Koichi's schedule had been fairly fixed over the past few days. After all, there were only so many things he needed to do, and preparing for the following week's races naturally took up most of his time.
There were only two weeks left until the Arima Kinen.
The graded stakes and the Grade 1 races for two-year-olds during that period were also worth watching.
Winning a Grade 1 race for two-year-olds would all but secure the title of best two-year-old, though judging by this year's performances, Epiphaneia would most likely still be named the best two-year-old colt.
He was exceptionally strong.
Although he still had a few issues, everyone believed Epiphaneia would only grow stronger at three.
At that moment, however, Epiphaneia cared about none of that. Wearing a horse blanket, he was frolicking in the snow.
With Gold Ship away, he was the boss of Hokkai Ranch.
He still had quite a while before he returned to the Training Center.
Koichi would also be flying between Nakayama and Hanshin that week, racing at Nakayama on Saturday and heading to Hanshin Racecourse on Sunday.
Whatever the case, it was still a Grade 1 race.
The prize money for the top five was substantial. A win might not be guaranteed, but he could still aim for a placing.
Although his chances of taking first weren't particularly high, it would still be a chance to gain experience. He was also quite familiar with the 1,600-meter course, since the Oka Sho was held there.
Meanwhile, Chukyo Racecourse would also close for the season that day. After that, the main venue, Nakayama Racecourse, would draw the largest crowds.
Hanshin would mostly become a battleground for two-year-old newcomers.
That brought the country's top jockeys here, along with foreign jockeys.
Among them were Mirco Demuro and