For now, I had no choice but to take over as Sanei Thank You's trainer—just as I'd promised Symboli Rudolf.
I explained the situation to Rice-chan.
"I think it's good. Thank you," she said with a nod.
"Rice, please…"
She accepted it so easily. The burden on me felt heavy, but somehow, I knew we'd manage.
The summer training camp was progressing smoothly. Everyone's abilities were improving through focused, intensive sessions.
After a full week of rest and dietary training, Sanei Thank You's body had transformed. Her physique had filled out nicely—enough to resume proper training.
Call me the Plump Alchemist. I'd turned Thank You from a wisp into a proper horse girl. With her strength returning, it was time to remeasure everyone and adjust the training pairs.
"Rice squeezed a little too much last week, so I'm pairing her with Thank You to ease the intensity. Thank You, don't overdo it. If it's too hard, say something right away."
"I understand."
"Okay."
Rice had been training with Ayrton Symboli, and the intensity had pushed her a bit too far. Pairing her with Thank You, who was just restarting, would help both of them balance out.
"Symboli continues with speed work. Pair her with Mihono this week."
"Understood."
"Got it."
Symboli was still on the hard menu, and Mihono Bourbon was the perfect partner—disciplined and used to tough regimens.
"Nishino and Thunder, I want you two to focus on mile race tactics. I'll give you some materials."
"Understood."
"Okay!"
Both Nishino Flower and Trot Thunder favored classic mid-pack strategies. For them, learning to read the race flow and adapt tactics was crucial.
"Lovely-san, you're with me this week—for special training."
"You're making me nervous…"
I didn't want to say it was just because she was the odd one out, so I framed it as something exclusive. She looked so excited, I felt a little guilty.
"Honestly, Lovely, you're very well-rounded. I think it's time to polish everything evenly. Do you feel like anything's missing?"
"Not really, but…"
"But?"
"…I don't have the confidence that I can definitely win."
"I see."
When everything is good, nothing stands out. That uncertainty can be its own kind of weakness.
"Then let's try this."
"A video?"
"Training by watching 100 great races."
Horse girl races are fiercely competitive. But most girls only get to run a handful of times—maybe fewer than 20 races in their entire careers.
It's not uncommon to retire before ever mastering tactics. That's why I believe in learning from others. Watching great races is a shortcut to understanding how to win.
"For example, let's look at Mejiro Ramone's Arima Kinen—the one where she completed the Tiara Triple Crown."
"Okay."
"Watching this, it looks like Dyna should've won. She wasn't weak. But Ramone had no clear path to victory—until she made one."
"There's no path, after all…"
"Miho Shinzan had a good straight-line position, but she went wide. Ramone stayed inside, saving ground. That positioning made all the difference."
"True…"
"By studying others' successes and failures, we learn how to run smarter."
"That's definitely important."
And so, the two of us spent the afternoon immersed in race footage, dissecting every move, every decision.