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

"Trainer, my determination to participate in the Kyoto News Cup will not change! So—"

"No need to say more, McQueen, you know I would never let you give up."

Jin Lang walked up to McQueen, patted her on the shoulder, and said with his usual support and encouragement, "I will train you well during this time. Even if the opponent is Mejiro Ryan, we must win this Kyoto News Cup."

"Get yourself back to your best form, McQueen. Your real rival is waiting for you in the Japanese derby."

"...Thank you, trainer."

Now, Lang's unhesitating reply brought a smile back to McQueen's face, and McQueen couldn't help but feel a little annoyed at himself for his earlier outburst of temper.

How could I possibly suspect that the trainer would do something to make me give up the competition... It must be that Golden Ship guy who added fuel to the fire again. Honestly, I must teach her a lesson next time.

But... Sister Ryan, even if you're the older sister, you still have to pay a price for looking down on me like that.

At this moment, McQueen murmured these words to herself, silently clenching her fists, intending to give her good older sister a real counterattack in the next competition.

How dare they underestimate the bond and skill level between her and her trainer? Even if she's her older sister, she can't be easily forgiven.

Chapter 85: McQueen and Jin Lang – A Tall Tree Caught in the Wind

For Jin Lang and McQueen, this training period passed very quickly. After Jin Lang gave McQueen special training for middle-distance events like the Kyoto News Cup, the time for the official competition soon arrived...

At this moment, at Kyoto Racecourse, the weather was not as sunny and breezy as it had been during the previous races of Good Opera. The sky was overcast and incredibly humid, which not only made people feel irritable, but also brought great uncertainty to the racehorses.

"Go McQueen!" In the stands, Jin Lang and Golden Ship stood together. Both of them had put on raincoats in advance in case of a sudden downpour, as the weather forecast said that there was a high probability of heavy rain today.

At this moment, it wasn't just Jinlang and Golden Ship; many other people from Tresson Academy had also come to McQueen's competition—such as Wada, who brought Good Opera and Raging Waves to the arena, and on the other side, Ikezoe, who brought Golden Master and True Cleverness.

“Good Opera, Raging Waves, watch this McQueen race carefully. If nothing unexpected happens, McQueen will meet you in the Japanese Derby and the Chrysanthemum Festival in the future.” Wada also said very seriously to her two racehorse girls: “The usual parallel running training is just training. Only McQueen during the race is of reference value.”

“That’s right—so, Master, watch McQueen’s match properly this time.” Chi Tian nodded in agreement, and when he looked at the Golden Master beside him, a hint of helplessness appeared in his eyes as he said:

“Master, learn as much as you can. If you can observe McQueen’s playing style and grasp the key points, breaking through your limits shouldn’t be difficult.”

"Oh..." Upon hearing this, the Golden Master nodded with a rather aggrieved expression. She was unusually well-behaved today, and the reason was... actually, it was because she had already lost her first match in the debut competition, finishing in second place.

Since his debut match, Golden Master's performance in both training and sprinting has not been very good. At first, Chi Tian thought it was because Golden Master was not taking training seriously - after all, he had suffered a lot in the past, so he was mentally prepared for this.

However, after the Golden Masters finished second in their first competition, Chi Tian realized the seriousness of the problem. He realized that the Golden Masters' potential could not be brought out simply by forcing them onto the field... It seemed that some kind of opportunity was needed.

However, Chi Tian has not yet found this opportunity, and he does not know why the Golden Master, who performed exceptionally well in the debut competition, suddenly faltered. He cannot think of a good solution at the moment and can only slowly work on his compatibility with the Golden Master.

At the very least, Ikezoe needs to prepare until he feels that "even if the Golden Master doesn't go into overdrive, he can still win by performing normally" before he can let the Golden Master participate in the next match.

"Onii-chan... don't you feel that the atmosphere of this match seems a little different?"

"Hmm? You're so clever, what did you sense?"

At this moment, Maki, who was speaking in a rare serious tone next to Ikezoe, immediately caught the attention of Ikezoe and Wada. However, they only saw Maki's gaze unusually sweeping around, where there were trainers in various places.

They weren't necessarily from Treson Academy; most were trainers from other central horse racing academies. However, their gazes were all intentionally or unintentionally focused on Jinlang, who was standing next to the Golden Ship.

Moreover, Zhen Jiling could also sense a certain hostility emanating from these people.

"...I saw those trainers, and they seemed to have some dissatisfaction with Jinlang trainer?" Makoto wasn't sure if her judgment was accurate, but as a horse girl, and one who had a fan base from a young age, she was more sensitive to emotions than most horse girls.

However, Zhenjiling didn't understand why Jinlang, such an excellent and gentle trainer, would provoke trainers from other academies.

"Maybe I'm just imagining things..."

"—No, only this time, Ikezoe, I must say that Makoto is right." The Golden Master, who was standing to the side, also sensed some of the emotions of those people, but her gaze was focused on the racetrack, on the racehorse girls who were warming up.

She noticed the gazes of the racehorse girls, most of which were focused on Megumi McQueen and Megumi Ryan, who were preparing for the race. At first, she thought it was just a simple wariness of a strong opponent, but now she didn't think so anymore.

“Those racehorses, like their trainers, paid extra attention to McQueen, and I could feel the hostility…”

"...This is what happens when a tree catches the wind." However, the words of the Golden Master and the clever one made Wada realize what Senior Imai had done.

"What's wrong, Ryuji? What have you figured out?"

"Yes, Wada-kun, tell me what you've thought of."

"...Ikezoe-kun, do you remember that Ima-senpai and we were admitted to Treson Academy together, and that he was also hailed as the best rookie trainer representative of this year?" Wada was also staring intently at McQueen on the field. He was very sensitive to changes in the atmosphere, and after noticing all this, he quickly understood.

"Senior Imai is a very gentle senior. He may not have realized it, after all, he has always been doing his own thing. But to the outside world, such an outstanding newcomer as Senior Imai, coupled with Megaku McQueen, the racehorse girl of the Megaku family, is enough to attract a lot of jealousy."

“A talented newcomer, who just happened to be favored by the Mejiro family’s racehorse girl, is a luck that most trainers don’t have… Ikezoe-kun, ask yourselves honestly, if we didn’t know Imai-senpai at all, wouldn’t we be jealous?”

“Uh…” Ikezoe was speechless for a moment upon hearing this. He didn’t dare to say whether Wada would be jealous, after all, he himself had gone through the same thing. But as for Ikezoe himself, just thinking about this matter made him feel a little jealous.

"Then, doesn't that mean McQueen will be targeted?!" Nu Tao, belatedly realizing the seriousness of the situation, exclaimed, tugging at He Tian's sleeve.

"Trainer, what should we do? Can we...can we mediate the match?"

"...Raging Waves, that's impossible. Even if all the racehorse girls in the arena were to target one racehorse girl, that's still... um... part of the race." Wada opened his mouth, not knowing how to comment. As someone who had once suffered such a beating, he really couldn't comment on this matter.

"We have no right to mediate the match, even if it's unfair... that's just the reality."

"Well, we can't just watch McQueen get surrounded like this!" Nu Tao was so anxious that tears were almost falling. She had a good relationship with everyone in the team, so she was quite concerned about McQueen.

"...Now, we can only hope that Senior Jinlang and McQueen can turn the tide."

Faced with this situation, even Wada didn't know what to do. After all, he could have built good relationships with the trainers who competed in opera and raging waves beforehand, but with this situation here... even a social butterfly like Wada was completely helpless.

All of this depends on Senior Jinlang. Hopefully, Senior Jinlang has made preparations in advance...

However, under Wada's worried gaze, Jinlang, who was not far from them, kept his eyes fixed on the arena. His gaze seemed a little different from usual, less gentle and more... capable, focused, serious, and confident.

After finishing her warm-up, Megumi McQueen didn't pay any attention to the racehorses around her. She looked up at Imai on the stands and then nodded slightly, as if she had received some instruction.

And at this moment... the rain that had been accumulating in the sky finally began to fall slowly...

Chapter 86: McQueen's Rainy Day Escape Tactics!

"Welcome to Kyoto Racecourse. The weather today is not very good for the racehorses. It's starting to rain. I hope the rain won't spread too much."

"Alright, now we're about to start the Kyoto Shimbun Cup, GII, 2200-meter turf race. Today's weather and humidity are enough to put this race in the category of major races. I hope the racehorses can take good care of their physical condition and avoid any accidents during the race."

"Now, let's turn our attention back to the racetrack. The most popular horse this time is undoubtedly Mejiro Raine from the Mejiro family. She is currently the Mejiro family's main racehorse girl, and the result of this Kyoto Shimbun Cup will determine her qualification for the Chrysanthemum Prize."

"It's worth mentioning that the fourth most popular contestant this time also comes from the Mejiro family. She is the rising star of the Mejiro family, who won the Ayame Sho and fearlessly charged towards the GII stage. If she wins this competition, she will directly qualify to participate in the Japanese Derby!"

"Now, the racehorses are starting to enter the gate."

As the narration faded, Megumi McQueen and Megumi Ryan entered the gate one after the other. Their gates were very close together, so they could hear each other's voices.

"McQueen, be careful. Besides the two of us, there are only five racehorses participating in this race, a total of seven. But I feel that the other five racehorses have been watching you intentionally or unintentionally."

"Don't push yourself too hard. Although I'm not good at setting the pace, I've learned a few tricks from the believers that should be enough to attract their attention..."

"—Sister Ryan, now we are racehorse girls, we are competing on the racetrack."

However, before Ryan could finish speaking, McQueen interrupted her with a very serious tone. Then, Ryan heard his beloved sister say, word by word, in a very calm tone:

"What we need to do now is go all out, and I will accept whatever tactics are used."

"I will show them what the consequences will be for those who underestimate me and my trainers."

"Bang!" The sound of the gate opening rang out! The next moment, Megumi McQueen and Ryan, who had just come to their senses, ran out together without the slightest hesitation!

"A perfect start! Even on such a challenging racecourse, all seven racehorse girls took a beautiful first step. As expected of racehorse girls who can compete in GII-level races, they certainly won't make such small mistakes again."

"So now, the one in the lead is—surprisingly! It's Megumi McQueen! Is she going to choose to be the runner under the most pressure this time? In such a challenging race, will she have enough stamina to lead all the way to the finish line?"

"McQueen actually used the escape tactic?" At this moment, not only Ryan on the track, but also the group of people in the stands were somewhat surprised. Choosing to escape in such a high-stakes race was not a wise move.

Running away is the most physically demanding and puts the greatest strain on the racehorse girl's body, especially with the current bad weather. Although Ikezoe and Wada both know that Mejiro McQueen's performance at Shigebaba is very consistent, they still don't quite understand why McQueen would choose to run away this time.

However, Jin Lang, upon seeing McQueen's choice, showed a faint trace of sorrow on his face, but quickly regained his composure.

……

"McQueen, today we're going to practice a variety of tactical arrangements for different situations. There are many things I can't tell you right away, so you'll need to assess the situation on the field and adjust your tactics accordingly."

"Therefore, this time we will be training specifically for several scenarios that we might encounter in the upcoming Kyoto Shimbun Cup. Are you ready?"

“We’re ready.” McQueen nodded solemnly, then asked with a puzzled look, “But, trainer, how do we analyze different situations, and what tactics should we use?”

"First, we need to be sure that the weather is humid and muggy during this period, but the sun is still very strong. Based on my experience, I estimate that there will be a heavy rain in less than a week."

Jin Lang first raised a finger to analyze the impact of the weather: "But regardless of whether it rains or not, such humid weather will definitely have a huge impact on the racetrack - if it doesn't rain, it will be the same as usual, but what we need to focus on training is how to deal with the situation in the racetrack."

"We will conduct two training sessions. One is a chasing tactic in heavy races, where the horse stays at the back of the pack to conserve its energy and then quickly overtakes the horses after all the female racehorses are exhausted. This tactic is very suitable for heavy races."

"There's another tactic that I don't actually recommend: choosing to use a runaway strategy at a major racetrack, keeping as much distance as possible from most of the female racehorses, leaving them without any obstacles to rely on, thereby exhausting their stamina."

At this point, McQueen still clearly remembers that Jin Lang's expression was somewhat hesitant, but in the end, it was his professional competence as a trainer that led him to inform McQueen of this plan.

"McQueen, your strength and endurance are your greatest weapons, and your steady and powerful gait is extremely well-suited to being less affected in the racetrack. Therefore, the racetrack can be said to be the best place for you."

"However, the combination of a heavy racecourse and escape tactics would put too much strain on your body. Therefore, we are only conducting simulated training. But if such a situation were to actually occur, I hope you would seriously consider it."

"...I'm so glad to have a trainer like him who is so concerned about my safety."

McQueen smiled slightly upon hearing this, and readily agreed, saying gently, "Rest assured, trainer, I will definitely bring you a beautiful victory."

"Absolutely, I will not let you down after your education and training."

……

"It seems McQueen didn't heed my advice back then." Jin Lang, wearing a raincoat, looked at Megumiroku McQueen, who was racing ahead on the track with an indomitable spirit, and sighed helplessly.

"The pressure on this team is really immense; it's difficult to achieve both victory and good health at the same time."

As he said this, Jinlang couldn't help but look at the golden ship beside him, and silently reached out to touch the golden ship's hair.

"What is it, Grandpa? It tickles!" Golden Boat was slightly startled by Jin Lang's unexpected action, but a gentle smile quickly appeared on her face. Although she seemed to resist a little, she still leaned down slightly so that Jin Lang could easily pat her head.

"What's wrong, Grandpa? Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? Have I done anything to make you happy?" Although Golden Boat liked Jin Lang very much, she also knew that her pranks had caused the old man a little trouble recently. She had been quite well-behaved lately and hadn't gotten involved in any trouble.

Even so, she was still a little unaccustomed to the old man's sudden gentleness towards her, and she asked him curiously.

"It's nothing." Jin Lang smiled gently as usual, "Seeing you still so healthy is better than anything else."

"I really hope that McQueen can understand this principle as soon as possible. Victory obtained by overdrawing one's future may bring honor, but it is not worth it. The mission she carried was too heavy, but her body did not allow her ideals to extend too far."

"Grandpa, are you saying that something bad will happen to McQueen in this match?" Golden Ship asked, unusually serious.

"...not this game, but perhaps this drawback will become apparent in a few more games."

Jinlang watched McQueen on the track. At this moment, she had already run about two horse lengths ahead of the second-place horse in the pack. Under the heavy rain, every racehorse was struggling, but no one gave up the chase.

Meanwhile, Megumi McQueen, who was leading the charge, was now riding with steady and powerful steps. In the heavy rain, she was not riding for victory, but to prove herself.