[Sorry for the delays guys, I was busy playing Persona 3 reload]
---------------------------------------------------
Conducting pre-race simulations based on the psychological state of opponents is no easy task.
One has to take into account the opponent horse girls' usual personalities, racing characteristics, as well as their trainers' coaching styles and tactical habits.
Gathering all this information requires a great deal of effort—especially since two new horse girls have been added to the list of opponents.
Fortunately, even before the Eisei Club had taken shape, Kitahara already had a clear understanding of the various well-known horse girls.
As for the trainers, by referencing the real-life prototypes in his memory, it wasn't difficult for him to figure them out either.
During the gradual establishment of the club, this kind of groundwork had also been carried out step by step.
So the basic intelligence gathering wasn't particularly difficult.
As for Sakura Star O, although her situation was somewhat troublesome, Kitahara still had his ways.
"…Hey, you brat—aren't you going a bit too far, openly asking me about your opponent like this?"
On the phone screen appeared the somewhat helpless old face of Roppei Ginjiro.
Kitahara felt his uncle's criticism was a bit excessive.
Due to industry norms, trainers generally don't casually inquire about other horse girls' training or race information.
But he didn't actually need to ask—he already knew Sakura Star O very well.
One of the most famous horses under the "Sakura" name: her father, Sakura Shori, was the 45th Derby winner; her mother, Sakura Smile, placed third in the Queen Elizabeth Cup. Her pedigree was excellent.
Yet her life was rather tragic—her mother died of abdominal pain shortly after her birth.
Later, before she dominated the Satsuki Sho, her grandmother, adoptive mother, and ranch owner Fujiwara Shozo also passed away one after another.
Perhaps carrying the expectations of the deceased, Sakura Star O delivered astonishing performances in many races. This may also be why she suffered a fatal injury after the Arima Kinen.
Simply put, Kitahara knew how Sakura Star O's career had unfolded in the parallel world, and many circumstances in this timeline aligned with that.
However, this horse girl had now escaped her destined death, so many details might have changed.
That was why he wanted to confirm the specifics with his uncle.
Of course, as the president of a horse girl club that could even be considered internationally top-tier in both scale and philosophy, he knew his reputation was now quite prominent.
But the horse girl world in Japan still maintained very traditional interpersonal customs.
The unspoken rule of not probing into others' training methods stemmed from this tradition.
Older-generation trainers, however, were less constrained and better informed.
More importantly, compared to valuing talent or potential, they placed greater emphasis on personal relationships—another hallmark of the industry.
And so, despite his complaints, Roppei Ginjiro still explained everything he knew about Sakura Star O in detail.
"…That's about it. As for running style, distance, and track adaptability, I'm guessing you've already investigated those yourself."
After finishing, Ginjiro pondered and said:
"The key factor is probably her Domain ability."
"There's no doubt Sakura Star O has touched that level."
"Because Gold City told me she stepped into that realm during both the Satsuki Sho and the Kikuka Sho."
"But even then, she still couldn't catch up to Sakura Star O."
"So while we can only speculate about the specifics, the existence of her Domain is certain."
Hearing this, Kitahara fell into thought.
"…It's probably a Domain related to positioning and speed."
Recalling and analyzing, he continued:
"A Domain only activates in intense races and under high concentration."
"Compared to the Satsuki Sho, these traits were more obvious in the Kikuka Sho."
"If I remember correctly, there weren't many front-runners in that race, and the overall pace was stable."
"That favored Sakura Star O, who excels at running near the front."
"That's why, toward the end—at the second downhill—she could surge into the lead in one go."
"Gold City also chose that moment to chase, even briefly matching her position."
"But unfortunately, while her strength and perseverance were excellent, her stamina wasn't as strong."
"Meanwhile, Sakura Star O still had stamina left and had already entered her Domain state."
"That's why Gold City lost the Kikuka Sho by half a length."
"The Satsuki Sho was essentially the same."
"So overall, Sakura Star O's Domain is probably like that…"
At this point, Kitahara had already begun constructing possible scenarios for the Mainichi Okan in his mind.
These were all hypothetical situations.
By organizing possibilities this way, both practical simulations and computer-generated analyses could yield highly refined results.
The Eisei Club no longer lacked sparring partners.
They had horse girls suited for all track conditions: firm, soft, heavy, and poor.
They had sprinters, milers, middle-distance, and long-distance runners.
They had all running styles: front-runner, pace-setter, stalker, and closer.
If anything, they were only slightly lacking in dirt track specialists and short-distance runners—but even so, it was sufficient for training.
Their data simulations were also highly advanced, especially with New Radiance continuously upgrading the technology.
This horse girl, whose talent lay entirely in technical fields, had demonstrated remarkable ability.
Sometimes, Kitahara even felt that this otherwise unremarkable character in the original story might rival Agnes Tachyon and Air Shakur in technical talent—perhaps even surpass them in certain areas.
With training conditions and logistics fully in place, thinking about the Mainichi Okan simulation drew him in deeply.
So much so that when his uncle suddenly asked something over the call, he responded instinctively.
"So that means… you probably know about Gold City too? Like her Domain?"
"Yeah—starting from the mid-pack in the latter half, gradually increasing acceleration. That should be a Domain that compensates for stamina. Also, she doesn't tire easily in mile races, and her late-race acceleration—"
Only after answering casually did Kitahara realize what had happened. He chuckled.
"Hey, Uncle, isn't it a bit much to fish for information like that? I'm the one asking you."
"What? Can't I ask you in return?"
Ginjiro glared, then sighed in admiration.
"You brat… I didn't tell you on purpose, and you still figured out Gold City's situation on your own."
"Looks like I really don't need to worry much anymore."
"In that case, once I settle things here, I can consider bringing Gold City, Sunday Silence, and Sakura Star O to join your club.
This surprised Kitahara.
He had long wanted to invite his uncle to join the Eisei Club.
While he was confident in his own training skills and philosophy, the experience of senior trainers was irreplaceable.
Especially in interacting with horse girls.
In the past, he had been so focused on training and racing that he unintentionally neglected their feelings—something he only gradually corrected.
By contrast, Gold City had a difficult personality, yet his uncle handled her well.
That alone was worth learning from.
Similarly, the old trainer of the Golden family had this ability too.
Even with familial bonds, managing horse girls wasn't easy.
Yet he could keep even troublesome ones like Gold Ship in line.
That kind of skill was invaluable.
Kitahara had always wanted to recruit such veterans but hadn't found the right opportunity.
Now, hearing his uncle's intention, he felt energized.
However, he soon noticed that Sakura Star O was also mentioned among the horse girls.
…What did that mean? Was her contract being transferred?
Before he could ask, his uncle waved it off.
"That's enough. You've got what you need."
"Given your ability, this should be more than enough for the upcoming race."
"Do well. I'll be watching."
…Seriously, what's the rush…
After the call abruptly ended, Kitahara shook his head helplessly.
Still, as his uncle said, with his already solid grasp of information and these newly confirmed details, his confidence grew even stronger.
Of course, information alone wasn't enough—it had to be backed by training and fundamentals.
But with increasingly refined intelligence, Oguri Cap's training had become more targeted and detailed.
And with all preparations in place, time seemed to pass quickly—it was soon race day.
As usual, horse girls and trainers not competing would come to the preparation room to cheer on participants.
But this time, Oguri Cap's room had fewer people.
The Mainichi Okan, St. Lite Kinen, and Kobe Shimbun Hai were held at different tracks—Tokyo, Nakayama, and Hanshin.
To ensure peak performance, adapting to the track in advance was crucial.
Horse girls wouldn't compete only at one venue, so adaptability training was standard.
Additionally, they would spend about a week training at the actual track beforehand.
Thus, Super Creek and Mejiro Ardan had already gone to their respective venues.
Tamamo Cross and Inari One accompanied them.
Meanwhile, Kitahara stayed behind.
Outside the prep room, he instructed two junior trainers.
"This should be your first time watching a race as trainers."
"Or rather, trainee trainers—you still need your own horse girls."
"But this race is important for you."
"You've participated in Oguri Cap's training."
"Now, observe and analyze everything—start, pacing, turns, sprint, overtaking, finish."
Akashi Tsubaki eagerly took notes, while Hosoe Junko listened attentively.
After giving race instructions, Kitahara added:
"After organizing your notes, I have two tasks for you."
"Go to Hokkaido's Mitsuishi District and Kochi Training Academy in Shikoku."
Junko accepted immediately.
Tsubaki, however, asked:
"What are we looking for?"
"A horse girl."
"Try searching for these names: Haru Urara."
After assigning the task, Kitahara entered the prep room.
He didn't explain further because Haru Urara was hard to describe.
In a world where success defined worth, she was the only exception.
113 races. Zero wins. Best results: 5 seconds, 7 thirds.
Yet she had immense popularity.
People didn't watch her to win—they just wanted to see her run.
Her perseverance inspired hope during Japan's economic downturn.
Some even abandoned suicidal thoughts after seeing her.
She was, in essence, an idol.
And Kitahara believed—
Perhaps she wasn't weak.
Perhaps, with proper training, her true potential could be unlocked.
But for now, his focus remained on Oguri Cap.
Entering the room, he saw her adjusting her number vest—No. 8.
Noticing the sound of the door opening, Oguri Cap turned her head slightly while fastening her vest.
"Oh, Kitahara, are you done over there? Huh? Where are Junko and Tsubaki?"
"I told the two of them to head to the stands first. I'll go over in a bit."
Answering casually, Kitahara glanced around before continuing, "So, how is it? Ready?"
Oguri Cap wasn't the only one in the room.
Where she had been facing just now, New Radiance was sitting at a workbench, holding a small hammer in one hand and a shoe in the other, nailing on horseshoes.
Horseshoes are extremely important equipment for horse girls during races. Generally, most horse girls are used to preparing their own gear.
But Oguri Cap and Belno Light were different.
Ever since they met in Kasamatsu, Oguri Cap's racing equipment had always been handled by Belno Light.
Even during their trips abroad to Europe and the United States, it was the same.
Oguri Cap never concerned herself with the preparation—she simply put everything on once New Radiance said it was ready.
Also in the room were Oguri Roman and T.M. Opera O.
As her younger sister, Oguri Roman accompanied her to every race, cheering her on and helping with various support tasks.
T.M. Opera O was much the same. During the preparation phase, she had been assisting Oguri Cap with "synchronization rate" training, so coming along this time also carried a sense of shared participation and pride.
The two younger girls weren't idle either.
On another table were bananas, chocolate, cola, and other high-sugar snacks and drinks for energy replenishment. The two of them were busy letting the gas out of the cola.
Once the carbonation is removed, what remains is essentially sugar water. Many horse girls use this method to replenish sugar during training and races.
Of course, they could just drink glucose directly, but most horse girls think cola tastes better.
Noticing Kitahara entering, the other horse girls greeted him one after another.
After responding to each of them, Kitahara heard Oguri Cap reply confidently:
"Don't worry, Kitahara."
She flexed her arm in a bodybuilding pose and smiled. "I feel full of strength right now—no problems at all."
"As for race tactics, I remember them clearly."
"The key is to respond quickly to Gold City and Sakura Star O, adjust my position early depending on the situation, and avoid getting boxed in."
"I don't think that'll be a problem—especially since I practiced a lot with Opera O before."
She suddenly walked over to T.M. Opera O and patted her on the shoulder.
"A really reliable junior—I mean Opera O."
"Even though she hasn't officially debuted yet, her ideas and abilities are already quite outstanding."
"With the parallel training I did with her, I think this race will go smoothly."
"I see…"
Hearing this, Kitahara nodded, then thought for a moment.
"The overall plan is just as you said. The key lies in how Gold City and Sakura Star O affect the race dynamics."
"And then…"
He paused again, his expression turning serious.
"Even though I've emphasized this many times before, I still need to remind you."
"This is your first race of the autumn season—and it's the same for all your opponents."
"Even without considering the two new competitors, the others may make some extreme tactical choices."
"So what I want to stress is this: if you notice anything clearly unusual during the race, don't hesitate."
"Either push straight to the front in one go, or stay at the very back and win with a final sprint."
"This will test your sense of timing—remember that."