It was truly a historic victory. Rampage had conquered the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes. With this, she had triumphed in both turf and dirt G1 races overseas, a feat both in name and in reality. For Japan, there had never been such a vivid and impactful event. Everyone was amazed and filled with anticipation, wondering how far the undefeated champion's relentless advance would go.
"Next—the Irish Champion Stakes. I owe a debt to His Majesty and the royal family of Ireland, so it would be rude not to participate. And after that... the Arc de Triomphe."
In her interview, she showed none of the whimsical, internet-idol-like cheerfulness she had displayed before. Cloaked in the dignity befitting an undefeated monarch, she left the scene. Everyone believed that this was truly the beginning of Mejiro Rampage in the truest sense, that her genuine maturation had occurred. News that a storm would sweep across Europe quickly circulated the globe.
"—As expected of Rampage-san, a record-breaking victory... I can't afford to fall behind either."
"Indeed. Otherwise, my pleasure in forging your blade would diminish."
"We both look forward to that moment."
Amidst various expectations, Rampage returned to Ireland. After enjoying a lavish party, where she received an enthusiastic welcome from Fine and Pilsudski, she returned to her room to find several missed calls. They were from her friends in Japan. It would be morning there, but it was the middle of the night for her. The time difference... well, they probably hadn't fully considered it. For now, she answered the most recent call.
"Ah, hello, Ran!? Sorry, I completely forgot about the time!? You must be sleepy, I'll hang up!!"
"Don't worry about it. Some princess held a grand party, so I was just at a party until now. I'm tired, but not sleepy."
"Oh, really... Um, anyway, congratulations, Ran!!"
"Yeah. Thanks, Palmer."
First was Palmer, sending a big congratulation as another Mejiro runaway leader. But Palmer seemed somewhat down.
"What's wrong? Something on your mind?"
"Ahahaha... You can tell?"
"Sort of."
"Uh, well... I... at the Takarazuka Kinen... lost... by a nose..."
"Seriously...? But you got second place in the Takarazuka Kinen, that's splendid, isn't it?"
"Grandma said the same thing, but..."
The topic on her mind was the Takarazuka Kinen. Ran had cut herself off from such news to concentrate, but the Takarazuka Kinen had been won by Teio. With that, Teio had achieved the Spring Senior Triple Crown. However, that victory had been extremely close. Palmer, having been taught the know-how of pace change by Ran, had repeatedly practiced. And finally, having reached a satisfactory level, she had put it into practice.
"Teio, McQueen, and Turbo were all caught. I couldn't quite get Ikuno, but still, I thought 'I won!!'... but I lost to Teio by a nose..."
"Seriously..."
As she listened, Rampage watched the Takarazuka Kinen race footage for the first time. Palmer took a commanding lead from the start with Helios and Turbo. While her execution might have been a bit rough compared to Rampage's, it was still an impressive pace change, so subtle that only someone like Ikuno might have noticed. In the end, it was a battle with Ikuno, and just as Palmer tried to hold on with sheer grit, Teio burst through from the far outside.
"Her running has reached an even higher level of perfection..."
"Yeah, I was so confident... I wanted to win this G1 and be worthy of being one of the Mejiro Four Heavenly Kings, but..."
"Hey, hey, hey, that's just some catchphrase the reporters made up on their own. Don't let that bother you."
"But..."
She must have been that confident; Palmer was truly dejected. What was the best way to help her...? Then, something came to mind.
"Palmer, do you remember running the Sapporo Kinen with me?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I remember. And how delicious the miso ramen was after the race."
"That's good. As Minami-chan said back then, I think you also have high aptitude for turf. Palmer—why don't you aim for an overseas long-distance G1?"
"—M-me, overseas!?"
There are few long-distance G1 races in Japan. Only the Tenno Sho (Spring), Kikuka Sho, and Arima Kinen. The Kikuka Sho is only open to classic-generation horses, and the Arima Kinen at 2500m is a bit short to be considered truly long-distance. The only G1 where stayers can truly showcase their ability is the Tenno Sho (Spring).
"Over here, there's the 4000m Gold Cup and the 3200m Goodwood Cup. I think it would be interesting to run in races like those."
"No, no, no! Me going overseas is absolutely impossible! S-sure, I've escaped in a 3600m race before, but Japan and overseas are completely different, you know!?"
"I know that best. And—as another Mejiro runaway leader, I think I understand you."
Palmer had low self-esteem, but her ability was undeniably solid. In the Sapporo Kinen, Palmer was a horse girl who challenged head-on with a grand runaway strategy. Rampage knew her capabilities. If Palmer trained to get used to European turf, she could shine overseas.
"...D-do you really think someone like me could win overseas?"
"I think so. And try taking this conversation to your trainer; I bet they'll say the same thing."
"T-trainer too...? Okay. I've decided, I'll challenge overseas! Not this year, but next year, I'll go overseas!!!"
"That's the spirit."
Once Palmer made up her mind, she was quick. She immediately said she'd consult her trainer and, with overly dramatic thanks, hung up. Despite her humility, once she decided on something, her decisiveness was truly impressive. Losing the Takarazuka Kinen would likely prove to be a good experience for her.
"Alright, next up is... Oh, it's you."
With a slight smile, she made the call, looking out at the night view of Ireland.
"Hey, Ran, did you see it? I won, thanks to all that training."
"I saw it, Ran. It was a magnificent run."
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!