The Osaka Hai—a G1 race held at the Hanshin Racecourse, and the first major race for those aiming for the Spring Senior Triple Crown.
The distance is 2000 meters on a right-handed course. The first-place prize money is 135 million yen, which is less than half of the Arima Kinen, but the prize money doesn't matter. What's more important is that Rice met the entry requirements and was approved to run.
And what's even more important are the rival Umamusume who will be in the Osaka Hai.
(Tokai Teio won the Kinshachi Stakes... Winning the trial race for the Osaka Hai means she's serious about this... I heard that Mejiro McQueen would also be running, but from what I saw scouting their training the other day, Tokai Teio seems more dangerous than Mejiro McQueen in the Osaka Hai... right?)
I muttered to myself while watching the race footage of Tokai Teio running in the Kinshachi Stakes in our club room. The large TV, TV stand, and recorder were purchased with club funds. I'm thankful for the team in times like these.
The Kinshachi Stakes is a 2000-meter race, the same distance as the Osaka Hai, and it's classified as a G2 graded stakes race. And from what I saw, Tokai Teio is the type who can run long distances, but her best distance is probably middle-distance.
The overwhelming acceleration she unleashes in the final stages, powered by the flexibility of her body, is on a level I've never seen before. The Umamusume who showed amazing acceleration that I've seen recently is Oguri Cap, but she's even faster than Oguri Cap.
It feels strange that the still-developing Oguri Cap is being compared to a senior-class Tokai Teio, but I'll ignore that for now.
(For someone who has fractured her leg twice, she has a beautiful running form... The trainer of Team Spica must be very skilled. And this girl also won the Osaka Hai last year. She was undefeated until then, and she finished fifth in the Spring Tenno Sho that she ran next... But this girl can only run long distances, she doesn't seem very suited for it.)
Although she has announced her intention to go for the Spring Senior Triple Crown, the Spring Tenno Sho will be very difficult for her, even though she can probably handle the Osaka Hai and the Takarazuka Kinen.
The reason she even ran in the Spring Tenno Sho last year was because she has a rivalry with Mejiro McQueen, who won that race.
Tokai Teio was aiming to be an undefeated Umamusume who won the Classics Triple Crown, but after winning the Japan Derby, she was forced to take a long-term leave due to an injury. She won the Osaka Hai, her comeback race, after nearly a year of treatment, rehabilitation, and training... Is the Spica trainer too crazy to put her in a G1 right after she recovers?
And after losing in the Spring Tenno Sho, she suffered another fracture and was on long-term leave for the second time. This time it only took about six months, but her comeback race was the very difficult Autumn Tenno Sho. She finished a dismal seventh there, and after winning the Japan Cup, she lost to Rice in the Arima Kinen. Well, it felt more like she self-destructed due to being in poor form rather than losing to Rice.
I have to admire her spirit to stand on the racecourse again despite repeating injuries and setbacks.
(That's why she's scary... This girl is Rice's natural enemy.)
Rice would definitely win in a long-distance race. In fact, I believe there is no Umamusume who can beat Rice in a long-distance race. Even against Mejiro McQueen, who is highly regarded as a stayer.
However, in middle-distance—especially a 2000-meter race—Tokai Teio is truly dangerous. From the past race footage I've seen, she might even be able to beat Symboli Rudolf in a middle-distance race. Well, yeah, my Rice could beat Symboli Rudolf in a long-distance race.
But in a middle-distance race against Tokai Teio, even Rice would be at a disadvantage. I have to admit that.
As you can see with Rice, there are quite a few Umamusume who are stayers but can still run a shorter distance just fine. Rice can run middle-distances, and while she's a bit weak at miles, she can still run them.
Mejiro McQueen, a stayer like Rice, can probably also run up to middle-distance. But I believe both Rice and McQueen are stayers... they truly show their worth in long-distance races.
When the distance changes, the running style also changes. The distribution of stamina changes, and the feeling of where to make the final sprint also changes significantly.
Urara is a good example of this. She can run middle- and long-distance races if she runs slowly, but there's no way she can win by running slowly. On the other hand, she can give her all in short-distance races, and since she has built up stamina, she has started to show some great runs in mile races as well.
I wouldn't say Tokai Teio is a middle-distance-only runner. However, middle-distance is her distance.
(She seemed to be in poor form in the Arima Kinen, and even at 2500 meters, it's still a long-distance race... But this time is different.)
I replayed the Kinshachi Stakes race footage and became lost in thought.
(The one I'll have Rice mark is Tokai Teio... But Nice Nature is also there. And even though she wasn't impressive in the Arima Kinen, Ikuno Dictus seems tough around 2000 meters. The result could change depending on who I have her mark...)
I stared intently at Tokai Teio's thighs and calves as she ran in the Kinshachi Stakes.
(It's hard to tell from the footage... And I'll get in trouble if I try to get a close look... I hear she does a lot of self-training, so maybe I could tail her and observe at night... I'll get reported for sure.)
No one would say anything if I just scouted from a distance, and I wouldn't say anything if someone scouted Rice either. But if I tried to get a close, good look, I would definitely get in trouble.
Ever since I formed the team, the scrutiny has been harsh. I've become well-known to the seniors, for better or worse, so I have to be careful.
And I can't ask my classmates to scout for me either. I'm one to talk, but this year's Classics are too brutal for them to spare any thought for other things.
(I haven't seen her in a while, but Kiryuin-san looked down when I saw her the other day... It seems Happy Meek is at the level of just barely placing, and the turf races are getting crazy... The dirt races have some crazy ones too, though.)
Ever since I got the Team Kitaruha club room, I've had much fewer opportunities to go to the shared space for trainers. I still make an effort to go and talk to my classmates, but I haven't had a chance to meet with Kiryuin-san.
My classmates are in a tough spot, and I'm about to be in one too. Just as I was about to watch the Kinshachi Stakes footage again, there was a knock on the club room door.
"Come in."
The only person who visits this club room is usually Tazuna-san. I replied while watching the race footage, but I heard a short male voice—"Yo?"
"Excuse me."
"Oh... the trainer from Team Spica..."
The person who opened the door and showed his face was the trainer from Team Spica.
He's around 30 years old and tall, close to 180 centimeters. He has a unique hairstyle with his frizzy brown hair tied in the back of his head and the left side of his head shaved. And he's a handsome guy, with a bit of a scruffy beard. He's my enemy.
A team's club room is filled with all sorts of information related to that team. So, it's not a recommended action for a trainer from outside the team to visit...
"What can I do for you?"
I would be wary of a slightly older senior, but it's pointless to be wary of the Spica trainer. I'm sure he has all of Rice's information laid bare. It's no use being defensive against a trainer who is probably in the top five at the Tracen Academy.
"It's not good to meet like this before a race... but can I come in?"
"If you're here to talk about a fix, Tazuna-san will be here in a flash."
"I wouldn't do something that scary..."
Saying that, the Spica trainer entered the club room. He closed the door tightly and looked straight at me.
"Your's truly was taken care of by my Teio before. I thanked you over the phone, but I wanted to talk to you again properly."
Saying that, the Spica trainer bowed his head to me.
"You really helped me out then. I told Teio to make sure she warmed up properly, even if she's doing self-training... It seems she was impatient and half-assed it. I gave her an earful later."
"Ah... that incident. But why are you bringing it up now?"
I thought it would have been better to meet in person much earlier if that was the reason. I asked it as a genuine question, not in a way that implied he should have come sooner. The Spica trainer gave a wry smile.
"Hey, you had just formed your team back then, right? It would have been bad to just barge in on you, and now, no one would think that you and I would be meeting."
"Because we're enemies clashing in the Osaka Hai... It's too much for a rookie like me to go head-to-head with Team Spica. And isn't it unfair that you're running two of them?"
"If you think so, then you should get more members for your team, right?"
"Just because I get more members doesn't mean I can put them in a G1... I'm already overwhelmed with just Urara and Rice."
He said it so nonchalantly, but this guy is also dangerous in a different way from Tojo-san. His vibe is just different from the average trainer.
The Spica trainer—my senior—took out a lollipop from his pocket and put it in his mouth, then looked at the Kinshachi Stakes race footage I was watching.
"Is that Teio's race the other day? What do you think of my Teio?"
"You're really asking that? I want her on my team."
"No way... Besides, you just said you were overwhelmed with Haru Urara and Rice Shower."
"I am, but she's a talent I'd want to carry on my back if I had to. In middle-distance, she's top-class among the current generation, right?"
I answered honestly. She seems like a Umamusume who is prone to injury, but her ability and potential more than make up for it.
However, I also feel that she's not a good match for me. It's just a hunch.
"What about Gold Ship? She's..."
"Huh? Is Gold Ship-chan transferring? Please give her to me!"
"...You might be the first trainer who's had that kind of reaction after talking to her. But that was a joke. I'm never letting her go."
Gold Ship-chan gets along well with Rice, and she seems like she would take care of Urara in her own way. In that sense, she's a Umamusume I would love to have on Team Kitaruha.
From my senior's face and tone, it was clear that he had no intention of letting her go.
"Alright, to the main point... Both my Teio and McQueen are in perfect condition. Teio, in particular, is fired up to not show the same poor performance she did in the Arima Kinen. When she heard your Rice Shower was running, it was even hard for me to train her so she wouldn't get hurt, you know?"
"...Why are you telling me this?"
I don't know what her condition will be on the day of the race, but even knowing her current condition is a huge piece of information. So, I didn't understand why he would reveal it. It's possible that she's actually not in good shape and he's just bluffing, but from my senior's face, he didn't seem like the type to use psychological warfare.
"What, it might be un-gentlemanly to a rookie, but it's a declaration of war... I will do my absolute best to make Teio and McQueen win against Rice Shower. That's my declaration."
"I don't dislike that... But my Rice will be the one to win."
He made a direct declaration of war, and I responded in kind. Then, my senior laughed and turned his back to me.
"I think I understand why Ohana-san was so concerned about you... Well then, I'll see you at the Osaka Hai. This conversation is separate from the favor with Teio."
Saying that, my senior left the club room.
"Ohana-san... Who's that?"
However, hearing those words, I tilted my head.
And then, the day of the Osaka Hai finally arrived. The sky was unfortunately cloudy, but the rain was light if it rained at all. If it were a dirt race, the ground might have become heavy, but for turf, it would probably be good to slightly heavy.
The Hanshin Racecourse is in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture, and I judged that it would be difficult to make a day trip by car from Tokyo, so I arrived the day before with Urara and Rice.
The Osaka Hai was to be held on a Saturday, so I had Urara and Rice take the bullet train after their classes on Friday, stay overnight, and then run in the race.
The Osaka Hai was the 11th race at the Hanshin Racecourse, with a start time of 3:45 PM, which is a bit late. So we could have gone on the day of, but it takes about seven hours by car and nearly four hours by bullet train, and considering the return trip, it would be very difficult, so we decided to stay overnight.
We checked into the hotel after dark, but we had a delicious dinner, soaked in a hot spring, and had a good night's sleep, so Rice was in perfect condition. I had her run lightly on a nearby road, and there were no issues with her body, so she was in perfect shape to challenge the Osaka Hai.
And so, we arrived at the Hanshin Racecourse. Since it was a G1 race, many spectators had gathered. The maximum capacity is 80,000, but it seemed to be full already.
However, since Rice was running, I had no problem getting in. Urara was also fine since she was a member of Team Kitaruha.
After seeing Rice off to the waiting room, I took Urara to the paddock. I planned to have her mark Tokai Teio in today's race, but I wanted to check on her properly in the paddock, just like in the Arima Kinen.
I'm sure she's not in as obvious a poor condition as she was in the Arima Kinen. My senior from Team Spica said she was in good shape, after all.
While talking to Urara, we waited in the paddock, and the show finally began. The four rivals I was paying attention to in today's race were the ones I was focusing on, and I wasn't paying as much attention to the others—but it's a trainer's nature to check everyone just in case.
"Lane 3, No. 5, Nice Nature."
Nice Nature looks... in good form this time. She was in good form in the Arima Kinen, too, but this time it's about the same... no, she seems a little less energetic than in the Arima Kinen?
She's the fourth-most popular based on her past record and is responding confidently to the cheers of the crowd.
"Lane 5, No. 9, Rice Shower."
Rice is in perfect condition today as well. She's the third-most popular and didn't get first place, but when Rice appeared, the spectators who had gathered at the paddock cheered loudly. Rice responded with a smile... yeah, it's a good smile.
"Lane 6, No. 11, Ikuno Dictus."
Just like Nice Nature, this girl also seems to be in good form. She has a determined look on her face, and depending on the condition of Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen, I might have to consider changing who I have Rice mark.
"Lane 7, No. 13, Mejiro McQueen."
Mejiro McQueen's name was called, and an Umamusume in a racing uniform appeared in the paddock.
Her gray hair, which reached her back, had a beautiful luster, and her face was a very well-defined one that balanced both cuteness and beauty. She wore a white-based vest and shorts, and her waist was covered with a light blue cloth that fluttered like a sarong, but from the side, it looked like a type of dress.
Mejiro McQueen is an Umamusume from the prestigious Mejiro family who belongs to Team Spica, and she is the stayer I consider to have the highest chance of clashing with Rice.
She was forced to take a long-term leave due to an injury, but her comeback race is the G1 Osaka Hai, which is just insane. I really think the Team Spica trainer is too crazy.
She has won the Spring Tenno Sho twice in the last two years and will definitely be running in the Spring Tenno Sho as well as this Osaka Hai.
(I can't believe she was on a long-term break... She's in great shape. As expected from a Umamusume of the prestigious Mejiro family.)
She's looking around at the spectators with a dignified posture, but she has a certain grace that other Umamusume don't have. Her expression is filled with confidence and ambition, and I started to have second thoughts about whether I should have Rice mark Mejiro McQueen.
After all, even though she was out for a long time due to an injury, she's still the second-most popular. Even a layman in the audience can probably understand how amazing Mejiro McQueen is.
"Lane 8, No. 15, Tokai Teio."
Whether I change who Rice marks depends on this Umamusume. If she's in the same condition as she was in the Arima Kinen, I'll switch to marking Mejiro McQueen, but...
(Just as my senior said, she looks to be in good shape... This is a tough opponent.)
I muttered to myself with a wry smile after seeing Tokai Teio's face.
I talked to her during her self-training, but she has a more determined expression than she did then. She's in perfect physical condition, to the point where she's even showing off her unique "Teio Step" move to the audience.
She's the top favorite, probably because she's the defending champion of last year's Osaka Hai.
(Is Tokai Teio the right choice as planned...? Mejiro McQueen is a tough opponent, and Nice Nature and Ikuno Dictus also seem to be in good shape...)
I'm starting to have second thoughts here. In the Arima Kinen, the condition of each Umamusume was relatively different, so I could make a decision, but this time, all the Umamusume I'm watching seem to be in good shape.
Even so, if I have to choose, it would be between Tokai Teio and Mejiro McQueen.
"...Huh?"
While I was agonizing over this, I noticed Tokai Teio, who had given up her spot to the next Umamusume, looking at me. And with a determined expression, she pointed her index finger at me. Hey, don't point at people.
"Trainer? Teio-chan is looking and pointing at you?"
"It's rude to point at people, so don't you do it, Urara. But still, what a determined face..."
I couldn't help but smile wryly. Was it because my senior gave her an earful, or was it because I declared that my Rice would win if we met in a race?
Nearly three months have passed, and our encounter was only for a brief moment, but she seems to remember it clearly.
(Speaking of which, my senior said he would do his best to make her win. So is there a possibility that he's made some kind of plan to counter Rice?)
I don't think Mejiro McQueen and Tokai Teio would team up to crush Rice. In fact, if they did something like that on the G1 stage, they might lose to other Umamusume, including Nice Nature.
They wouldn't self-destruct just to prevent Rice from winning. So, they must be coming to win with their ability, but what will happen?
(They must know that Rice will mark the Umamusume who looks like she's going to win and then make her move. In the Arima Kinen, she won with a long sprint after changing her mark, but this is 2000 meters... The timing will be difficult...)
The 2500 meters of the Arima Kinen and the 2000 meters of the Osaka Hai. One might think it's only a 500-meter difference, but with a difference of 500 meters, the way you fight changes greatly.
(Considering her fighting spirit, she might let Rice mark her on purpose and then have a showdown with her in the final straight... This is a tough one...)
If I only focus on Tokai Teio, there's a chance that Mejiro McQueen will win by herself. After thinking that far, I noticed that Rice had come close to the paddock fence.
"Big Brother, any changes to the plan?"
"...What do you think of Tokai Teio today?"
I asked in a low voice when Rice spoke to me. Rice nodded with a serious expression.
"Unlike in the Arima Kinen, Teio-san is scary today. But, McQueen-san is also scary, I think."
"I know..."
Even Rice couldn't decide who to mark. Or, there's also the option of not worrying about marking and just going all out, but marking and then passing is the tactic that brings out the most of Rice's ability.
After thinking that far, I came to a realization about the tactic the opponent might take.
"We'll stick with the plan to mark Tokai Teio, but it's possible... that the opponent might mark you instead."
"Teio-san... will mark Rice?"
"Yeah. There are a lot of strong Umamusume like Mejiro McQueen, Nice Nature, and Ikuno Dictus, but you beat all of them except Mejiro McQueen in the Arima Kinen. Tokai Teio won't be able to ignore you."
Being marked by the person you're trying to mark. They probably don't think Rice will lose because of that, but it will definitely hinder her concentration.
"I don't think they'll do something as blatant as deliberately having a bad start to mark you. But, if you're marked by Tokai Teio, I want you to switch your mark to Mejiro McQueen. She's also a front-running type of Umamusume. If you stay near the front, it will come down to a showdown in the final straight."
Switching marks in the middle of a race is not easy, as we did in the Arima Kinen. But I believe Rice can do it, and she actually did it in the Arima Kinen.
"Okay, leave it to me, Big Brother."
So all I can do is believe in Rice, who nodded with a smile.
And with that, the curtain of the Osaka Hai rose.
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