Not bad.
With no other racehorses around, Golden Masterpiece could run comfortably along the inside of the Racecourse Track.
Had this been a race, Koichi certainly would not have had it so easy.
How he wished Golden Masterpiece were a fully automatic racehorse who could carry him straight to the prize money.
Snort-
Snort-
As a racehorse, Golden Masterpiece did have some professional standards.
And unlike those whip-happy two-legged creatures, this human had actually been controlling him with nothing but the reins.
One lap of the Racecourse Track was a little over 2,400 meters, about the same distance as the turf course.
Koichi was riding as though this were a race, too.
From what he knew, Golden Masterpiece would have no trouble sprinting over the final 300 meters.
Of course, the most important thing was keeping Golden Masterpiece from throwing a tantrum on the track.
If horse and rider started playing tug-of-war during a race, they would become a complete laughingstock.
Accelerate!
Koichi gave the reins a quick adjustment.
He still wanted to see just how fast Golden Masterpiece could go.
Although he had known about Golden Masterpiece before and watched his races, he had never ridden him himself, so he had no idea where the horse's limits lay.
Snort-!
Receiving the command, Golden Masterpiece showed a little more of what he could do.
Mostly, though, he was in a good enough mood today to cooperate with this rookie jockey's instructions.
Dust flew.
A streak of chestnut light raced along the Racecourse Track.
"So fast!"
Koichi had to admit that, as far as he could remember, he had never ridden a horse this fast.
They entered the bend, then continued at the same speed.
"How's his speed right now?"
Ayano Aoe asked the staff member beside her.
As a racing fan, she felt Koichi Sasaki was doing quite well for his first attempt.
For an ordinary jockey, simply managing not to get thrown would have been difficult enough.
What intrigued her most was what sort of magic this man possessed.
Somehow, he had made a member of the hot-tempered Golden family this obedient.
"Miss, his current figures are about the same as they were during his maiden race."
The staff member glanced at the instrument in his hand.
As a closer, Golden Masterpiece had picked up speed, but he had yet to unleash his final burst.
"Mm, keep recording."
Ayano Aoe nodded in satisfaction.
This was the Golden Masterpiece she knew.
It seemed there had been no major problems with her choice this time.
Sprint!
With 400 meters left, Koichi finally used his whip.
Whipping a racehorse was, of course, a way of giving it instructions.
After all, no one spoke horse.
Golden Masterpiece cooperated, immediately showing off his Final Kick.
So fast!
Under the tremendous pressure of the wind, Koichi quickly adjusted his posture.
As his racing partner, he had to ease the burden on his teammate.
Accelerate!
Even faster!!
Golden Masterpiece's powerful body unleashed boundless strength.
As Golden Masterpiece accelerated, Koichi felt his blood begin to boil with excitement.
If he could, he would have loved to let out a roar.
Speed really was a man's romance.
That powerful acceleration drew everyone's attention.
This was the allure of Racehorse!
That tremendous explosive power was exactly what they wanted to see.
Neigh-
After crossing the finish line, Golden Masterpiece began to slow down.
He had run over two thousand meters.
He needed a good rest, too.
"That was amazing. You're really the best racehorse I've ever seen."
Koichi gently patted his neck twice.
After completing a lap, a racehorse naturally needed to slow down gradually before stopping. An abrupt stop would undoubtedly hurt the horse.
From his perspective, he was quite satisfied with this practice run.
But he had no idea what the people up in the stands thought.
Snort-
Golden Masterpiece's ears twitched at Koichi's praise.
This fellow seems pretty decent, too.
Naturally, being praised made him happy.
After a while, Koichi dismounted and led Golden Masterpiece toward the stands.
She was Golden Masterpiece's owner, after all.
"Get yourself ready today and come to work at the farm tomorrow. You have two months now."
Ayano Aoe looked at the horse and rider.
Both of them had performed quite well today.
That final burst of speed, in particular, reminded her of Golden Masterpiece's brilliant performance in his maiden race.
"Koichi, hurry up and thank the young lady!"
Standing beside him, Ayumu Kusakawa hurriedly winked at his nephew.
He had never expected the boy to earn the farm owner's approval on his very first day.
More importantly, he would get to ride such a fine horse.
That was undoubtedly every jockey's dream.
"Thank you."
"All right, that's enough training for him today. Take him for a bath."
Ayano Aoe naturally hoped the two would grow closer.
"Come with me, Sasaki. I'll show you the way."
The staff member led Koichi straight toward the stables.
That final burst of speed had fired him up, too. He had never expected a rookie to show such a deep understanding of Golden Masterpiece during a training session.
No wonder the young lady had taken an interest in him.
"Miss, I'll head back as well, then."
Before leaving, Ayumu Kusakawa glanced at Fujikawa, whose expression was rather sour.
Heh.
This was the jockey the young lady had personally chosen. A mere trainer like him could hardly stir up any trouble.
"Go ahead."
Ayano Aoe nodded.
Since the stars of the show had left, it was time for her to head back, too.
She was looking forward to the G3 race in Kyoto next January!
"Are you Asho's new jockey?"
When they arrived, Koichi saw a young man waiting there.
This must be Golden Masterpiece's Stablehand.
Simply put, racehorses had dedicated staff to look after them throughout their racing careers.
Anyone who could serve as this Racehorse tyrant's Stablehand had to be pretty remarkable himself.
"Yes, I'm Koichi Sasaki."
Koichi politely held out his hand.
Every racehorse was bathed after training, both to keep its body clean and to make it a little more comfortable.
Racehorses were quite sensitive to heat.
"Mm, want to give it a try?"
Hitachi Yosuke tossed him the horse brush.
No matter how he looked at him, this man was just an ordinary rookie. He really had no idea how the higher-ups had made their decision.
But he also knew that all he needed to do was his own job.
He should not ask questions he had no business asking or say things he had no business saying.
Besides...
Asho seemed to have a fairly good attitude toward this man.
"Sure, I'll give it a try."
Koichi did not refuse.
He had a skill now, but he still needed to build a good relationship with Golden Masterpiece in person. At the very least, he needed to earn the horse's trust.
Other jockeys did the same, often getting to know their partners months in advance.
Neigh-
Golden Masterpiece was clearly a little uncomfortable with the change of person.
This two-legged creature is using way too much force.
"You're pressing a little too hard."
Hitachi Yosuke offered some guidance from the side.
This fellow did not have the best temper.
As a young man, he naturally felt he could get along with someone his own age. After all, meeting a newcomer at the farm was quite rare.
"Oh, right. I'll be gentler, then. It's my first time, so I don't have much experience."
Koichi gave an embarrassed smile.
The two then chatted about what would come next while bathing Golden Masterpiece.
Establishing a good relationship with the Stablehand first was important, too.
At the very least, he could pick up plenty of information that was not openly available.
(End of chapter)
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