The tactics and race strategies used by the Eisei Team during races had always been one of the greatest mysteries in the Japanese horse-racing world.
Even during the few occasions when they accepted public interviews, their chief trainer Kitahara emphasized repeatedly:"Those are merely standard tactics and running styles, at most matching the characteristics of the horse girls."
Yet many trainers and horse girls still firmly believed that Eisei must have some kind of secret method of discussion or access to special information.
Otherwise, there was simply no way to explain why Eternal's horse girls always produced performances that exceeded the expectations of spectators and fans.
Because of this, the public forced the title "Strategic Genius" onto Kitahara.
Rudolf and Sirius were also curious about this so-called secret.
The two horse girls had started assisting Eisei before the Japanese Derby, but whenever it came to specific race arrangements, they tacitly avoided the topic.
After all, race strategies directly affected victory and defeat—especially last-minute changes based on race-day conditions.Non-participants interfering, even by doing nothing, would be suspicious behavior.
But in today's Epsom Exchange Race, Sirius was a competitor, while Rudolf was acting as a temporary trainer, and thus had the responsibility and obligation to participate in the pre-race discussion.
However, though they both sat there quietly, neither of them spoke. They simply watched Kitahara, who was leading the meeting.
"First, I'll tell you about the opponent we just confirmed."
Without noticing the attention of Rudolf and Sirius, Kitahara naturally began his race planning using his usual method.
Normally, he would use a sand table to simulate the race, but Epsom Academy preferred flat track maps.
Fortunately, Belno Light, aside from adjusting her equipment, had excellent technical skills. During training a few days earlier, she had measured the full data of the Epsom course and built a simple miniature version using clay and fine sand.
The pieces representing horse girls would have been troublesome to create, so they used small flags with their names instead.
Standing beside the sand table, Kitahara picked up a flag labeled "Reference Point" and placed it at the frontmost starting position.
"Reference Point was injured during last year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and retired afterward."
"I don't know what plans she or her trainer have—whether she intends to make a comeback—but what's certain is that her injury must be fully healed, or she wouldn't appear here."
"As a horse girl who has retired for less than one year, even if she had injuries in the past, do not underestimate her."
"To put it plainly—even if her strength declined due to the injury, in my judgment, she is still your strongest opponent in this race."
"Stronger even than Tony Bianca and Moonlight Lunacy."
His gaze swept across Oguri Cap and the others. Seeing their mix of shock and seriousness, Kitahara spoke with gravity:
"Her participation was completely unexpected for me. Fortunately, I know her fairly well."
"Last year's British Horse of the Year—victorious in the Future Stakes, Epsom Derby, King George VI, and St. Leger. Career rating: 139 points. A true powerhouse."
[They are talking abour Reference Point]
"And more importantly, she was originally one of the strongest mid-distance horse girls in URA history. This race is, coincidentally, a mid-distance race."
After emphasizing again, Kitahara still felt uneasy. He paused, then added pressure deliberately:
"And do you remember what I mentioned when we got off the plane a week ago? Mill Reef—rating 141."
"Reference Point is her younger sister. Their age difference is large, but their strength is clearly inherited."
Kitahara felt internally awkward—because in actual history, Mill Reef and Reference Point were father and son. But in this parallel world, their relationship had changed drastically.
"Therefore, in every sense, she is the opponent you must pay most attention to."
"My entire race plan will revolve around her."
Pointing to the starting position, he continued:
"Her threat is not only her strength at mid-distance, but her most skilled running style."
"She specializes in front-running, but it is a type of front-running far beyond your imagination: Precision Escape."
He picked up a tablet and played a race video he had managed to find after learning she would participate.
"This is her Epsom Derby performance. It perfectly displays her precision running."
Holding the tablet for everyone to see, Kitahara pointed at a clearly visible horse girl.
Epsom Derby was a G1 event, and entrants wore their victory suits. Reference Point's was a bright yellow—easy to spot.
"That bright yellow suit is Reference Point."
When the race began, Kitahara traced her motion with his finger and spoke rapidly:
"Look—the opening uphill section, on the inner side, she immediately takes the lead."
"But watch closely!"
"After taking the lead, she doesn't accelerate further. She keeps exactly half a body to one full body length ahead."
"Keep watching—the uphill!"
"Epsom's elevation difference is more than 30 meters. You trained on it this week—you know how demanding it is."
"Yet even on this difficult section, the distance from the second place remained stable at about 2 meters."
"Downhill turn, downhill straight—still about 2 meters."
"1100-meter long straight—still 2 meters."
"Final steep climb of about 30 meters—the gap increases slightly to about 2¼ lengths, around 3 meters."
"That means even after 2423 meters, while fatigued, she could still maintain control."
"Do you understand? She has a terrifying degree of race control."
When the video ended, the room fell silent.
Aside from Rudolf and Sirius—who were more familiar with Western racehorse girl—Oguri Cap and the others exchanged shocked looks and furrowed brows.
They had personally experienced how unforgiving the Epsom course was.
Even on Japanese tracks, maintaining stable lead distance over 2400 meters was nearly impossible. None of Eternal's horses could do it.
"So aside from Tony and Moonlight, there is another monster…"
After a moment, Oguri Cap trembled slightly, speaking with awe:
"I never imagined there was a racing style that suppresses opponents from start to finish like this…"
"Kitahara, how are we supposed to handle such a horse girl? Whatever you decide, I'll give everything I have!"
Rather than discouragement, the strong opponent ignited their fighting spirit.Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, Inari One—all showed burning determination.
That was exactly why Kitahara introduced Reference Point now—not only because of her strength, but because he needed their fighting spirit for a special tactic.
"The plan is simple—Oguri, the five of you will chase Reference Point in phases."
Kitahara placed additional flags on the sand table.
"We cannot depend on her weakening due to injury. We must assume she is at full strength."
"So she will almost certainly choose her strongest escape tactic."
"You saw her 'Precision Escape'—maintaining exactly 2 meters from second place. That means she has either an extremely clear mind or terrifying instinct."
"Fortunately, Ardan and Super Creek, your talent in this regard is not much inferior."
He placed their flags behind Reference Point.
"You may not match her technique in escaping, but you can adapt to that pace."
"So unlike previous races, both of you will also Lead from the start."
Al-Dan's eyes flickered."Meaning the strategy will change later?"
"Exactly."
"I said before—running style classifications are just labels. Winning is all that matters."
He explained:
"At the start, speed isn't high yet. Spending a little stamina to reach her is fine."
"Ardan, you excel at controlling stamina. Creek, your endurance is strong—you won't suffer."
"Once close, your abilities can take effect."
"Ardan can analyze any race condition and detect pace shifts immediately. Creek has sharp instincts and won't be dragged off-rhythm."
"If Reference Point is burning stamina to control the pace, like the tactic Creek uses sometimes, then ignore her and run your own race."
"That way, you conserve energy for the final long stretch."
"The key is staying competitive to the end."
This discussion wasn't about winning—after a week of training, that was already understood.
Unfamiliar track, strong opponents, and disadvantage in adaptability—it would be unrealistic to expect victory.
Especially now that Reference Point, Jupiter Island, and Le Glorieux—the Japan Cup champions—were entering the race.
So their goal: push opponents to full power and gain experience.
It was an underdog mentality, far from their usual calm atmosphere.
Both Ardan and Super Creek nodded with determination.
"But the biggest variable is Moonlight Lunacy."
Kitahara placed the flag labeled Moonlight Lunacy.
"Her running style is unstable and often involves gambling strategies."
"She once attempted an extreme escape against the 'Triptych' strong trio."
"With Reference Point present—normally she wouldn't choose escape, since she would be outmatched."
"But if she and her trainer decide to gamble…"
"I cannot predict her running style. That makes her the biggest wildcard."
Ardan and Super Creek exchanged a glance.
"If we're not sure… but I think Mr. Kitahara probably won't mind, right?"
Super Creek opened her mouth slightly, thinking aloud:
"Before, when preparing to face Tony and Moonlight, we watched a lot of their races. Although the latter has tried full-speed escape tactics before, her level doesn't seem as strong as Reference Point Senpai…?"
"That's right. And that's why there's a new plan for her."
Confirming Super Creek's guess, Kitahara smiled. "Just ignore her."
"Ignore her? Kitahara, is that really appropriate…?"
The sudden objection came from Rudolf Symboli, who had been silently observing the discussion. She looked rather stunned. "I admit that a powerhouse like Reference Point suddenly entering the race forces us to rearrange a lot of previous plans."
"But if we completely ignore Moonlight Lunacy, isn't that—"
Saying only half the sentence, she noticed the slightly strange looks directed toward her by Kitahara, the Eisei trainers, and the horse girls. She couldn't help but cough lightly.
"A-hem… what? Is there some problem?"
"…Not really a problem. Your suggestion makes sense…"
Kitahara wasn't used to being interrupted during planning, and after thinking for a moment, he resumed.
"What I meant is—if Moonlight Lunacy switches race tactics, it means both she and her trainer have unstable personalities."
"Unstable?"
Originally only watching, Rudolf decided to ask now that she had spoken. "I understand the idea, but what impact does that have on the race?"
"Impact… Let me put it this way. If we struggle over her choice, she and her team will struggle too."
After thinking, Kitahara explained, "If Moonlight Lunacy chooses to run an escape strategy, she has to face Reference Point, who specializes in escape running."
"Without Ardan and Creek's tactical brainpower or their superior stamina to compensate, escaping isn't a good approach for her."
"Similarly, her rival Tony Bianca—and our Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, and Inari One—are all extremely strong pace chasers and late surgers."
"Her finishing kick isn't top tier, so she doesn't hold much advantage in either of those strategies."
"As for closing from behind…"
Kitahara shrugged. "There's no complete data, but from past races and Kyoko's judgment, Moonlight Lunacy isn't suited for End closing."
Hearing Kyoko Miyamura mentioned, Rudolf subconsciously looked at her. Kyoko blinked briefly, then smiled and explained:
"President Rudolf should also understand—if you break down past race footage frame by frame and calculate the related data, you can find each horse girl's maximum speed."
"Correspondingly, you can roughly figure out burst ability and some body-related metrics."
"Based on our prior analysis, Moonlight Lunacy's late-stage triple-wave acceleration in European tracks isn't unbelievably strong."
"Maybe the softer European turf affected maximum speed."
"But in last year's Japan Cup, her metrics weren't that impressive either."
"Combining multiple factors, we have reason to believe Moonlight Lunacy isn't suitable for end closing."
"Unless she and her team decide to gamble."
"I see… Based on experience, I do understand that. But…"
Trailing off mid-sentence, Rudolf fell into deep thought.
Now, she more or less understood how the Eisei Team had achieved such astonishing results in past races.
To put it bluntly, this team was almost entirely built from data.
Most trainers and horse girls in Japan—and even around the world—still rely heavily on training and race experience.
But the team before her had used data analysis from every angle to reconstruct the horse-girl racing world in a different dimension beyond training and competition.
The traditional approach certainly produces wonderful race results, and the stunning performance of the past came that way.
But the latter approach clearly holds more advantages.
Rudolf admitted in her heart: even with all her experience, her judgment of Reference Point, Moonlight Lunacy, and Oguri Cap still contained speculation.
Yet the Eisei team, even describing things as "guesses," produced conclusions that other teams could practically treat as facts.
…It seems the Eisei I saw before wasn't even the complete form. To truly understand this team, I'll need to go much deeper…
What she didn't know was that Kitahara himself remained dissatisfied with their current system.
To him, this level of "digitization" was merely the beginning compared to his other world.
To truly digitize horse-girl training and racing, even their current "sandbox" needed a complete overhaul—into a data simulation sandbox.
On such a sandbox, simply inputting Oguri Cap and her opponents' data could simulate tens of millions of races to determine optimal tactics.
Reality would prevent 100% execution, but such simulation still pointed in the right direction.
And with direction, you can work toward it—without direction, effort is wasted.
More importantly, other trainers would need exceptional horse girls fighting through race after race to obtain equivalent information.
Eisei only needed training-derived data and the technology and resources to compute it.
If possible, in response to the popular speculation about Eisei's "secret," Kitahara's answer could only be:
"Times have changed."
While Rudolf pondered the difference between training and racing, Kitahara moved into the final phase of planning.
"Since we're on Tony Bianca and Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, Inari One—your situation is similar to Ardan's."
Looking at the three, Kitahara ordered:
"They're adjusting based on Reference Point. You've trained together long enough to feel those changes."
"Once you sense it, that's enough."
"Your task is to choose Late Surging. Conserve stamina in the early half, run normally."
"In the latter half, especially the final stretch…"
Kitahara hesitated briefly, then looked directly at them and said in a serious tone:
"Stick to Tony Bianca closely—don't fall more than two lengths behind."
Hearing this, both Rudolf and Sirius looked surprised, but the Everlasting team nodded as if it were normal.
"Stick close, huh. Same as before."
Oguri flexed her arm confidently.
"Don't worry. If things get physical like we mentioned before, I won't lose to Tony!"
"Tamamo and Inari too—they're really strong. Honestly, if it's raw power, they might not lose to Sirius."
"—Wait, race strategy is fine, but why suddenly talk about strength? Hey hey hey, you two, we're racing today, I don't want to fight!"
Sirius, who had also been watching, flailed her hands nervously.
Tamamo Cross and Inari One simply rolled their eyes before returning to thought.
"But Kitahara's plan makes sense."
"European race rules differ from Japan."
"In Japan, physical contact almost always results in a foul."
"But here, collisions are totally normal. When I first came to Europe, I couldn't adapt."
Laughing, she patted Kitahara's shoulder. "Nice, you even considered that. I thought you didn't tell Oguri and the others."
"So you want them to stick to Tony Bianca for a physical battle?"
"...How could it be? It's part of the tactic."
Shaking his head helplessly, Kitahara continued:
"In Europe, physical contact isn't banned. That's a disadvantage for Japanese horse girls."
"Tony Bianca is 178cm tall—clearly she isn't afraid of contact."
"Reference Point, Moonlight Lunacy, Jupiter Island, and Le Gloriuex—they're not as tall, but they're already fully used to body clashes."
"Comparatively, Oguri is 167, Creek is 168, Ardan 162—they're okay."
"Tamamo and Inari…"
"Okay okay old man stop talking already!"
Before he finished, Tamamo Cross practically launched herself upward, arms crossed defensively, face full of annoyance—and Inari One mirrored her perfectly.
"So, our previous plan stays."
"Conserve stamina and stick close to Tony Bianca, especially final straight and final climb, right?"
Clearly trying to cut off the height topic, Tamamo clapped her hands together sharply.
"If there's nothing else, that's it! We got it!"
"Whatever Europe's strongest or Italy's champion or Japan Cup winner—bring them on!"
"If they underestimate us just because we're short, they'll regret it!"
With Tamamo's confidence, the atmosphere rose again—and few noticed Kitahara's plan was far simpler than usual.
Normally, while Kitahara led strategy, Komiyama and Tora would add suggestions.
But this exchange race had too many unknowns, and those two lacked experience abroad, leaving them with few ideas beyond fundamentals.
So they followed Kitahara entirely.
After the short instructions, Kitahara concluded with domain ability:
"There's no doubt all five of you have mastered domains."
"And Reference Point and Tony Bianca definitely have as well."
"That means in this advantageous field for them, the strongest opponents still hold a significant lead."
"So handle it normally. Don't worry about when they explode. Judge the timing yourselves."
"If the final straight is best, go all out."
"If it's on the turn… you must not fall behind there. Otherwise you'll never catch up."
"You've all experienced domain-level races. Your timing judgment is fine."
His instructions for Oguri Roman and Stay Gold were even simpler.
Just run. They were only here to adapt; any extra expectations would be excessive.
Just finishing the race was enough. These two junior-division kids were here only to adapt to the environment—asking for anything more would be too demanding.
Because of these much simpler arrangements afterward, the earlier arrangements seemed less noticeable in comparison.
However, there was one person who noticed—Rudolf, who had been trying to use this exchange event to learn more about the Eisei team.
She clearly felt that Kitahara's instructions for Mejiro Ardan and Super Creek had far more detail.
Even though the strategic breakdown did not reach the level seen at the Satsuki Sho or the Japanese Derby, preparing to this extent in a foreign country was already impressive.
In contrast, the plan for Oguri Cap and the others was limited to "stay tightly behind Tony Bianca," which felt a bit strange.
Rudolf Symbol was suspicious, but she did not ask immediately.
After arranging Sirius Symbol's race plan according to responsibility, once all details were discussed and the training members exited the prep room, she specifically stopped Kitahara on the way to the viewing area.
"If I'm not mistaken, the plan for Oguri Cap and the others is mainly about ensuring a minimum baseline, right?"
Without diving straight into interrogation, Rudolf first laid the groundwork:
"Even if stamina and tactics aren't affected by Reference Point, in the actual race, that would only ensure finishing the race, not winning it."
"I understand the situation—within just one week, Eisei achieved basic adaptation training and targeted preparation. That already surpasses the vast majority of Japanese trainers and horse girls."
"What I don't understand is, why is the strategy for Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, and Inari One so simple?"
"You must have something else in mind, don't you, Kitahara?"
Kitahara was a little surprised.
He really did have additional plans, but they were unlike anything he had ever tried since becoming a trainer, and they didn't align with his usual philosophy.
Plus, the plan was somewhat "mystical," impossible to explain clearly—saying it aloud might even render it ineffective.
For all these reasons, he intentionally kept it hidden, planning to use it to counteract the unfavorable conditions of the match, and at the same time, test whether this idea could be integrated into Everlasting's system.
He simply hadn't expected Rudolf Symbol to see through it.
"...As expected of the 'Emperor'. You guessed correctly."
Since she had discovered it, Kitahara did not intend to hide it any longer. He nodded and admitted:
"Not only are you right about the 'minimum baseline' approach, but you also guessed correctly about what I've been hiding."
"This race puts us at too many disadvantages."
"In one week, all I could do was help Oguri Cap and the others begin adapting to Epsom, and with the help of Light's prototype 'expedition racing shoes', barely reduce the adaptation penalty for the surface."
"But just that isn't enough to win."
"As for the plans you already know—they are only part of it. You and Sirius didn't know because you trained separately."
"During the 'mid-race uphill' and 'downhill turn' sections, I told them to use their final sprint strategies—'high-speed lane change,' 'lightning stride,' 'outside lane overtake,' whatever they've got—anything to avoid falling behind."
"Because those are the key sections of the Epsom course. If they detach from the main group there, forget winning—they'll lose horribly."
Hearing this, Rudolf Symbol nodded inwardly. Everything was still within expectations.
Facing the current match, if Oguri Cap and the others didn't go all out, the question wasn't whether they could win—it was whether they could lose with dignity.
If they could unleash their full strength in the key mid-race phase, they could force the opponents to respond with full power.
With such data, combining it with Eisei's training style, the next time they met similar opponents, the race would not be wasted.
But Rudolf felt that wasn't enough. Based on her understanding of Eisei's previous races, and her interactions over the past days, her instincts told her that Kitahara definitely hadn't said everything yet.
And indeed, that was true.
"And aside from these conventional plans, the last part… is an unconventional one."
At this point, Kitahara's tone turned uncertain, and his next words sounded like a question:
"President Rudolf, do you remember what you once told me about 'leadership aura'?"
Rudolf Symbol froze.
"I remember, but… what does that have to do with racing?" she asked, frowning slightly.
"I have a guess—that aura actually has a unique effect in races."
After a moment of silence, Kitahara looked at Rudolf Symbol, explaining:
"It's not only 'leadership aura'. It also includes similar qualities—let's call them temperament or spirit."
"I believe some of you horse girls possess certain personalities—or tempers."
"Personalities with extremely strong competitiveness, even absurdly so."
"It's not obvious in ordinary life, but during races, this trait allows you to unleash far greater power."
"You must have noticed it, President Rudolf. In all your races, you absolutely never allow an opponent to stay ahead of you."
"With that mindset, your fourth-turn sprint is far more explosive than most other horse girls."
"And once you pass them, your burst power clearly settles."
"In my view, that is what I mean by 'temperament influence'."
Kitahara planned to continue explaining, but Rudolf Symbol already understood.
"I see—so you believe Oguri Cap and the others have similar temperament? Or perhaps something connected to domain abilities?"
With a thoughtful expression, she continued rapidly:
"Telling them to stay close behind Tony Bianca isn't to pressure her."
"On the contrary—you want Tony Bianca to pressure THEM."
"Under that pressure—regardless of the outcome—the proximity will push them to unleash far stronger power."
"That power is the pressure YOU want to put on Tony Bianca, forcing HER to go all out!"
"If it works that way, then indeed…"
She spoke excitedly for a while, then suddenly paused, uncertainty rising.
"But… you've never mentioned this before. And previously, similar effects only appeared in domain battles—like with me…"
In the races Kitahara referenced, the unique surges were triggered within domain ranges, which was why she had assumed it.
"You're unsure whether this arrangement will work—that's why you didn't tell Oguri and the others?"
"…Because if you said it outright, they might expect the effect, and then even if the conditions were there, the effect would fail due to lack of focus?"
After a brief hesitation, Kitahara nodded.
"When you say it like that, it really is similar to a domain."
"You're right—I'm not confident."
Though he spoke uncertainty aloud, his mind filled with three races from history:
Tamamo Cross in the Japan Cup; Oguri Cap and Inari One in the Mainichi Okan; and Oguri Cap's retirement match.
Unlike the gentle personalities of Mejiro Aldan or Super Creek, Tamamo Cross and the others possessed extremely aggressive fighting spirit.
If they were horses, they'd be the type to start a fight the moment they were provoked.
And judging from Tamamo Cross and Inari One's behavior even in this world, fistfights due to temper were absolutely not impossible.
And those three races were the perfect examples.
In Tamamo Cross's Japan Cup, the jockey of Payyan conducted massive pre-race research and concluded:
"This horse has an extremely exaggerated fighting spirit. She must absolutely not be allowed close enough to ignite it."
So he risked penalties performing diagonal blocking solely to avoid provoking her fighting will.
Similarly, Oguri Cap and Inari One nearly tied in the Mainichi Okan, and in Oguri's retirement race her fierce duel with Mejiro Ryan also displayed that absurdly intense fighting spirit.
Kitahara had known this long ago, but always felt that "using fighting spirit to trigger strength" was too superstitious, impossible to train, and incompatible with Eisei's data-driven ideology.
How could "fighting spirit" be quantified?
But facing the current event, all realistic plans had already been done.
Even with everything, their winning chance was tiny.
So wanting Oguri Cap and the others to perform beyond limits, he decided to try a superstitious tactic, without affecting the main plan.
Anyway, European races allowed physical contact—so letting them stick close to Tony Bianca didn't seem like a strange order.
With this thought, and the same uncertain expression Rudolf Symbol now wore, Kitahara followed Komiyama and the others into the Epsom racecourse's viewing hall.
Compared to Japanese tracks, the Epsom course was much more natural—built on a small sloping hill only a few dozen meters high.
The modernized spectator area stood on the southern slope, with stands large enough for 130,000 people and a viewing building five or six floors tall, with large parking areas on both sides.
Aside from the straight stretch in front of the stands, the uphill start segment across from it, and the turf on both sides between them, everything was untouched natural grassland.
Usually, the Epsom Academy horse girls trained freely on that grassland, but this week it had been fully reserved for Oguri Cap and the others.
Now, spectators filled both the stands and the grass—maybe not hundreds of thousands, but definitely tens of thousands.
Many didn't choose seats at all: they parked cars along the outer edges of the track, gathered around railings, even stood on car roofs to watch.
Without any major promotion, and with only a week's notice, such turnout already felt overwhelming.
Kitahara didn't go to the same viewing area as Komiyama and the others, but followed Rudolf into the central broadcast booth.
For this race, he and Rudolf would be guest commentators, while the Epsom Academy chairman, Lyphard, would serve as the main announcer.
"Thank you both for taking the time to be guest commentators today."
Seeing Kitahara and Rudolf enter, Lyphard pointed toward the microphones with a smile.
"If I were the only commentator, it wouldn't seem grand enough."
No—just this exchange race alone was already grand enough…
Thinking the same thing, Kitahara and Rudolf took their seats, and without further small talk, Lyphard picked up his microphone with excitement.
"Ladies and gentlemen who love horse girls and love racing—welcome! The very first 'Tokyo–Epsom Tracen Exchange Cup' is about to begin!"
"Let us welcome the Japanese horse girls from afar! And let our own horse girls prepare to enter the field!"
(End of chapter)