Kembla Grange racetrack.
Yusuke Ichikawa is fastidiously tending to his riding boots, polishing them with vigour as more senior colleagues scurry for the exit door.
It's well after the last race and at a time when footwear, for the majority of patrons on track at least, is an accessory more than a necessity.
Not so for the Japanese-born apprentice.
His riding boots were only tucked into the irons for a couple of rides on the day.
The way he scrubs every little last mark off them would suggest he's had a full book following a hectic morning trackwork session.
They're boots that mean that little bit extra to the man who couldn't crack it in the ultra-competitive riding ranks in his homeland because he was too heavy.
It's the attention to detail outside stables don't often see - but it's starting to pay off for Ichikawa, who is finally attracting attention from some of racing's biggest hitters.
"He's starting now to get accolades from the hard heads around the place," said former Racing NSW chairman Alan Bell, the breeder and owner of Ichikawa's winning mount Mezzanotte at Kembla Grange last Saturday.
"He's listening carefully to what Tim [master Tim Martin] and others are telling him and he's acting on it.
"The thing I like about him is he's a really gutsy rider.
"He's a thinker, but he also doesn't hesitate. He'll take runs and he'll take the odds.
"He's not like most kids looking to boundary ride to do the right thing. He's like a jockey far beyond his years and he's got that tough streak about him."
Ichikawa, still a three-kilogram claimer in city and provincial races, had his first ride for Darley last week when steering Narcissus into the placings at Wyong.
He will head to Goulburn tomorrow with a further four rides, dominated by Martin's team.
Speaking about the competitiveness of the Sydney riding scene, Ichikawa said globe-trotting superstar Christophe Soumillon was an inspiration.
But it's a rider closer to home he also admires, good enough to pass on advice, every shred of which Ichikawa hangs on.
"Hughie Bowman is a very good rider," Ichikawa said. "He's very gentle person with the horse, has a good personality and when I asked for words [of advice] he has given me a lot of teaching."