Until they were about to exit the final turn, Yugi maintained a pushing posture, following the running rhythm of his partner beneath him and using his upper body strength to help it run more effortlessly.
He had to use his own ability to compensate for his partner’s lack of strength.
In the stands, Sagami Masayuki spoke to an old acquaintance beside him.
“This is the rookie jockey allocated to me by the Nagoya local circuit this year.
What do you think?”
His old friend could hear the boastfulness in Sagami Masayuki’s tone and could only curl his lip.
“He’s indeed not bad, but Central has its own monster rookie this year too.”
“Yutaka Take, right?” Although Sagami Masayuki was only a trainer at Kasamatsu, he had heard the name of this rising star jockey.
“That’s right.
He debuted in early March and has already taken 22 wins in Central.
Last month, he rode Regal to a second-place finish in the Kinko Sho.
Plus, with his father’s support, he’ll likely take up the mantle of the previous generation of jockeys and become a future pillar of the sport.”
“Then what do you think of Yugi-kun?” Sagami Masayuki was noncommittal about his old friend’s words and pulled the topic back to his apprentice on the field.
“Do you think he has the ability to gain a foothold in Central?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem,” his friend gave a positive answer.
“His riding style isn’t quite like the jockeys in our country.
He looks very aggressive, almost like…”
“Like the jockeys of those foreign horses in the Japan Cup,” Sagami Masayuki supplemented.
“A power-based riding style is exactly what Japanese jockeys are lacking right now.”
“Are you thinking of sending him to Central?” The old friend smiled, the wrinkles on his face deepening.
“A jockey of this level could help you win at least a hundred more races a year.
Masayuki-san, are you really willing to let go?”
“What’s there to be willing or unwilling about?” Sagami Masayuki waved his hand.
“If Yugi-kun establishes himself in Central, or even succeeds, it brings honor to me as his teacher.”
“You also know I don’t have many years left until retirement.” He sighed.
“So I want to wait until Oguri Cap finishes her active career, then I’ll let Yugi-kun go to Central.”
At this point, Sagami Masayuki paused.
“When that time comes, I hope Matsumoto-san can give him some opportunities.”
“That would be about three years from now, right?” Trainer Matsumoto thought for a moment.
“As long as Yugi-kun continues to improve, I can try to secure some resources from horse owners for him.”
“A while ago, Mr.
Uchimura, who uses the Tokai prefix, told me that because Tokai Roman won a graded race, the breeding rights to Symboli Rudolf he originally bought were given to Roman’s full sister.
That’s Tokai Natural, who was supposed to be trained by me but failed to debut due to injury,” he grinned.
“If Yugi-kun wins this race, I’ll try to get him the riding rights for that foal when the time comes.”
“Then let’s see if Yugi-kun can achieve the great feat of seven wins in one day.” Sagami Masayuki said this, but in his heart he was also cheering for the apprentice jockey of his stable.
After all, that was the primary riding right for the first-generation offspring of the “Emperor.”
As they rounded the fourth corner and entered the final straight, which was only 238 meters long, Yugi could feel that Bordeaux Prune’s breathing beneath him had become erratic — evidence of depleting stamina.
But he did not panic.
“I’m not the only one with significant stamina loss.” Yugi used the angle of the turn to glance at the opponents behind him, then turned back to eye the front-runner, concluding, “Everyone’s stamina depletion is about the same level.
In fact, Bordeaux Prune is among those who’ve lost less.”
So what he needed to do now was make the opponents behind him waste more stamina on unnecessary things.
Switching the whip to his left hand and holding the reins with his right, Yugi squeezed his legs tight to ensure he wouldn’t fall before abruptly giving Bordeaux Prune a strike with the left-hand whip.
Kasamatsu is a right-handed track.
A left-hand whip causes a horse to lean to the right, which here meant moving toward the inner lane.
Local jockeys usually preferred to guide their horses to the outer lanes to avoid the deep sand of the inner lane, which would affect their sprint speed.
“Normally, one shouldn’t go to the inner lane… but today is different.”
Because Kasamatsu had been holding races for four consecutive days, even if jockeys didn’t want to use the inner lane, many horses had stepped over the inner sand during those four days.
The sand on the inner lane now wasn’t much thicker than that on the outer lane.
At the same time, by angling from the outer lane toward the inner, Yugi blocked the acceleration space for the opponents who were closing in and eyeing an overtake, forcing them to decelerate and find new acceleration routes.
After catching his opponents off guard with unconventional thinking, Yugi knew the rest would depend on Bordeaux Prune’s own tenacity.
“Just like my training in the real world, even if I calculate every scenario for Oguri Cap and provide countermeasures, when it comes to the moment of life and death, it still depends on Oguri Cap herself.”
What kind of performance one can deliver in such a situation is the true manifestation of an Uma Musume’s talent.
While pondering, Yugi vigorously swung the windmill whip with one hand while using the other to push hard against his partner’s neck, easing the exertion of its sprint.
“Bordeaux Prune breaks out!
It’s coming, it’s coming, it’s coming!
This apprentice jockey is absolutely not to be underestimated!” The live commentator was excited to witness an unprecedented performance.
The spectators by the track also grew jubilant.
“Can he do it?” This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“It looks like he can catch up!”
“As expected, it’s not just Oguri Cap who’s strong, but her jockey too!”
Sagami Masayuki clenched his fists.
“Well done, just keep charging to the end!”
“Can he really do it?” Trainer Matsumoto narrowed his eyes, staring fixedly at the figure becoming clearer in his vision.
Yugi was deaf to all this noise.
“Take this race!
Whether in dreams or reality, I want to win every race!” His mind was consumed by this single thought.
His state while pushing was like a demon possessed, his intensity so great that anyone looking on would feel a phantom pain in their own neck.
“Bordeaux Prune has shaken off all opponents!” The commentator’s voice became incredibly impassioned.
“So what if Central has Yutaka Take?!
We in Kasamatsu have the even stronger Yugi!”
It wasn’t until after crossing the line that the notification sound of the viewer rang in Yugi’s mind.
He snapped back to his senses and chose to check.
“Obtained teachable skill — Lightning Demon.”
===
After Yugi woke up, he re-examined the attribute viewer.
It clearly stated that he had obtained a “teachable skill.”
“As the name suggests, I can teach this skill to Oguri Cap, right?” Sitting on the bed, Yugi narrowed his eyes, muttering while browsing the skill description.
“When executing a leading strategy, reduces stamina consumption and increases acceleration ability.”
“A very useful skill,” he evaluated.
“But how am I supposed to teach it to Oguri Cap?”
Yugi couldn’t figure it out, and the attribute viewer didn’t tell him either.
“Forget it,” Yugi turned on the light and glanced at the clock hanging in the bedroom.
“Since I’m up so early, I might as well go for a morning run for the first time in a while.”
So he quietly changed into sportswear and crept out of the guest room… Biratori Town, being in the countryside far from the Sapporo urban area, had air that smelled of dew in the time before the sun had fully risen.
Although it was summer, Yugi, who went out in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, suddenly broke out in goosebumps.
“Just a little exercise will fix that,” he muttered, starting his jog.
He had scouted the surrounding road conditions during his walk last night, so he had a good idea of the route.
To avoid disturbing the Uma Musume in the hot spring inn who were likely still in dreamland, he chose to start from the inn and jog all the way to Monbetsu Racecourse, rest there for a while, and then return to the inn to prepare for breakfast.
Heading southwest along the road, jogging while enjoying the scenery of Biratori Town, Yugi was in high spirits.
“Although it’s as rural as Kasamatsu, the scenery here is much better,” he thought.
While passing a crossroad, Yugi noticed an Uma Musume standing by the roadside, waiting for the red light to disappear.
He didn’t have much of an impression of this Uma Musume, but noticing she was wearing the Central Tracen Academy tracksuit, Yugi guessed she was likely one of the Uma Musume managed by Miss Tojo, also staying temporarily at Biratori Onsen Yukara.
“But chestnut long hair with green ear muffs… a carrot?” A rather rude association popped up in his mind.
Clearing his throat to divert his attention, Yugi stared up at the traffic light, no longer focusing on the Uma Musume standing diagonally in front of him.
As luck would have it, this “carrot” and Yugi were taking surprisingly identical routes.
The young man even considered whether he should temporarily change his destination to avoid being misunderstood later.
But “carrot” didn’t seem to mind, so in the end Yugi didn’t bother changing his destination either.
Barring any other reason, he still wanted to get to Monbetsu Racecourse early to observe if there were any noteworthy points about the track.
To avoid any potential misunderstanding, Yugi thought about it and decided to speed up and overtake the “carrot” ahead, thereby proving he had no intention of following her.
Within a few seconds of increasing his pace, Yugi was at “carrot’s” left side.
He looked straight ahead and sped up slightly more, trying to pull away from her instantly.
But just as Yugi was about to do so, “carrot” gave a light huff and also increased her speed, clearly unwilling to let Yugi overtake her.
“What the hell, is the competitive spirit of you Central Uma Musume really this strong?” Yugi complained inwardly, switching from a jog to a run.
Consequently, “carrot” also changed her posture, taking larger strides — clearly adopting a racing attitude.
Yugi caught this scene out of the corner of his eye, and phantom pains flared in his legs — he hadn’t forgotten the painful lesson of his youth when he interned at West Coast Tracen Academy and tried to race an Uma Musume, only to lose the race and break his leg.
So he simply reined in his effort, stopped jogging altogether, and started walking along the roadside.
“Why did you stop running?” To Yugi’s frustration, “carrot” also stopped and turned her head in confusion to inquire.
At that moment, with her back to the morning sun, the chestnut-haired Uma Musume’s hair was blown by a gentle breeze.
She hurriedly held her head with both hands so her well-groomed, lustrous chestnut hair wouldn’t be messed up by the wind’s mischief.
This posture only made her look more pitiful; an uninformed onlooker might think Yugi had just bullied the chestnut-haired Uma Musume.
Yugi admitted he was dazed for a moment — truly just a moment.
As a trainer for Uma Musume, he had seen plenty.
The Uma Musume favored by the three goddesses were all very beautiful; whether it was Oguri Cap or Berno Light, they would both be eye-catching in a crowd.
But after spending a lot of time together, the sense of novelty fades… Yugi’s gaze shifted as he replied, “I’m just an ordinary person.
I only sped up because I didn’t want you to misunderstand me later.”
The wind died down.
“Carrot” lowered her hands, and while tidying her clothes, she tilted her head.
“Ordinary person? New chapters come out on g.com first.
You’re a Kasamatsu trainer, not exactly a normal person.”
“So what if I’m a trainer?” Yugi shrugged, dismissive of the point.
“Trainers are ordinary people too.”
“But an ordinary local trainer wouldn’t have an Uma Musume come to Hokkaido for an expedition at this time,” “carrot” teased.
“Sister Sachiko told me all about it.”
Yugi was startled, remembering what the hot spring inn’s proprietress had said.
“Besides, I have a junior I know studying at Central Tracen Academy.”
“You’re that junior Miss Sachiko mentioned?” He realized.
“Yes.” The chestnut-haired Uma Musume smiled and introduced herself in a soft voice, bowing to Yugi.
“My name is Silence Suzuka.”
Yugi stepped aside to avoid the bow, then gave a simple introduction in return.
“I’m Yugi, a trainer from Kasamatsu.”
“Sister Sachiko praised Yugi-kun for quite a while,” Silence Suzuka continued with a smile.
“Thank you very much for supporting Sister Sachiko’s business.”
“It’s just that Miss Sachiko’s inn happened to meet my requirements,” Yugi waved his hand.
“It’s not worth thanking me for.”
“Then let’s continue jogging.” Silence Suzuka turned around and started walking.
“But I still want to be in front, please excuse me, Yugi-kun.”
“No problem,” Yugi smiled too.
“Being able to admire the beautiful gait of an Uma Musume running from behind is quite satisfying for any trainer.”
Due to the angle, he didn’t notice that in the next moment, a flush of crimson spread across Silence Suzuka’s cheeks.
===
Following behind Silence Suzuka, Yugi arrived at Monbetsu Racecourse.
There were no races at Monbetsu Racecourse today, but it wasn’t deserted.
Many local residents and tourists were still hanging around — although they couldn’t enter the racecourse itself due to maintenance, there were various amusement facilities around the perimeter that had opened early.
However, unlike these tourists and residents, Yugi had permission to enter the racecourse — because he was a trainer.
Of course, this permission only allowed Yugi to observe the grounds from the stands; it didn’t grant him any more authority today.
After presenting his trainer ID to the racecourse staff to prove his identity, Yugi was allowed to step into Monbetsu Racecourse.
As he was about to move, he caught an envious look from Silence Suzuka beside him out of the corner of his eye.
Noticing this, Yugi tentatively asked the Monbetsu Racecourse staff without a second thought, “This is a Central Uma Musume here in Hokkaido for summer training camp.
I can vouch for her identity.
Would it be possible for her to accompany me to tour the grounds?
I’ll keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn’t run around.”
The Monbetsu Racecourse staff was quite easygoing and didn’t make things difficult for Yugi and Silence Suzuka, nodding in agreement… As the two stepped into Monbetsu Racecourse past the staff, Yugi heard the chestnut girl behind him thank him in a low voice.
“Thank you, Yugi-kun.
Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have been able to get in here.”
Yugi waved his hand, his tone slightly nervous.
“Miss Silence Suzuka doesn’t actually plan to run on the track while it’s under maintenance, does she?
I’d get scolded by the racecourse staff if you did.”
“No,” Silence Suzuka quickly explained herself.
“I’m not good at running on dirt.”
“I see…” The young man wasn’t surprised.
After all, he had known since his first day here that the Uma Musume in Japan placed more importance on turf.
Thinking of this, Yugi’s mind stirred.
He intended to use his attribute viewer to check the stats of the chestnut-haired Uma Musume beside him.
“Her best distances are mile and middle, and her favorite strategy is runner… No wonder she was so sensitive about me overtaking her back then.” Yugi muttered to himself.
“She’s a runner Uma Musume, after all.”
As for data like B70-W53-H79, he ignored it all.
Because the presence of “???” in the skills section caught Yugi’s attention.
“What is this?” He focused his attention on it, but there was no response.
Yugi eventually gave up.
“Forget it, it’s probably Silence Suzuka’s secret.
I won’t worry about it.
She’s not an Uma Musume I’m responsible for training anyway.”
He refocused his attention on observing the track at Monbetsu Racecourse.
As one of the local racecourses in Hokkaido, this place had the largest grounds in all of Japan — the outer loop was a full 1600 meters in circumference, and the inner loop was 1300 meters.
The Hokkaido Yushun Himba that Oguri Cap was to challenge at the end of August was an 1800-meter race, so it would naturally use the outer loop.