Rice's Takarazuka Kinen ended with a 3rd place finish. However, the winning live show was a huge success as usual, and Rice, who was deeply dejected after her loss at the Osaka Hai, wasn't so down this time.
The reason was not a passive one, like, "It can't be helped that I lost because Mejiro McQueen was in such great form." Even if her opponent is in top form, Rice is the type to shed tears of frustration when she loses. This time, even though she lost, she was praised and warmly cheered for by the audience for her act of caring for Frilled Peach, who had fallen during the race. This was a separate kind of praise from the one Mejiro McQueen received.
Although she was frustrated by the loss, the audience's warm cheers and applause kept Rice from looking down. Following Toukai Teio, Rice congratulated Mejiro McQueen and left the course with her head held high.
Of course, I praised her as well. I was worried she would be dejected, so I praised her again and again. I was also frustrated by the loss. But I was more proud of Rice for being able to care for others immediately after a loss. I think that because Rice was booed by the race fans at the Kikuka Sho, she was able to show concern for Frilled Peach, who had an accident on the big stage of the Takarazuka Kinen.
With that said, Rice and I vowed to get even with Mejiro McQueen and Toukai Teio in the Senior Autumn Triple Crown. Thus, the first half of the year ended, and the second half began.
First up is King's CBC Sho—but wait.
"Wow... this is amazing! Look, look! It's my racing outfit!"
Urara's voice, sounding happier than ever before, echoed through the club room. In July, Urara was scheduled to race in the Japan Dirt Derby, following King. The racing outfit she had ordered last month had finally arrived. Only horse girls who run in a Grade 1 race are allowed to have their own custom-made racing outfit. Rice and King already had their own, and now all the members of Team Kitalfa had their own racing outfits.
"Trainer! Can I try it on now?"
"Of course. As for size adjustments... I don't think you'll need any, so check to see how it feels."
A horse girl's racing outfit is a special thing. It's often said that it brings out the horse girl's power, and since it's custom-made to fit their body measurements, it's completely different from the uniform racing outfits designated by Tracen Academy. Of course, I've never worn a racing outfit, so I don't know what the difference is.
According to one theory, they use a material that can still fit a horse girl who has gained a little weight. However, if they gain too much weight, the zippers on the skirt or pants might not close, though this is a rare occurrence. Urara's weight occasionally increases slightly, but that's normal since she's still in her growth phase. If you eat well, exercise well, and sleep well, you'll gain muscle and weight.
So, Urara immediately put on her new racing outfit.
"Wow... you're so cute, Urara-chan!"
"Yes. It suits you very well, Urara-san."
"..."
Rice is clapping her hands in delight, and King is smiling softly as she praises Urara. I'm just silent. Why am I silent? It's because I'm overwhelmed with emotion.
"Ehehe... thanks, Rice-chan, King-chan. Trainer... what do you think?" Urara asks, looking up at me.
Urara's racing outfit had a springtime theme, with a cherry blossom pink as the base color. It's a sleeveless shirt with a short-sleeved jacket that opens in the front and has frills in various places. She's also wearing a red mini-skirt, also with frills, and slightly reddish-black knee-high socks that cover her thighs. Her garter belt can be seen peeking out, preventing her socks from slipping down.
The overall design is similar to King's. However, some parts of it resemble Rice's racing outfit, such as the pattern on the skirt. On top of that, the headband she always wears is decorated with a single pale pink double-flowered cherry blossom, just like the blue rose on Rice's racing outfit. I thought the cherry blossom was stuck in her hair like an ornamental hairpin, but it seems to be firmly attached to her headband. It's a lovely and cute racing outfit that suits Urara well.
"It... suits you well..."
I squeeze out my words of praise. I feel like my eyes are about to overflow with tears. Winning the Unicorn Stakes was a big deal, but to think that Urara, a horse girl I raised from the ground up, would get her own custom-made racing outfit because she's going to run in a Grade 1 race... I can't, the tears are really about to spill over. And there they go. My tear ducts have broken.
(This must be how a father feels when his daughter wears a wedding dress...)
This is a racing outfit for a Grade 1 race, which is like a stage of a lifetime for a horse girl. Just the fact that she's running in a Grade 1 race, not even that she's won it yet, fills me with an indescribable sense of emotion.
"Ah... it really, really suits you..."
"Mmm... thanks, Trainer."
When I say that with tears in my eyes, Urara smiles in a gentle, mature way that's different from her usual self. Words like "you've become so great" and "you've grown so much" fill my mind, some of which feel right and some of which don't.
Happiness, pride, and a variety of other emotions that are hard to put into words fill my chest, and I wipe away my tears with a handkerchief from my pocket. Happy tears keep flowing, but I can't just keep crying. I rub my eyes and sniffle, then look at Urara's racing outfit again.
"But you chose a mini-skirt... I thought you'd go with something like gym shorts because you'd find it easier to move in."
I thought she would choose gym shorts for the sake of mobility, but it seems that wasn't the case. Maybe Urara also liked cute outfits like mini-skirts.
"Gym shorts? I'm wearing them under my skirt!"
Urara says that and lifts her skirt. Underneath the skirt are indeed red gym shorts—wait.
"That's improper, Urara-san! And Trainer! You shouldn't be staring!"
"Ah, yes, sorry."
I was about to say that it was improper, but King beat me to it.
"Ehehe... I had them make it to look like the outfit I wore for my very first race. I want to remember how fun that felt forever."
Many horse girls choose mini-skirt racing outfits, but of course, they wear leggings or underskirts underneath. Urara specifically chose gym shorts, but it should be easy to move in, so I don't see a problem. But what if Urara's body suddenly has a growth spurt? Based on the data I've been collecting for the past year, her height and body measurements haven't changed much, so I think she'll be fine... Well, if the size doesn't fit anymore because she's grown too much, I'll just have another one made for her. If the academy doesn't cover the cost, I'll buy it for her myself. Yes, I'll do that.
"Hey, hey, Trainer! Can I train in this outfit?" Urara asks, her eyes sparkling. I nod with a smile.
"Of course. I want to see how it feels to run in your racing outfit."
"Yay! Ehehe... and I want to sleep in this outfit, too! And go out and play in it!"
They say a racing outfit brings out a horse girl's power, but it's not like it will drastically shorten her time. Still, wearing a special outfit like this might give her more motivation than usual, which could lead to better times. I want to check for those kinds of differences. However, when I compare Rice's and King's usual training times with their race times, I don't see any significant difference.
"Checking it out is fine, but if you wear it too often, it might get torn. You also don't want to get it dirty from training and be unable to wear it in the actual race."
King, who had been smiling at Urara's delight, gently warns her. Getting it dirty from training and being unable to wear it in the race... no, that's impossible, I think. But with Urara, it's a very real possibility, and that's a problem.
"Aww! I don't want it to get torn! Trainer, can't we do something about it?"
"Hmm..."
Since racing outfits are worn by horse girls, they are made to be very durable. However, as King says, there's always a chance they'll tear if worn too often. If it gets to the point where it doesn't fit anymore because her body has grown or if it gets damaged during a race, the academy will cover the cost of a new one. But if it gets damaged from training, that's a different story... But when I look at Urara's sparkling eyes, I feel like my wallet strings are loosening. No, wait, the other horse girls only wear their outfits for races, so I shouldn't spoil her too much... okay, yes.
"Don't worry, Urara. If it tears, I'll buy you a new one myself."
"Really!?"
"Yes. It won't cost three months' worth of my salary, but I'll pay for it."
Since Urara and Rice have won prize money from their races, I can afford it. But buying something just because she wants it depends on the time and situation.
"But listen. There are some horse girls who want to wear a racing outfit but can't, and this is a special outfit that is only allowed to be worn during a special race like a Grade 1. If you wear it all the time, it won't be special anymore, and what will the horse girls who can't wear one think?" I say, kneeling to meet Urara at eye level.
"You're happy to wear your racing outfit, right? I'm incredibly happy, too. But I think it's wrong to wear it all the time just because you want to, and wear it until it tears, especially when there are valid reasons for it tearing, like growing out of it or getting hurt in a race—which I hope never happens."
I'm going to let her train in it today to see how it feels, but it's probably not a good idea to let her wear it every day. Horse girls like Rice and King, who have their own racing outfits, would just smile it off, but what would horse girls who can't run in a Grade 1 race think? Urara has many friends because of her cheerful and friendly nature. But if she wears her racing outfit every day, there will inevitably be some who feel a sense of distance from her. Some might be motivated by it, thinking, "I'll become strong enough to get my own racing outfit too!" But not everyone thinks that way.
I don't think there's a need to make a fuss if she wears it for training once in a while, but if she wears it like a regular outfit, I'd be concerned about how others react. Urara isn't the type to make a lot of enemies, but it's better to avoid unnecessary conflict.
"Hmm... I see."
Urara looks crestfallen, her horse ears drooping and her tail hanging down. But she immediately smiles and nods firmly.
"But you're right! It's my racing outfit! It's for my races!"
I thought she'd be more stubborn, but Urara seems to understand. Seeing that, I secretly think that she's maturing in this way, too.
"But you can wear it as much as you want today. I just want you to take it off when you go to bed..."
If she's just checking the fit of her brand-new racing outfit, others probably won't mind. I mean, if they do, that's a problem for me.
"Okay! All right! I'm going to try even harder in training today!" Urara nods with a smile and rushes out of the club room, declaring her resolve.
As for the fact that she was so tired from trying her best that I had to carry her on my back to the dorm... well, that's just a part of her charm.
A few days after Urara's racing outfit arrived, I was in the club room, about to open the race card for King's CBC Sho, for which I had applied as planned. Since the race card had arrived, there was no problem with King's entry. The question was, which strong horse girls would be participating, and how many?
The CBC Sho is a short-distance turf race of 1200 meters held at Chukyo Racecourse. Of the recent races, I thought this one would be the most suitable for King. However, there was one concern. The CBC Sho is a race where not only Classic-level but also Senior-level horse girls can participate, so there was a high chance she would run into horse girls who were a year or more her senior, even if there were no strong Classic-level horse girls.
In early July, there was also the option of the Radio Nikkei Sho, which is only for Classic-level horse girls. This is a 1800-meter mile race held at Fukushima Racecourse, and since it's only for Classic-level horse girls, it would have been a good choice.
(But King has already won a Grade 1 mile race... and if we miss the CBC Sho, our options for short-distance stakes races will be limited...)
There are many short-distance stakes races on the turf. In addition to the CBC Sho, there's the Ibis Summer Dash, a 1000-meter straight course race in late July, and the Kitakyushu Kinen and Keeneland Cup in late August. But the Ibis Summer Dash, a race of 1000 meters on a straight course, didn't feel right, and the Kitakyushu Kinen is at Kokura Racecourse, and the Keeneland Cup is at Sapporo Racecourse, which are both far away.
Also, after King's CBC Sho and Urara's Japan Dirt Derby, we planned to have a concentrated summer training camp, so a race in between would be bad timing. That's why I decided to have King run in the CBC Sho—
(Hmm... It's good that the race is at full gate, but there are no strong Classic-level or Senior-level horse girls...?)
I check the race card and think to myself. I didn't think any of the top horse girls would be participating, but I was relieved to see that none of the ones I was worried about were running. If they were to run in a rival race, it would be a middle-distance race like the Tanabata Sho or the Hakodate Kinen. And this is also the time when everyone is training intensively to prepare for the autumn stakes races. The reason I decided to have King run in a race was because I wanted to resolve the fact that she hadn't won a single race this year.
So why did I choose the CBC Sho, a stakes race where Senior-level horse girls would be running? It's because I believe King is strong enough to beat Senior-level horse girls. However, there are a few horse girls in her generation who can also beat Senior-level horse girls, and since she hasn't improved her stamina yet, it would be difficult for her to run in a middle-distance race like the Tanabata Sho or the Hakodate Kinen.
That's why I chose the CBC Sho, but the real question is whether King can actually win. She hasn't won a single race this year—she's been putting on a brave face, but this fact is probably weighing heavily on her heart. At the same time, if she wins an open race, she might not be fully convinced that she's a strong, top-class horse girl.
Even though there are no rival horse girls in this race, winning a stakes race with many Senior-level horse girls is a perfect balance. I believe King can win as long as her opponent isn't a top-class Senior-level horse girl like Rice, Mejiro McQueen, Toukai Teio, the members of Team Canopus, or Mejiro Palmer, but we'll have to wait and see what happens.
(She might still struggle in a middle-distance or longer race with Senior-level horse girls, but she should be fine in a short-distance one.) I think to myself as I recall King's training over the past month.
And so, the day of the CBC Sho arrived. We had driven on the highway from Tracen Academy that morning to Aichi Prefecture to cheer on King's race at Chukyo Racecourse—
"Here comes King Halo! The assassin from the Classic division! She's baring her fangs on the final straight! She passes one, no, two! She's passing them one after another! Is this really the way a Classic-level horse girl runs?!"
My prediction was half right and half wrong.
"...Did she win?"
"Yeah."
Rice picks up my small mumble and nods. Urara's eyes are sparkling as she leans against the fence to watch King's race, her tail wagging furiously.
I thought King would have a tough time in a stakes race where Senior-level horse girls would be running, even if none of the top horse girls I was worried about were participating. But as it turned out, King showed an ideal performance as a finisher, made her move at the ideal position, and then passed five horse girls at once on the final straight to take the lead.
"She has completely broken away with 100 meters left! But King Halo is still accelerating! What an amazing run!"
The announcer shouts excitedly, and the spectators at the racecourse also cheer loudly at King's performance.
"The other horse girls can't reach her—no! King Halo! She passes them all and crosses the finish line! She wins her first race of the year with a three-horse-length lead over the second-place horse!"
After crossing the finish line, King gradually slows down and then stops to look around. She seems to be confirming that she has won first place, and when she realizes that the crowd is calling her name in praise, her face lights up.
Looking at King, I can't help but scratch my head.
(All of King's previous races were mile or middle-distance races... her longest race was the Japan Derby at 2400 meters, but her shortest race was 1600 meters...)
I had thought that King's best distance was short-distance, and that her aptitude would drop as the distance increased. But she's an amazing girl who can run well even in a long-distance race. On the other hand, the run King showed in a short-distance race, where her aptitude is a perfect match...
(She's incredibly strong in short-distance races, and she's going to get even stronger... if we focus on short-distance races...)
I'm just an inexperienced rookie trainer, but I feel like King has so much talent that I can't even begin to guess how much she would improve if I raised her as a sprinter. The field of short-distance runners is relatively thin, so if I intensively train King as a sprinter, it wouldn't be a dream for her to win all the Grade 1 short-distance races. Even if she wins all the Grade 1 races, there are only the Sprinters Stakes and the Takamatsunomiya Kinen in the Twinkle Series.
As a sprinter, she will surely win a large number of stakes races, including Grade 2 and Grade 3 races. The shorter the distance, the stronger she is, which makes her a true contrast to Rice. It's not the same as with Urara when I first met her, who could only run well in a short-distance dirt race. King has a remarkable talent as a sprinter and can also run mile, middle-distance, and long-distance races.
I had always thought that short-distance was her specialty, but I never imagined that she had such a remarkable talent for it. I thought she was most talented in short-distance races during training, but seeing her run in an actual race confirmed my suspicions.
—Rather than aiming for all-distance stakes races, she might be more successful if she specializes in short-distance races.
That temptation crosses my mind. With King, she might even be able to win overseas Grade 1 races, not just Japanese ones. That's how brilliant her talent as a sprinter seemed to me. But...
(The question is, what does King want...?)
I wash away the temptation in my mind with a wry smile. It's too early to come to a conclusion. King has the potential to achieve great results in mile, middle-distance, and long-distance races as well.
(No matter what kind of horse girl she is, it also depends on how her trainer raises her...) I think to myself as I watch King, who stands proudly with a slight smile, responding to the cheers from the crowd.
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