"It's not entirely unlearnable."
Under the curious gazes of the gathered Uma Musume, Yasui Makoto carefully weighed his words before speaking in a measured voice, "For most Uma Musume, that particular Satsuki Sho run by Gold Ship-san indeed offers little reference value."
"That Satsuki Sho was held on a slightly heavy track. Due to accumulated water and the effects of the ten preceding races, the course conditions were extremely poor, demanding exceptional strength, physical prowess, and balance."
"Though there's no official data available, if my guess isn't wrong, Gold Ship-san's abilities in those areas are likely very impressive?"
"Oh? Not bad, Yasui-san!"
Proudly flexing her arm, Gold Ship struck a bodybuilding pose.
"Leaving everything else aside, when it comes to strength, physique, or balance, I've yet to meet a rival."
"Of course, I've encountered those who've tried to challenge me. But, well—they just got knocked flying, hehe!"
"K-knocked flying?" Kitasan Black's eyes widened in shock. "What... What happened? Did someone pick a fight with Ship-senpai?"
"No, no, I'm talking about racing—racing!"
Gold Ship's smug expression deepened as she explained proudly, "There was a certain someone who always bragged about how tough she was. She insisted on colliding with me during a race, and the result..."
She shrugged exaggeratedly, spreading her hands helplessly.
"She got knocked clean off."
Kitasan Black stared blankly, still bewildered, while Daiwa Scarlet sighed in resignation.
"Hey now, Ship. It's not right to gossip about someone behind their back, you know?"
"Besides, I clearly remember that collision at the Takarazuka Kinen happened on the final turn. Isn't contact at turns pretty normal in racing? You shouldn't accuse Air Groove-san of intentionally hitting you."
Gold Ship immediately retorted, annoyed:
"Hey, Vodka! Are you siding with me or that lady, huh? She definitely had malicious intentions—I know it!"
"Alright, alright, we get it, Goldshi—you're strong," Daiwa Scarlet intervened soothingly. "But we're discussing Kitasan's upcoming Satsuki Sho. Let's listen to Yasui-kun first, shall we?"
Hearing this exchange, Yasui Makoto suppressed a chuckle.
The race the Uma Musume were discussing was Gold Ship's first Takarazuka Kinen as an older horse, and indeed, there had been a collision. But far from being affected negatively, Gold Ship had surged magnificently out of the turn, delivering a spectacular victory.
This was precisely the point Yasui intended to highlight, which was why he'd chosen not to interrupt.
Depending on moisture content, racecourse conditions were classified into four types: firm (ryou), slightly heavy (yaya omo), heavy (omo), and very heavy (furyou).
Firm tracks, also called "fast tracks," were dry and ideal for achieving maximum speeds.
Slightly heavy tracks, or "sticky tracks," became gelatinous mixtures of grass, mud, and water, demanding greater effort and strength to maintain high speeds.
Heavy tracks retained even more water, causing hoof sinking, greatly increasing the strength requirement and significantly reducing achievable speed.
Very heavy tracks, or "muddy tracks," were extremely rare and severely deteriorated—every step would leave deep craters, making it near-impossible to run at regular speeds.
Gold Ship's Satsuki Sho had been slightly heavy. Due to heavy rain and the ten prior races, the outer turf conditions were manageable, but the inner lanes had essentially degraded to heavy-track conditions.
Precisely because of this, nearly all the other Uma Musume chose the outer lanes—except Gold Ship, who incredibly surged from last place along the severely degraded inner lane, overtaking sixteen opponents in an unbelievable victory.
Theoretically speaking, Kitasan Black wasn't incapable of running on such a track. Like Gold Ship, she had outstanding strength, exceptional stride quality, and excellent physical fitness. This made joint training sessions ideal for improving her skills in these conditions.
As Daiwa Scarlet brought the conversation back around, Yasui Makoto naturally nodded.
"That's precisely what I wanted to point out. It's because of her extraordinary strength, physique, and balance that Gold Ship-san was unaffected by collisions and difficult track conditions, allowing her to secure victories even under those circumstances."
"The slightly heavy track in the Satsuki Sho was incredibly muddy. Achieving high speeds demanded immense strength, and the deteriorating inner lanes after ten races imposed additional requirements for physicality and balance."
Turning directly to Kitasan Black, Yasui continued:
"And Kitasan-san, your strength and physical fitness are top-tier among your peers."
"Over the past three months, I've been working steadily to unlock and develop that potential. Therefore, training alongside Gold Ship-san would greatly help in translating that potential into speed and other winning factors."
Hearing this, Kitasan Black fell into thoughtful silence, while the other Uma Musume nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, from that perspective, even Goldshi isn't entirely useless..."
Daiwa Scarlet nodded with amusement, ignoring Gold Ship's protest—"What do you mean I'm not entirely useless?"—and continued questioning Yasui.
"Since you've thought this far, Yasui-kun, you must have some sort of plan?"
Without hesitation, Yasui Makoto frankly replied:
"Exactly. I plan to implement 'training through racing'—using practice races to enhance Kitasan-san's abilities."
"Unlike official races, practice races aren't about winning or losing but achieving specific training goals, which means less physical strain overall."
"Compared to ordinary joint runs, practice races allow us to target multiple training objectives simultaneously, reducing training duration and aligning well with Kitasan-san's current needs."
"They're also easier on everyone's schedules. After all, as much as you care about Kitasan-san, you all have your own responsibilities."
"It wouldn't sit right with either of us if we inconvenienced you too much."
At this point, Yasui Makoto rose from his seat, bending deeply at the waist in a formal bow.
"Of course, even with this arrangement, I realize we'll inevitably be troubling you all. But I sincerely hope you'll agree—I'm counting on you."
The sudden solemnity stunned and surprised all the Uma Musume.
"W-wait, Yasui-kun, why are you suddenly being so formal...?" Daiwa Scarlet asked in confusion. "Even without asking, we'd all gladly help."
Vodka and the others didn't speak, but their nods and expressions clearly matched Daiwa Scarlet's sentiments.
Kitasan Black stared blankly at Yasui Makoto, whispering unconsciously,
"Trainer…?"
Straightening up and facing the puzzled gazes directed at him, Yasui Makoto smiled warmly.
"I've already decided—I'll do everything in my power to help Kitasan-san win every single race from here on."
"I know this sounds absurdly ambitious. After all, the Twinkle Series is nearly a hundred years old, and no Uma Musume has ever accomplished such a feat. I never even imagined something like this myself before."
"But precisely because it seems impossible, it holds greater meaning as a goal, doesn't it?"
"Or perhaps I should say, Kitasan-san has already shown me clearly the scope of her dream."
"What I've just described…could be called a dream I've finally realized, albeit belatedly, as her trainer."