Grand Ekinoks continued to train up to race day and I thought she was now ready for the maiden race.
Even if she didn't stay under water for 3 and a half minutes, she could hold her breath for almost 3 minutes and I believed this would have increased her lung capacity.
Veliefendi Hippodrome was quite crowded today. There were exactly 10 races. There was even a G1 race where experienced horses would compete and Grand Ekinoks would race in the last one. So I planned to watch these races together with Grand Ekinoks.
I was waiting for the G1 race. Grand Ekinoks, meanwhile, was waiting for the races of her friends Tolikopa and Cannon.
I didn't expect Cannon to recover so quickly. I guess her injury in the first part wasn't serious. Tolikopa, on the other hand, could never seem to make it into the top five in G races. I had heard that the rival she would race against would be strong, even if the race wasn't a G race.
Thus the day's first race began. It was a 1200-meter dirt track race, and I watched as the favorite Umamusume achieved a comfortable victory.
"The runner from France, Koşturan, finished first four lengths ahead of the rest!"
The commentator said that this Umamusume came from France. In other words, she was the one transferred to the TJC Academy.
A bad feeling arose inside me about this Umamusume from France but I kept it to myself.
The subsequent races continued, and Cannon took the stage in the fourth race of the day. Like Grand Ekinoks, she ran on the 1400-meter turf track and also won comfortably.
Grand Ekinoks cheered for her name throughout the race. It was clear how much she cared about her friends.
The next race was Tolikopa's. I supported Tolikopa as I had Cannon, but my enthusiasm was not as intense as when supporting Cannon. Clearly, he wasn't as close to Cannon as I was.
Tolikopa finished second at the last moment. Considering his opponent, this was natural because the favorite in this race was Cihanım. She had one G1 and one G2 victory in his career. She had also run in the Gazi Race and even if she didn't win, she had made the board, umamusume.
After the race, I couldn't help glancing at Grand Ekinoks.
"What do you think about friendships?"
"Huh?"
"I guess you didn't have many friends before you came here, right?"
"When I was little, some kids teased my tail. I would get angry at them and run until they were tired."
Well... It isn't a given that every Umamusume's life will be lovely. Considering Grand Ekinoks's personality, it's normal that she doesn't have many friends. Yet she also seems to have been a little bullied.
"So you don't make friends with a human? I could be your trainer, but I also see you as my friend."
"W-w-was that what you said? I'm going to prepare."
Because she started watching the races she had watched, there was no excuse left for her to stay by my side.
After Grand Ekinoks left, I started watching the paddock. The next race would be a G1 race.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the most anticipated race of the day, the Byerley Turk Stakes, will have umamusumes come out of the paddock."
This race takes place on a 2000-meter dirt track. Grand Ekinoks must have met Cannon or Tolikopa or both somewhere. I would watch the umamusume who would race in this race.
Since this race is a G1, the Umamusume racing in this race would have their own racewear. One of the things that makes a G1 race so exciting is this.
One day, I imagined Grand Ekinoks leaving the paddock with her own racewear and giving her best in the race. Like every trainer, I also wanted my own umamusume to win every race.