Chapter 296: Overly Harsh Race Requirements
During the intervals of live commentary and analysis by Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa, the two veterans subtly shared valuable experience with the younger runners from the perspective of seasoned racers.
In the stands, many of the Umamusume clearly understood their intent. They nodded repeatedly in appreciation while enthusiastically discussing among themselves.
"Grass Wonder-senpai and El Condor Pasa-senpai are really putting in a lot of effort, this commentary is full of practical experience," said one Umamusume with playful twin-tails, her eyes sparkling with admiration, her excitement unconsciously raising her voice.
Beside her, another Umamusume looked puzzled, slightly frowning as she hesitated, "But… I remember those two upperclassmen aren't particularly known for short-distance races, right…?"
"Even if short-distance isn't their main specialty, with their level of experience and achievements, their understanding of it is far beyond ordinary runners."
At that moment, a bespectacled Umamusume gently pushed up her glasses with her index finger and explained in a clear, organized manner:
"Take the start, for example—even in top-level G1 races, mistakes still happen, let alone for newcomers like us."
"So having the veteran runners guiding us like this makes today's races an incredibly rare learning opportunity."
Her analysis was well-reasoned, and the surrounding Umamusume quickly showed expressions of realization, nodding in agreement.
After that, they focused even more intently on the race, their eyes following the galloping figures on the track, afraid of missing even a single moment worth learning from.
On the field, the intensity of competition continued to rise.
Sayaka was leading the pack, firmly in first place.
Each of her strides was steady and powerful, as if imprinting deep marks into the turf beneath her feet. Bits of grass flew wildly around her, emphasizing her unstoppable momentum.
Lily Noble clung closely behind, her sharp gaze locked onto Sayaka's back.
From the tension in her muscles, taut like drawn strings, it was clear she was pushing herself to the limit, trying to close the gap bit by bit.
Behind them, Soft Melody and the rest of the runners refused to fall behind. They gritted their teeth, determination shining in their eyes as they chased with all their strength.
The entire field's pace was being pushed forward by an invisible force, visibly accelerating.
Watching such an intense race, Lucky Lilac—standing at the edge of the field—felt her heart hanging in suspense. Anxiety and worry spread continuously within her.
Her gaze seemed tied by an invisible thread to Almond Eye, never leaving her for a moment. Fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead and slowly slid down her cheeks.
"Almond Eye… you have to do your best," Lucky Lilac silently repeated in her heart. Her hands unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her fingertips turning pale from the pressure, as if she could somehow send her strength to her friend on the track.
In a prime spot directly facing the finish line, Kitasan Black was just as tense.
Her hands were clenched into tight fists, her eyes locked onto the track as if magnetized, not blinking even once. Her gaze was filled with deep concern and fervent expectation, as though it could pierce through the air and directly support Almond Eye.
"The competition in short-distance races… really is much fiercer than in middle- or long-distance races."
She couldn't help but murmur, "This pace already feels close to those high-stakes graded races. As for Ai-chan…"
As she confirmed that Almond Eye was currently running in a pace chaser position, she nodded lightly.
From an evaluation standpoint, whether she won or lost this mock race wouldn't have much impact on her admission. After all, today's assessment was based on overall performance, not just a single race.
And she knew very well that Almond Eye's abilities were outstanding across the board. Earlier at noon, during a volunteer rotation break, she had quietly asked Tokai Teio to help look into things, and learned that Almond Eye's performance in all the assessments had been excellent, so there was really no need to worry too much.
Still, since it was a race, winning would obviously be best. She also knew that this junior of hers was highly competitive—if she didn't win, she'd probably be down in the dumps for quite a while.
As for the mock race arrangements and tactics, she had spent quite some time discussing them with her Trainer recently, and they had already settled on the strategy with the highest theoretical chance of success.
Now, seeing Almond Eye steadily advancing exactly according to that plan, she felt a wave of relief.
As long as she could maintain her current stability, she believed Almond Eye would definitely secure the final victory.
"…Ai-chan, you'll be fine," Kitasan Black murmured softly under her breath.
After saying that, she turned expectantly to look at her Trainer beside her, her eyes filled with inquiry. "Right, Trainer?"
Standing next to her was her Trainer, Makoto Yasui. Hearing her question, he didn't answer immediately, instead falling into brief thought.
After a moment, he slowly nodded, his tone calm and certain:
"Based on what we've observed, Almond Eye's sprinting ability is outstanding among the current candidates—honestly, it's already at a level that could be called a 'closing kick.'"
"With that kind of sustained burst speed, she naturally holds a significant advantage in short-distance races."
He paused slightly, his expression growing more serious.
"However, the timing of her final sprint is absolutely crucial."
"If she goes too late, she'll waste that advantage, and her speed likely won't reach its true peak."
"But if she goes too early, there's a high chance she'll lose speed and run out of stamina before the finish."
He trailed off, suddenly recalling something, momentarily stunned before letting out a helpless chuckle and shaking his head.
Kitasan Black quickly asked, "But what?"
Keeping his eyes fixed on the runners battling it out on the track, Makoto replied without hesitation:
"It's just that… this requirement is actually a bit too harsh for the current Almond Eye."
"If you look closely, you'll see that all the participants in this mock race are still newcomers who haven't undergone systematic professional training. The level of competition they're showing is far below the high-level races you usually run in."
"And Almond Eye is the same, she's just a newcomer with better talent and more preparation."
He paused briefly, his tone softening.
"Kita, even for someone as experienced as you, it's hard to perfectly nail the optimal sprint timing in every race you've run. So for Almond Eye, who's competing in this kind of mock race for the first time, it's even more difficult."
"That said, by my standards, Almond Eye's performance so far is undoubtedly the most impressive among all the newcomers."
Hearing this, Kitasan Black quickly refocused all her attention on the race.
After a moment, she realized that her Trainer was absolutely right.