The Japan Cup, where King competed, ended with her placing second. Now, Urara's Champions Cup was approaching.
Last year, she lost to Smart Falcon. If Smart Falcon was competing as she said she would, it would be a rematch. Urara was also excited to race against Smart Falcon again, and I, too, was determined to win this time.
"Oh, Falco must be working hard to get ready for the Champions Cup. I wonder if there will be some strong rivals. I'm so curious."
So, Smart Falcon, you don't have to say that while you're loitering around the club room, glancing over at me every day, okay? You don't have to choose a time when no one else is around to do that, okay?
I had already submitted the entry form, and Urara was in great shape and good condition. It was a good thing that Smart Falcon was aiming for a time when no one was around, or someone might get the wrong idea. Well, if she had been that obvious during the JBC series, we might have clashed.
Also, why does she try to lift Urara up so high? What is it about Urara that makes her and Broyé want to do that?
As I was thinking such silly things, the race card arrived three days before the race, as I had properly submitted the entry form. I returned to the club room with the race card and checked the contents.
And this time, I was right. I confirmed that both Urara and Smart Falcon's names were on the list. The usual faces like Sleighin, Heart Caesar, and Mini Daisy were also there.
(I'd like to say we'll settle things at the Champions Cup, but...)
The Champions Cup is a 1800-meter mile race, and last year, Urara finished third, losing to Smart Falcon and Sleighin.
And my record against Smart Falcon so far is 2 wins and 3 losses. Even if I win, it will be 3 wins and 3 losses, an even record. If I lose, it will be 2 wins and 4 losses, and the gap will widen.
In an 1800-meter race, Urara and Smart Falcon are evenly matched... or so I'd like to say, but Smart Falcon actually has a slight advantage.
Urara won against Smart Falcon at the Teio Sho, a middle-distance race, but her true nature is that of a sprinter. In the 1800-meter Champions Cup and the 2000-meter Tokyo Daishoten, there is a difference in distance aptitude compared to Smart Falcon.
But distance aptitude is nothing. With the stamina she's built up through hard work, grit, and running alongside Rice, Urara can definitely compete.
(Well, it all depends on how much my rivals have grown...)
They can compete, but you won't know the winner until the race is over. Smart Falcon's trainer gets her in top shape every time, and her previously unstable mental state is now stable.
And more than that, her obsession-like feelings for Urara are... a little odd. I wonder why she's so fixated on Urara. No, "fixated" sounds too light; I should say "obsessed."
Smart Falcon is still doing street lives to become a horse idol, but it's not on the scale of a street live anymore. Her trainer is still at the front of the fans, wearing a pink happi coat and cheering her on... The other day, he was doing a one-handed handstand while spinning around with a glow stick. I teach winning live choreography, too, but I don't think I've ever seen a dance like that.
And so, the preparations for the Champions Cup were steadily progressing. Rice and King helped Urara with her training and ran alongside her, so she was in perfect shape.
(This time, against Smart Falcon...)
I want to win with Urara.
That's what I thought.
The day of the Champions Cup.
The race was held at Chukyo Racecourse in Aichi Prefecture, so I borrowed a car from Tracen Academy and drove on the highway from the morning. Of course, I drove safely since Urara and the others were in the car.
Rice and King both wanted to sit in the front passenger seat, so after playing rock-paper-scissors, King ended up with the seat. Urara and Rice were in the back seat, and Rice, who had been a little down at first, was now chatting and giggling with Urara.
She was probably trying to help Urara relax... I think.
Urara today was... very calm. She was giggling with Rice right now, but she wasn't trembling with excitement, and above all, being this lively before a race meant that she was mentally relaxed.
She wasn't trying to act cheerful or being goofy. She was simply relaxed and looking forward to the race.
Urara has said that she's always been excited and looked forward to races since I met her, but it's different now. Back then, she was just happy to be running, but now, she seemed to be looking forward to competing against her rivals, especially Smart Falcon.
That's because Smart Falcon was also different from before. She wasn't in her worst condition even though she was in her best shape, like during the Teio Sho.
In a way, this time might be the first real race between Urara and Smart Falcon.
Given their condition and Smart Falcon's feelings for Urara, the Shoryu Stakes, which was literally their first race, might be a more fitting first race... but at that time, Urara, no, both Urara and I weren't in top shape.
(Speaking of which, Urara, who used to run in open races like the Shoryu Stakes, is now a regular at G1s... It's true that kids grow up fast...)
As I was thinking that, I looked at Urara's face in the rearview mirror.
She had matured compared to when I first met her... hmm, matured... no... she also looks the same... I see her every day, so it's hard to tell.
Still, there's no doubt that Urara has grown. Her approach to training and racing has changed since I first met her, and more than anything, she has become a stronger horse girl.
(The time has come to show the culmination of Urara's hard work.)
Depending on her condition after today's race, if she also runs in the Tokyo Daishoten, the two races this month will be the culmination of all the training Urara has put in.
To win or to lose. It's not certain. But my honest feeling was that I wanted her to run without any regrets... Well, of course, I always believe that Urara will win and want her to win, right?
So, after driving and arriving at the venue, we headed to Chukyo Racecourse, but...
"Lately, I've been thinking my senses might be dulled."
"What's wrong? You're being so sudden."
King, who had caught my mutter, looked at me with a suspicious look. I was driving, so I didn't look at King, but instead, I looked at the horse girl fans gathered on the sidewalks and open spaces in front of me.
"There are a lot of people."
"Yes, there are a lot."
King answered as if to say, "What's new?" but there really were a lot of people.
Chukyo Racecourse has a capacity of about 75,000 people. It feels small compared to Tokyo Racecourse, but it's still one of the top five racecourses in Japan in terms of capacity.
Even so, there were clearly people, people, people, and the occasional horse girl, who had overflowed from Chukyo Racecourse. It was a Sunday, but there were still too many people.
(Speaking of which, were the main races at the other racecourses open races today?)
Whether it was a reflection of the recent popularity of dirt racing or because there were no stakes races at the other racecourses, people were flocking to Chukyo Racecourse one after another.
They've really grown, I thought. The popularity of horse girl racing, both on turf and dirt, has skyrocketed recently. Turf races have always been popular, but the fact that dirt races are drawing this many people makes it feel unreal.
As I drove, I looked at the horse girl fans walking on the sidewalk, and it suddenly hit me. There really are a lot of people.
And even though they knew that Chukyo Racecourse was full and they couldn't get in, they were still walking toward it. They probably wanted to feel the excitement of the race from as close as possible.
I could understand that feeling, but I also thought that getting together and making a fuss with other horse girl fans was probably part of the fun for them now.
I paid attention to people who might dart out into the street and parked the car in the staff parking area. When I got out of the car with Urara and the others, the horse girl fans noticed us, and a murmur went through the crowd.
However, maybe because it was before the race, they didn't try to get too close. At most, a reporter, from who knows what publisher, would come closer.
"—Aha ☆"
And then, probably before the reporter could even get a word in, that voice rang out. When I turned around, Smart Falcon was there, having just gotten out of her car, just like us. She must have been waiting in the car until we arrived.
"Falco is so happy... I can finally compete with Urara-chan. I'm so, so happy."
Smart Falcon was smiling as she said that, but... wasn't that a bit too intense?
Her smile was so powerful that the reporter who had been approaching us turned around and put some distance between himself and her. He did, however, start taking photos with his camera from a distance.
How did Urara feel about Smart Falcon's intense presence? She gave a wide smile.
"I'm happy, too! But, Falco-chan. Don't make such a scary face; let's compete with a smile."
Apparently, Urara didn't see it as a smile. Smart Falcon heard Urara's words and deepened her smile, raising the corners of her mouth and laughing as if she was having the time of her life.
"Yeah... you're right, Urara-chan! Falco was so, so excited! So let's have a fun race, and I'll make sure to win it ☆"
With a pose that seemed to be a signature move, Smart Falcon declared victory. Urara smiled and nodded.
"Yeah! I'm gonna have fun running and win the race, too!"
With that, Urara and Smart Falcon declared that they would win. On the other side, Sleighin, who had just walked by, had a weird look on her face... no, she didn't.
"Then I'll just have to pass you two while you're focused on each other."
"Oh! Sleighin-chan!"
Well, Sleighin also declared victory, as if to say, "Include me, too." However, Urara's ears perked up, and her tail wagged happily.
If Urara is a closer, Smart Falcon is a leader, and Sleighin is a chaser, there is certainly a chance to win if she takes advantage of Urara and Smart Falcon's focus on each other... but the fact that she came all this way to say that, was it a protest from Sleighin to pay attention to the other rivals?
Well, I don't know about Smart Falcon, but Urara only focuses on Smart Falcon the most. She sees Sleighin and the others as rivals, too.
So she isn't being careless or underestimating them in the slightest. Urara always goes all in.
I have no idea what Smart Falcon thinks about all that, but... Smart Falcon's trainer is nodding with satisfaction, so there shouldn't be a problem.
"Good."
He said that before, too, but whether he really thought it was "good" or not was a mystery.
Then, as usual, I took Urara to the waiting room and secured a spot in the front row of the paddock. I narrowed my eyes as the unveiling began.
"Number 4 in gate 2, Smart Falcon."
When her name was called, a cheer of admiration rose from the horse girl fans who had packed the paddock.
"It's Smart Falcon..."
"Look at her hindquarters... they're well-developed."
"Yeah... as expected of Falco."
As I listened to them, I checked not only her hindquarters but all of her muscles. It's good to look at the development of her hindquarters, but you can't predict her running style without looking at her overall muscle balance, not just a few muscles.
(Hmm... she always looks great. She's in good condition, too...)
The current Smart Falcon has a liveliness that she didn't have before. It's a little different from Urara's, but the bright smile she gave as she struck a pose made her seem more approachable.
"Number 5 in gate 3, Sleighin."
Sleighin also looked to be in great shape. From our conversation earlier, I could tell that she was in good condition.
(...She's had a breakthrough.)
Maybe it's because she won the JBC Classic. The aura she gives off has changed to that of a champion. She has the skill and presence to be called a G1 horse girl.
"Number 10 in gate 5, Haru Urara."
When Urara's name was called, a cheer went up all at once from the horse girl fans. Urara responded by jumping up and down in place, but her carefree nature, which seemed out of place for a G1 horse girl, only made me smile wryly.
I wonder what someone who knows nothing about Urara would think if they saw her, I thought to myself.
I said that she seemed out of place for a G1 horse girl, but the aura Urara has is also that of a champion. Urara's body, which she has trained for this day, is in great shape, and she has enough experience to face the upcoming race with the right amount of tension.
"Trainer."
Urara, who had finished her unveiling, came closer to me from behind the paddock fence.
The lighthearted atmosphere from before was gone, and the seriousness before a race was slowly showing on her face.
"Smart Falcon and Sleighin are both in perfect shape and seem to be in good condition. But it's the same for us. After this, it'll all come down to the training we've put in and how much we want to win."
When I said that, King gave a wry smile and spoke.
"That's right, Urara-san. My trainer learned his lesson, so he's not wrong."
"No, I learned that a long time ago..."
I returned King's wry smile. The fact that King could say that herself showed just how mentally strong she was. Then, Rice spoke up.
"Urara-chan, it's rare to have the opportunity to compete with the opponent you want in the race you want, you know? So have a fun run without any regrets, and then win... Rice will be cheering you on with Big Brother and King-chan."
Rice reached out and patted Urara's head. Urara's eyes widened slightly at Rice's action, and she gave a huge smile.
"Yeah! Alright! I'm gonna do my best!"
And with that, Urara raised her fist with a look of determination.
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