The Competition Begins

12:50 PM. The late winter sun of late January cast a warm glow over Tokyo Racecourse, illuminating the starting gate where Uma Musume were filing in one after another.

From the spectator stands facing the track, a young commentator's voice echoed above the nearly one hundred thousand spectators.

"Next to enter is the third favorite of this race, Hokubu Genkoma."

"She's a new student at Central Treisen Academy, joining right after enrollment to take on her Debut Race. Hokubu Genkoma's spirited momentum is truly inspiring."

"Her trainer is also just starting out, so this race isn't just her debut—it's his as well."

"How will these two newcomers perform? Let's wait and see."

Then, an older voice rang out from the broadcast.

"From a training standpoint, Hokubu Genkoma's strength and stamina are quite solid."

"Compared to the first favorite, Mickey Joy, and the second favorite, Eden, these are her most obvious advantages."

"I hope she can make good use of them in the upcoming race and deliver an exciting performance."

This was the usual format for Uma Musume race commentary—two announcers were always arranged.

One handled live play-by-play and hyped the atmosphere, while the other served as a guest commentator offering brief analysis.

After hearing the commentary, the already lively stands buzzed with a small surge of excitement, with discussions and questions about who would take the championship clearly audible.

Standing at the front of the stands, beside Yasui Makoto, two Uma Musume who looked alike were also whispering to each other.

"Sis, do you think Xiao Bei... can she win her Debut Race?"

After Rizumu Hikari's worried question, Satono Crown beside her hesitated for a moment.

"Something like this... even if you're asking me, Hikari, I can't predict it."

The two sisters had come to cheer for their friend, though Satono Crown's encouragement had been for a previous race.

After that race ended, they'd both gone to the prep room to specifically support Hokubu Genkoma, then naturally followed Yasui Makoto to the stands.

After her hesitation, Satono Crown thought further and said:

"But from my experience, the first favorite, Mickey Joy, does have a bigger advantage."

"She signed with her trainer last year and has been preparing for her Debut Race for two or three months now."

"I've seen her training at the academy too—her performance is steady across the board."

"Without other factors at play, her chance of winning... should be the highest, just like her popularity."

After her assessment, she looked at her worried sister and added comfortingly:

"But you don't need to worry about Xiao Bei's performance."

"I think her trainer has probably considered things more thoroughly than I have."

"Am I right, Trainer Yasui?"

She turned to Yasui Makoto.

Yasui Makoto was holding up binoculars, the lens centered on his own Uma Musume, Hokubu Genkoma.

Even breathing, healthy complexion, warm-up in perfect condition, no issues entering the gate.

After a quick evaluation, he looked at Satono Crown.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Crown."

"You're right. I did make arrangements for Xiao Bei based on the actual situation of this race."

"But as for the specifics..."

Just as he was about to say there probably wasn't time to explain now, the commentator's voice from the broadcast grew more excited.

"Alright, all Uma Musume have entered the gate."

In an instant, without caring if it was rude, Yasui Makoto raised his binoculars again.

Satono Crown's gaze sharpened, and she looked toward the gate along with her still-worried sister.

The commentary continued.

"Then, Tokyo Racecourse, turf 1800 meters, Debut Race..."

"Start!"

With the commentator's loud declaration, the 16 gates on the track burst open with a bang.

Sixteen figures shot out like arrows from a bow, all rushing toward the inner lane in unison.

Seeing this scramble for position right from the start, the stands erupted, tens of thousands of spectators cheering in unison.

Confirming Hokubu Genkoma's condition through his binoculars, Yasui Makoto nodded to himself.

No matter the race, the finish distance on the inner lane was always shorter—grabbing it in the Opening Phase would undoubtedly secure more advantages.

Back when he studied under his father, he'd been to local racecourses.

To be honest, the level there was far behind Central.

For instance, awareness of positioning in the Opening Phase—many Local Uma Musume didn't have it at all.

The results after training weren't ideal either—he only thought about positioning long after leaving the gate, and by then it was already too late.

However, in this race, all the participants were newcomers with no prior racing experience.

Yet every single one of these newcomers chose to start jostling for position in the Opening Phase—this level of quality was absolutely something local competitions couldn't match.

And Hokubu Genkoma's start from the gate was also excellent, perfectly executing what her trainer had instructed before the race.

That black-haired girl appeared to be fighting for the inside lane, but the moment she left the gate, she had already locked onto the opponent from Gate No. 6 next door, sticking close behind her.

The announcer faithfully reported the race situation.

"A very clean start, no mistakes at all.

"In the current Opening Phase scramble, the top-favorite Mickey Joy is temporarily in the lead...

"Wait, Cosmic Harbor has surged ahead—now Cosmic Harbor is in the lead.

"Mickey Joy is second for now, followed by the second-favorite Eden.

"The two high-favorite players are living up to expectations, showing excellent positional awareness right from the start.

"The third-favorite Hokubu Genkoma, however, has not chosen to join the front pack.

"She's sticking close behind Eee Turbo—is this a marking tactic?"

At this point, the color commentator chimed in:

"Debut Races generally don't involve complex tactics like marking.

"Judging from Hokubu Genkoma's training performance, her sense of rhythm is quite good. She's probably hoping to use her opponent's pace for real-time adjustments.

"A very smart choice—this is one of the best tactics for a newcomer."

The announcer continued:

"The pack has passed the front grandstand and entered the first turn.

"The positions haven't changed yet—Cosmic Harbor, ranked 11th in popularity, is still in the lead.

"Top-favorite Mickey Joy and second-favorite Eden are close behind.

"Third-favorite Hokubu Genkoma is in the hold-back position. It seems her trainer's strategy for her is indeed a hold-back run."

In the stands, the Satono Sisters, Satono Crown and Rizumu Hikari, both frowned at the same time.

"Hold-back... if I remember correctly, Xiao Bei, she..."

Exchanging a glance with her sister, Satono Crown looked at Trainer Yasui and hesitated.

"I recall some trainers have commented that Xiao Bei might be suited to a front-runner style, or maybe even a runaway...

"Hold-back...

"Trainer Yasui, is this... really suitable for Xiao Bei?"

Yasui Makoto briefly pulled his gaze away from the binoculars, looked at the Satono Sisters, and gave a small smile.

"Indeed, I also think Xiao Bei is better suited to front-running and runaway.

"But the pressure in a Debut Race isn't heavy. Completely locking her into one style would kill too many possibilities. I think it's worth trying some bolder arrangements.

"Besides, haven't the trainers you've consulted mentioned that in the first few races after debut, it's best to run a bit further back?"

I want to try pushing for a recommendation, so here's an extra chapter. I'm asking all readers to click and follow along.

Scroll to the latest chapter and let the follow ranking pop up—I'd be deeply grateful.

There will still be the usual two chapters after this.

I saw some readers asking about Explosive Updates—no problem there. Anyone who's read my previous book knows I dropped 200,000 words in one day.

This book might be a bit of a stretch, and honestly, exploding that much at once takes a toll on the brain.

But I really enjoy writing this Uma Musume theme. At the very least, I have a clear direction for around a million words, so please rest assured, dear readers.

Once again, my thanks. I'm begging for a follow. Thanks (ω)