Compared to an official race, the "Epsom Exchange Race," which is essentially a training match, had a much simpler process.
The parade lap that normally required a significant amount of time was merged directly with the entrance segment. The participating competitors left the preparation room and, guided by staff, headed straight to the starting gates.
During this walk, the broadcast booth introduced each competitor to the audience one by one.
As chairman of Epsom Academy, Lyphard was naturally well-versed in the state of British and European horsegirls.
Ever since Symboli Rudolf took office as student council president, collecting international information had become part of her official duties.
With Kitahara's historical memories, along with his perspective as a trainer, combined with the two horsegirls and his commentary and analysis, the broadcast quality of the venue was absolutely comparable to that of an official match.
"We are very grateful to Chief Kitahara for introducing the racing characteristics of each horsegirl. I believe this outstanding trainer from Japan has surprised the ladies and gentlemen here with how well he understands horsegirls from around the world, hasn't he?"
After the competitor introductions ended, Chairman Lyphard wrapped up the segment with a smile. She glanced appreciatively at Kitahara, then looked past the broadcasting booth's glass window toward the starting gates positioned at the far end of the track.
The broadcast room was located above the spectator stands on the south side of the stadium, offering a wide view that encompassed the entire U-shaped course.
In front of the glass overlooking the track were multiple live-feed screens of varying sizes.
Visually observing through the glass, combined with the data provided by the screens, allowed commentators and guests in the broadcasting room to grasp the overall race situation at maximum efficiency.
"Based on Chief Kitahara's earlier introduction, I believe our guests already understand that every competitor participating in this exchange race is an exceptional runner."
"Some have remarkable achievements; some possess outstanding talent. Whether from Europe or Japan, they are about to present us with a magnificent spectacle."
"At this very moment, all 11 participants have entered the gates."
"Will the winner of this Epsom Exchange Race be the horsegirls who have traveled all the way from Japan?"
"Or will it be our European horsegirls?"
"And now…"
"Start!"
"Most of the horsegirls have executed an excellent start. Unfortunately, Saumarez, Oguri Roman, and Stay Gold lagged slightly behind with a noticeably late break."
Compared to the dramatic tone often used in Japanese race commentary, Lyphard's style as Epsom Academy's chairman was very gentle.
Even after noticing the starting-gate delay, her voice remained calm, offering gentle explanations for the three who had fallen behind, comforting both them and the audience.
"However, please don't be harsh on these little ones. They've only just begun their full training and, strictly speaking, are not yet true competitors."
"This race is like the starting point of a long voyage. They are simply encountering intense competition earlier than others their age. I believe their future performance will not disappoint us."
Even with her soft tone, the rapid pace of horsegirl racing forced Lifar to speak more quickly, rapidly shifting between subjects.
After explaining Oguri Roman and the others, she swiftly moved to the rest of the field:
"As Chief Kitahara explained before the race, at the early uphill stretch, Reference Point has secured the lead."
"Her pace control remains precise as always, maintaining exactly one-length ahead of Second Place, Super Creek."
"Reference Point, Super Creek, and Mejiro Ardan are leading as a trio, with Mejiro Ardan in third."
"According to Chief Kitahara, these two Japanese horsegirls are not actually best suited for front-running. And yet, they are holding tight right behind the legendary Reference Point without being dropped—can we still call that 'not good at it'?"
Though not a professional commentator, as the principal of Tracen Academy, Lifar had frequently listened to live race coverage.
Through constant exposure, her tone became increasingly energized.
At this moment, Kitahara, in his role as guest analyst, appropriately added:
"Whether or not they excel at front-running can be seen with a simple comparison."
"Reference Point is living up to her reputation—now that she has secured the lead, she has complete control of the pace."
"It's clear that Super Creek and Mejiro Ardan are sacrificing some stamina and accelerating early in order to stay close behind her."
"The one in front hasn't been affected, while the one behind is maintaining exactly a one-length distance."
"An extremely impressive display of race control."
After Kitahara's quick analysis, Lyphard smoothly continued:
"Now confirming the following positions—"
"Right behind Mejiro Ardan is Tony Bianca, whose strategy this race is to run in the front cluster, giving her the ability to observe the entire field."
"Using the same strategy are Jupiter Island and Le Gloriuex. As former Japan Cup champions, they clearly do not want to appear weak in front of Tony Bianca."
"Further behind is the chasing group: Japan's Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, and Inari One have all chosen a chasing pattern."
"They've trained together for a long time and seem to have excellent coordination. Instead of running parallel, they're forming a subtle triangular formation with no interference among them."
"And further back—oh! Mother Mary above! This is shocking! Moonlight Lunacy has abandoned her usual strategies of front-running and mid-pack chasing—and has chosen end closing pursuit?!"
"Incredible, unbelievable—did Duke Lavinia order a new tactic?"
"Can Moonlight Lunacy use this to turn the tables?"
"We shall wait and see!"
"And finally, falling significantly behind are Saumarez, Oguri Roman, and Stay Gold."
"They're not choosing to run last—they simply don't yet have the speed and strength to match their seniors. With slower breaks and lower ability, they've already fallen more than five lengths behind early."
"And the distance is still growing."
"Please don't scold them—they're trying very hard. And as long as they try, even if they're a little slow, isn't that still adorable?"
Lyphard's lighthearted remark drew laughter from the crowd, though most spectators continued earnestly cheering for the runners.
The early stage of the Epsom track was uphill, but since the slope was under ten degrees, the strength and stamina required weren't too severe. The pace remained relatively calm.
Seizing the moment, Kitahara followed up:
"Tony Bianca usually runs best in a pace chasing strategy, conserving more stamina."
"In the straight stretch, that conserved stamina transforms into a powerful finishing kick."
"Jupiter Island and Le Gloriuex likely want to compete with their junior, though they may also be hoping to teach her through the race."
"Both are Japan Cup champions. If they can pass their experience to promising juniors like Tony Bianca or Moonlight Lunacy, their performance at this year's Japan Cup will very likely improve."
When he said this, Kitahara internally assumed that Lifar's intentions were exactly that.
Among the European competitors, Moonlight Lunacy was both a British horsegirl and soon to race in the Japan Cup. From the Academy's perspective, finding experienced sparring partners was the best option.
And both Epsom Academy and Duke Lavinia possessed the connections to arrange that easily.
So this exchange match might exist solely to increase Moonlight Lunacy's chances in the Japan Cup.
If the only goal was winning an exchange race, they could have simply recruited more Epsom Derby champions.
Outside of Reference Point, last year's Epsom Derby champion "Shahrastani," the year before's "Slip Anchor," or even this year's contenders could've competed.
These horses not only naturally adapted to European courses but also received specialty boosts as Derby-trained racers.
If they came, Kitahara honestly wouldn't know how Japan could compete.
Therefore, aside from Reference Point, choosing Japan Cup champions like Jupiter Island and Le Gloriuex made the training objective obvious: preparing for the Japan Cup.
[Fun Fact. Currently The JRA wants their own horses to choke to make Japan Cup relevant in the International Horse Racing scene. They are paying alot of money to Caladangan's owner just to arrive here and race. Also For Croix Du Nord fans it looks like L arc has destroyed him, his training time seems worse than pre L'arc time]
Tony Bianca simply had the luck of being included.
But something about this plan didn't make sense—Moonlight Lunacy herself.
"...Tony Bianca and the other front-cluster runners are executing a very reasonable strategy—front runners can see the full picture, so there's no problem."
After emphasizing "no problem" twice, Kitahara grew visibly confused.
"And if Moonlight Lunacy aims to prepare for the Japan Cup, it would be best for her to run alongside Jupiter Island and Le Gloriuex, gaining experience."
"Or run with Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, and Inari One to prepare for powerful finishers."
"But choosing last-to-first… the intent is probably to conserve stamina and accelerate around the mid-race. That would be the most logical race plan."
"Perhaps that is the intention of Moonlight Lunacy and Duke Lavinia."
Though doubtful, Kitahara provided the most reasonable explanation from a trainer's perspective.
As commentary continued, the front runners approached the end of the early uphill section, about to enter the steep middle-phase climb.
The crowd grew increasingly excited. Seeing the horsegirls surge toward the steep slope, cheers almost shook the sky.
In the noisy atmosphere, a group of juniors became especially energized:
"Hey—! Big sis! Hurry up, you're falling way behind!"
"Big sis, you can do it! We're running with you!"
"You're too slow, big sis! If this continues, you'll lose really ugly!"
"Big sis, come on! Lil' Oguri, you too! And you over there—foreign friend—go go go!"
These were clearly the little ones of the Golden family, cheering for Stay Gold, Oguri Roman, and the "foreign friend" Saumarez.
Stay Gold, however, did not appreciate the encouragement.
With veins popping at her temples as she desperately pursued the backs of her seniors, she suddenly yelled toward the rail:
"Hey! You brats are going too far!"
"What do you mean you're running with me?!"
"Where did you get those balance scooters?!"
"And every single one of you has one?!"
"How is that running with me?!"
Just as Stay Gold said, Dream Journey, Nakayama Festa, Orfevre, Gold Ship, and trailing nervously behind, Just a Way and Fenomeno, were not running—they were riding vertical-handle balance scooters.
And they were clearly horsegirl-exclusive models. Though Stay Gold and the other trainees weren't fully developed, their speed was already beyond human.
Normal scooters maxed at 10–20 km/h and would never keep up—yet the little ones' scooters kept pace easily and even had extra power.
"Don't worry about details like that, big sis!"
Gold Ship waved casually.
Then she leaned forward, her scooter suddenly accelerating faster than even the trailing race horsegirls, surging toward the front group.
"I'm going ahead to check on Lil' Oguri and the others! Big sis, keep pushing! I'll circle back later!"
"You—Gold Ship, you little—! You definitely built these scooters! I'm going to lose my mind!"
"Wait—A-Ship, wait for me! I want to see too!"
"M-me too…!"
In a flurry, the juniors raced along the fence toward the front.
Soon, they met Special Week and Opera O, who were also riding scooters.
"How's it looking! How's the race looking from here—whoa, steep! Careful, guys!"
Gold Ship nearly tipped backward and yelled as she climbed the incline.
"Careful! The slope is really steep here!"
Special Week called back without turning her eyes from the track.
Opera O glanced behind and, seeing no accidents, responded more seriously than usual:
"The situation… isn't very good. At least for Oguri Cap and the others."
The young horsegirls following Kitahara to Europe all had decent talent, but in racing discipline, only Oguri Roman and Stay Gold had formal training. The next strongest were Opera O and Special Week.
Opera O trained herself with only innate talent, enabling her to read races.
Special Week had trained under her mother since childhood, and her training environment was similar to Europe's natural terrain.
She'd been sprinting through mountain forests since she could run—an agile mountain-runner by birth.
So after Opera O's concerned comment, Special Week pointed toward the track:
"Super Creek and Ardan-Senpai were front-runners earlier, right?"
"They've already slipped back—probably trying to return to the familiar pressing position to avoid overspending stamina."
"I remember most of their races were pressing instead of leading."
"Oguri Cap and the others have slowed too—they're nearly in last-to-first position now, no longer true chasers—ah! That really tall older sister just passed them!"
Special Week shouted, and Opera O sighed helplessly.
"You're weird, Special. Why do you always remember people by their body shape?"
"Her name is Moonlight Lunacy—so poetic and romantic. Calling her 'that tall one' is ridiculous."
"But…"
Opera O stared at the track with focus.
"She really is unusual. I heard from the older trainers that she's not good at End Closing."
"So her earlier position must've only been a test—to gauge the strength of Oguri Cap and the others."
"So she can choose between front running and chasing properly…"
"Probably?"
Meanwhile, in the broadcast:
"It appears the Epsom course is proving quite difficult for the Japanese horsegirls."
Without bias, just as earlier with Moonlight Lunacy, Lyphard looked carefully at the monitors.
"We've entered the mid-race section. As all guests know, before the Tattenham Corner lies a slope with a 37-meter elevation difference."
"The early incline is manageable, but the mid-slope becomes dramatically steeper."
"This is a harsh trial—those without sufficient strength cannot accelerate properly here, and those without stamina lose massive endurance."
"Reference Point, Jupiter Island, Le Gloriuex, and Moonlight Lunacy are handling the terrain well. Their condition seems stable and their positions remain unchanged."
"Tony Bianca has fallen slightly back, likely conserving stamina on an unfamiliar course."
"Likewise, the Japanese horsegirls have slowed to conserve energy."
"Their step frequency is excellent, but a week of training seems insufficient to fully adapt. Slowing down appears unavoidable."
"The positions will continue to shift until they reach the highest point platform—the entrance to Tattenham Corner."
"Oh! We've had some collisions—during the strategy shifts and lane changes approaching the corner, physical collisions were unavoidable!"
"Many of our guests may be used to such contact, but in Japan, this almost never occurs!"
"In Japan, this is considered a foul—causing your opponent to lose stamina or even lose balance is prohibited in most races!"
"So can the Japanese horsegirls adapt without experience in this type of racing?!"
Lyphard's commentary not only explained the situation on the field, but he also conveniently took on the job of analysis as well. Normally, this was the duty of the guest commentators.
If it were any other race, both Kitahara—or even Symboli Rudolf, who had been watching silently—would have been glad to have someone share the workload, since neither of them had much experience doing race analysis.
But after witnessing the sudden intensity at the slope on the track, the two—one trainer and one horse girl—instinctively picked up their microphones.
"Ogu— cough... Compared to races in Japan, European and American races are far more intense when it comes to fighting for position. Close contact and bumping are completely normal."
Because this was a race in Britain, most of the audience were British, and so both Lyphard and Kitahara had been commentating in English earlier.
But seeing the intensity of the situation and worrying that his horse girls might not have reacted properly, Kitahara almost blurted out Oguri Cap's name the moment he opened his mouth.
Although he quickly realized that it was inappropriate to directly warn a competitor while acting as a guest commentator, he still made another mistake.
He intended to use his analysis to subtly remind Oguri Cap and the others to calm down and respond according to their collision-handling training.
But in his rush, he cleared his throat and spoke—in Japanese.
…Damn, that's a bit embarrassing…
As soon as he finished, he realized his slip-up and felt a flash of regret.
Fortunately, Rudol Symbol had experience racing overseas and handled it more naturally. She spoke right after Kitahara, and unlike him, she didn't slip into Japanese.
"As Chairman Lyphard said, Japanese horse girls do not have much experience dealing with physical collisions."
"But Mejiro Ardan, Super Creek, Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, and Inari One are among Japan's strongest horse girls. They all have the ability to mitigate the effects of these collisions."
"Whether it's timely lane-changing, overtaking from the outside, or sacrificing distance to avoid congestion—all of these are good decisions."
"I hope they realize this quickly and respond as soon as possible."
Just like Kitahara, Symboli Rudolf also wanted to subtly remind the Japanese horse girls.
Having raced in America, she understood how fierce positional fights were abroad; behaviors that would be considered fouls in Japan were completely accepted in Europe and the U.S.
Japanese tracks are neat elliptical loops—nothing like the exaggerated turns overseas, where sudden tight curves are common.
Under stronger centrifugal forces, avoiding collisions is nearly impossible unless one wastes stamina by constantly running wide.
With this philosophy, even if European horse girls collide, they subconsciously don't feel anything is wrong.
And in Rudolf's view, Oguri and the others were absolutely capable of adjusting to this situation.
Whether it was Oguri Cap's ultra-fast lane changes, Tamamo Cross's lightning footwork, or their endurance and tactical precision,all could minimize the stamina loss from collisions.
That was what she intended to remind them.
But like Kitahara, in the heat of the moment she commented in English, forgetting that several Japanese horse girls didn't understand English well.
Rudolf… what is she even saying…?
Still pushing forward with gritted teeth, Oguri Cap shot a confused glance to the side.
Even if collisions weren't prohibited here, like Kitahara said…
This level of interference was seriously affecting performance!
Beside her was Tony Bianca, who, as the commentary earlier had noted, had backed off from the leading position to conserve stamina on an unfamiliar track.
Running just behind pace-setters, Oguri Cap was currently at the front of that group.
"Very gentlemanly. I mean, you Japanese horse girls sure run in a gentlemanly style."
As they inevitably collided while Tony Bianca shifted lanes, she easily sensed Oguri Cap instinctively avoiding impact. She cast a sideways glance and said coolly:
"Are you all right, Oguri Cap?"
Rudolf's fluent string of English earlier made no sense at all to Oguri Cap, who had only been rushed into a single week of English "training" by Moonlight Lunacy—and nearly broke down from it.
But unaware of how miserable Moonlight Lunacy had been, Oguri Cap at least learned some basic everyday phrases.
She didn't understand the word gentlemanly, but she understood the latter half of the question.
"Yeah, I am all right!"
Feeling proud after a week of studying and finally being able to "speak English," Oguri briefly forgot her annoyance and replied excitedly:
"I am very very good!"
"Fine. Your English is better than Inari One's."
Tony Bianca praised casually, thinking looks like I can speak English with her after all, then focused ahead, her expression hardening.
"But next is the Tartar Curve. Take care, Oguri."
Oguri barely understood what she meant; because "Tartar" was a transliteration, she could guess that they were arriving at the Tartar Curve.
Tartar Curve… right, this stretch is the key to the entire race. If I secure a good position here, the final 1100 meters can be an all-out sprint.
To fight for position, she'd have to switch lanes at high speed.
That would make up for the distance lost on the hill, and avoid collisions!
Perhaps speaking English activated her brain, because extremely unusually, Oguri began thinking strategically mid-race.
Normally she ran on instinct based on pre-race planning, and although that normally worked well, after this quick calculation, her movements became much sharper.
So, when the group reached the first major turn of the U-shaped track, in full view of the spectators, commentators, and opponents, Oguri Cap suddenly accelerated.
And with the stunned eyes of horse girls around her, she burst forward, weaving through like a fish in water, slipping past the horses ahead and entering the leading group.
Moonlight Lunacy clearly understood most of what was being said, and she bit her lip lightly.
She knew her friend wasn't wrong—both of her previous trainers treated her very well, and her team was also excellent. None of that was false.
But sometimes, only she knew what kind of race strategy and front-line positioning would allow her to fully unleash her ability.
Or rather—only she knew what kind of race she truly wanted to run.
Just to repay the kindness of the Duke and Duchess, she had never deliberately expressed her own thoughts. Tony Bianca could see this, which was why she used the opportunity of the race to offer a gentle reminder.
Moonlight Lunacy understood that much. What she didn't understand was why Tony Bianca's final words sounded almost like a declaration.
Someone else puzzled by that was Tamamo Cross, who was running just behind them.
Tony Bianca and Moonlight Lunacy were speaking in English, and Tamamo Cross wasn't bad at English—she could understand them.
"…How are these two so relaxed? This track and this race are painful enough already…"
She muttered softly, but then suddenly her ears twitched—she heard something strange beside her.
"Hey! Tama! Move!!"
Instinctively accelerating for just a moment, she narrowly dodged Inari One crashing in from the side, shouting in shock:
"Hyaa! Inari, what are you doing?! That's way too dangerous!"
"How is that my fault! If you wanna blame someone, blame this damn track!"
Inari One yelled back furiously.
"Damn it! It's bad enough that the incline is this steep—but this 'flat' section of the curve… what kind of flat ground is this?!"
"It's so uneven that running well would be the real miracle!"
"So why are you yelling at me? Go yell at the track!"
Even after a week of special training, it still wasn't enough time. Now that they were in a real race, Inari One couldn't shake the overwhelming discomfort.
In fact, she faintly felt that it wasn't just her—Oguri Cap and the others were likely enduring the same.
Just keeping up with the European horse girls without being left behind had already forced them close to their maximum normal cruising level.
If she wanted to push any further, the only option left was to enter the final sprint.
But she was certain their opponents hadn't even started using real power yet. Even though she could only understand a little of what the two up front were saying, they sounded far too calm—they definitely had energy to spare…
After complaining, Inari One forcibly suppressed the urge to explode, trying to cool her temper.
This curve was six hundred meters long, and there were still several hundred meters remaining. This condition would continue for a while—now was not the time to act recklessly.
Endure. Endure, Inari…
After this curve was the long straight. In a footpower fight there, aside from other opponents, the only one who could match her was Oguri…
Endure… endure…
Just as she thought that, she heard a distinct voice ahead.
"Next switch… beginning."
Having spent time pestering Tony Bianca for English practice earlier, she immediately recognized her voice.
Her English wasn't great, but she understood next and beginning.
So… Sw-sw-sw… what did that word mean?!
Just as she mentally screamed in confusion, her eyes went wide.
Right ahead, the tall blonde horse girl with Roman curls abruptly shifted to the outside, slipping past another racer in an instant.
At 178 centimeters tall, the movement was incredibly obvious—and what followed was even more striking.
They were still in the middle section of the 2423m course, yet Tony Bianca suddenly began accelerating!
And not a short burst for minor repositioning—this was a full acceleration, aiming straight for the leading pace!
Sticking to the far outside, she drew up next to Oguri Cap, Ardan, and Creek—then surged past them in one breath.
She was closing in on the leaders!
Right—
Switch… means position change!
She was trying to steal the lead!
The realization exploded in Inari One's mind—and she instinctively bared her teeth in a fierce grin.
"Haha… A big outside overtake?"
Instantly forgetting her earlier decision to stay calm, she laughed in a slightly unhinged tone, unleashing every bit of strength she had been storing in the back of the pack.
She had been running just inside Tamamo Cross, but with one burst of acceleration, she shot ahead by half a length, then used the gap Moonlight Lunacy left to cut to the outside lane.
"Don't think you're the only one with that ability!"
"You wanna fight on the big outside lane—"
"You think you're Oguri Cap?!"
The sudden shift sent shockwaves through the race, and the entire Epsom course erupted.
Spectators lining the outer rail gasped first, then their gasps turned into roaring cheers. Even though there were only tens of thousands in attendance, the energy exploded like a packed stadium.
Special Week and her group, following on balance scooters near the track, were fired up as well.
Leaning forward, pursuing their seniors' backs, they shouted above the booming English chants around them, contributing familiar words from their homeland:
"Go for it! Senpai!"
"Don't lose to the horse girls here!"
"Catch up! Don't let them escape!"
But compared to the deafening cheers inside the stadium, the announcer's voice remained measured and calm.
"Quite unexpected—at the halfway point of the race, Tony Bianca has suddenly accelerated strongly."
Staring at the screen, gripping his mic tightly, Chairman Lypahrd's speed of speech increased, but his tone stayed steady.
"Right behind her is Inari One—and ah, Tamamo Cross has accelerated as well."
"Tony Bianca and Inari One are both choosing to overtake from the far outside, while Tamamo Cross has cut in through the inside lane."
"Tamamo Cross's maneuver looks similar to Oguri Cap's slope-side overtaking technique earlier, though not exactly the same."
"I recall Japanese fans calling it the 'Lightning Step.' It certainly looks unpredictable like lightning."
"And perhaps influenced by the three before her, Oguri Cap has left the along-the-rail group and is charging forward from the outer side."
"She has the positional advantage—she is now ahead of Tony Bianca."
"These competitors are clearly aiming to secure the best positions before entering the downhill curve."
"With the best position secured, the following 1100m straight will be extremely advantageous."
"With Reference Point still leading, followed by Jupiter Island and Le Gloriuex—will their plan succeed?"
"And by spending stamina to fight for position right now, will they have enough left for the straight sprint?"