Chapter 61
In Yasui Makoto's view, these two horse girls were the opponents he needed to watch most carefully.
Duramente possessed an incredibly powerful closing kick. In her debut race, she had clocked an astonishing 33.3 seconds for the final 300 meters.
In her most recent race, the G2 Keio Cup, she had gone up against several strong closers and still emerged victorious.
By comparison, the second favorite, Danon Platina, also had a solid closing kick, but it wasn't quite at the same level as the top contenders in this field.
The real issue was that Danon Platina had won the Asahi Hai the previous year.
That was a G1 race, one of the few prestigious G1s held before the Classics. It was known as the event that determined the strongest rookie, featuring only the most outstanding debutants and two-year-olds. Its prestige was undeniable.
Having gone through a race of that caliber, Danon Platina's experience was unquestionably the best in the field, even if her other attributes were still developing.
This was the biggest difference between graded races and lower-tier OP or Pre-OP events.
Any horse girl who could compete on the Glorious Series stage, especially at the Central level, already possessed top-tier ability among her generation.
And earning a spot in a graded race meant they had outstanding fundamentals along with a clear specialty strong enough to defeat their rivals.
In a race at this level, you either had to overpower your opponent's specialty directly, neutralize it with your own strengths, or craft a strategy so precise that they couldn't utilize their advantage at all.
Since he had brought Kitasan Black this far, Yasui Makoto naturally had a complete plan in mind. However, he had no intention of explaining every single detail to his horse girl.
It wasn't that he was deliberately hiding anything from her.
Kitasan Black had only debuted three months ago. While she wasn't completely ignorant of racing theory, her understanding was still far from complete, and there were many things she had yet to learn.
At this stage, rather than going over every little detail, it was far more important to make sure she clearly understood exactly how she should run.
Besides, there were many running styles and techniques that she could already execute beautifully in both training and actual races, even without fully understanding the theory behind them.
Still, just to be safe, after explaining the key opponents and the corresponding tactics, Yasui Makoto tapped the track diagram, icons, and notes on the whiteboard and asked:
"How about it, Kita-chan? Is there anything you're still unsure about? The race doesn't start until tomorrow, so we still have plenty of time. Feel free to ask anything."
"Um… I did have any questions…"
Kitasan Black thought for a moment, then spoke hesitantly:
"It's probably still about how to handle the final straight…"
"I actually wanted to ask you about this quite a while ago. In the training and race plans, the later parts always feel kind of simple."
"I kept thinking you'd explain more today, but it ended up being the same as usual."
"So…"
She trailed off.
After waiting a while and seeing that Kitasan Black still hadn't continued, Yasui Makoto smiled gently.
"You feel like the plan is too simple and won't guarantee a win?"
After hesitating a little longer, Kitasan Black nodded shyly.
"I see…"
Yasui Makoto thought for a moment, then shook his head with a smile.
"Even if it sounds a bit discouraging, the truth is I can't guarantee a win."
Kitasan Black's ears shot straight up and her mouth fell open in shock.
"Trainer Yasui… you can't?!"
"Yeah. Why would I be able to?"
Yasui Makoto pulled over a stool, sat down beside Kitasan Black, and smiled.
"You didn't actually think I could predict the outcome of a race, did you?"
"Well…"
Kitasan Black bit her lip and scratched her head.
"But in the last race and your debut race, you got so many things right."
"Even this time. Even though the race hasn't started yet, everything you said about the early possibilities and later developments sounds really convincing."
"Oh right, and about Gold Ship-senpai's race too. I think you were right. Senpai is definitely going to win tomorrow."
"So why is it that for my race you're not as confident about the later parts?"
"That's because…"
Yasui Makoto's tone grew a little more serious, though he kept smiling.
"Kita-chan, I think you've overlooked one important thing."
"You only debuted three months ago and have only run two races."
"During this time, you've worked incredibly hard, stayed very focused, and won both races."
"But you're not the only one working hard. The other horse girls are training just as hard, and so are their trainers."
"So just like Daiwa and Vodka said, the fact that you're already thinking about how to beat seniors at that level shows real spirit and is very admirable."
"But if you look at it from the other side, don't you think the other horse girls are thinking the exact same thing and working just as hard?"
It was like a lightning bolt had struck her. Kitasan Black's ears and tail shot straight up.
That's right…
Wanting to win. Wanting victory. Not wanting to let down all the support and expectations…
She wasn't the only one who felt that way.
She should have realized that much sooner, shouldn't she?
While she was training, everyone else was training too.
Even when she walked past the track after class, she could see them working.
She ran in the yard at home. Of course, they were doing the same.
Their trainers must also be under all kinds of pressure and working just as diligently.
Seeing the change in Kitasan Black's expression, Yasui Makoto continued, confident that she understood.
"Looks like you get it. Then I can explain why I set up the second half of the race this way."
"It's simple. That's already my limit and yours."
"If my prediction is correct, the positioning at the start and the flow into the middle stage of this race will be much more complicated than in your previous races."
"A messy early race often makes the later development difficult to predict."
"At that point, rather than trying to guess what the opponents will do, it's much better to focus entirely on yourself and bring out every advantage you have."
"That's also why I've always emphasized seizing the right moment and controlling the race rhythm."
"As for the later part, especially the final straight…"
He paused, then shook his head and spread his hands.
"I won't sugarcoat it."
"Compared to some of the opponents in this race, your most obvious weakness is your closing kick."
"And the finish line is exactly where the closing kick matters most. So how am I supposed to plan around that?"
He ended with a light, joking tone so his horse girl wouldn't feel too discouraged.
However, Kitasan Black became even more serious.
"I see! I understand now!"
Yasui Makoto blinked.
"You understand what?"
"As long as I do well in the early and middle stages, the opponents might not even get the chance to use their closing kicks!"
Kitasan Black nodded firmly and clenched her fists.
"And if I mess up the early stages, even if I had a closing kick as strong as Vodka-senpai's, it would be useless!"
"Trainer Yasui, that's what you were thinking too, right?"
Wow.
Although it wasn't the first time he had noticed it, Yasui Makoto couldn't help but smile after a brief moment of surprise. He reached out and gently ruffled the black-haired girl's head.
"You're amazing, Kita-chan. That's exactly what I wanted to tell you. I was planning to remind you right before the race, but it looks like I don't need to anymore."
"Hehe, sometimes I can think of a lot of things too~"
Visibly, the black-haired girl's ears and tail were wagging at maximum "perfect condition" frequency.