At the ramen shop.
"Boss, a table for three."
After the races ended, Koichi had brought his two senior colleagues straight over for dinner.
This was also his last day at Hanshin Racecourse. Tomorrow, he would leave for Tokyo.
"Coming right up, Sasaki! You keep bringing more people with you."
The owner smiled.
He had learned who Koichi was a while ago. After all, he had been a racing fan himself when he was younger.
But the Racehorses he had supported back then had all retired, and he had opened a little noodle shop near Hanshin Racecourse.
"Yeah, I'm leaving tomorrow."
"Is that so? Then today's meal is on me. Good luck in the Satsuki Sho!"
The owner gave him a thumbs-up, then headed into the kitchen.
Watching the Spring Championship had made him feel decades younger, taking him back to the days when he cheered for Racehorses at the track.
"I never thought we'd get to mooch a free meal off Sasaki, too."
"He didn't say your meal was free. Besides, you're loaded. Have you no shame?"
Ryuji Wada rolled his eyes.
No jockey who made it on the central racing circuit was poor. After all, earning money in their line of work was all too easy.
"I was only joking."
Kenichi Ikezoe spread his hands.
In the final race, he, Wada, and Yutaka Take had practically finished in a row: one eighth-place finish and two ninths.
But as veteran jockeys, they could naturally accept defeat.
After all, nobody could keep winning forever.
Still, that old man Yutaka Take hadn't performed very well in any of these recent races.
That wasn't the kind of performance expected of a top jockey.
"Sasaki, make sure you watch out for Yutaka Take and Yuga Kawada in the upcoming Satsuki Sho."
Ryuji Wada