As the date for the Japan Cup drew near, the public's interest in the event grew daily, a fact that was evident from what I saw on TV, heard on the radio, and read on the internet, in magazines, and in newspapers. Then, a news flash broke:
--Broyé, the Arc de Triomphe winning horse girl, is coming to Japan.
Many news programs switched to live coverage as Broyé, who had departed from an airport in France, was set to arrive at Haneda Airport in Japan. I put my work on hold, brewed a cup of coffee, and sat in front of the TV.
The Japan Cup is already popular, but the mere fact that a winner of the Arc de Triomphe was coming to Japan had horse girl fans in a frenzy. Given the live broadcast, many must have been scrambling to get to Haneda Airport. I just hoped there wouldn't be any traffic accidents.
In a pre-arrival interview, she mentioned she was coming early to get used to the Japanese turf.
When foreign horse girls compare Japanese and foreign turf courses, they often say the Japanese turf "feels hard." This is apparently due to differences in the root systems of the grasses—the Japanese turf and the turf at Longchamp Racecourse, where Broyé often runs.
I've never been there, but I've heard that Japanese horse girls who go to Longchamp often say the turf "feels deep." While the Japanese turf is actually taller, the difference in root structure makes it feel that way.
Broyé planned to arrive ten days early to get a feel for the turf before taking on the Japan Cup. In other words, she's doing everything she can to win.
As for King, her training was also going smoothly, and she was in top form. She's always been great at self-management, and a physical exam showed no abnormalities. The stress her daily training puts on her body is within a tolerable range, and she pushes herself to the absolute limit.
King has always been incredibly driven when it comes to training and racing, but recently that drive has become even more pronounced. With one more G1 victory, she'll tie Symboli Rudolf's record; with two, she'll surpass it.
She's already tied with Rice in terms of G1 wins. One more G1 victory would put her ahead of Rice, but... Rice has achieved many great feats, so it's a bit hard to say she'd "surpass" her.
Rice has 6 G1 victories, a long-distance G1 win, both Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho titles, the Autumn Senior Triple Crown, and two consecutive Arima Kinen wins.
King currently has 6 G1 victories, both Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho titles, and G1 wins at all distances.
Looking at it this way, Rice's record still seems a bit more impressive. While King's accomplishment of winning G1 races at all distances feels like it might surpass Rice's achievements, it probably just depends on how you look at it. I wonder what people's opinions will be if King gets a 7th G1 win to tie Symboli Rudolf, or an 8th to surpass him.
However, if she can run in the senior class next year, I feel like she could achieve it eventually. Unless King suffers a major injury that requires a long recovery, I think she could surpass Symboli Rudolf's record next year, even if she can't do it this year.
But, as King said, with that possibility in mind, the URA might recommend she retire from the senior class next year and move on to the Dream Series... In that case, she could even take on G1 races overseas.
I even thought it might be interesting to go for the Arc de Triomphe. Since she'll be competing against Broyé, the winner of this year's Arc de Triomphe, at the Japan Cup, it will open up new prospects for overseas races.
"The plane carrying Broyé has just arrived at Haneda Airport! She should be appearing soon, and... there she is! It's Broyé!"
As I was lost in thought, the horse girl, Broyé, appeared on the TV screen. At the same time, a flurry of flashes went off, causing the screen to flicker violently. It was hard on the eyes.
I quietly looked away and drank my coffee. Once the flashing subsided, I turned my attention back to the TV.
Broyé, on screen in her casual clothes, looked like a model with her tall stature and great physique. Horse girls are generally beautiful, and she had the definite air of a champion, standing confidently with a slight smile despite the cameras and reporters.
"Ugh... I wish they'd show her legs more..."
I flipped through the channels, but none of the TV stations were properly showing her legs. They were either showing a full-body shot or a bust-up, so I couldn't get a good look at her legs. You couldn't tell much about her muscle development through the screen, but the high-quality picture was at least somewhat useful.
I guess I'll just have to settle for the full-body shots. I'll check her posture... it looks good. During the summer she'd be wearing less, so I could get more information from her physique, but she was wearing a slightly baggy long-sleeved shirt, so I couldn't learn much.
(...If they announce a public training session, I wonder if I should go watch?)
I thought to myself as I watched Broyé respond quite politely to the reporters.
She was either very service-oriented or just accustomed to being surrounded by cameras and reporters. Her mental toughness seemed as impressive as her physical ability.
"Ms. Broyé, could you tell us your goal for the Japan Cup?"
As I was watching Broyé, one of the reporters asked this question. Broyé exchanged a few words with the female interpreter next to her, and the interpreter responded.
"As I answered in a previous interview, she came to defeat the horse girl known as King. The Japan Cup title is just a bonus."
A murmur went through the reporters. It was understandable, as she was treating winning the Japan Cup as secondary, placing more importance on beating King.
"She says she watches Japanese races often, and she believes that the strongest horse girl in the senior class right now is her. She says that although she hasn't raced overseas, she wants to defeat the 'King of her generation,' who has 6 G1 victories in Japan, and return to France triumphant."
I don't know how much the interpreter was improvising, but Broyé herself looked very confident. Perhaps bothered by Broyé's attitude, one of the reporters asked a question with a lot of force.
"You say you're going to defeat the 'King of her generation,' but King Halo is in the senior class. She's been training for a year longer than you, a classic class horse girl. Do you still have the confidence to win?"
I thought, "Ah." I don't know if the reporter was biased toward King or just irritated that a Japanese horse girl was being looked down on, but that was a poor question to ask.
Broyé heard the question from the interpreter and laughed as if she found it amusing. She then said something to the interpreter. The interpreter frowned in confusion and replied with a wry smile.
"Uh... she says, 'I've already flown higher than the condor who was active in the Japanese senior class. Do you still think I can't win?'"
The condor... she must have been referring to El Condor Pasa. The reporter fell silent and retreated in frustration.
El Condor Pasa was a G1-winning horse girl in Japan who also won G1 races overseas, and she was undoubtedly one of the top-class horse girls in the Japanese senior class. Having beaten her, there was no reason why a classic-class horse girl like Broyé couldn't beat a senior-class horse girl like King.
(Hmm... she's got some nerve. Are all foreign horse girls this tough, or is she an exception?)
I thought, "I like this one." Her competitive spirit is a kind of talent. Or maybe it's just her confidence in her own ability. Being able to come to a foreign country and give a response like that so soon after arriving at the airport is impressive.
She's got talent, confidence, nerve, and the mental strength to come to a foreign country. Since she beat El Condor Pasa and won the Arc de Triomphe, she's probably the type who trains diligently. A horse girl who relies solely on talent wouldn't have been able to beat El Condor Pasa.
(I wonder if there are tons of horse girls like this overseas... nah, probably not.)
It's an exciting prospect as a trainer: King competing against Broyé, who is likely one of the most skilled and mentally tough horse girls overseas.
"Are there any other horse girls you're paying attention to besides King Halo? The Japanese senior class has several horse girls known as the 'Golden Generation,' but..."
Another reporter asked a new question. Broyé heard the question from the interpreter and shrugged with an exaggerated, foreign-like gesture.
"She says she probably won't be running with them, but she's paying attention to Smart Falcon, who finished second in the Saudi Cup, and Haru Urara."
Oh, is she saying she's not interested in anyone else in the turf race besides King? Or maybe it's because Urara and Smart Falcon have both won 4 G1 races, making them top-class in the current senior class... Speaking of which, King is at the top with 6 G1 wins, but Urara and Smart Falcon are second in G1 wins.
In that sense, it could be said that Broyé was just listing the names of horse girls with more G1 wins than her. The question is how the reporters will interpret this and what kind of articles or news they'll write.
(It's also possible she's trying to hype up the Japan Cup... well, if it gets any more hyped up, the area around Tokyo Racecourse is going to be a madhouse.)
I wondered just how many horse girl fans would flock to Tokyo Racecourse.
Then came the day of the Japan Cup.
As expected, the area around Tokyo Racecourse was an absolute madhouse.
It was filled with people, people, people, and the occasional horse girl—a crowd so massive that the word "massive" seemed an understatement.
I had decided to drive, knowing that public transportation would be a mess, and the sidewalks were packed with people. However, no one had spilled out into the road; they were all walking in a neat line toward Tokyo Racecourse.
The reason was apparently to prevent an accident on the road that might cause a horse girl to be late for the race.
Indeed, if a car hit someone, the horse girl in that car wouldn't be able to race. If their trainer was detained to deal with the aftermath, the horse girl wouldn't be able to complete the racecourse procedures.
That's why it's safer to use public transportation, but then you'd be in trouble if something happened with the trains or buses. And if I took King on a train today, it would be a complete disaster.
So, when a race is held near the Tracen Academy, trainers and their horse girls these days either take a taxi or borrow a car from the academy and drive it themselves, provided they have a license.
The horse girl fans who couldn't get into Tokyo Racecourse were not only staying off the road, but they were also leaving the area near the staff parking lot completely empty.
If a child who didn't know better wandered in, an adult nearby would explain and take them away. If someone tried to brazenly claim a spot, they were escorted away by security guards hired by the URA.
So, when I parked the car and got out, I sometimes ran into other horse girls.
"Bonjour."
I thought to myself, "That's a fancy car in the parking lot," and then Broyé got out. As soon as she saw me, she smiled and greeted me.
"Bonjour."
"Bonjour!"
"B-Bonjour?"
I replied, thinking, "She really does have a good build." Urara waved with a smile, and Rice tilted her head as if to ask, "Did I say that right?"
"Bonjour."
King, in turn, smiled and replied. Her pronunciation was quite good.
"King Halo."
Broyé looked at King and called out her name. But then, as if she noticed something, she looked at Urara and Rice, then back at King, and then, with a speed that seemed to make a sound, looked at Urara and Rice again.
"Rice Shower! Haru Urara!"
Broyé's face lit up as she walked toward Urara and Rice and extended her right hand. Rice, looking confused, shook her hand, and Urara high-fived Broyé's raised left hand.
She then spoke to the interpreter in a very rolling r-sound, and the interpreter spoke.
"She says it's an honor to meet Rice Shower and Haru Urara. She says she wanted to race against Rice Shower in the same race and that she finds Haru Urara's lovely smile to be healing. She also says her running is powerful."
As the interpreter finished, Broyé winked at Urara and Rice. Then, with a serious expression, she stared at King and said something to the interpreter.
"She says you look in great shape. She was looking forward to competing against you in today's race. She says, 'Let's have a good race.'"
After the interpreter spoke, Broyé smiled and extended her right hand to King.
I thought she looked a lot different from how she appeared on TV. As soon as King took her hand, Broyé gave a combative smile.
"The winner... will be me," she declared in broken Japanese. But I didn't sense anything malicious in her words. She was acknowledging King as a formidable opponent but asserting that she would be the one to win.
"Then... let's have a good race," King replied.
After shaking King's hand, Broyé's expression softened into a smile, and she turned her back to us and started walking away. I wondered if she had studied that Japanese hard after coming here, when King suddenly spoke.
"Il ne faut pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué."
Broyé stopped. She looked back over her shoulder at King and laughed merrily.
"À cœur vaillant rien d'impossible."
With that, Broyé finally walked away. But... this is Japan. Can't you at least speak in English?
"King-chan, what did you say?"
Rice asked curiously, and King shrugged.
"It's like the Japanese proverb, 'counting your chickens before they hatch.'"
"Whoa... King-chan, you're amazing! I don't know what language that is, though!"
Urara praised King with a smile. King puffed out her chest, lightly brushed her hair, and smiled.
"Of course. I'm a first-class horse girl. I can speak a foreign language or two."
She called herself a first-class horse girl, but given her accomplishments, she wasn't wrong. I wonder if she learned a foreign language because her mother was a horse girl who was active overseas?
"Then what did Broyé say at the end?"
I asked King, wondering if she really understood or if she had just memorized what she wanted to say. King gave a wry smile and replied.
"It's a French proverb. 'For a valiant heart, nothing is impossible.'... I think so, too."
After the unexpected encounter with Broyé, I sent King to the waiting room and then headed to the paddock with Urara and Rice.
The path to the paddock was packed with people, and the paddock itself was swarming with horse girl fans.
The fans were all talking about today's Japan Cup, and I could hear the names of King, Special Week, Oguri Cap, and Broyé from all around.
"I wonder if King Halo will win today?"
"Broyé's strong, too..."
"Just look at her run in the Autumn Tenno Sho. Special Week's gonna win today."
"No, no, it's Oguri Cap."
They were all rooting for different horse girls. I also heard voices rooting for Nice Nature, Meek, and even Oishii Parfait. It made me realize that in a G1 race, every horse girl has their own fans.
I managed to move to the front row of the paddock. After waiting a few minutes, the unveiling began, and I paid close attention. The seniors from Spica and Canopus, Kiryuin-san, and other fellow trainers were also at the paddock.
"Number 6 in gate 4, Oguri Cap."
When Oguri Cap came out in number order, unlike at the gate, I couldn't help but let out a groan.
(Hmm... she looks good. Like in the Autumn Tenno Sho, her fighting spirit is completely different from before...)
Before, Oguri Cap would just blankly stare at the sky in the paddock or before the gate, but lately, her expression has been filled with a kind of fighting spirit, though I don't know what changed in her heart.
However, this Oguri Cap also ran in the Mile Championship last week... She had just recovered from a desmitis, so I thought she would skip the Japan Cup...
By the way, she easily won the Mile Championship since there were no strong rivals. I wonder if she's trying to ride that momentum and win the Japan Cup, too?
"Number 7 in gate 5, Happy Meek."
Next to enter the paddock was Meek. She looked perfectly ready and in good shape. As expected of Kiryuin-san.
"Number 8 in gate 5, Machikane Tannhauser."
Next to be called was Machikane Tannhauser... but...
"Huh? Machikane Tannhauser isn't coming out?"
"What's up, Mac-chan?"
"Did she get the order wrong?"
Machikane Tannhauser's name was called, but for some reason, she didn't appear in the paddock. After a few dozen seconds, an announcement was made.
"Number 8 in gate 5, Machikane Tannhauser, has had an accident, and we will be skipping her turn."
The sudden announcement caused a murmur among the spectators. I instinctively looked at where the senior trainer from Canopus was... huh? She's not there?
"Number 11 in gate 7, Nice Nature."
As the murmuring continued, Nice Nature came out. She was constantly looking back, a worried frown on her face.
I peered into the walkway to the platform... something's not right, I can see the back of the senior trainer from Canopus, who was just in the paddock. Is that a different person? Is Machikane Tannhauser even farther back?
"Number 12 in gate 7, King Halo."
As I was looking, King came out into the paddock. She seemed to be a little concerned about what was behind her, but she still stood tall with a smile.
"It's King Halo..."
"She's so imposing..."
"If she wins today, she'll tie Symboli Rudolf with 7 G1 wins... I'm so excited."
The horse girl fans spoke as they looked at King. King was unfazed by their voices. She looked at... no, not me, but at Rice.
King was looking at Rice with a challenging expression. Rice gave a wry smile at King's gaze, but King's mouth opened and closed slightly, conveying her will to Rice.
I wonder if she was saying, "I'll win," or "I'll surpass you." If she wins, she'll tie Symboli Rudolf, but she'll also surpass Rice in G1 wins. King must have been conscious of that, too.
"Number 13 in gate 8, Special Week."
Next to enter was Special Week... and I couldn't help but let out a gasp.
(She looks even better than she did in the Autumn Tenno Sho... she's a tough opponent.)
Her physical condition, fitness, and mental state all seemed to be in perfect harmony.
A fierce aura surrounded Special Week today, but she seemed to be holding back her own passion.
She was undoubtedly a tough and formidable opponent. King must have thought so, too, as she was staring intently at Special Week on the platform.
"Number 14 in gate 8, Broyé."
There were 14 participants in this year's Japan Cup, so Broyé was in the outermost gate. King, Special Week, and Broyé were all grouped in the outer gates.
However, Broyé didn't seem to care about the outer gate at all. She stood proudly in her racing uniform. She had the air of a true Arc de Triomphe winner, and some horse girl fans were frozen with their mouths agape.
My impression of Broyé in her racing uniform was that she had come to Japan well-prepared, despite the foreign environment.
The climate, the food, and even the water are different. Despite that, Broyé's condition looked good, and her body seemed to be in great shape. She's probably the type who takes good care of herself, just like King.
"Number 8 in gate 5, Machikane Tannhauser."
Finally, Machikane Tannhauser, whose turn had been skipped earlier, came out. She had her right hand covering her mouth... or rather, her nose and mouth, and she was shyly waving with her left hand.
Her face was bright red. I wonder what happened. And if I wasn't mistaken, there were bloodstains all over her racing uniform...
Is she really okay? As I was thinking that, Machikane Tannhauser didn't go down into the paddock and instead slowly backed away.
The horse girl fans also voiced their concern for her, and when she heard them, her face turned even redder.
There was something unsettling about it, but with that, the curtain was raised on my second Japan Cup.
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