The "Summer King" is set to carry his momentum into the autumn/winter G1 season. Last week, jockey Kohei Matsuyama celebrated his 1,200th career win in JRA races, while also becoming the first jockey ever to win back-to-back Summer Jockey Series titles. "I wasn't thinking about the back-to-back wins, but it was one of my goals, so I'm really happy. I'm grateful to all the horses and everyone involved who supported me in this hot weather," Matsuyama said with a smile.

In the upcoming G2 Rose Stakes, Matsuyama will partner with Aurora X, a rising star with two wins from two starts under his guidance. The combination of Matsuyama and trainer Haruki Sugiyama, who annexed the Triple Tiara with Daring Tact, has drawn attention as a formidable team once again.

After feeling out Aurora X in a trackwork last week, Matsuyama remained cautious, "The competition gets much tougher, it's her first time racing on a left-handed track, and the track and field size will differ from what she's experienced. It's all about how she handles the new challenges." However, he added confidently, "The workout went well, and there's no doubt she's a good horse. We'll do our best to secure a ticket to the G1."

If Aurora X remains undefeated and wins the Rose Stakes, she will become only the second horse to do so since Fine Motion in 2002. "Achieving 1,200 wins on top of the back-to-back series titles has me feeling great. I want to give it my all," said Matsuyama, whose red-hot summer could culminate in a record-tying feat that keeps him in the spotlight.