The hour after the race felt very strange. If I tried to describe it, I probably couldn't but that one hour I think I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.
Of course, after the race, the part about dancing and singing had to come. Grand Ekinoks had won for the first time, so she should have been the one to shine the most, but her reluctance to dance hadn't completely gone away.
Fortunately, thanks to the practice she had done, she didn't do anything that would embarrass herself. Still, I think there were still some gaps in her singing.
When the concert ended, I wanted to go to her room to hear what she felt. When I arrived, I found that Grand Ekinoks wasn't alone.
Cannon and Tolikopa were there, congratulating Grand Ekinoks.
After that, I suddenly found myself returning home with three umamusume.
The taste of the carrot cake Grand Ekinoks had made was still on my palate, and I felt obligated to her. I had said I would prepare a special meal for her to both erase this feeling and celebrate the victory.
But when Cannon and Tolikopa heard about a free meal, they kept saying they wanted to come too. I did my best to break their stubbornness but I couldn't manage. Now I would cook for three umamusume instead of one.
Am I a trainer, or a cook, or what exactly.
We finally reached my home and I headed to the kitchen to prepare the meal I had promised the girls.
The three umamusume were in the living room, talking among themselves.
I could hear what they were talking about.
"Tolikopa. I've heard your trainer is traning two umamusume. Tell us something about your friend."
"We've only known each other for about a week but those cold looks can chill a person. Grand definitely doesn't have looks like that."
"Stop nagging me again. Take this off me, Cannon."
"No. I want to know who Tolikopa's training partner is."
"Why are you so curious about this?"
"I heard today that she also argued. You know how it goes: keep your friend close and your rival closer."
Although my pace of cooking was slowed by my desire to listen to their conversation, it didn't matter. Most likely the three umamusume were deep in a conversation that they couldn't perceive how quickly time passed.
During this, I heard Tolikopa speak in a very serious tone for the first time.
"She is much more talented than I am. She doesn't just race on turf like Grand. She can run on both dirt and turf. In our training runs, she once beat me by eight lengths."
Then I heard Grand Ekinoks's voice, which sounded anxious.
"I got curious too. How can someone as energetic and optimistic as you become so depressed?"
"Actually, she is a 'transfer' student. She's French from birth. She also has a noticeable accent in the way she speaks. Her name is Koşturan."
Hearing who won the day's first race was a surprise for me. I thought, "So I wasn't imagining my bad feelings for nothing."
"Both of you be careful around him. Especially you, Grand."
"Um… Why me?"
"Your chances of meeting him in Uma Trial Stakes are very high."
"Uma Trial Stakes…"
This was the first leg of the Triple Crown race.
Grand Ekinoks didn't have many G1 races before the Gazi Derby. This race was very important for those who wanted to gain great experience before the Gazi Derby and to win the first crown on the Triple Crown path.
After the conversations, they talked about races abroad. I heard conversations about many famous umamusume in the United States, Ireland, Japan, France, and of course, England.
While they chatted, I prepared a pasta with festo sauce and fresh carrot slices, chocolate pudding, and fresh orange juice.
I think I am not just a trainer, but also a successful cook.