Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 447 Can Senior Xiao Bei win?

However, perhaps due to being too busy, there was still no news from the East Sea Emperor until the day before the competition.

Although it was a bit unexpected, Yasui Makoto didn't dwell on it too much.

Following the plan step by step, he brought Kita Genko to the accommodation specially provided by Hanshin Arena, while Almond and Wang Ziding accompanied him as support staff.

This wasn't the first time that Anzu had helped prepare all the necessary items for the Northern Black Horse's competition.

Upon arriving at the room, she excitedly and methodically set out all the prepared equipment.

From the G1 race-specific sprint kit to the custom-made horseshoes, and the energy drinks such as bananas, chocolates, and beverages, she meticulously checked everything to ensure there were no problems.

Wang Ziding also seemed very skilled. Seeing Xingmu busy preparing, she actively helped clean the room, carefully adjusted the water temperature in the bathroom, and checked the sink and bathtub.

After finishing her own tasks, Xingmu saw Wang Ziding wearing cleaning gloves and wiping the bathtub. She quickly came over to help, asking curiously and in surprise:

"So Xiao Ding is quite skilled at these things. I don't think I've heard you mention this before?"

"Huh? Didn't we say that?"

Equally surprised, after a moment's thought, Wang Ziding raised a finger and shook it, somewhat dissatisfied, and said:

"I think we've already said that, right? The senior masters have come to the Hanshin tournament quite a few times, and I often come along to help and learn. Don't treat me like some rich girl who can't do anything."

Wang Ziding and Golden Master are both racehorse girls from the Golden Family, a family that is a regular at the Hanshin Racecourse, especially the Takarazuka Memorial.

Her reminder made Xingmu recall that she seemed to have heard a friend mention something like this during a casual chat.

"Sorry, I can't remember right now."

She smiled sheepishly, then helped pick up the trash in the bathroom. Her almond-shaped eyes glanced outside, and she leaned closer to Wang Ziding, lowering her voice to say:

"It just so happens that Xiao Ding mentioned the Hanshin Arena. I remember you are very familiar with the Takarazuka Memorial Tournament."

"So tell me, can Senior Xiao Bei win this match?"

By the end, her eyes were filled with anticipation.

"This..."

After removing her cleaning gloves, Wang Ziding rubbed her hands together, pondered for a moment, and hesitated for a moment:

"G1 matches...it's really too difficult to predict, isn't it?"
"Even a master like him couldn't guarantee victory before participating in this competition... Of course, he did win in the end."

When she talked about her idols, she immediately became radiant:

"As expected, the senior is very powerful. Even though the Emperor's Spring Appreciation race suffered such a big defeat, he still managed to show such amazing running skills at the Takarazuka Memorial!"

"The Emperor enjoys spring... Takarazuka Memorial..."

She murmured, the expectation in her almond-shaped eyes fading slightly: "Even a racehorse girl like the master craftsman couldn't guarantee a win..."

Immediately noticing his friend's change in mood, Wang Ziding quickly composed himself and began to comfort him:

"But Almond, you don't need to worry so much."

"I am quite clear about the situation of the master in that Takarazuka competition. To be honest, losing that year's Takarazuka... shouldn't be too surprising."

"Not too surprising...?" Almond-eyed was surprised.

"Hmm, Almond Eyes, think about it," Wang Ziding nodded, stroking her chin thoughtfully.

"Before that Takarazuka Memorial, the master first experienced the classic Triple Crown, and then the classic Arima Memorial, and won both beautifully."

"Next up are the Hanshin Grand Prix, the Emperor's Spring Festival, and the Takarazuka Memorial Tournament, all in the first year of the Year of the Horse. This schedule is packed with the most prestigious events; I think even the most legendary masters would feel exhausted."

"Furthermore, the senior trainers and the old man also said that the intensity of this competition is too great, so it is not difficult to understand that there will be mistakes."

Thinking about what Wang Ziding said, her almond-shaped eyes suddenly realized something:

"The classic treble... Arima Memorial... Spring Race Schedule for the Year of the Horse..."

"This arrangement...it's so similar to Senior Xiao Bei's...don't you think, Xiao Ding?"

Wang Ziding was taken aback, then suddenly realized and said:
"That's right! If Kobe-senpai's Saint-Levitt Memorial Cup were replaced by the Kobe Shimbun Cup, and there were one more Hanshin Grand Prix before the Emperor's Spring Festival, then his schedule would be exactly the same as that of the master!"

"Even that master craftsman struggled so much," Xingmu looked outside with a troubled expression, and whispered in distress:

"What Senior Xiao Bei said..."

"This one……"

Wang Ziding easily sensed her friend's worries and thought of something similar.

In their view, with her classic triple crown and numerous G1 victories, Golden Master is undoubtedly one of the most powerful female racehorses in recent generations, and even in the entire history of racing.

However, even veterans of this caliber can suffer defeats when faced with a series of highly rewarding matches.

Given such a similar schedule, can the Northern Black Steed perform better than its predecessor?
After sharing her worries, Wang Ziding thought for a moment and decided to comfort Xingmu:
"Almond Eyes, I feel... maybe we can change our mind."

"Change your mind... what mind?" Almond-shaped eyes lit up as she pressed for an answer.

“Think about it,” Wang Ziding nodded, “we just discovered that two of our seniors had the same race schedule.”
"But there are still differences."

"I think the biggest difference is that after last year's Arima Memorial, Koki-senpai took a long time to rest and adjust."

"It took four months to return to the competition. Wasn't this one of the news stories about the Emperor enjoying the spring?"

"After such a long rest and adjustment, we think that Senior Xiao Bei's condition this time... is very likely to be better than that of Senior Master back then."

Her eyes lit up again, and as she nodded hastily, a thought struck her, and she clapped her hands, saying:

"Oh right! The trainer said that the reason for the long break is... to ensure that the Emperor is in top condition for the spring festival and the Takarazuka Memorial!"

This was something Wang Ziding was unaware of, but she quickly followed up by saying:

"That's right, Senior Xiao Bei must be in great shape."

"Moreover, we've been training together during this time. Senior's physical fitness is really amazing. We feel tired just watching those training sessions, but Senior is able to persevere through them all."

"Also, as you said, this schedule was arranged by Coach Yasui, which means he must have thought all of this through."

"They might have thought of everything we're worried about."

"So..."

Smiling and nodding, Wang Ziding leaned closer and patted Almond-eyed's shoulder forcefully:

"Let's stop daydreaming and focus on doing all the necessary preparations for our seniors!"

"Yes! Thank you, Xiao Ding, I understand completely!"

Her worries vanished, and she looked gratefully at her friend. Her almond-shaped eyes flickered with a hint of embarrassment as she glanced at the hand on her shoulder.
"Um... Xiao Ding, you just cleaned the toilet, didn't you... wash your hands yet?"

(End of this chapter)