『Under a clear winter sky, the 11th race begins. The Grade I Arima Kinen, a 2500-meter turf race at Nakayama Racecourse. The track condition has been announced as "Good."』
『The time has come for this race again. Like the Takarazuka Kinen, it's a dream festival where the participating Uma Musume are decided by fan vote. But the crowd has surpassed the Takarazuka Kinen this year... The URA has announced that over 1 million people have gathered. They said they honestly couldn't count any more than that.』
A fanfare blared, and the commentator and analyst each spoke... Wait, did the URA really make that announcement? Is the analyst joking? The crowd is laughing, so they must think it's a joke.
"Big brother, big brother, the news on the internet says it's incredible, too."
Rice said, showing me her phone screen. A news helicopter seems to be flying over the Nakayama Racecourse, and the camera shows the ground densely packed with people... Yeah, the helicopter is flying so high you can't even hear the sound. No wonder the URA gave up counting.
The stands are filled with a noisy commotion. Far from the stands, on the backstretch and even further out on the outer course... The gates are starting to be filled at the starting position that connects the outer course to the third corner.
『Lane 1, number 1, Crazy in Love. 12th favorite.』
『This Uma Musume was selected from the classic class. She hasn't won a G1, but she finished second in all of this year's Classic Triple Crown races. It's no exaggeration to say she's the only Uma Musume who can keep up with Narita Brian. Her ability is top-class even in the classic class.』
This is a popularity announcement in the same vein as a regular race, not based on the number of fan votes.
Despite the distance, I could see Crazy in Love bowing towards the stands. A bow towards the stands... well, he's not lying.
『Lane 2, number 3, Special Week. 2nd favorite.』
『In the fan vote, she was a step behind Narita Brian, but in the race, she's more popular. This G1 two-time winning Uma Musume, who defeated King Halo in the Japan Cup, is the 2nd favorite.』
Special Week cheerfully waved at the stands and entered the gate. From her demeanor, I still can't feel the same determination as in the Japan Cup, but she seems to be in good shape.
『Lane 3, number 5, Twin Turbo. 9th favorite.』
『The fan vote popularity and the race popularity are often similar... But as expected of Twin Turbo. I'm looking forward to seeing how her turbo engine is performing today. 2500 meters is a bit long for her... I hope her engine holds out.』
What's so "expected" about that... But I don't feel any malice, but rather a childlike excitement directed at Twin Turbo.
It seems not only the analyst but also the spectators in the stands have similar expectations for Twin Turbo. They might be thinking, "Maybe she can do it today," or "Maybe she won't after all..." It's probably a lot of fans who will cheer for Twin Turbo even if they have another Uma Musume they're rooting for.
『Lane 4, number 7, Grass Wonder. 7th favorite.』
『I saw her in the paddock a moment ago, and this girl is strong today... That atmosphere makes my expectations rise.』
A short but passionate comment from the analyst. This is different from the excitement he showed for Twin Turbo; it's a feeling he has from having watched many Uma Musume as an analyst.
Grass Wonder bowed gracefully and entered the gate.
『Lane 5, number 9, Nice Nature. 5th favorite.』
『This girl is strong, too... But I'd like her to finally win a G1. A good story would be her first G1 victory being the Arima Kinen.』
Nice Nature waved and entered the gate with a wry smile at the analyst's comment.
Honestly, I think Nice Nature might be the first one from Team Canopus to win a G1. She's a girl who consistently performs at a high level.
Well, in a mile or short middle-distance G1 of about 2000 meters, Twin Turbo might win before Nice Nature does.
『Lane 6, number 11, Narita Brian. 3rd favorite.』
『This year's Classic Triple Crown Uma Musume has appeared at the Arima Kinen. She's carrying high expectations as the 2nd favorite in the fan vote and the 3rd favorite in the race.』
Narita Brian entered the gate with a dignified stance. Even from a distance, she looks full of fighting spirit. Her composure is not something a classic-class Uma Musume usually has, even though she'll be a senior-class Uma Musume in a week.
I think Narita Brian has a mixture of confidence in her own ability and joy in competing against strong Uma Musume.
『Lane 8, number 15, Oishii Parfait. 10th favorite.』
『In a way, she's similar to Twin Turbo, and in another way, she's a rival who uses a chase running style. She's also famous for having many passionate fans. I wonder what kind of performance she'll show us in today's race.』
With his comments for Twin Turbo and now Oishii Parfait, I'm starting to think this analyst likes Uma Musume who run in a dramatic way. The passion in his voice feels different.
『Lane 2, number 2, Happy Meek. 6th favorite.』
『She has won G1s in short and mile distances. If she can win a G1 in a long-distance race here, she'll be on the verge of becoming the first Uma Musume since King Halo to conquer all distances in G1s. We have high hopes for her.』
The odd-numbered gates are all filled, and now the even-numbered Uma Musume are being introduced. Meek bowed to the stands with her little animal-like movements and entered the gate. Female fans cheered at her little-choppy movements.
『Lane 3, number 4, Machikane Tannhauser. 8th favorite.』
『There seemed to be a bit of an incident in the Japan Cup, but it seems she's safe this time... No, she doesn't. Is she okay...?』
The analyst sounds worried, but Machikane Tannhauser is entering the gate with a wilted aura. Is she really okay? Is she just feeling unwell, not injured or sick? But since the seniors from Canopus aren't stopping her, she must be in a condition to run...
『Lane 4, number 6, King Halo. 1st favorite.』
『The 1st favorite in the fan vote, and also the clear 1st favorite in the race. The G1 six-time winning "King of the generation" challenges herself to surpass her teammate, Rice Shower.』
Along with the comments about King, a huge cheer erupted from the stands. King waved at the crowd in response and entered the gate.
Yeah... she's calm, so she'll be fine. When my eyes met King's as she entered the gate, she smiled gently and then I saw her gently touch her ear covers. The way she touched them was so gentle and soft, like she was touching something very important.
And then, a horse ear wrapped in a dark blue ear cover popped into my view. When I looked, Rice was wiggling her horse ears and trying to convey something to me. Was she telling me to touch them?
『Lane 5, number 8, Oguri Cap. 4th favorite.』
『There were rumors that she was suffering from suspensory ligament inflammation, but she has made a miraculous recovery. She showed a very impressive performance in the Autumn Tenno Sho and the Japan Cup. She's an Uma Musume with high hopes for today's race.』
Oguri Cap clenched her right fist and entered the gate with a look of determination. She won the Mile Championship and ran well in the Autumn Tenno Sho and the Japan Cup... I guess it's safe to assume her suspensory ligament inflammation is completely healed.
And then, all the Uma Musume entered the gates. Following that, the murmuring gradually subsided, and the noise disappeared like a receding wave.
The Uma Musume must have also sensed that the start was near. They all took a forward-leaning posture inside the gates.
『All Uma Musume have entered the gates... And they've started!』
And with a bang, the gates opened, and the Arima Kinen began.
『All Uma Musume got off to a clean start. And the first one to take the lead, as expected, is number 5, Twin Turbo. Her turbo engine is roaring today. She's followed by number 14, Sold Out. Then, the group consisting of number 2, Happy Meek, number 3, Special Week, number 1, Crazy in Love, number 6, King Halo, number 7, Grass Wonder, number 8, Oguri Cap, and number 11, Narita Brian, is following.』
『It's a good start. Everyone was focused.』
『Slightly behind them are number 9, Nice Nature, number 12, Flower Net, number 4, Machikane Tannhauser, and number 13, Toile de Juvart. Near the back are number 10, Unchanging, and the usual number 15, Oishii Parfait. The distance from the leading Twin Turbo to the last-place Oishii Parfait is about 12 to 13 lengths, isn't it? The field is stretching out.』
The race hasn't even reached the middle yet, but Twin Turbo's lead is amazing, and the gap is widening. Her pace is on par with Smart Falcon's, or even better. No, Twin Turbo's pace is probably better in the early part of the race because she runs without thinking about what's to come. She's also a sturdy girl since she runs at that pace in every race and rarely gets injured.
『Twin Turbo is running up the hill without a care. Her turbo engine is roaring, and she's in perfect condition. She's sprinting down the home stretch and entering the first corner.』
『Wow, the torque of her turbo engine is different today. Look, she's barely slowing down on the uphill slope and the curve.』
The analyst said with deep emotion, "The torque is different," and laughter mixed with cheers rose from the crowd. It's always like this when Twin Turbo runs, and you can feel how much the fans love her.
As if being pulled by Twin Turbo, the Uma Musume ran, and I could see all of them sprinting past the home stretch and entering the first corner.
King looks calm even with Twin Turbo's pace. She's running while subtly changing positions with Special Week and Meek in front of her, and Crazy in Love and the others right behind her.
King and the others are trying to get an advantage by checking each other's eyes and slight movements, making feints, and limiting the running lanes of others.
The distance is great, and I'm not running myself, so I can't notice everything. But from King's subtle gestures, I can tell that she's clashing with the other Uma Musume while running at an incredible speed.
『The leading Twin Turbo is sprinting past the first corner and entering the second corner. The time at the 1000-meter mark is 58.9 seconds.』
『That's a pretty high pace for a long-distance race. The question is how long this pace will last.』
I always think this when I see Twin Turbo run, but her pace is just crazy. If she had the stamina to keep up this pace in a long-distance race, Twin Turbo would have been a legendary horse whose name would be etched in Uma Musume history.
She has already won some major races, so her name will probably be in Uma Musume history even now, but if she had the stamina to last, she would have been incredible. But even if she doesn't make it into Uma Musume history, she'll definitely be remembered by her fans.
『Number 5, Twin Turbo, is rushing down the hill and entering the backstretch while still in the lead. The 1000-meter marker is in sight. The second place is still number 14, Sold Out. A gap of about 5 lengths. About 2 lengths behind them, the group consisting of number 3, Special Week, number 6, King Halo, number 2, Happy Meek, number 7, Grass Wonder, number 8, Oguri Cap, number 11, Narita Brian, and number 1, Crazy in Love, is fiercely fighting for third place.』
In terms of sound effects, it's not just a subtle clashing; it's a grinding competition. However, King and the others who are competing all seem to be running with a sense of enjoyment.
They were selected by a fan vote, are running in front of a huge crowd, and are competing with strong rivals.
Uma Musume train hard every day to participate in races. Just being able to enroll in Tracen Academy makes them elites among their generation. And from there, they train themselves for many more years, compete with their rivals, and continue running while seeing others retire.
It's no exaggeration to say that all of that is for this very day, this very moment. They give their all to receive the cheers of the fans, to experience the joy of winning, and not to experience the frustration of losing.
It's precisely because we can see that kind of Uma Musume that the fans get so worked up. They cheer with all their might, even if their throats are sore, and try to give them even a little push. The Uma Musume also get strength from the fans' cheers and try desperately to run past the finish line first.
---Are you having fun, King?
When I asked that in my heart, I felt like I heard her answer, "Yes, I am."
『The leading Twin Turbo is passing the 800-meter marker on the backstretch and approaching the third corner. Twin Turbo has run 1700 meters with a huge lead. Will she run away with the race, or will the other Uma Musume catch up?』
『It's unknown how much fuel her turbo engine has left, but for the other Uma Musume, it's about time to make their move. This is not a stage where they can just let her run away.』
『The other Uma Musume are also leaving the backstretch and entering the third corner. They all passed the 800-meter marker... Here it comes! As expected, this Uma Musume is making her move! Number 15, Oishii Parfait, is accelerating all at once from the back!』
My thought was that she made her move at the 800-meter mark this time. Seeing Oishii Parfait accelerate and pass the Uma Musume in front of her despite the curve, I nodded.
(From the third corner to the final straight, the course is mostly flat... That's the only place they can make a move while minimizing the strain.)
The key will be how they conquer the hill with a height difference of almost 3 meters over a distance of 100 meters just before the finish line. And that's true not only for Oishii Parfait but for the other Uma Musume as well.
『Oishii Parfait, who came from the back, is passing the Uma Musume one after another! But the other Uma Musume are also starting to accelerate! Oishii Parfait has passed seven Uma Musume and entered the middle group, but what's next?! Can she pass more?!』
Oishii Parfait's final sprint is amazing. Because of it, it's not unusual for her to move up to second or third place, though not to the front.
But the horses in today's race are all champions. Prompted by Oishii Parfait's long sprint, they are all starting to accelerate and make their move.
『The Uma Musume are accelerating to catch up with the leading Twin Turbo! Twin Turbo has passed the 600-meter marker! Following that, the other Uma Musume are also passing the marker... And here's the move! It's number 6, King Halo, number 7, Grass Wonder, and number 8, Oguri Cap! They're accelerating even more to reach the front! A little behind them, number 3, Special Week, and number 11, Narita Brian, are also accelerating!』
『They're making their move at the 600-meter mark. Oishii Parfait is... still moving up.』
As King made her move, the other Uma Musume also moved. Among them, I paid attention to Grass Wonder.
Although she's hundreds of meters away, I could feel her aura completely change. Should I say her spirit is amazing, or her bloodlust is rising... She's running alongside King, radiating a tense aura, heading for the front.
(Is that the real Grass Wonder?)
Is she on par with, or even better than, Special Week in the Japan Cup? She probably doesn't reach the same level as Special Week in terms of ability. But her spirit is so much more amazing than her ability.
"I'll win no matter what. I'll definitely win." Her eyes, which seem to be shining, are screaming that. I wasn't the only one who felt that, as some of the spectators' cheers stopped unnaturally.
An ordinary Uma Musume would have been swallowed by that spirit. It wouldn't be surprising if she even stumbled and fell. With that much spirit---.
『And of course, she's moving up! King Halo is moving up! The "King of the generation"! She's quickly moving to the front! Passing the 400-meter marker! Just a little bit more to the final straight!』
King is not an ordinary Uma Musume, of course.
Grass Wonder is certainly an incredible Uma Musume, but King has been chased by the strongest Uma Musume every day. No matter how amazing Grass Wonder's spirit is, it can't match Rice's, who has won six G1s.
---Rather, that spirit will light a fire in King.
『The leading Twin Turbo is entering the final straight while still in the lead! Nakayama's final straight is short! Will the others be able to catch up in time?!』
『This is... I wonder if her turbo engine will last?』
The final straight at Nakayama is about 310 meters. This means Twin Turbo has already run 2200 meters without backfiring. She's desperately trying to keep going, breathing heavily as if she's about to backfire at any moment.
But I could see King closing in on Twin Turbo's back.
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! KING-CHAAAAAAAAAAN!"
"DO YOUR BESTTTTTTTT!"
I simply shouted. I raised my fist and screamed with all my might to push King forward. Urara and Rice also raised their fists and shouted desperately.
『King Halo is moving up! King Halo is moving up! King Halo passes Sold Out and is in second place! But right next to her is Grass Wonder! Today's Grass Wonder is scary! Grass Wonder is running to take down the "King of the generation"! And further back! Oguri Cap and Narita Brian have moved up!』
The commentator's voice becomes even more passionate. And following that, the crowd's cheers also get louder.
Dodododo, the sound of the Uma Musume running echoes. The cheers of the spectators and the fans gathered outside the Nakayama Racecourse fill the racecourse with a heat that feels more like summer than winter.
『Twin Turbo is desperately running away! Turbo is running away! But the real race begins here at the 200-meter mark! There's a hill from here on Nakayama's straight! A steep hill! It welcomes the exhausted Uma Musume at the end of the race!』
They have to run up a hill with a height difference of almost 3 meters over a distance of about 100 meters. There's still another 100 meters left after the climb, but this hill is the crucial moment.
『Twin Turbo is desperately climbing the hill! Right behind her! Less than 2 lengths away! King Halo, the "King of the generation," is closing in! And next to her is Grass Wonder! Oguri Cap and Narita Brian have also moved up to within 1 length! And behind them is Oishii Parfait! Is Oishii Parfait right behind them?!』
『Happy Meek and Nice Nature are also moving up. The other Uma Musume are also moving to the front all at once.』
『Twin Turbo will run away with it... she won't! Is she finally out of gas, Twin Turbo?! She's slowing down and backfiring! King Halo took that opportunity and moved to the front! But she can't relax! Grass Wonder! Narita Brian! Oguri Cap are moving up!』
King has taken the lead. And she's running up the hill, but the gap between her and Grass Wonder, who's running right next to her, is almost nonexistent.
Oguri Cap and Narita Brian are also closing in right behind her. The gap is less than a length, and she might be passed if she makes a single mistake.
"KING! DON'T STOP! WIN!"
In other words, King is so strong that she won't be passed if she doesn't make a mistake.
『She's conquered the hill and has 100 meters left! King Halo is in the lead! King Halo is in the lead! But we won't know who won until they cross the finish line! Grass Wonder is also accelerating! King Halo will keep the lead... No, the gap is widening?! She's even faster than Grass Wonder! What a pace! What an Uma Musume, King Halo!』
Oguri Cap and Narita Brian are closing in behind King, but... they won't make it.
『King Halo! She wins with a one-length lead! She has achieved her 7th G1 victory! 2nd place goes to Grass Wonder! 3rd place, Oguri Cap and Narita Brian cross the finish line side by side! The fight for 5th place is a three-way tie between Nice Nature, Oishii Parfait, and Happy Meek!』
"――――――――!!"
I let out a silent scream towards the sky.
King gradually slowed down after crossing the finish line and looked around to confirm that no one had passed her.
One after another, the other Uma Musume also crossed the finish line. And within a few minutes, the results board lit up.
『The order of finish has been determined. 1st place, number 6, King Halo. Winning time is 2:30.7. 2nd place, number 7, Grass Wonder, by 1 length. 3rd place, number 11, Narita Brian, by a neck. 4th place, number 8, Oguri Cap, by a neck. 5th place, number 9, Nice Nature, by 1 length.』
Looking at the results board and listening to the commentator's words, King raised her head as if looking up at the sky.
"Oh, my... Rice got passed by King-chan."
Rice muttered, looking at King. But her voice sounded happy and proud—and just a little bit regretful.
『King Halo! With her 7th G1 victory, she has surpassed her teammate Rice Shower and tied with Symboli Rudolf! The "King of the generation" has once again created a legend!』
At the commentator's words, a huge cheer erupted from the stands as if it had exploded. King didn't move, still looking at the sky, and Grass Wonder gently patted her back and said something. Then King slowly turned her face towards the stands and pursed her lips to hold back her tears.
And then, as if to boast of her number of G1 victories, King raised her right hand with her palm open, and her left hand with a peace sign. Cheers erupted from outside the Nakayama Racecourse, as if to scream King's name.
Looking at King, who was boasting of her 7 G1 victories to the stands, I imitated her and looked up at the sky. And as I stared at the clear blue sky, I muttered, "Ah."
---Unlike the first time I met King, the winter sky was cloudless and clear, as if to bless King.
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