After her monumental Champions Cup victory, Mejiro Rampage rested, her body tougher than last year's Japan Cup fatigue. A hospital checkup cleared her for light jogging soon, but for now, she was sidelined, watching her Canopus teammates train.
"Tannhäuser, put some fire in it!" Rampage shouted.
"Got it!" Tannhäuser replied.
The Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes loomed in a week, with Tannhäuser facing a formidable foe: Mihono Bourbon. "Turbo, work Tannhäuser hard!" Rampage called.
"On it!" Turbo grinned.
"Tannhäuser, catch Turbo, and you can take on Bourbon!" Rampage urged.
"Game on!" Tannhäuser declared.
Bourbon, trained by the relentless Kuronuma, had shifted to intense foundational work, possibly inspired by Canopus. Kuronuma had overseen some of Rampage's training, so Bourbon might be using similar methods, making her a tougher threat than her historical counterpart.
"Tannhäuser, you're a stayer. Miler races put you behind Bourbon, so drill stamina allocation," Rampage advised.
"Got it! That's why I'm running with Turbo and Ikuno!" Tannhäuser said.
"Good. Ikuno, you're up," Rampage nodded.
"Leave it to me. I'll push her," Ikuno promised.
Unable to train yet per Minamisaka's orders, Rampage entrusted Ikuno, her Triple Tiara rival, to guide Tannhäuser. Meanwhile, Rice trained fiercely with Nature and Ticket for the Hopeful Stakes.
"Rice, great focus, but you're too tense. Loosen up," Rampage coached.
"I'll try, big sis," Rice replied.
"Her race-mode gap is wild…" Nature muttered.
"Like a different person," Ticket agreed.
Rice, a stayer like Tannhäuser, opted for the Hopeful Stakes to gain G1 experience rather than forcing a miler race against Bourbon. "Your focus is great, but too much blinds you to tactics and rivals' moves," Rampage explained.
"So… stay aware?" Rice asked.
"Yup."
Rice's intensity was a strength but a weakness if targeted. Improving situational awareness would elevate her for the Classics. "Nature, Ticket, mark Rice in practice," Rampage instructed.
"Got it, I'm better at that!" Nature smirked.
"Ready, Rice-senpai! No holding back!" Ticket said.
"Okay, I'll do my best!" Rice replied.
Their dedication promised results. Minamisaka approached. "Nice coaching. Thinking of becoming a trainer post-retirement?" she asked.
"Maybe. Sounds tough, though," Rampage replied.
"It's not that bad," Minamisaka said.
"Says the ex-FBI agent," Rampage quipped.
Few Uma Musume became trainers; the exam was brutal, and coaching differed vastly from racing. "What's your plan? Dream Trophy League?" Minamisaka asked.
"Nah, not really," Rampage said.
"Figured," Minamisaka smiled.
The DTL's summer-and-winter-only schedule felt lackluster to Rampage, who'd raced six times as a junior. "No dirt DTL either. Lame," she added.
"You'd join if there was one?" Minamisaka asked.
"Spring and fall dirt races? I'd never be bored," Rampage laughed, sipping a sports drink.
Minamisaka recalled URA's news: Rampage's dual-surface success and Champions Cup win had spiked dirt racing's popularity. A dirt Triple Crown was confirmed, and a DTL dirt division was in the works.
"I just do what I want, Minami-chan. Gotta make it fun for the juniors too," Rampage said.
"'Gotta'?" Minamisaka teased.
"I'm no saint. I come first," Rampage grinned.
Her server-crashing antics weren't saintly, but her next words struck a chord. "Dirt's less popular, so forcing dirt runners to race turf is unfair. Making dirt fun's my job—URA's job, but they're slacking, so I'm stepping up."
"Your 'heavy lifting'?" Minamisaka eyed Rampage's toned legs and hips.
"Oh, you like?" Rampage teased. "Too old-school?"
"Maruzen-neesan's fault," Rampage laughed.
URA's inaction on turf-dirt disparity only shifted with Rampage's influence. Her global audience meant one complaint could tank URA's rep—her mention of a publisher once killed its magazine sales.
"Oh, Minami-chan, join a Canopus-Spica-Rigil trainer talk stream," Rampage said.
"Got it, I'll clear my schedule," Minamisaka replied.
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