The first day of racing ended smoothly, and Koichi managed to secure two wins.
For him, that result was neither good nor bad.
Overall, he felt he still needed to get back into form.
But after today's races, he felt he should be in better shape tomorrow. With so many races under his belt today, he could clearly feel himself getting used to the rhythm of racing back home again.
That evening, Koichi happened to have dinner with Ayano Aoe.
He had a sneaking suspicion she had deliberately timed her arrival.
"Have things settled down lately, Young Lady?"
"Most things are more or less finished. There are still a few loose ends to tie up, but taking a day off to watch the races certainly isn't a problem."
Ayano Aoe set down her knife and fork.
She felt this had been the high point of her family's ranch.
There had been all sorts of interviews, though the documentary about Golden Masterpiece had taken the longest.
All that remained now was Koichi Sasaki's part and the upcoming Arima Kinen.
"As for the documentary, I can go back to Hokkai Ranch next Tuesday."
Koichi spoke.
He had pretty much finished making the arrangements on his end.
"Yes, Kotomi already told me about that. Everything is ready over there, and the people from the Authorities are there too. But you really don't need to rush."
Ayano Aoe didn't think there was any great urgency.
They were only at the filming stage. There would certainly be edits afterward, followed by a long wait before release. They just needed to finish filming their respective parts before the Arima Kinen.
"I happen to have time now. Things will only get busier in November, and it'll be hard to find any time at all."
Koichi replied.
November