Chapter 276: Kitasan, Are You Trying to Comfort a Child?
Makoto had given a lot of thought to the matter of overseas campaigns, but he didn't bring it up at the dinner table.
During the meal, the Umamusume were all chatting lively about recent amusing experiences. There was no need to spoil the atmosphere with dry topics like training and race scheduling.
For the same reason, after they finished eating, Makoto took the initiative to let Kitasan Black and Almond Eye go with Satono Crown and the others to the academy, and then stroll around nearby shopping streets.
After parting ways with the Umamusume, he returned alone to his rented apartment and got back to work.
It had been about two months since his injury. Although the cast hadn't been fully removed yet, its coverage had been reduced significantly, and he could move his fingers and wrist without much issue.
Moreover, aside from the physical training required of a trainer, organizing training plans and race schedules was mostly mental work, so there was no concern about affecting his arm's recovery.
Thus, combining observations from the past two months and today's joint training session, he quickly drafted a preliminary plan.
First, the plan for the first half of the year would remain unchanged. Next month, they would head to Dubai and try to arrange as many exchange races as possible with overseas Umamusume.
After returning from Dubai, there would be exactly one month until the Spring Tenno Sho in May. Including the training before going abroad, there would be ample time for track adaptation and preparation.
As for the second half of the year, that would depend on how well they adapted overseas.
If the adaptation went relatively well, they could consider heading to Europe as early as July, attempting races such as the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud and the Prix Foy, followed by the ultimate target—the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
However, even if adaptation proved manageable, this plan still required careful consideration. The gap in experience and resources—both for Japan as a whole and for himself personally—couldn't be bridged overnight.
If the true goal was to win the Arc, then perhaps they would need to start even earlier—such as going abroad now to prepare for the Prix Ganay—to have a sufficiently strong chance.
But the Prix Ganay is typically held in late April, directly clashing with the Spring Tenno Sho. This is why no Japanese Umamusume or trainers seriously consider that race.
Another line of thought stemmed from similar conflicts.
The sequence of the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud, Prix Foy, and the Arc—with possibly additional races in between—was viable in terms of adaptation, but it heavily overlapped with major G1 races in Japan.
The Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud is even called the "French Takarazuka Kinen" in Japan, largely because it takes place in late June or early July.
The Prix Foy is held in September, which is manageable timing-wise—but the Arc is in October.
Running both the Prix Foy and the Arc would undoubtedly place a huge strain on a runner physical condition. After such consecutive races, it would be difficult to consider new competitions for at least one or even two months.
Meanwhile, in Japan, the period from October to the end of the year is the Autumn Triple Crown season: the Autumn Tenno Sho, the Japan Cup, and the Arima Kinen.
This meant that if they pursued the Prix Foy and Arc consecutively, along with the necessary time to readjust after returning to Japan, they would likely have to skip even the Autumn Tenno Sho and possibly the Japan Cup.
At this point, Makoto could finally understand why the URA Association—and past trainees and trainers—had long dreamed of the Arc, yet struggled to arrange an ideal schedule.
To win the Arc, one needed sufficient time dedicated to overseas campaigning.
But committing heavily to overseas races meant inevitably giving up many—if not most—G1 races in Japan.
The golden period of a runner's career typically lasted just over two years. Trainers not only had to value that limited window, but also consider their own performance records.
Compared to the Arc—where there was no clear precedent for victory—choosing the more familiar Japanese races was clearly the safer option.
"So in other words, if we really want to win the Arc, we'd need to set aside nearly a full year just for preparation…"
As he typed up the draft on his computer, Makoto muttered to himself:
"A whole year… that's really too long… for Kitasan…"
Just as he was speaking to himself, a knock knock knock came from the door, followed by the sound of the lock turning.
He had been about to get up to open it, but upon hearing that familiar sound, Makoto quickly realized—it was Kitasan Black returning.
When the door opened, sure enough, Kitasan Black was standing there with flushed cheeks, the loose strands of hair on her forehead slightly damp with sweat—she had clearly enjoyed herself a lot.
As soon as she stepped inside, she noticed her Trainer still wearing his cast and already busy at the computer. She immediately frowned slightly and couldn't help but complain:
"I knew you'd be working… Didn't you say you'd wait until I got back? Honestly, your injury hasn't even healed yet…"
Hearing that, Makoto felt a bit awkward.
He had indeed promised Kitasan Black that during this period, aside from simple tasks like using his phone or stopwatch to record and analyze data, he would leave the rest to her as much as possible.
But once he returned to the apartment and was alone again, he had slipped back into his usual habits and completely forgot.
Before he could say anything, Kitasan Black had already walked over naturally, gently nudged him aside, and said in a tone that left no room for argument:
"I'll organize this for you. You go rest."
Feeling the brief warmth of the girl as she brushed past him, Makoto felt a strange emotion stir in his chest and spoke almost instinctively:
"I— I'm really fine. This kind of work won't affect anything—"
But he couldn't finish his sentence.
Turning her head, Kitasan Black shot him a glare and scolded lightly:
"—You say you're fine, but you're injured—don't push yourself. And besides…"
She broke into a confident smile.
"I've learned quite a bit during this time. I might not be able to help with the difficult stuff, but something simple like this is no problem."
"So, Trainer, just sit there and wait obediently~"
Hearing the last sentence—which sounded a bit like she was soothing a child—Makoto couldn't help but laugh, wondering if she'd been spending too much time with Almond Eye lately. Still, he obediently moved aside.
Kitasan Black looked at the computer screen and saw that Makoto hadn't finished typing up his notes. While somewhat clumsily handling the mouse and organizing the document, she asked curiously:
"Trainer, are we… thinking about the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe?"
Hearing that, Makoto set aside his other thoughts. After a moment of consideration, instead of answering directly, he asked:
"Kitasan, what kind of impression or thoughts do you have about the Arc?"
Kitasan Black paused her hands and tilted her head as she recalled:
"As for the Arc, I heard about it from Duramente before, so I went and looked into it myself. It feels like an incredible world-class G1 race."
"But even so, I don't really have a concrete sense of it yet."
Scratching her head, she smiled.
"After all, I haven't seen it with my own eyes yet. So I figured after going abroad this time and seeing those world-class runners for myself, it won't be too late to think about it properly then."
Makoto nodded slightly, agreeing with Kitasan Black's way of thinking.