Having trained real horses, why are we now training racehorse girls after time-traveling?

“Yes, twin-turbo and Taikan Poetry Drama, I’ve already heard two familiar names.” Wada couldn’t help but sigh. However, neither of them took it to heart. After all, they knew the prototypes of these two characters. Although they didn’t want to be impolite, they really didn’t pose a threat to them.

However, they soon heard about other names that were worth their attention.

"Sixth most popular, special week! It's Uma Musume from Hokkaido who recently joined Treson Academy and came in second place in the last 'Rigil' team selection! We're really rooting for you!"

"Next up is the fifth most popular general, Fury Waves..."

"Special Zhou? She's a freshman too?" However, when Wada and Ikezoe heard this familiar name, they both unconsciously turned their gazes to Special Zhou, who had just stepped off the stage after her appearance, their eyes shining with surprise.

Among them, Wada is quite familiar with this name. Back then, Taketoyo had more than one clash between Wada's operatic style and that of Tetsu-cho, and the feud between the two began after that.

The two were evenly matched, and for Wada, who was a rider, Tetsuyu was indeed a formidable opponent—of course, so was Taketoyo.

"So what do you plan to do? Keep a close eye on Special Week?" Ikezoe saw through Wada's thoughts and couldn't help but ask.

"...No, Zhou is still just a freshman, he hasn't had much systematic training, so he's not much of a threat to good opera... no, to the raging waves."

Although Wada was very serious at first, he quickly regained his composure, shrugged, and said, "If we really want to win this time, we should keep an eye on the East Sea Emperor or McQueen. Special Zhou... is still far from the Special Zhou I know."

"Better safe than sorry." Ikezoe had a slightly different idea from Wada. He didn't want Maki to compete for first place because it was impossible. The 2000-meter middle distance was basically a death sentence for a sprinter. Ikezoe planned to use his own methods to gain popularity for Maki.

Soon, they heard several familiar names, such as Saint King Halo, Narita Road, and Aili Digital. It wasn't until the very end that the two of them arrived at the real competition.

"Now for the main event!" At this moment, Tamamo Cross finally announced the last two in popularity, and said to everyone with a bit of excitement: "The second most popular! It's the rising star from the Mejiro family, Mejiro McQueen!"

As Tamamo chanted "Cross," Megumi McQueen slowly walked onto the stage. As someone with Megumi family blood, she had been the center of attention since she first enrolled, and this time, she unsurprisingly took second place in popularity.

"Go McQueen! Keep it up!"

"We have to win, McQueen!"

As soon as McQueen stepped onto the stage, cheers erupted from one side of the audience. McQueen looked over in surprise and discovered that Megumi Ryan, Dober, and the other sisters had all appeared in the audience to watch her match.

And beside them was a figure that McQueen recognized very well…

“Everyone, and Grandmother…” McQueen was somewhat surprised because she hadn’t received any news that they would be watching the game, but she quickly nodded firmly, reaffirming her belief.

The trainer hasn't come yet... He seemed to be recovering well when I last saw him, but he's probably not ready to be discharged from the hospital yet.

However, I will not lose, Jinlang trainer. I'm sure you're watching me on TV right now, right? Don't worry, I will definitely win this battle!

"So, the number one popularity is undoubtedly the one! The rising star of Treson Academy! The Emperor of the East Sea!"

"clatter."

Amidst the shouts of Tamamo Cross and the cheers of the many spectators, Megumi McQueen finally snapped out of his daze and looked to his side. At that moment, the Emperor of the East Sea was already standing beside McQueen, his brows furrowed with confidence, and he deliberately looked at McQueen.

At this moment, both women had a burning fighting spirit in their eyes. Although it was not a formal competition, the struggle between them had already been ignited.

"TM's showdown is back!" Ikezoe was also a little excited and rubbing his hands together. Although neither of them were his designated racehorse girls, being able to witness the clash between the East Sea Emperor and Megumi McQueen was enough to excite him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the two, the Golden Master was also mingling in the crowd, silently watching the opening of the match. However, her gaze was no longer on Shinji, but rather on the East Sea Emperor and Megumi McQueen, who were showing a competitive spirit.

Why do they possess such a strong fighting spirit? The timid Gold Master is currently trying to find the answer in this competition, to find a possibility that allows him to unleash his full power...

Meanwhile, Good Opera was also watching Nu Tao's figure from above. At this moment, the racehorses had entered the gate one after another. This time, Good Opera did not come with Tojo Hana, intending to witness Nu Tao's growth with her own eyes.

"Then let me see, Nutao, how far you've grown under Wada-kun's training."

This will definitely determine whether the opera's tactics will be more aggressive or more conservative.

Even though she wanted to join the team in Hotan, and this strong desire became more and more obvious every day, the Overlord would not give up victory so easily.

……

Meanwhile, in the ward, Golden Ship was also with Jin Lang. Golden Ship was peeling apples for Jin Lang on the hospital bed and feeding him. Her thoughtful and meticulous care was so amazing that everyone who knew her would be astonished.

Is this the Golden Ship? Is this the Golden Ship that causes trouble at Treson Academy every day? Isn't this just a granddaughter taking care of her beloved grandfather?!

However, no one said anything at the moment. Both Golden Ship and Jinlang were watching the live broadcast on TV. At this moment, all the female racehorses had entered the gate. Golden Ship smiled and said:

"Hmph, McQueen recovered from his illness very quickly. It's a pity that I, Lord Golden Ship, can't participate. Otherwise, I would definitely let them see my true strength!"

"So, old man, do you think McQueen can win? Can he beat Raging Waves and the Emperor of the East Sea?"

"Well..." Jin Lang himself wasn't sure either. Generally speaking, horse racing is not only a test for the horse itself, but also for the rider. The rider's judgment and actions affect the horse's performance.

However, in this world, the racehorse girls run on their own in the arena. Trainers can only devise tactics first, and how to actually respond depends on the racehorse girls' own judgment and performance—a very important part of the jockey's job has been omitted.

Even so, Jinlang has great confidence in McQueen.

"If McQueen can win, perhaps she can surpass the achievements of the original East Sea Emperor and become a new miracle."

"Bang!" At that moment, a sound came from the television set—the sound of the gate opening!

"A perfect start—no, wait! You're late for the special week! You rascal, don't try anything funny, we've got high hopes for you!"

"No, this isn't the time to talk about that. The current leading racehorse is—East Sea Emperor! Meguro McQueen and the renowned Raging Wave are right behind! And then comes Maki-rei!"

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Emperor of the East Sea Was Stunned

"Hehe, as expected, Your Majesty, I am the strongest! Everyone else has been left behind!"

Although he was supposed to start the race, the East Sea Emperor unexpectedly took the lead due to a smooth start and a good position, resulting in an unobstructed view of the scenery in front of him.

However, running at the very front undoubtedly means facing greater wind pressure and consuming a lot of energy. But at this moment, the East Sea Emperor, who was cheering for a perfect start, didn't care about these minor obstacles from the wind pressure at all.

The 2000-meter middle distance, the cloudless sky, and the grassy field were practically the perfect venue for her to win! How could she possibly not win?

Although she excels at leading the way, running away on horseback all the way to the finish line might not be bad!

Thinking this, the Emperor of the East Sea increased his speed instead of decreasing it, and ran forward even faster, as if he really wanted to run straight to the finish line like a runaway horse!

"...The Empress was too proud and complacent."

On the other side of the stands, Lu Duo, watching this scene, shook his head inwardly and said calmly, "2000 meters is indeed a distance that the Emperor is good at. As long as he runs according to the plan, the Emperor has a very high chance of winning."

"But now, she will probably realize that she lacks the explosive power and endurance to break through at the last bend."

"We might not need the last turn yet, Chairman." At that moment, Qi Diao's gaze was also fixed on the racehorse girls competing in the front row of the track, and he also revealed a smile.

At this moment, having just passed the first bend, the air gauges already show that a racehorse girl is about to unleash her power.

"Good opportunity!" At this moment, Maki Rei, who was behind Megumi McQueen and the famous general Nutsou, also seized the opportunity. Just as he had discussed with Ikezoe before, he suddenly exerted his strength at the first bend!

"Oh! The real machine is going all out! He really got going at the first corner! He overtook the legendary Raging Waves and Megaku McQueen! He's closing in on the East Sea Emperor!"

"what?!"

The sound of Tamamo Cross also surprised the Emperor of the East Sea, who looked to his side. At this moment, Maki-rei, who was showing amazing leg strength, was almost parallel to the Emperor of the East Sea!

When the East Sea Emperor met Zhen Jiling's gaze, the incredulous look in her eyes was almost impossible to hide—she only regarded McQueen as an opponent, but never took Zhen Jiling seriously!

After all, during the simulation race, she was the only racehorse girl who "collapsed" halfway through!

"Hehe, sorry, Emperor classmate."

Even during the competition, Zhen Jiling maintained a smile. After giving the shocked emperor a cute wink, she laughed and said:

"I've temporarily secured first place!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhen Jiling put his foot down again, gradually widening the distance between himself and the East Sea Emperor, whose pace was affected by the shock.

"Oh my god! This is the first time I've ever seen a race where the driver starts pushing hard right from the first corner! Oguri! Do you think the clever one can keep it up until the finish line?" Tamamo Cross was quite interested in this friendly race that was getting interesting from the very first corner, and quickly asked Oguri Hat beside her.

"...It's difficult. If it's an escape strategy, one should occupy a favorable position from the start and escape all the way. However, Zhenjiling's opening move just now didn't result in her being stuck in a bad position like the double turbine, thus preventing her from using the escape strategy. She is clearly using a preemptive strategy now."

Upon hearing about the race, Oguri-hat, whose eyes were almost entirely focused on food, finally showed a different expression. She then said with some doubt, "So, I don't know what Shinji-rei's strategy is, but I don't think she can lead all the way to the finish line."

"However, it is a fact that she is currently in the lead."

"That's right! That's what I think too. Although I don't know what strategy Makoto has chosen, she's already in the lead!"

The commentary by Tamamo Cross and Oguri Hat drew gasps from the audience. They hadn't expected that the highly anticipated East Sea Emperor would be overtaken at the first turn. The crowd erupted in cheers, with many cheering for the East Sea Emperor or Shinjiro.

"...Ikezoe-kun, what are you thinking?" However, Wada on the stage also felt a little strange seeing this scene. Looking at Ikezoe's confident appearance, Wada didn't know what his strategy was.

"You should know very well that Zhenjiling is a sprinter, right? The 2000-meter distance is already at your disadvantage. If you want to win, shouldn't you use a chasing tactic? Now, the team should conserve its energy and decide the outcome at the last minute?"

"—You're right, Wada. Anyone truly clever with even a little bit of mid-range adaptability would use the method you just mentioned." However, Ikezoe shrugged helplessly and smiled, saying:

"Unfortunately, Maki only has talent for short distances. Even if I don't want to admit it, Maki understands this very well. Without losing speed, Maki would find it a challenge to even run the entire 2000 meters, let alone exert his strength or sprint at the last moment."

"So, I just went all out. I discussed it with Makoto, and we decided to push hard at the first corner. In the first 1200 meters, while all the female racers were conserving their energy for the final straight, we took the lead for the first three corners!"

Chizue's words startled Wada slightly. Seeing Wada's stunned expression, Chizue smiled broadly and said with great enthusiasm, "In that case, even a layman can see Makoto's talent in short distances. Even if we can't win and get overtaken later, we'll still lose gracefully, won't we?"

"And Wada, you should know that Maki and I's first goal isn't this friendly race, but the new horse race at Hakodate Racecourse in July, which is 1200 meters long!"

"...I see." Now that things had come to this point, Wada suddenly understood, nodding and muttering to himself, "Knowing he couldn't win, he deliberately lost gracefully, showcasing Maki's strengths and thus gaining more popularity for Maki in the Shinma tournament..."

It has to be said that Ikezoe's initial lack of intention to win was something that Wada and the others hadn't anticipated. After all, both trainers and racehorse girls have a competitive spirit once they step onto the track, and even in a track that's not conducive to their performance, no racehorse girl would initially think she had no chance.

However, coincidentally, Ikezoe knew herself well and also knew the limits of Maki-rei. Maki-rei also considered herself not good at running. She had no objection to Ikezoe's arrangement, which allowed her to bring out her strengths and also increase her popularity.

—If it were the Gold Masters competition, Ikezoe would devise a strategy to win. Even if Ikezoe wanted the Gold Masters to give up, he would probably be scolded by them.

As Ikezoe had predicted, Maki Rei led the race almost unstoppable, even outpacing Tokai Emperor by a horse length at the second bend.

The East Sea Emperor was not to be outdone. He was led astray by the real horse, and he started to exert himself earlier and kept fighting against the real horse. On the first and second turns, the positions of the two racehorse girls kept changing, and neither dared to relax!

"Keep charging forward, you clever one!"

"Go, Maki-kun!"

Many spectators in the stands cheered for Zhen Jiling, who had become fans of the race after being led by him. The team has now reached the third bend, and if they can hold on for just one more bend, Zhen Jiling will probably win!

Unfortunately, Makoto's battle has come to an end.

"I'm so sorry, Onii-chan. If only I were smart enough to run mid-range races..."

Zhen Jiling also felt herself slowly losing speed; her leg strength was waning. Even though deep down she was somewhat unwilling to accept the victory that was so close, she had already given her all for her performance...

"Oh no! Something's wrong! Zhenjiling has lost speed! Is she running out of energy?"

"Now the second-place East Sea Emperor is closing in on Zhenjiling! Two horse bodies, one horse body—they're parallel!"

"Phew...that really startled me." The East Sea Emperor's nerves, which had been tense since the first bend, finally relaxed when he was parallel to Makoto. However, this time, the East Sea Emperor finally looked Makoto directly in the eye and said very seriously:

"You're really clever. I'm sorry, I've always underestimated you. If this were a short-distance race, I'm afraid I would have already lost to you."

"Hehe, even you, the Emperor, are saying that, which means Onii-chan's tactics have succeeded." But Makoto didn't care at all. She and Ikezoe knew they couldn't win, but all they wanted was a magnificent performance.

Next, other racehorse girls will take over her mission.

"However, we can't just relax like that, Emperor!"