The ninth episode of the TBS Sunday Theatre drama "The Royal Family" (Sundays at 9:00 PM), starring Satoshi Tsumabuki, aired on December 7th. The exchange between horse owner Shiina Yoshihiro (Sawamura Kazuki) and jockey Saki Ryujiro (Takasugi Mahiro) drew the attention of viewers.
◇The following contains spoilers
Shiina's son Nobuyuki's (Taishi Nakagawa) horse, So Perfect, has won the Japanese Derby and shown overwhelming strength. Meanwhile, Koichi (Ren Meguro) and his family decide to aim for this year's Arima Kinen with the Royal Family.
Meanwhile, Shiina and Saki were drinking at a bar and talking about the Royal Family. Saki calmly analyzed, "Those guys haven't even run a single race this year. (To get to the Arima Kinen) they need to compete in major races and come in first every time, otherwise they won't have enough prize money." He also commented on the fan vote, saying, "The fans can't trust their horses to a horse that can't win."
Shiina muttered, "That's harsh..." Saki immediately responded with a sharp retort, "I mean, why don't you worry about yourself rather than others? We've reached that point. The wave of generational change is upon us."
Saki was riding So Perfect, but was taken off by Nobuyuki. On social media, people were discussing the matter, saying things like, "Is Saki planning to team up with Shiina Papa?", "It seems likely that Saki will ride Shiina President's horse to the Arima Kinen," "Saki and Shiina President, isn't it finally time for these two to team up!?", "Wouldn't it be great if Shiina President and Ryujiro teamed up!?", "It would be fun if Saki rode Shiina President's horse to the Arima Kinen," "Shiina Papa paired up with Ryujiro will probably win," and "Shiina Junior is so annoying, I hope he loses in the final episode."
