Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 297: You have great potential, Almond-kun!

Looking around, apart from the lightning speed unique to short-distance races, the professionalism of this simulation race was quite different from the races I had participated in before.

It's almost fair to say that most test takers simply rely on the reckless courage of a newborn calf, charging blindly on the track without any strategy or skill.

In stark contrast, during the race, whether it was seizing advantageous positions, controlling her posture when cornering, or adjusting to the rhythm, although her professionalism was still somewhat immature and her movements were a little rough, she had already begun to show her skills and was showing signs of becoming a professional racehorse girl.

Not only did Yasui Makoto and Kita Genko notice these characteristics of the race, but Grasshopper and Divine Eagle also quickly made their comments over the radio.

Grasshopper's gentle yet highly recognizable voice rang out first:
"With the race nearing its halfway point, Sayaka is still in the lead. Gao Jiebai has given up on catching up and is currently in the lead, seemingly planning to wait for a later stage of the race to find an opportunity."

"The other contestants also gradually slowed down, and it seems they all had similar plans."

"However, this is actually a very good strategy. Newcomers are racing on the track with their abundant energy and enthusiasm, which is great."

"But we also need to pay attention to tactical application and rhythm control."

"For example, when going around a curve, if you simply accelerate without adjusting your center of gravity, you will not only waste energy, but also easily affect your speed."

Shenying then picked up the conversation, raising her voice to add:

"That's right! Everyone must remember that in official matches, it's not enough to just blindly charge forward. If you want to debut or even win big prizes and G1, the right strategy and timely on-the-spot reactions are very important."

“In this respect, Alimee did a relatively good job.”

"Although the technique is not yet mature, the gate was opened a little late at the beginning."

"But she quickly adjusted and seems to have learned to observe the situation in the game and choose the right position."

"You have a lot of potential, Aloe!"
"Of course, everyone performed well. Everyone has matured from being green, and this competition is an excellent learning opportunity."

The female racehorses in the stands listened thoughtfully to the comments from their seniors.

Some of the less experienced female racehorses began to whisper among themselves, pondering how they could improve their training in the future.

The older racehorse girls, who already had a deep understanding of the race, nodded slightly, agreeing with the views of Kusakabe and Shin'taka.

On the track, Sayaka's breathing gradually became heavy, her chest heaving violently, and each exhale was accompanied by a rapid panting sound.

Upon hearing the announcement of her lead over the other side of the radio, a look of smugness instantly flashed in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up, revealing an undisguised pride.

However, her triumph was short-lived, and she soon realized that it was far from time to relax in this competition.

Especially when the radio broadcast praised Xingmu, her heart tightened, and she almost instinctively turned her gaze quickly to the back of her head.

During the long period of preparing for the entrance exam, her family went to great lengths to help her achieve excellent results.

They traveled extensively, inviting numerous experienced instructors and trainers, and also mobilized their relatives and friends who were already prominent female racehorses on the track.

I remember a senior colleague giving her pre-race guidance, and he solemnly instructed her: "In this entrance exam, there is a racehorse girl named Almond, you must pay special attention to her."

At that time, she was full of confidence in her own abilities and took it as just a cautious reminder from her senior, without really taking it to heart.

It wasn't until just before the competition started, while reviewing the participant list, that she noticed she was in the same match as Aki-me, the girl her senior had specifically mentioned. Witnessing Aki-me's current state, Sayaka had to admit that this opponent was no ordinary person and indeed possessed extraordinary skills.

Sayaka believes that his running style will guarantee victory in this race.

The opponents, like themselves, were inexperienced newcomers.

In this kind of competition, instead of relying on meager skills and experience, it's better to rely on instinct and run as fast as you can.

This is the advice given by our predecessors, instructors, and trainers.

This running method had indeed been effective. The opponent who had been chasing him closely was now clearly struggling, his steps became heavy, and his breathing became more rapid. The other opponents were in similar situations.

Even those who are lagging behind and trying to conserve their strength may not have the opportunity or ability to handle the complex race situation after the final bend.

She firmly believed that she could maintain her lead until the very end.

But almond-shaped eyes gave her a different feeling.

Sayaka caught a glimpse of Almond's steady steps and even, rhythmic breathing out of the corner of her eye, seemingly unmoved by the fierce competition before her.

Her figure appears light and graceful, yet it contains a resilient strength.

Although she is still somewhat inexperienced in terms of professionalism, every move she makes, whether it is the subtle adjustment of her body's center of gravity when cornering or the control of speed and rhythm in different stages of the race, seems to be the result of her own thinking and planning.

Sayaka felt a sense of unease. She suddenly realized that Almond might not be as easy to deal with as her other opponents.

She couldn't help but turn her head to look at Xingmu again, her gaze now filled with scrutiny and wariness.

At this moment, Xingmu is skillfully using the gaps between the contestants in front of him to steadily move forward, not in a hurry to overtake, but inadvertently closing the distance with the contestants in front of him.

"What exactly is that almond-eyed man plotting?"

Sayaka wondered to herself, "Could she have some other tricks up her sleeve?"

She subconsciously quickened her pace, trying to extend her lead, but her legs ached from the previous high-intensity sprint.

She gritted her teeth, enduring the discomfort, and silently prayed that the game would end soon so that she could hold onto her hard-won lead.

However, she also knew in her heart that as long as Xingmu was still on the track, the competition was full of variables, and no one could predict what the final result would be.

Gao Jie Baihe was at the front of the team, and the comments on the competition from Cao Shangfei and Shenying on the radio clearly reached her ears.

When she heard her seniors analyze her tactics precisely and point out that her actions in chasing Sayaka were a bit impulsive, she felt a mix of emotions.

At that moment, she couldn't help but feel annoyed, recalling the scene of her accelerating at full speed without thinking, trying to overtake Sayaka.

In retrospect, this impulsive act was extremely ill-considered, not only wasting a lot of energy but also disrupting my original rhythm.

(End of this chapter)