The domineering Ship

"What's wrong with you?"

"My heart hurts. All that money..."

Koichi clutched his chest as he looked at the new vehicle they had bought for Ship.

For Ship's future races, they had gone ahead and bought a new vehicle. It was practically Ship's personal ride.

In simple terms, it was a mobile stable developed specifically for transporting racehorses.

"Stop being dramatic. We would've had to buy this sooner or later anyway. Otherwise, how would we take our horses to races far away?"

Megumi Mitsumori spoke firmly.

She certainly didn't begrudge spending money on her own youngster. Since they would have to buy one eventually, they might as well get a good one now.

They really had spent quite a bit on Gold Ship this time.

And the model they had bought was the latest one.

Once this Ability Test was over, Koichi would be heading back to Aoe Ranch.

"All right, let's get going."

Koichi turned and led Gold Ship aboard.

It really was like a parent taking his child to an exam.

He just didn't know whether Ship would pass this time.

Neigh-

Gold Ship struggled a little, but Koichi still managed to haul him aboard.

Where were they going?

Creak-

As the metal door at the back closed, the space around him went dark.

Whatever. Might as well rest for a bit.

Once everything was ready, Koichi set off for the testing grounds with Gold Ship and Megumi Mitsumori.

Leaving now might have been a little early, but that was better than being late.

After all, arriving after the deadline would count as failing the test.

On the way, Megumi Mitsumori couldn't help asking a question.

"Are you sure there won't be any trouble getting him into the starting gate?"

They really hadn't trained much in that area, especially since they had been using someone else's facilities.

"Trust me."

Koichi was quite confident about that.

Although Gold Ship was difficult both entering and leaving the gate, he could still keep him under control.

The testing grounds.

"Is that Golden Masterpiece's brother?"

"He's a gray, but he certainly inherited the Golden family's bloodline."

"He really does look a little like McQueen. Though the Mejiro family's own line has declined, crossing it with the Golden family's bloodline has produced some fine horses."

"His build really is an odd combination. He completely inherited his maternal grandsire's physique."

"Let's begin the evaluation."

The JRA judges got to work.

The Golden family's racehorses had always been quite hot-tempered.

The nature of their work meant they had seen a great many racehorses, and they also knew a fair amount about the offspring of various horses.

Their evaluation naturally covered more than results. It included entering and leaving the gate and even touched a little on temperament.

That way, racing fans could gain a better understanding of the horse.

"Hmm, isn't that young fellow Golden Masterpiece's jockey?!"

One of the judges' eyes suddenly lit up.

News of a rookie jockey suddenly taking first place in Kyoto had spread throughout the racing world.

Could he be the Golden family's dedicated jockey?

"The paperwork does say he's that Sasaki, and this horse is registered under their ranch as well."

Another elderly judge looked through the documents.

Sasaki and the others had submitted all of this paperwork. Every detail had to be recorded before the test could be completed.

"That does make things interesting. This Mr. Sasaki hasn't won any other graded stakes yet, has he?"

"His debut was a Grade 3, and his next race will be a Grade 2."

The official racing website had already been updated to show that Golden Masterpiece would compete in the upcoming Osaka Spring Stakes.

The people at Aoe Ranch really did have faith in this young man.

Were they hoping to recreate a legend?

They had seen so many champions, but there was only one T.M. Opera O.

Out on the grounds, Koichi naturally had no idea what the judges were thinking.

Once they reached the turf, Gold Ship grew visibly more excited, wandering around whenever he had nothing to do.

They were also warming up before the test.

They didn't know the bay horse taking the test alongside them.

They had simply happened to be scheduled for the same day.

"Koichi, just do your best to keep Ship under control. With his ability, passing definitely won't be a problem."

Now that they were here, Megumi Mitsumori couldn't help getting nervous.

After all, this was the first racehorse she had trained.

"Don't worry. Just leave the rest to me."

Koichi winked.

If they couldn't even pass an Ability Test, there was no point talking about future races.

If there was one legend among gray horses, it had to be Oguri Cap.

That horse truly was a legend.

He had fought his way from local racing into the JRA, won twenty-two of his thirty-two starts, and ultimately entered the Hall of Fame, just as hoped.

"Both riders, please enter the starting gates. The test is about to begin."

Neigh-!

Seeing the other horse suddenly move ahead of him, Gold Ship immediately let out a neigh.

How dare he try to walk ahead of me!

Neigh-

Frightened by Gold Ship, the horse beside him no longer dared to enter the gate.

Gold Ship already weighed around 490 kilograms, and he looked much bigger than the other horse.

"..."

Standing off to the side, Megumi Mitsumori covered her face helplessly.

He could intimidate another horse even during a test? The judges were definitely going to note that down.

Koichi could only give an embarrassed smile.

This really wasn't something he could control. As the jockey, all he could do was make sure Gold Ship completed the test properly.

Not every racehorse was One-Way Passage, after all.

Gold Ship's fondness for intimidating other racehorses was nothing unusual.

The other jockey looked equally helpless.

"Don't be scared. It's all right."

If his horse still refused to enter the gate, this test would count as a failure.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard the staff tried, the frightened horse stubbornly refused to go in.

In the end, the staff had no choice but to declare that he had failed the test.

They hadn't expected this two-year-old newcomer to be reduced to such a state by a single neigh from Gold Ship.

If something like this happened on the track, there would be nothing they could do either. Conflicts between horses during races were fairly common, after all.

Failed!

Even after entering the gate, Gold Ship wouldn't settle down.

Neigh-

The gate was narrow, after all, and a horse couldn't move around freely inside it.

"It'll be over soon. We'll just do what we did in training."

Koichi could only activate his skill.

As expected, Gold Ship was particularly restless on his first attempt. Of course, Koichi had anticipated all of this.

Beep, beep, beep-

The red light flashed.

The staff signaled for Koichi to get ready.

Watching from the side, Megumi Mitsumori clenched her fists nervously.

Please don't be slow out of the gate!

That had happened during training, but they needed to deliver a satisfactory performance in the test.

(End of chapter)