Tokyo.
"We'll be arriving at Haneda Airport shortly. Please prepare for landing."
Koichi sat by the window, quietly looking down at Tokyo's 23 Wards.
Their plane had been circling above Tokyo for quite some time.
It was already evening, and the lights of the international metropolis were gradually coming on.
"It's so beautiful-"
Beside him, Hitachi Yosuke's eyes sparkled.
They had landed at noon the last time they came to Tokyo, so he had never seen a view like this.
It was a veritable feast of lights.
Streams of headlights flowed along the roads below.
"Sit still. We're about to land."
Koichi rolled his eyes at him and pushed him back into his seat.
Since they were flying on RB Airlines' largest passenger plane this time, both takeoff and landing were particularly smooth.
Still, they needed to take the proper precautions.
Tokyo Racecourse was located in Fuchu City, Kitatama District, so landing at Haneda was the quickest option.
Narita Airport, on the other hand, was all the way out in Chiba City.
Getting there from Narita would take far too long.
"Hehe, aren't you excited, Koichi? We're back in Tokyo."
"Not especially. We're mainly here to race."
Koichi shook his head.
There was more pressure this time.
There was no way he could take it as easy as before.
If they lost the next race, they would no longer be able to achieve the three-year-old Triple Crown.
That would be a huge loss for both him and Golden Masterpiece.
Tokyo Racecourse, their destination, was certainly one of Japan's largest racecourses, with 13,750 seats and a capacity of 223,000 spectators.
It was definitely larger than the previous two racecourses.
It also hosted the most Grade 1 races.
The first and second legs of this year's Triple Crown would both be held