Thursday, at Koichi Sasaki's home.
"Sasaki, did you see the stall numbers announced last night?"
Having just woken up, Koichi picked up his phone.
"Yes, I did. Stall nine seems pretty good."
He hadn't expected Horse Trainer Tadashi Ishisaka to call so early.
"The main thing is that Tokyo Halo, with Yutaka Take riding, will probably set a slow pace out front this time, so we'll need to pay extra attention to that."
"Yes. If we handle it well, I think we can secure a position near the front too."
Koichi spoke after taking a sip of water.
Still, Take was exceptionally experienced at setting a slow pace from the front. Koichi could easily be fooled by his tempo, or even have his own rhythm thrown completely off.
"Then there's Eishin Flash. Christophe Lemaire is back in the saddle this time, and they've drawn Gate Six. That's another very strong opponent."
"As for Eishin Flash, I think they'll most likely run mid-pack. Waiting for an opening and then unleashing a burst of speed really suits that horse."
Koichi knew that rival fairly well.
But he had to admit that last year's champion deserved a certain amount of respect.
"My assistant will send you a document shortly. If you have any questions, just call me."
After they talked a little longer, Ishisaka hung up.
Their team had naturally made preparations too, and once the stall assignments were confirmed, they would discuss suitable tactics.
"All right. I'll read it carefully."
Koichi glanced at the gloomy sky outside the window, then rubbed his eyes.
Another new day.
His main task today was communicating with the other teams. Saki Ikegami would probably arrive with breakfast soon.
He also needed to freshen up.
After having dinner together last night, he had come home and slept