Uma Musume: From Being Knocked Ten Meters Away

Chapter 125 Experience Sharing by Seniors
Yasui Shin noticed the subtle emotions of the horse racing ladies of the Golden Family.

However, seeing that Beibu Xuanju and the others were immersed in the enthusiastic atmosphere of the game day and did not notice anything, he thought about it and did not say it out loud.

After leaving the lounge and coming to the reserved front row seats in the auditorium, they watched several races in the afternoon before the Emperor's Spring Viewing Day. The moment the golden ship appeared in the circle, all the horse racing girls cheered.

"Achuan! Look here! Here!"

"You look like you're in good shape, Ah Chuan... Come on, Ah Chuan!"

Amid the joyful cheers of Tokujou and Vodka, Yamato Akagi and Silent Suzuka were chatting thoughtfully.

"Only second in popularity... That's strange. We clearly won the last Hanshin Grand Prix, how could this happen?" Yamato Akagi asked in confusion.

"No. 1 popularity... high friendship?"

Pinching her chin, Silent Suzuka whispered, "I remember... she was the Derby girl from the previous one, right?
"The brochures and commentaries I read before all said she had good adaptability over long distances. She even finished about three lengths ahead of Ah Chuan at last year's Tianchun race.

"In that case, it's not hard to understand why Ah Chuan isn't as popular as her."

What the two of them said was common sense to experienced people, and most of the horse racing ladies who heard it nodded in agreement.

Xingmu looked over and asked curiously:

"The Japanese Derby... Do I have to win this event to become the strongest Uma Musume?"

"That's not the case."

Yamato Akagi rubbed Xingmu's head and said lovingly:
"The Japanese Derby is truly special. It should be said that any competition named 'Derby' is very special. The name itself implies 'the pinnacle of a generation', so it's certainly a great achievement to win.

“But that’s not to say there aren’t other games that are incredibly important.

"For example, at today's Emperor's Spring Viewing Ceremony and the year-end Arima Kinen, the participants are all the strongest horse girls of this generation.

"If you ask me, winning against Arima Kinen might be even more impressive."

Xingmu nodded in confusion, while Vodka was both angry and amused.

"Hey, Yamato, you're making me feel embarrassed for winning the derby but not the Arima Kinen..."

Perhaps because of the presence of Xingmu, a junior, Yamato Akagi did not confront Vodka as he did in the past. Instead, he said in a comforting tone:
"Don't worry, don't worry. You couldn't attend the last two times due to health reasons. There's nothing we can do about this kind of thing."

It was just a casual self-deprecating remark, and Vodka didn't take it seriously. She smiled and looked towards the stage circle, then at the exit of the underground passage.

The appearance segment is almost coming to an end. The first to appear, Gao Qinghouyi and the Golden Ship, have appeared from the exit and are walking towards the gate under the guidance of the staff.

"Gate No. 1..."

Touching his chin and looking at the figure of the golden ship, Vodka frowned slightly and looked at Te Bie Zhou beside him.

"Hey, Xiao Te, is Gate 1 of Tianchun easy to run?"

"I feel okay about Lock No. 1 in Tianchun... Are you worried about Achuan?" Te Bie Zhou was also looking at the golden ship, and asked back after hearing what he said.

"Yeah, I didn't pay much attention to it just now, but now I see..."

Vodka glanced at the straight section behind the gate and hesitated for a moment.

"The straight line at Tianchun seems to be much longer than many other races. Leaving the gate on the inside... shouldn't be that advantageous?"

With a nostalgic expression, Te Bie Zhou pondered:
"Indeed, when I was running, I also felt that this straight line was very long. Let me think about it, the straight line after Tianchun left the gate..."

"It should be 417 meters, right? This distance is definitely not that advantageous for the inner lane.

"But as for Ah Chuan... there shouldn't be any problem."

"The inner path isn't that advantageous...?"

Hearing the conversation between Vodka and Te Bie Zhou, Xingmu asked in confusion: "Why? Running on the inside of the team will save a lot of distance, right?" Although they did not say anything, Beibu Xuanju, Mingsheng Leidong and the others also looked over curiously, with obvious confusion in their eyes.

In the impressions of these horse racing girls, whether it is teachers, instructors, or trainers, they often mention the saying "the inside is advantageous".

In many training sessions and competitions, their instructions were to occupy the inner lane as much as possible.

This is completely opposite to what the predecessors are saying now.

"If this is the case..."

Vodka glanced at Te Bie Zhou and said, "Xiao Te, you should explain it yourself. I'm not very good at long-distance races."

Without much hesitation, Zhou Teji smiled and touched Xingmu's head, looking at the younger generations.

"The advantages of inside and outside lanes... well, that depends on the specific match to be fully determined.

“In most races, it’s true that you can grab the inside lane after the start, but Tianchun’s straight line is long enough, and because it’s a start, the pace won’t be too fast.

"Just keep a good rhythm of lateral movement and find a good angle before turning. The physical exertion of the outside lane is not as great as you might think.

“At this time, Neidao’s situation is reversed.

"The inside lane has fewer tactical options than the outside lane because they can be surrounded by the outside lane. While the outside lane doesn't have the disadvantages of stamina and speed, the inside lane's disadvantage is quite obvious.

“There is another very important thing.

"If the grass on the inner lane is in very bad condition, you have to find a way to break out. Otherwise, you won't be able to increase your speed and you'll waste a lot of energy.

"At this time, it is the inside lane that consumes your speed and energy.

"So, don't be too rigid in future competitions."

After Zhou Teji explained with a smile, his eyes sparkled with longing, and he clenched his fists in admiration and said:
“Especially Senior Zhou… so amazing!

"The seniors are all amazing... Suzuka-senpai, Yamato-senpai, and Koto-senpai too...

"Of course, Senior Vodka is also very good."

Everyone laughed when they heard the younger junior's praise, and Vodka came over to rub her head just like Yamato Akagi did before.

"Okay, don't count me in. The Emperor's Spring Viewing Competition still depends on your Senior Xiao Te. Oh, and you can also ask Senior McQueen for advice when you have the chance."

"Yeah! I know!"

As if she was afraid of being looked down upon, her expression was relatively calm, but her tone was clearly somewhat anxious as she spoke:
"Takuya-san is the second horse girl since Tamamo Cross-san to achieve consecutive championships in the Emperor's Prize in Spring and Autumn, and McQueen-san is the first horse girl to achieve consecutive championships in the Emperor's Prize in Spring.

"I will learn from all of you who have come before me and strive to become just as good, or even better, as a Uma Musume!"

"Oh? Even better?"

Surprised for a moment, Vodka smiled and looked at Beibu Xuanju who was also smiling beside him.

"Xiaobei, you have to learn from Xiaoxingmu. She not only wants to be on par with her seniors, she also wants to surpass them."

"Little Xingmu is always very ambitious!"

Beibu Xuanju nodded repeatedly, his eyes becoming firm, "But Senior is right, I must also work towards this goal!"

In the cheerful atmosphere, Yasui Shin, who had been smiling silently, nodded secretly at this scene.

(The official version of Xingmu has been released, here is a new one:
Much cuter than the ones I found before)

(End of this chapter)