"You did it, Rice! That was incredible! Congratulations on first place!"
I praised her before I even started the health check. Data is important, but acknowledging her heart comes first. I wanted to scoop her up in a hug, but I managed to restrain myself for the sake of professional decorum.
Rice gave me a shy, flickering smile.
"Thank you, Trainer. Rice... Rice tried her best. Thanks to you, I think it's getting a little easier to run than before."
She was sweating, but... she wasn't even out of breath.
I felt that shiver again. I did a quick check; her physical state was barely different from a standard training session. She really hadn't pushed herself. The potential inside Rice Shower was even deeper than I'd feared.
"I was worried you might go all out based on how you looked before the gate... Rice, I underestimated you. I'm sorry."
I bowed my head. Rice looked startled for a second, then smiled warmly.
"Rice doesn't want Trainer or Urara-chan to think I'm a bad girl... I don't want to get 'punished' again, right?"
"Please don't say that where people can hear you... it creates misunderstandings. I'm begging you."
The fact that she could joke right after a race showed how much leeway she had. She looked satisfied—probably because she'd secured the win even while following my restrictions.
"Hah... hah... Rice Shower-san... you were... amazing. So this is... a G1 Umamusume..."
In stark contrast, Happy Meek was struggling to breathe. The usually stoic girl was doubled over, hands on her knees, gasping for air.
"You were great too, Happy Meek-san," Rice said softly. "But... you let yourself get rattled in the middle. That was your mistake."
"I couldn't help it..." Meek wheezed. "The pressure... you were right there... the sound of your hooves... it was so loud..."
"I'm sorry. But if you felt even a little bit of the atmosphere of a G1, Rice is happy. I was serious about winning... but I'm sorry I couldn't run at full strength."
"I felt it... believe me."
Rice had just subjected a Junior runner to the kind of psychological warfare found in the Triple Crown. And she'd done it while holding back. I worried I'd let things go too far, but when I looked at Meek, her eyes weren't broken—they were smoldering with a new fire. She was already bouncing back.
As expected of a girl raised by Kiryuuin, I thought. A part of me—the part that was becoming a true Trainer—found itself wanting to see what I could do with a girl like her.
Of course, Urara and Rice were already a full load. Adding anyone else would mean never sleeping again and neglecting the two I already had.
Urara came jogging up then, breathless but beaming.
"Phew! Boy, that was fun! Trainer, did you see me?"
"I did. 12th place on turf is a hell of an achievement. But we've got to work on that start."
"Ehehe... I tried to dash and my feet just went slip!"
She was so nonchalant about it. But that closing speed... man, if only she'd had a better start.
"But the last part was like VROOOM! It was so much fun!"
"I bet. That final straight was a 100-point performance!"
"Yay! 100 points!"
I ruffled her hair, and she wagged her tail so hard I thought she might take flight. Seeing her this happy made it all worth it.
(I suppose asking her to be frustrated about losing a mock race is a bit much... she exceeded my expectations anyway.)
I glanced around. The girls Urara had overtaken in the final seconds looked genuinely frustrated. Others were looking at Rice with stars in their eyes.
"R-Rice Shower-san! That was incredible!"
"I only joined because I heard a Kikkasho winner was running, but wow... the level is just different. You're amazing! And congrats on the win!"
The girls crowded around Rice. There was frustration there, sure, but it was overshadowed by the thrill of having shared the track with a champion.
"Awa... T-Trainer, Urara-chan, help me..."
Rice's "predator" persona had vanished instantly, replaced by her usual social anxiety as the crowd pressed in. But I found the sight heartening. They recognized her greatness. They were using her as a benchmark for their own dreams.
(Everyone's doing a great job raising their girls... I can't afford to slack off.)
My peers were training with love and conviction. I'd only won today because I happened to meet Rice. That was her merit, not mine. Urara, the one I was building from scratch, had still lost to most of the field.
"In the moment of victory, tighten the strings of your helmet."
Rice was incredible for winning without going full out, but for her, beating Juniors was a given. And her style still had its risks. Today, and at the Kikkasho, she won by "marking" the strongest runner and snaring them at the end.
At the Kikkasho, it was the undefeated Mihono Bourbon. Today, it was Happy Meek. I had been able to tell her who to follow because the target was obvious.
In the future, the burden would be on me. I had to be the one to analyze the field, identify the threat, and tell Rice who to hunt.
The pressure was immense. Rice's future victories rested on my ability to outthink the competition. Add Urara's unique needs to that, and I finally understood why top Trainers were paid so much—and why there was always a shortage of them.
I looked away from the daunting reality of my career and scanned the horizon. I wondered where Gold Ship had gone.
She was already walking away, her back to us. Sensing my gaze, she didn't turn around, but simply raised her left hand and pointed a single finger toward the distance.
(...Huh? What's that?)
I followed her gesture. Tucked away in the gallery, I thought I saw a familiar silhouette. A girl with a distinct, mechanical hair ornament...
"Hey, hey, Trainer! What's next? Another race? Let's do a dirt race!"
Urara tugged on my sleeve, pulling me back to the present. She was glowing with anticipation. I looked at Happy Meek, who was still recovering.
"I'm sorry... maybe not... today..." Meek managed.
"Oh... okay! We shouldn't push too hard!" Urara chirped.
I asked a few other trainers about a dirt race, but they all politely declined. Apparently, when it came to dirt, they already knew what the result would be.
A few days later...
After winning the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies in spectacular fashion, Happy Meek stood before a row of microphones.
"This was your first G1," the interviewer said. "Weren't you nervous?"
Happy Meek offered a small, knowing smile.
"No... because I've already raced someone much more terrifying."