"Welcome to Hanshin Racecourse, everyone. The next race is our final major event of the first half of the year."
"A clash of titans! Can last year's Horse King make a triumphant comeback?!"
"The horses leading the betting are all familiar rivals. Naturally, last year's Horse King, Golden Masterpiece, is the favorite. Second favorite is Dominant Position, who is in red-hot form after a recent Grade 1 victory overseas."
"Third favorite is Golden Masterpiece's old rival, Triumph Ballet, who also put on an outstanding performance in the Spring Tenno Sho."
Fourth favorite, Eishin Flash.
Fifth favorite, Toward Glory.
Thunderbolt Steed, who had won the Tenno Sho, was only ninth favorite.
Of course, Nakayama Knight had also returned from overseas to race again, though the horse's results abroad had been quite poor.
Even after returning home, Nakayama Knight had delivered only mediocre performances, never recapturing that three-year-old form.
"What do you think, partner?"
"I'm still backing our favorite, of course. Although Golden Masterpiece lost the last Spring Tenno Sho, Golden Masterpiece is back now, and naturally, we must welcome the king's return."
"I think Dominant Position has a good chance too, though getting out of the starting gate is a real problem."
There was no question about the top three favorites' final kick, which also meant they were very well suited to Hanshin Racecourse's home straight.
As for how they would perform in the upcoming race, that would depend on how well the horses and jockeys worked together.
"The horses are starting to enter one after another."
As the favorite, Golden Masterpiece was the first to enter this time.
In an instant, the entire racecourse came alive.
Many people raised their cameras.
Today, they could clearly tell that Golden Masterpiece was in different form from before.
As spectators, they naturally knew