Takeoff.
Gold Ship and Golden Masterpiece flew back to Osaka on the same plane, then took a large Horse Transport Truck to the Training Center where they trained.
It was already evening when they reached the Training Center, but despite the late hour, dedicated staff were still waiting for them as usual.
One was the Horse of the Year for two years running, while the other was the newly crowned undefeated Triple Crown winner.
The importance of these two horses went without saying. The driver was especially careful, too. If anything happened, the consequences would be far beyond what they could bear.
"They're here! They're here!"
The waiting staff perked up when they saw the large Horse Transport Truck approaching.
The stars had arrived!
As the large truck rumbled to a stop, its door slowly opened.
Yamana Takuto, who had been waiting for some time, hurried over as well.
The nights had been truly cold lately.
Neigh-!
Once Gold Ship was led down, he looked around and let out a neigh. Golden Masterpiece came down next, though he was nowhere near as lively.
His surroundings had suddenly changed, and he was clearly still adjusting.
After they got off the truck, the staff assigned beforehand took a few quick photos.
Naturally, these photos were meant to let the fans know that Gold Ship and Golden Masterpiece had returned to their stables that evening and would soon begin preparing for the upcoming Arima Kinen.
With the two set to be each other's greatest rivals, their return together made quite a talking point.
Still, most people favored Golden Masterpiece.
What upset the fans most, however, was that Koichi Sasaki had chosen to ride Gold Ship this time.
"Thank you for all your hard work today."
After confirming that everything was fine, the staff