Canopus Meeting Room.
The dorm was overflowing with sweets, cakes, and fruit juice, a celebration for Barbatos's win in the Oka Sho, the first decisive victory in her quest for the Triple Tiara.
She stood a very real chance of becoming Canopus's first-ever Triple Crown Uma Musume.
Even if it was the Triple Tiara, a Triple Crown was a Triple Crown. No one would dare question the prestige of that title!
Unlike teams like Rigil, which had produced multiple Triple Crown winners, Canopus had only begun having racers debut last year.
They'd only just gathered enough Uma Musume to compete in the G1 races. So, this first victory on the road to a Triple Crown was a really big deal.
"This is awesome! B-chan won the Oka Sho just like that. That Phantom Bird wasn't even a match for her!"
"All that's left is to beat her again in the Japanese Oaks and the Shuka Sho, and we're golden!"
Twin Turbo chattered excitedly. In her mind, since Barbatos had beaten El Condor Pasa once, she could beat her a second time, a third time.
Winning the first leg of the Triple Tiara basically meant she'd already won all the races. She was definitely going to be a Triple Crown winner.
The only real question was, when would she get to compete at that level?
"A toast to B-chan, soon-to-be Triple Crown Uma Musume!"
Matikanetannhauser and Urara chimed in together, jumping the gun on the celebrations.
The usually level-headed trainer, Minamizaka, and the sensible Nice Nature stayed quiet.
It wasn't that they weren't happy; they were just silently facepalming at Twin Turbo and the others' over-the-top confidence.
During the Oka Sho, the pressure El Condor Pasa exerted had been intense.
Her final furious sprint had even erupted into a 'Zone'. If she'd awakened to that power a bit earlier, Barbatos might have been overtaken.
The coming races definitely wouldn't be simple. They were bound to be fierce, dragon-and-tiger battles.
Of course, Minamizaka was thinking a step further. As a trainer, he'd noticed a slight awkwardness in El Condor Pasa's leg movements during the Winner's Stage.
There was a chance she might miss the Japanese Oaks. But what kind of trainer would wish for an opponent's injury just to give his own charge a free pass?
Compared to that, Barbatos herself probably felt a real sense of urgency. That 'Zone' of El Condor Pasa's must be weighing on her.
Celebrating the Oka Sho win was fine, but popping the champagne at halftime? That wasn't something Barbatos was likely to do.
Right at that moment—"Triple Tiara, here we come!"
Barbatos, juice in hand, clinked her cup with Twin Turbo and the others, diving headfirst into the festive mood.
"..."
"To the Triple Tiara!"
Adjusting his mindset slightly, Minamizaka and Nice Nature also raised their juice cups high, joining in the celebration. They were just more analytical, not completely socially oblivious.
And for an Uma Musume, having confidence was a good thing. There was no need to rain on the parade right after a first-leg victory.
They trusted that Barbatos understood her own training and respected El Condor Pasa's strength. She wasn't the type to get a big head.
Juices and carrot juices clinked together as everyone savored the joy of this first victory on the Triple Tiara path.
Once the celebration began to wind down, Minamizaka gave a light cough.
He drew everyone's attention, his gaze settling on Seiun Sky, who was next to Barbatos.
"Barbatos's Oka Sho is over. Now, we need to focus all our energy on preparing for the Satsuki Sho."
"I've identified a few running styles that might be better suited to the Satsuki Sho's slope. We'll try them out in training tomorrow."
"Sure thing."
Seiun Sky agreed with her characteristic lack of enthusiasm.
But that laziness was just for show. When it came to actual training, she gave it her all. Even during Barbatos's Oka Sho preparations, she hadn't slacked off in her own regimen.
She'd already gone through the training plan Minamizaka originally prepared, though it didn't seem to be the perfect fit for her.
In the Satsuki Sho's preliminary race, she had beaten King Halo and Special Week, but her weakness had also been exposed: her disadvantage on uphill sections.
Even if her front-running pace was faster, allowing her to build a bigger lead, that gap could shrink on the slopes, becoming a potential point of failure.
"Additionally, aside from Barbatos's Spring Tenno Sho, Urara's debut race has been confirmed for May," Minamizaka announced.
"Huh?!"
"Really? I get to have my debut race?!"
Urara's eyes sparkled with delight.
She worked hard every day and had confidence in herself, but she was also keenly aware of the gap between her and Barbatos, and Sei-chan, even compared to Machitan, Dictus, and Nice Nature.
She thought she'd need a lot more practice, but her debut was already set for May!
She had a feeling—a really strong feeling—that she could win her debut race!
The ever-optimistic Urara thought to herself.
"Urara's debut! Where in May?" Barbatos asked.
If she had to name her closest friend in Canopus besides Seiun Sky, it was definitely Urara. Barring any major conflicts, she absolutely planned to be there to cheer her on.
For her own debut last year, Urara hadn't been able to attend, but she'd given her a good-luck charm.
Maybe it was time to ask that Fuku-chan for one too. Rumor had it she had some real spiritual talent.
"It's a race at the Kochi Racecourse."
Even though Barbatos asked the question, Minamizaka's somewhat hesitant answer was directed at Urara.
As a student of Tracen Academy, debut races were almost always held at central tracks. Debuting at Kochi wasn't the issue; it was that races held at Kochi were classified as local competitions.
Even if they were nominally the same class of rookie race, there was a difference in the level of competition—the gap between local and central circuits.
It wasn't unheard of for an Uma Musume to debut locally and then transfer to Tracen's central academy; the most famous example was Oguri Cap. But historically, they were few and far between.
He was a bit worried that signing Urara up for a Kochi debut might discourage her.
"Kochi! I feel like I'm definitely gonna win!"
Urara showed no hint of being bothered that her debut was at Kochi.
For her, just being able to race, to run, was happiness enough. Of course, she planned to win it all!
Seeing Urara's reaction, Minamizaka let out a quiet sigh of relief. He also understood why Barbatos had asked about the location.
"Urara's debut is in the first half of May. It won't conflict with the Japanese Oaks in the latter half. You can all go together."
Barbatos relaxed. "That's good."
"However, about the Spring Tenno Sho... I might not have the best advice to offer. For an extreme long-distance race like that, weight training is probably the only concrete suggestion I have."
Minamizaka reminded her a bit awkwardly. When it came to pacing strategy for such long distances, and what Barbatos's current stamina reserves truly were, he couldn't make an accurate judgment. For a trainer, moments like this felt somewhat powerless.
"Don't worry. I have a friend who's run the Spring Tenno Sho before. She should be able to give me some solid advice."
"A friend who's run the Spring Tenno Sho?"
For a moment, Minamizaka couldn't place who it might be. A friend who had run the Spring Tenno Sho and could advise Barbatos...
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.