"We are starting under a gloomy sky, the G1 Tenno Sho Spring, on a 3200-meter turf course. The track has been announced as heavy."
"It's barely announced as heavy, but the conditions look almost as bad as a bad track. The rain isn't stopping, and today's race might be a wild one."
The fanfare echoed through the Kyoto Racecourse, and the two male commentators spoke. But perhaps due to the rain, their voices, which usually boomed through the racecourse, sounded small.
The rain didn't stop. But the track condition was apparently barely within the category of "heavy."
The spring Tenno Sho is 3200 meters, and the starting position is on the far side of the track. Right after the start, a steep slope known as Yodo Slope awaits, and they'll aim for the finish line after going one and a half laps on the outer course.
Bad track conditions and rain. On top of that, parts of the turf are gouged out from the 11th race, so in some places, the conditions are so bad that they should be called a "bad track" rather than a "heavy" one.
With the track conditions so bad, it's easy to lose your footing just by running, and if you accelerate, you could slip and fall. I can only pray that King and the other horse girls don't get injured.
"First horse, gate one, King Halo. She's the third favorite."
"She was second in last month's Osaka Hai, and with her third-place finish in last year's Kikuka Sho, she's been chosen as the third favorite, showing her aptitude for long-distance races. We'll be watching to see what kind of performance she shows in today's bad weather and on a heavy track."
In this situation, an inside gate... especially starting at gate one, is honestly a bit tricky. On a dirt track, I'd be happy, but on turf, the area near the inside rail is often where the grass is most worn down.
We've done training in the rain, but compared to training in sunny or cloudy weather on a good track, the opportunities are few, and we don't do it very often because I'm afraid of injuries.
Before entering the gate, King smiled at the audience... huh? The audience, or me? The distance makes it hard to be sure, but I feel like I just made eye contact with King.
King seemed to confirm it, and for some reason, she flashed a gentle smile. Then she smiled wryly and slowly entered the gate.
"Third horse, gate three, Special Week. She's the fourth favorite."
"Her popularity has dropped slightly, but she's a girl who ran a time that rivaled a world record with Seiun Sky in last year's Kikuka Sho. A long-distance race should be a piece of cake for her. We'll be watching to see what kind of performance she shows as one of the Golden Generation."
Special Week looked full of spirit as she thrust a fist toward the audience. A huge cheer erupted, and she smiled as she entered the gate.
"Fourth horse, gate five, Machikane Tannhauser. She's the sixth favorite."
"She was fourth in last year's spring Tenno Sho, competing against Tokai Teio. Will this be her year to be crowned... Let's hope so."
Machikane Tannhauser, like Special Week, looked full of spirit. She put both fists in front of her chest and entered the gate.
Although Rice won last year's spring Tenno Sho, she was a horse girl who competed with Tokai Teio right to the final straight. We can't let our guard down.
"Seventh horse, gate eleven, Biwa Hayahide. She's the first favorite."
"This horse girl, who finally won a G1 crown in last month's Osaka Hai, is the first favorite. This is the halfway point of the spring Senior Triple Crown. Can she wear her second crown here... It's hard to keep track of all the horse girls we need to watch this year."
When Biwa Hayahide waved to the audience, the biggest cheer yet erupted. Biwa Hayahide smiled and entered the gate... and seemed to be bothered by her hair, as she kept brushing it with her hand.
(Her hair is long and she has a lot of it, and with this rain, it's probably soaking up the water and getting heavy...)
King also has long hair, but Biwa Hayahide's hair is incredibly voluminous. I thought it must be hard for her to run like that.
In that regard, Rice, who is standing next to me, also has long, voluminous hair, so it's tough for her in this kind of weather. Rice becomes "damp Rice." Urara also has pretty long hair when she lets it down, but King takes care of it every day, so it's beautiful.
"Fourth horse, gate four, Nice Nature. She's the second favorite."
"This horse girl is finally making her first appearance in the spring Tenno Sho. She was third in last month's Osaka Hai, but she's a veteran who has been third many times in long-distance races, including the Arima Kinen. There are high expectations for her."
With Rice, Tokai Teio, and Mejiro McQueen going to the Dream Series, Nice Nature is probably the face of the current Senior class. Although she hasn't won a G1, she has a certain scariness about her that makes you feel like she could win any race at any time.
"Fifth horse, gate six, Narita Taishin. She's the eighth favorite."
"She was sixth in last month's Osaka Hai, but she's a horse girl who is steadily gaining strength. It'll all depend on how much her specialty, the late-charge, can be effective on this heavy track today."
She looked to be in good form during the Osaka Hai, and she looks to be in good form today as well. But as the male commentator said, it will all depend on how much her specialty, the late-charge, can be effective in these conditions.
"Sixth horse, gate eight, Seiun Sky. She's the fifth favorite."
"She's the Kikuka Sho winner from last year and a horse girl who recorded a world record... but her popularity seems to have dropped slightly, perhaps due to her results after the Kikuka Sho. I'll be watching to see if she shows her aptitude as a stayer in today's race."
Seiun Sky lightly waved her right hand to the audience and entered the gate. If Seiun Sky can run at a world-record pace like she did in the Kikuka Sho, she'd be a tough opponent, but what about in this rain and with these track conditions...?
"Seventh horse, gate ten, Oishii Parfait. She's the twelfth favorite."
"She's the twelfth favorite out of thirteen. But her run in the Osaka Hai must have left a lasting impression. A huge cheer is flying from the audience."
Oishii Parfait... I wonder about her this time... I can understand her running in the 2000-meter Osaka Hai, but I think it would be difficult for her to run like she did last time in the 3200-meter spring Tenno Sho with rain and on a heavy track... Still, caution is needed.
As they continued to enter the gate, my mind wandered.
Now that I think about it, last year, before Rice ran in the spring Tenno Sho, Urara ran in the Tango Stakes, I recalled.
Urara won the Tango Stakes with a new record, and Rice, who received the baton, also won the spring Tenno Sho with a new record, achieving a double record.
A year has passed since then. This time last year, I never would have imagined that I would be in charge of King's training, even though I knew Rice might challenge the spring Tenno Sho again. You really never know what's going to happen.
As I thought about that and gave a wry smile, Rice, who was next to me, mumbled.
"The track conditions look bad today, I wonder if King-chan will be okay..."
"I told her to be careful about that, so King should be fine."
I had thoroughly explained the precautions for races in bad conditions like this to King. Or rather, I had been very strict with her ever since Urara had that accident where she got sand in her eyes during her debut race.
But still, accidents can happen even if you're careful.
In today's case, it's a turf course, not a dirt one, but if they run on the gouged-out parts of the turf from the previous races, they'll kick up mud, and there's a risk of water splashing into them. In the first place, even raindrops hitting their eyes can be a threat when they're running at a horse girl's speed.
While being careful of the surrounding situation, they also have to be careful of the movements of the other horse girls, and they also have to run with stamina management in mind for the long 3200-meter race. Also, since the track conditions are bad on the turf course, they'll lose their footing, so their stamina will be used up more quickly than usual, and they'll need more power.
I'm not too worried about her stamina. The current King can run the entire 3200 meters without a problem. Even if she runs out of stamina, King will run to the finish line with her guts alone.
(The problem is power... or rather, her acceleration in these bad conditions...)
In that case, it all depends on how much the track condition affects them. But it's not just King who's having a hard time running; it's the same for all the horse girls running. So, the rest depends on how the race unfolds...
(...King?)
King, who had entered the gate, had her eyes closed and was looking up at the sky as if she was reminiscing while being drenched in the rain, and I tilted my head at her gesture.
"Eighth horse, gate twelve, Unchanging. She's the ninth favorite."
When Unchanging finally entered the gate, King opened her eyes and looked ahead.
"Oh..."
And I instinctively let out a voice at her posture, leaning slightly forward to start the race.
(What...? King's atmosphere changed?)
Even with the distance and poor visibility in the rain, I could feel it. King was in the easiest place to see from the stands, being in gate one on the right-handed course, but to my eyes, King looked like she was shining brightly.
And then, the murmuring of the crowd at the Kyoto Racecourse faded away. Instead, only the sound of the rain, pattering or pouring, echoed.
"All horse girls have entered the gate... And they're off!"
The sound of the gate, which should have been a loud "bang," was faint today. The gate opened, muffled by the sound of the rain, and the horse girls burst out of the gate.
"Oh, there were three horse girls who had a bad start. Number 2 Stay Shaileen, number 9 Cupido's Shoot, and number 12 Unchanging all had a slightly delayed start."
"Number 12 Unchanging is good at late-charging, so it's not so bad, but the delayed start of the other two is a shame. But it's a 3200-meter race, so they can still make up for it."
"Now, the horse girl who's leading the pack is number 8 Seiun Sky. Following her are number 11 Biwa Hayahide, number 1 King Halo, and number 3 Special Week. After them are number 13 Mini Cactus, number 4 Nice Nature, number 5 Machikane Tannhauser, number 7 Imperial Talis. A horse length behind them are number 6 Narita Taishin, number 10 Oishii Parfait, the late-starting number 13 Cupido's Shoot, number 2 Stay Shaileen, and number 12 Unchanging are at the back of the pack."
"Cupido's Shoot, who had a bad start, is a pace-setter, so she'll want to get to the front. Number 2 Stay Shaileen is good at late-charging, so her current position is probably unfamiliar to her."
Perhaps due to the rain, or because of the bad track conditions, three horse girls had a bad start. In a sprint, it would be a fatal delay, but in a long-distance race, they could still make a comeback. However, in today's bad conditions, it's hard to say how much of a comeback they can make.
King is in third place, but that's because the only other pace-setter besides Seiun Sky is the late-starting Cupido's Shoot. Still, King ran up Yodo Slope and stuck close to Seiun Sky, who was trying to pull away.
Right next to her was Biwa Hayahide, but King kept her eyes on the front, running as if she was competing with her.
They passed Yodo Slope, went around the outer course through the third and fourth corners, and the horse girls, led by Seiun Sky, rushed into the home stretch.
"Number 8 Seiun Sky, who's leading the pack, just passed the 1000-meter mark."
"The 1000-meter split time is... 1 minute and 3.8 seconds. That's a very slow pace. No, should I say they're forced to run at a slow pace?"
The male commentator said that, but it doesn't seem like Seiun Sky is intentionally trying to set a slow pace. The difficult track, the turf where you could slip if you're not careful, and the pouring rain. They are all taking away her stamina compared to usual, forcing her to hold back her speed.
The horse girls are avoiding the inside rail and running in the middle of the course as soon as they entered the third corner from the far side. Still, with this being the 11th race, the turf is gouged out in places, and the mud and grass from the water-logged ground are splashing up and raining down on the horse girls behind them.
Seiun Sky, who is leading the pack, is only getting wet from the rain, but even King, who is running in second place, has mud on her racing uniform and shoes. The horse girls behind them are running with mud on their faces and hair as well as their racing uniforms.
Because they're running in such a situation, the audience is cheering louder than usual. Voices like "Go," "Don't let the rain beat you," and "Don't fall" are flying from all over.
"The leader remains number 8 Seiun Sky. Two horse lengths behind her, number 1 King Halo and number 11 Biwa Hayahide are fighting for second place. Right behind them, number 3 Special Week is holding back. And a horse length behind them is number 13 Mini Cactus."
"In this situation, Seiun Sky's pace-setting isn't really effective. But because of that, the horse girls running behind her also look like they're having a hard time."
"Slightly separated from the leading group, number 4 Nice Nature, number 5 Machikane Tannhauser, and number 7 Imperial Talis are running together. And about two horse lengths behind them, number 9 Cupido's Shoot, number 2 Stay Shaileen, number 6 Narita Taishin, number 10 Oishii Parfait, and number 12 Unchanging are running as a group."
They're not even halfway through the race yet, so the horse girls seem to be holding back their speed without trying to get to the front... No, should I say they're in a situation where they're forced to hold back their speed.
"The horse girls are running down the home stretch. 2000 meters to go. Who will get the new crown?"
"They're still just watching each other. It's too early to make a move at this point, and they'll run out of strength immediately in these track conditions."
As if to prove the male commentator's words, the horse girls ran with Seiun Sky in the lead. Even after they passed the home stretch, the first corner, the second corner, and entered the far side of the course, there was no big movement.
(Half the race is long gone... and they're still not moving, huh?)
They entered the far side and were less than 1400 meters from the finish line. There was still no big movement... No, there was no big movement, but there were several horse girls whose expressions had clearly changed.
One of them was Seiun Sky, who was leading the pack. She had been running in the lead since the start, but she must be more worn out than she thought. I can't tell how much she's sweating because of the pouring rain, but even from a distance, I can see that her expression is starting to show her struggle.
And another one, or rather, since the start of the race until now, something has been off with Biwa Hayahide. She seems to be having a hard time running.
King... she still has some room to spare, but she seems to be using up more stamina than usual. She's soaked in the rain, her racing uniform is soaking up the rain, and it's still raining all over her. Her stamina is bound to be used up more quickly than in good weather and on a good track.
And one more. Special Week, who is holding back behind King, is looking ahead with a sharp gaze. I can see that she's not bothered by the water and mud flying up and is eyeing the front with a predatory look.
There's no big change in the horse girls at the back of the pack, but I can see a change in the four leading the pack, even from the stands.
"Now, past the middle of the far side, the horse girls are met by the second Yodo Slope. Seiun Sky, who's leading the pack, enters Yodo Slope. Following her, Biwa Hayahide and King Halo also enter Yodo Slope. Special Week follows them... what?"
"Seiun Sky's speed dropped significantly. No, this is..."
"What's happening! Seiun Sky, who was leading the pack, is slowing down! No, the horse girls who are entering Yodo Slope are all slowing down one after another!?"
"They must be using up a lot of stamina. The inner course has a height difference of about 3 meters, but the outer course has a height difference of nearly 4 meters over a distance of 400 meters. And they enter the third corner from the middle of the slope, so on the second lap in today's bad conditions, it's going to hit them hard."
Because their stamina is being used up more quickly than usual, not only Seiun Sky but also the other horse girls are slowing down their pace. King is no exception, and her pace dropped slightly.
—But that girl is the King.
"Perhaps because the overall pace has dropped, the order hasn't changed... No, wait! Number 1 King Halo made a move! She's running up Yodo Slope! Following her, number 3 Special Week is also picking up speed!"
"Oh... what guts. She's not holding back here and is deliberately moving to the front... Will this be a good thing or a bad thing...?"
King gritted her teeth and ran up Yodo Slope. Special Week is accelerating behind her... But if it's a guts race, there's no horse girl who can beat my King.
"King Halo and Special Week are leaving Biwa Hayahide behind and aiming for the lead! But Seiun Sky made a move here! She's accelerating as if to say she won't give up the lead!"
"They've entered the third corner, and once they pass Yodo Slope, there will be 800 meters to go. But the problem is..."
Running up Yodo Slope is tough, but in the case of the outer course, they have to run down a steep slope over a distance of a little over 100 meters once they reach the top. They'll be running down a slope with a height difference of over 3 meters over a distance of about 100 meters.
The strain on their legs is considerable, and they have to run down the steep slope while turning at the third corner.
"The horse girls are running up Yodo Slope one after another, and now they're heading for the downhill slope."
"It's not an exaggeration to say that how much they fly here will determine the outcome of the race..."
"Oh, wait, the one who made a move here is at the very back! Number 10 Oishii Parfait is moving up! Is she going to show us the long sprint she showed in the Osaka Hai here at the Kyoto Racecourse as well!?"
King was trying to take advantage of the slowdown and pass Seiun Sky, but Seiun Sky wasn't giving up and was desperately trying to stay in front. And at the back... no, at the very back, I saw Oishii Parfait, who had settled in last place without me realizing it, suddenly pick up speed.
"A sudden acceleration using the downhill slope! It's a tremendous acceleration to be called a long sprint! Can she keep this up until the finish line!? She's going wide and passing six, seven, eight horse girls at once and is about to catch the leading group—"
Before I could even mumble that this was bad, Oishii Parfait's body swayed irregularly. She lost to the centrifugal force in the middle of the third corner and was thrown to the outside as if she was flung away.
"An accident for Oishii Parfait, who was moving up!? She widened out and fell!? She's bouncing on the ground!? Ohh!?"
Not only the commentators but also the audience screamed.
If there was any luck for Oishii Parfait, it was that the cause of her slip—the turf and ground that had soaked up a lot of water—acted as a cushion. Oishii Parfait, who had bounced on the course, landed as if she was sliding and started running again, retracing a scene from a long time ago.
"Huh!? Is she okay!? Is Oishii Parfait okay!? She looked like she fell badly, but she's running again!?"
"And it's not just Oishii Parfait, numbers 7 Imperial Talis and 9 Cupido's Shoot have also fallen..."
Whether they were distracted by Oishii Parfait or lost their footing on the gouged-out turf. Multiple horse girls fell at the third corner. Perhaps the fact that they were slowing down at the steep downhill and corner worked in their favor, as the fallen horse girls immediately got up and started running.
Including Oishii Parfait, the fallen horse girls continued to run, covered in more mud than ever before. The audience cheered them on, and as if they heard the cheers, the horse girls ran without any sign of giving up, even though there was a huge gap between them.
"W-well, at least the fallen horse girls seem to be okay... What!? The order has changed significantly at the middle of the fourth corner!? Special Week is in the lead! Is Seiun Sky at her limit!? King Halo is in third place... what!? Something's wrong with King Halo!"
I was so focused on Oishii Parfait and the others that I frantically looked at King at the sound of the commentator's voice. And indeed, something was wrong with King. Her speed had dropped, and she was rubbing her right eye.
There was still distance, and with the rain, I couldn't see clearly. But I could see that the right side of King's face was covered in mud. It was probably mud that Seiun Sky or Special Week had kicked up when I looked away.
"!"
Realizing this, I instinctively opened my mouth to shout. There's a big difference between running with two eyes and one. Your depth perception gets messed up, and if things get worse, it can lead to a fall.
But before I could stop her, King accelerated. She had her right eye open, but if mud had gotten in, it would be painful and she wouldn't be able to see well. Still, King looked ahead and ran.
"The leader Special Week passes the 400-meter marker! The slowed-down King Halo accelerates as soon as she enters the final straight! The gap between her and the leader is about three horse lengths! No, it's about two horse lengths! Biwa Hayahide from the back is also moving up!"
"It seems King Halo got mud in her eye. But instead of slowing down, she's accelerating... she really has guts."
Not only the right side of her face but also her racing uniform was covered in mud from her run so far. Her shoes, hands, and feet were also dirty, and I could see mud on her hair.
Still, King's figure ran as if to say, "I don't care about things like that." Even though her stamina must be at its limit in these bad conditions, King desperately ran forward.
"Special Week, who's in the lead, is accelerating even more! Seiun Sky, who was leading, is falling back! King Halo passes her and is slowly catching up to Special Week! And Biwa Hayahide is coming up to get her second crown! And of course, this horse girl! Nice Nature is also moving up!"
"From here on, it's almost flat ground. Now it's all about how much stamina they have left and how much guts they have."
The horse girls ran down the home stretch as if to cut through the rain. In the final straight, they accelerated as if they had forgotten about the bad footing, as if to say that it would be enough if they were the first to cross the finish line.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! KINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
I thought my umbrella was a bother, but I shouted to cheer on King. The audience's excitement was already at its peak, and they were all shouting their support to the horse girls they were cheering for.
"GOOOOOOOOOO! King-chan, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Go, King-chan! GOOOOOOOOOO!"
Urara and Rice also cheered for King. We all shouted desperately.
"She's coming up! King Halo is coming up! Special Week is also running desperately! The gap is shrinking from three to two horse lengths! No, it's now just a little over one horse length! But right behind them, Biwa Hayahide and Nice Nature are closing in!"
King, soaked in rain and mud, was running with her eyes on the front, never looking down. Her figure, even when dirty with mud, was beautiful and radiant.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOO! KING! WINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!"
That's why I couldn't help but wish for her victory. "Win, please win," I shouted desperately.
King told me I was the best trainer for her. So, at this moment, I can't help but think this.
"King Halo is extending! Will she make it!? She's so close to Special Week! But she's also so close to the finish line! Special Week! Can she hold on—"
The horse girl who was trained by the best trainer must also be the best. At least, the best horse girl for me.
"—No, she can't! King Halo! She passes her by a hair and crosses the finish line first! King Halo passes Special Week and crosses the finish line now!"
In the end, King seemed to dive into the finish line. And she let out rough breaths, taking big, deep breaths over and over.
The long 3200-meter race. And with the terrible track conditions and weather, she must have used up all her stamina. King's legs were trembling, and she looked like she was about to collapse.
However, Special Week, also breathing roughly, supported her in a hug. Looking at Special Week, her legs were also trembling, so I couldn't tell if she was supporting King or if King was supporting her.
Still, Special Week said something to King, and King smiled, her lips turned up at the corners, and answered.
"The order has been confirmed. First place, number 1, King Halo. The winning time is 3 minutes 19.6 seconds. Second place, by a neck, number 3, Special Week. Third place, by a half horse length, number 4, Nice Nature. Fourth place, by a nose, number 11, Biwa Hayahide. Fifth place, by one horse length, number 6, Narita Taishin."
The order board lit up, confirming the order. The horse girls who fell along the way also safely crossed the finish line, and I let out a big breath, as if I was expelling all the air from my lungs.
"She won... huh..."
Due to the bad track conditions and weather, her time was nearly four seconds slower than the record Rice set last year. Still, I felt a definite sense of accomplishment in my chest.
I slowly shook my head and looked at King beyond the finish line. Special Week, Nice Nature, and Biwa Hayahide were all congratulating her, but most of them had used up all their strength and were trembling.
Still, as if she remembered something, King turned to face the audience. And she took a big, deep breath and raised her right hand with three fingers up high.
A huge cheer erupted from the audience at her performance, which symbolized her third G1 victory.
Even though she was covered in mud, she looked magnificent. My eyes and King's eyes unexpectedly met.
King smiled softly at my face and gave me a little wink with her uninjured left eye.
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