Central Tracen Academy was never short on after-school activities. Whether it was various club events, festivals organized by the student council, or the annual must-do summer beach training camp, the Uma Musume always had plenty of opportunities to unwind.
However, all of this was built upon the foundation of their grueling daily training regimens.
Even after pushing their bodies to exhaustion, there was no real rest—they still had to sit down with their trainers and analyze tactical race footage.
These numerous festivals and events were precisely for the purpose of allowing the Uma Musume, who endured such hardship in training, a chance to relax and recharge.
But these respites were only for those who had no races scheduled in the near future.
For a professional Uma Musume, the moment she stepped onto the racetrack didn't begin on race day. It started much, much earlier.
To become the most dazzling presence on the course, an Uma Musume approaching a competition wouldn't partake in leisurely activities.
After her training was done, she would only study her opponents alongside her trainer.
At the very least, this was the reality for Sakura Yamato.
Even as winter approached, the air in the clubroom remained stiflingly warm.
Sakura Yamato and her trainer were currently seated before a television, scrutinizing every frame of the race footage playing on the screen.
It wasn't until the race on the monitor concluded that Sakura Yamato's young female trainer finally broke the silence.
"After her debut victory, Shakira Gray didn't immediately enter a graded stakes race. She opted for the safer route of a one-win class race instead. But that doesn't mean we can afford to underestimate her."
She pointed at the racetrack on the television, addressing Sakura Yamato with utmost seriousness.
"The Peony Prize was held at Nakayama Racecourse—the exact same venue as the Hopeful Stakes. Having that one real race experience there already gives her an edge over us."
"Furthermore, even if they were just a one-win and a debut race, she's technically secured two consecutive wins now. Shakira Gray hasn't faced defeat yet, so we cannot begin to guess what her true limits might be."
Upon hearing this, Sakura Yamato gave a firm nod, her eyes never leaving the triumphant Uma Musume holding the trophy on screen.
'Until an opponent has known defeat, no amount of caution is excessive,' she thought.
"But her threat level is still only ranked second, correct?"
The trainer fell into a prolonged silence before finally releasing a heavy, somewhat resigned sigh.
"That's right."
As she spoke, she ejected the Yabotan Sho tape and picked up a case from beside her, its label marked vividly with red ink: 'Niigata Nisai Stakes.'
"In her debut race, she achieved a dominant victory over the much-heralded prodigy, Tokai Teio. Then, scarcely a month later, she won the Central G3-grade Niigata Nisai Stakes with overwhelming authority."
After swapping the tapes, the trainer narrowed her eyes, fixing a solemn gaze on the screen.
"Dream Weaver… she is perhaps the Uma Musume of this generation with the highest potential to achieve the Triple Crown."
"Even the highly-touted Tokai Teio… would have to settle for second place beneath her."
With a mechanical hum, the images gradually resolved on the screen before Sakura Yamato.
The now-familiar vista of Niigata Racecourse once again filled her vision.
She didn't grant the other competing Uma Musume a single glance. Her focus was entirely monopolized by the one with the fiery red ribbon tied in a high ponytail.
She observed her every action—from the pre-race parade to the final moments before the starting gates—Sakura Yamato's attention never wavered from her.
Only when that red-ribboned Uma Musume once again transformed into a crimson blur streaking across the turf, leaving all rivals in the dust in Sakura Yamato's eyes to clinch the Niigata Nisai Stakes, did Sakura Yamato finally allow her eyelids to lower slightly.
'No matter how many times I watch it… it remains an unbelievable victory.'
During that Niigata Nisai Stakes, Dream Weaver's Speed had already reached B-rank, while her Guts had soared to a solid A-rank.
Coupled with mastery of four distinct skills and her fearsome "Cursed Blade" Zone, it was nothing short of an overwhelming advantage for a G3-level event.
Naturally, Dream Weaver hadn't exerted her full strength in that race, but what she had displayed was terrifying enough in the eyes of Sakura Yamato and her trainer.
"Speed on par with, at minimum, a G3-level Uma Musume… and if we assume the worst, she might have already been brushing against the threshold of G2 level back then," Sakura Yamato remarked, rewinding the tape once more to the race's starting moments.
"And that was at the end of August… let's consider it early September for the race itself. It's been nearly four months since then."
Her trainer concurred, pulling a small data-filled notebook from her pocket.
"Back then, less than a month had passed since Dream Weaver's debut race. In her debut, she only demonstrated speed comparable to an Uma Musume capable of winning at the Open Class level."
"And yet, in under a month, she managed to leapfrog all the way to G3 caliber, even touching the doorstep of G2!"
"This rate of advancement…"
She scribbled furious calculations in her notebook as she spoke. At a critical point, her pencil pressed down with such subconscious force that it tore through the paper.
"It can only mean she was holding back significantly during her debut!"
"Even accounting for that, making such progress within four months is still a formidable feat," Sakura Yamato interjected calmly, patting her trainer's back in a placating gesture, sensing her agitation.
A little flustered at having shown such intensity in front of her charge, the trainer offered a sheepish smile. She flipped the torn page and continued her analysis.
"Four months… four months…"
Muttering to herself, she rapidly filled the pages with figures and notes.
Sakura Yamato didn't disturb her, instead turning her gaze back to the television screen for yet another round of intense observation.
It was only after she had reviewed the footage an untold number of times that the trainer finally wiped the sweat from her brow and spoke, consulting her notes.
"Based on the Niigata Nisai Stakes footage, Dream Weaver's speed declined sharply in the final stages. This suggests that her exceptional attribute is primarily her speed."
"Her tactical choices, while occasionally brilliant—seemingly inspired—are overall rather unremarkable when viewed across the entire race. Her stamina and power are merely average… no, I'd even say they are slightly below average for her level!"
"The Hopeful Stakes is a middle-distance race. If she wants to secure victory there, she will have to significantly improve her stamina, power, and tactical acumen across the board!"
To win a race, one must first understand the opponent.
Knowing from the outset that Dream Weaver was their primary rival for the Hopeful Stakes, Sakura Yamato and her trainer had pored over these tapes countless times.
One could say they had completely dissected Dream Weaver's capabilities during the Niigata Nisai Stakes period.
They had peeled back the layers of her seemingly impenetrable aura and identified her key weakness from that time: aside from her abnormal speed, her foundational attributes were lacking.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.