way.
Although this area was on the outskirts of Tokyo, it grew more deserted the farther they went, with farmland making up most of the landscape.
Even the railway was single-track, and there was a long wait between trains.
With little scenery to look at, they passed the time chatting.
The driver clearly knew about horse racing, too. Some people he knew were interested in getting involved in the industry. Everyone knew there was money to be made, but breaking into it was no easy task.
"Would you like my phone number, sir?"
"Yes, please. I'll call you when I'm ready to head back."
Koichi nodded.
Most ranches were built in fairly remote locations.
Getting back from somewhere like this really was difficult. As for taxi fares, they varied from place to place, but at least they were cheaper than in Tokyo.
When he was in Kyoto, he often took taxis to get around.
Buses were especially prone to getting stuck in traffic.
After making a phone call, Koichi met one of the ranch's staff members.
The staff member was very welcoming. After all, they were in the same industry, and Koichi was now one of the most famous jockeys around.
The staff member was young, too, looking about the same age as Mirai.
"Jockey Sasaki, could I have