Megumi Mitsumori

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Megumi Mitsumori
Original Name	三森惠
Gender	Female 12
Hometown	Kyoto; lived there until high school 27
Affiliation	Hokkai Ranch; operates her own stable at the Training Center 27 460
Occupation/Role	Licensed racehorse trainer and stable operator 12 460
Notable Horses	Gold Ship, Epiphaneia, Man o’ War 528
First Appearance	Chapter 12, “The First Team” 12

Background / History

Early career

Megumi grew up in Kyoto and knew Koichi Sasaki from their student days. Although she worked hard to obtain a trainer’s license, she struggled to find owners willing to entrust horses to a newly qualified woman in the racing industry. Repeated rejection brought her close to abandoning her career 12 20 27.

Koichi offered her a position in Hokkaido, providing both Gold Ship and his family’s training facilities. She accepted after deciding to speak with her parents following New Year. Koichi trusted her professional knowledge and hoped that Gold Ship’s results would attract further commissions 12 20.

Establishing herself at Hokkai Ranch

Megumi arrived at Hokkai Ranch after getting lost on the journey. Miku Kuchiki introduced her to Gold Ship, whose size and mischievous behavior immediately stood out. She agreed to oversee his training for the next six months 27.

Her early work included correcting Gold Ship’s stride, preparing registration documents, and studying the Ability Test results of potential rivals. Because the ranch lacked a stable manager, she also inspected horses returning from pasture—even while recovering from a cold caused by Gold Ship pulling her into a swimming pool 30 39 87 88.

Career milestones

Milestone	Chapter	Significance
Offered her first documented training commission	12	Koichi offers Gold Ship and access to Hokkai Ranch’s facilities.
Accepts Koichi’s proposal	20	Chooses to pursue training rather than give up her license.
Begins work at Hokkai Ranch	27	Takes responsibility for Gold Ship’s development.
Earns her first training victory	129 130	Gold Ship wins his debut; Megumi has waited seven months for the result.
Expands to a second horse	146	Epiphaneia joins her workload, with Kuga Kai approved as his groom.
Finishes her first year with a graded-stakes win	241	Takes pride in a successful debut season and begins seeking more industry connections.
Builds a larger training team	254 336	Assigns riders and manages a growing stable, though staffing and owner support remain limited.
Oversees Epiphaneia’s winning debut	427	Works with Kenichi Ikezoe while Koichi is abroad.
Trains an undefeated Triple Crown winner	528	Gold Ship’s completed Triple Crown and Arima Kinen victory become defining achievements of her stable.
Gains recognition among fellow trainers	574	Her ability is acknowledged despite her newcomer status.
Trains a second Triple Crown winner	634	Epiphaneia wins the Kikuka Sho to complete the Triple Crown.

After Gold Ship’s first win, Megumi sought additional horses but still encountered dismissive prospective clients. Koichi encouraged her to approach Ayano Aoe, while attending auctions broadened her knowledge and introduced her to owners who were not yet ready to employ her 124 139.

As her stable grew, she became more authoritative and took on greater responsibility for staff and owners. Rising expenses remained a concern, and Gold Ship and Epiphaneia supplied much of the operation’s sporting success and financial support 336 460. By the following January, she was learning from her father, developing new training methods, and preparing younger horses for their own careers 528.

Personality

Megumi is ambitious and eager to prove that she deserves her place in racing. Criticism of Gold Ship and her rookie status angers her, and she initially sees winning as a way to answer her detractors. Her goals grow from securing a first victory to winning Grade 1 races and attracting backing from major farms 119 214 544.

Her optimism is tempered by practical judgment. She explains favorable race conditions without pretending victory is assured, questions breeding choices she considers unpromising, and prioritizes recovery before selecting subsequent races 51 197 427.

She is approachable and supportive toward inexperienced staff, but the pressure of managing Gold Ship and Epiphaneia can leave her anxious and unable to sleep. With Koichi, she is openly teasing, occasionally boastful about training progress, and comfortable expressing both frustration and gratitude 27 297 373 460.

Abilities & Skills

Individualized conditioning

Megumi observes each horse before devising a suitable training program. Koichi particularly values her work on physique development and gait training 460.

• Corrects Gold Ship’s stride during his early preparation 30.
• Adjusts workloads when Gold Ship’s appetite and mood deteriorate after a training defeat 538.
• Checks recovery, weight, and shoeing needs before his next long-distance campaign 559.
• Draws on experience with sprinters and milers when preparing Man o’ War 571.

Temperament assessment and handling

Megumi connects a horse’s personality with its likely racing style and training needs 141.

• Identifies Epiphaneia as competitive and uneasy when alone; Koichi agrees with her initial front-running or pressing assessment 141.
• Oversees desensitization and command-response training 207.
• Uses carrots to settle Epiphaneia when he acts up 264.
• Recognizes that conditioning alone does not resolve his refusal to let other horses pass; she works with Koichi and Ikezoe on continued training 393 402.
• Plans to separate Epiphaneia and Gold Ship before the Arima Kinen and fit Epiphaneia with a hood 662.

Race analysis and planning

Megumi gathers opponent information and combines recorded training data with jockey feedback 39 117 169.

• Studies newcomer Ability Tests, race entries, gate draws, and likely rival tactics 39 51 505.
• Records joint workouts to assess the horses’ progress and limitations 179 180.
• Compiles detailed Asahi Hai field information and sends Koichi daily horse updates 661.
• Selects future races according to recovery and condition rather than automatically pursuing the highest-profile event 427.

Stable management

Megumi handles staffing, owner communication, and logistics as her operation expands 336 337.

• Interviews and approves Kuga Kai as Epiphaneia’s groom 146.
• Assigns Yamana Takuto to Gold Ship’s daily training and is prepared to ride Epiphaneia herself until another rider is found 254.
• Seeks Fujitani Kotomi’s advice on arranging horse air transport 254.
• Rewards Takuto’s initiative by promising a raise after he returns early to help clean the stable 528.
• Initially admits that foaling care lies outside her expertise, with Sweetie receiving regular veterinary checks from Aoe Ranch 214.

Equipment / Items

• Commemorative victory banner — Plans to frame her half after Koichi offers to divide Gold Ship’s debut-win banner with her 130.
• Stopwatch — Uses it to time training runs 461.
• Office medals — Displays medals won by Gold Ship and Epiphaneia in her increasingly well-furnished office 528.

Relationships

• Koichi Sasaki — Longtime friend, client, and regular jockey. His first commission revives her career; their partnership develops through shared results, loyalty, and familiar teasing 20 123 528.
• Gold Ship — Her first racehorse and a cornerstone of her reputation. She likes him despite his frequent refusal to cooperate, pool prank, and apparent preference for other caretakers 27 41 87 124 460.
• Epiphaneia / Divine Might — Her second horse and another major stable star. His competitive temperament repeatedly frustrates her, but she remains committed to developing his talent 146 393 634.
• Miku Kuchiki / Mirai — Stablehand and close colleague. They coordinate horse care, race preparations, and Gold Ship’s welfare; Megumi suggests that Mirai could become a trainer but respects her preference to remain a stablehand 51 538 559.
• Ayano Aoe — Industry contact and increasingly friendly supporter. Ayano teaches her about broodmares, introduces her to owners, and expresses interest in entrusting more horses to her 101 139 414.
• Tetsuya Futawatari — Fellow trainer whose temporary stay at Hokkai Ranch offers Megumi an opportunity to learn from his experience 70.
• Kenichi Ikezoe — Jockey partner for Epiphaneia, particularly during Koichi’s absence. They cooperate on temperament training and post-debut race planning 402 427.
• Yamana Takuto — Exercise rider whom she regards as a potential core team member. She entrusts him with Gold Ship and recognizes his commitment to the stable 254 528.
• Kuga Kai — Epiphaneia’s groom, hired after Yosuke’s recommendation and Megumi’s interview 146.
• Saki Ikegami — Koichi’s agent and Megumi’s friend. They shop together and grow increasingly close while coordinating the team’s plans 241 529.
• Her father — A source of guidance as she improves her training methods 528.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Expanding into breeding

• Koichi delegates the purchase of an unraced Sakura Bakushin O-line broodmare to Megumi. She doubts the proposed bloodline combination and would prefer a King Kamehameha-line stallion, but agrees to carry out his instructions 197.
• She arranges a two- or three-day purchasing trip, takes the horse transporter, and leaves Gold Ship and Epiphaneia in Miku’s care 207.
• She obtains Koichi’s approval for a seven-million purchase including the mare and her unborn foal 208.
• The mare, Sweetie, later approaches foaling at Hokkai Ranch; Koichi names the expected foal Black North 214 285.
• Black North subsequently enters the stable’s development plans alongside Man o’ War 571.

Maintaining the stable during Koichi’s absence

• While Koichi races in Europe, Megumi continues Epiphaneia’s preparation with Ikezoe and helps arrange coverage for Gold Ship’s races 402 424.
• After Epiphaneia’s decisive debut, she warns that strong performances will make him a target for rivals and favors an open-class race before considering graded competition 427.
• Koichi’s return brings renewed hands-on support, but she continues seeking independent clients rather than relying entirely on his horses 460 461.

Publicity and merchandise

• Reviews Gold Ship merchandise samples with Mirai and confirms arrangements with Koichi; the products include clothes, hats, and fans 484.
• Participates in the official Gold Ship documentary interview as his trainer, contributing stories and information about racehorse life 658.

Notable Quotes

“Ability test results for the other two-year-old newcomers, of course. Know yourself and your opponents, and you'll never lose a battle.” 39

“Hmph! Don't underestimate someone just because they're young and broke!” 134

“There's really no such thing as time off in our line of work. Besides, if we have time to rest, it just means we aren't good enough, and the days are slipping away fast.” 528

Trivia

• Her poor sense of direction becomes a recurring joke: after she gets lost reaching Hokkai Ranch, Koichi later declines her pickup offer and says he will take a taxi 27 80.
• She participates in exercise riding but explicitly has no intention of pursuing a jockey career 117.
• Gyu-Kaku is a favorite restaurant from her student days, when she and Koichi frequently visited the chain 153.
• She nicknames Man o’ War Xiaoman 528.