The Regretful Weekend Echo

The clear Saturday in December played host to the Hanshin Cup, known as the "Super G2 of the Year-End." Partnered with Takeshi and sent off as the sixth favorite, Noah raced on the front end all the way, ultimately suffering a narrow defeat to fourth place by a margin hard to distinguish with the naked eye.

Quite a regrettable race, no matter how one looked at it.

Still, in the current Triple Crown classical year, achieving this level of performance with a horse transferred from regional racing was already more than satisfying.

On the autumn evening after the race, despite looking exhausted, trainer Uchida appeared refreshed.

Though it could hardly be called a celebration banquet, the camp's connections walked together toward the dining venue, chatting and laughing.

"That child is an honor student in every sense of the word. You'd never guess she's a daughter of that Gold Ship."

Takeshi felt some emotion, then turned his head as if remembering something, purposely glancing at trainer Uchida.

"Uchida-sen... Coach, you think so too, right?"

"No, in a way, that child really is just like Gold Ship."

Hearing those words, which were both unexpected and expected, she raised the head that had been scrolling through her phone.

"Even though most of the time she's so well-behaved she hardly looks like a Thoroughbred, whenever she faces things she hates, Noah lets out a roar just as fierce as her father's."

With that, the trainer vividly imitated the scene of Noah rampaging in the washroom.

"After all, that child really, really dislikes baths—"

He added that line, then tilted his head back to inspect the building before them.

The sign above the entrance read "Advancement Hall" and "Individual Hall," a cram school where the high school boys and girls coming and going mostly looked