One week before the Takarazuka Kinen.
"Here he comes! Koichi Sasaki is charging hard from the rear!"
Out wide, Koichi Sasaki rode a chestnut racehorse as he rapidly closed in from behind.
One horse after another flashed past his field of vision.
The opportunity he had been waiting for had finally arrived.
Winning this race would also give him his two hundredth victory.
After all that hard work, he was finally seeing results.
What a powerful final kick!
That was the spectators' most heartfelt reaction.
In their eyes, Koichi Sasaki was undoubtedly at his strongest when riding as a closer or a mid-pack runner.
In the three years since his debut, he had given them countless unforgettable moments.
Wearing the Sunday Club's racing silks, Koichi charged straight up from the back of the pack.
Although this was a two-thousand-meter race, it still gave him plenty of experience.
His horse had shown plenty of drive after entering the turn, and its strength and condition were both excellent, so he went with the momentum and used Mighty Arm.
The response when it accelerated left him thoroughly satisfied.
Closer.
Closer still!
Seeing Koichi Sasaki catching up, the other jockeys grew nervous.
He could catch up even from there?
They truly had not expected this.
That powerful charge from the rear set the atmosphere at the racecourse ablaze.
He surged into the headwind.
In the final stretch, Koichi even delivered a few more strokes with his Windmill Whip.
He had already used the whip a few times during the earlier acceleration, so he was careful about how many strokes he delivered.
Although it would not affect the result of the race, a fine would certainly be unavoidable.
"Horse number two crosses the finish line, winning with a powerful charge from the rear!"
**"Congratulations to