Chapter 297: Very promising
Looking across the field, aside from the lightning-fast speed unique to short-distance races, this mock race differed greatly from the competitions she had participated in before in terms of professionalism.
It could almost be said that most of the candidates were relying purely on reckless courage—the fearless charge of new runners—sprinting headlong down the track without any sense of strategy or technique.
In stark contrast, Almond Eye, throughout the race—whether in seizing advantageous positions, controlling her posture through the turns, or adjusting her pacing—although still somewhat immature and rough in terms of professional execution, with movements that appeared a bit stiff, had already begun to show structure and form, faintly displaying the bearing of a professional runner.
Not only Makoto and Kitasan Black noticed these aspects of the race, but the broadcast quickly carried commentary from Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa as well.
Grass Wonder's gentle yet highly recognizable voice sounded first:
"The race is approaching its halfway point. Sayaka is still in the lead. Lily Noble has given up on chasing for now and is staying near the front of the pack, seemingly planning to look for an opportunity in the later stages."
"The other runners are also gradually slowing down, appearing to have similar intentions."
"However, this is actually quite a good strategy. It's great that new runners use their abundant stamina and enthusiasm to sprint with all their might."
"But they also need to pay attention to tactics and pacing."
"For example, when going through turns, simply accelerating without adjusting your center of gravity not only wastes energy but can also easily affect your speed."
El Condor Pasa immediately picked up the conversation, raising her voice as she added:
"That's right! Everyone must remember that in official races, it's not enough to just charge forward blindly. If you want to debut or even win graded races like G1s, proper strategy and timely on-the-spot decisions are extremely important."
"In this regard, Almond Eye has done relatively well."
"Although her technique is still immature and her start out of the gate was a bit slow, she adjusted quickly. She already seems to understand how to observe the situation during the race and choose the right position."
"This Umamusume is very promising!"
"Of course, everyone has performed well. Everyone grows from inexperience to maturity, and this race is an excellent learning opportunity."
Hearing the upperclassmen' commentary, the Umamusume in the audience began to reflect.
Some of the less experienced runners started whispering among themselves, thinking about how to improve their training in the future.
Meanwhile, the upperclassmen who already had a deeper understanding of racing nodded slightly, agreeing with the views of Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa.
On the track, Sayaka's breathing grew heavier, her chest heaving violently, each exhale accompanied by a sharp gasp.
When she heard the broadcast mention her leading position, a flash of pride instantly appeared in her eyes. The corners of her lips lifted unconsciously, revealing a trace of undisguised arrogance.
However, that pride faded as quickly as it came. She soon realized that the race was far from over.
Especially when the broadcast praised Almond Eye, her heart tightened, and almost instinctively, she glanced back.
During the long period of preparing for the entrance exam, her family had gone to great lengths to help her achieve excellent results.
They ran around everywhere, hiring many experienced coaches and trainers, and even gathered relatives and friends who had already made a name for themselves on the track as senior runners.
She remembered that one senior had once warned her seriously before the race:
"In this entrance exam, there's an Umamusume named Almond Eye. You must pay special attention to her."
At the time, she had been full of confidence in her own strength and had treated it as nothing more than a cautious reminder, not taking it to heart.
It wasn't until just before the race, when she checked the participant list, that she noticed she was in the same race as this Almond Eye who had been specifically mentioned.
And now, seeing Almond Eye's performance with her own eyes, Sayaka had to admit that this opponent was far from ordinary and truly possessed exceptional ability.
In Sayaka's view, the running strategy she had chosen for this race should guarantee her victory.
After all, her opponents, like herself, were all inexperienced newcomers.
In a race like this, rather than competing over the scarce amount of technique and experience, it's better to rely on instinct—run as fast as possible.
That was the advice given by the senpai, instructors, and trainers.
And up until now, that strategy had indeed proven effective. The opponent who had been closely chasing her was now clearly struggling—her steps had grown heavy, her breathing increasingly labored. The other competitors were in much the same condition.
Even those running behind, trying to conserve their strength, might not have the chance—or the ability—to handle the complex race situation after the final turn.
She firmly believed she could maintain her lead all the way to the finish.
But Almond Eye gave her a different feeling.
From the corner of her eye, Sayaka caught sight of Almond Eye's steady stride—her breathing even and rhythmic, seemingly unaffected by the fierce competition unfolding around her.
Her posture appeared light, yet carried a resilient strength.
Although still somewhat immature in terms of professional skill, every one of her movements—whether it was the subtle adjustment of her center of gravity through turns, or her control of speed and pacing across different segments of the race—seemed to be guided by deliberate thought and planning.
A trace of unease rose in Sayaka's heart. She suddenly realized that Almond Eye might not be as easy to deal with as the others.
Unable to help herself, she turned her head again to look at Almond Eye, her gaze now tinged with scrutiny and vigilance.
At that moment, Almond Eye was skillfully making use of the gaps between the runners ahead, steadily advancing. She wasn't rushing to overtake, yet was quietly closing the distance to the front pack.
"What exactly is this Almond Eye planning?" Sayaka wondered to herself. "Could she be holding something in reserve?"
Instinctively, Sayaka quickened her pace, trying to widen her lead, but her legs protested with waves of soreness from the earlier high-intensity sprint.
She gritted her teeth, enduring the discomfort, silently praying for the race to end soon so she could hold onto her hard-earned lead.
Yet deep down, she knew that as long as Almond Eye remained on the track, this race was full of uncertainty—no one could predict how it would ultimately end.
Lily Noble, positioned near the front of the pack, could clearly hear Grass Wonder and El Condor Pasa's commentary over the broadcast.
When she heard the upperclassmen precisely analyze her tactics—pointing out that her earlier attempt to chase down Sayaka had been somewhat impulsive—her emotions became complicated.
In that moment, she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, recalling how she had accelerated without thinking, trying to overtake Sayaka.
Now, it seemed that impulsiveness had been poorly considered—it had not only consumed a large amount of stamina, but also disrupted her original rhythm.