Pict Sakura Laurel (On Patreon)
Sakura Laurel has legs of fragile glass, due to this condition, he had to wait until three years old to make his debut, in which he finished badly at ninth place in first try and third on a retry.
But after 1600m, she is targeting 1800m-2500m. She made her story a legend from dirt to turf, from a loser to a winner. You can check sakura laurel on Wikipedia after reading this.
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A lot of the horse girls lined up on the field were making their first public appearance today. You couldn't blame them for being nervous.
They adapted fast though, forcing all their attention onto the track ahead. No time to worry about the crowd now, for most of them, this was basically their debut race. How they did here would set the tone for everything that came after.
Gray clouds covered the sky, blocking out the sun. Last night's spring rain still lingered in the air, that fresh smell of wet grass and earth.
King Halo stared down the track, Hayato's instructions running through her head. Run as a late surger. Wait for the right moment. Stay calm no matter what. Make your move in the final 200 meters.
Do that, and first place was actually possible.
But could she trust this guy? Was he legit, or just another trainer talking big?
She was desperate enough to try anything at this point.
'Can I actually pull this off?'
'I have to. I'm King Halo. The King family doesn't do second-rate. Ever!'
That voice echoed in her head again, saying the same thing it always did.
"Give up already. You don't deserve to be on the racetrack."
'Like hell I'll give up!'
King Halo shook her head hard, pushing the words away.
'I'm winning this race. I won't let King Bloodline be disgraced because of me...'
Nobody knew just how much effort King Halo had poured into proving she was a first-rate horse girl. The late-night training sessions, the extra miles, the refusal to quit even when her body screamed at her to stop.
Most horse girls at Tracen Academy specialized in one or two distances. King Halo? She trained for everything.
Crazy, right? A horse girl who ranked near the bottom in raw power stats, trying to master all distances. But that's exactly what she did.
She didn't just train for a short distance. She practiced mile, medium, and even long distances on her own time, pushing herself past every limit.
That's how her distance aptitudes had climbed to Short A, Mile B, Medium B, Long C. Pure stubborn willpower, nothing else.
She refused to accept defeat, but her pride wouldn't let her ask anyone for help. So she trained alone, chasing an impossible dream: Winning the Classic Triple Crown.
Yeah, most people would laugh at that goal after King Halo said it. But she was dead serious.
She wanted to prove everyone wrong. Wanted to make sure that someone finally shut their mouth.
'They said I didn't know her place? That I couldn't recognize her own limits?'
'Wrong! I knew exactly what I was up against!'
This dream was so far away right now it might as well be on the moon. She knew her current abilities weren't enough. She wasn't some naturally gifted prodigy.
But she still refused to accept her fate.
That's why finding the right trainer mattered so much. She needed someone who could actually train her to win the Triple Crown. It wasn't about having impossibly high standards. Without that kind of trainer, her dream would stay a dream forever.
"Why the last 200 meters though?" she muttered.
"All of you can feel it! Even for a simulation, the horse girls are fired up, and the crowd's loving it! Conditions like this make you forget it's just a simulation race!"
"And here we go! The first big simulated showdown of the new year is kicking off right here, right now!"
The red light on the starting gate flashed. Twelve hearts skipped a beat.
CLANG!
The gates burst open, and all twelve horse girls exploded forward, starting speeds almost perfectly matched.
The commentator's voice rang out across the venue.
"And they're off! Let's enjoy this race together, everyone!"
After some early jockeying, the pack sorted itself out as each horse girl found her rhythm.
"Sakura Laurel takes the early lead! She's fast out of the gate, already five lengths ahead of second!"
"Oh! Grass Wonder just surged forward! She's grabbed second place. Perfect timing! This is why she's everyone's favorite today!"
"Silence Suzuka's in third. Oh! She's late out of the gate, or is she playing a different game today? This could get interesting!"
Silence Suzuka stared at the backs of Grass Wonder and Sakura Laurel, not quite sure what to do. She was hugging the inner rail tightly. The two of them had her boxed in pretty well.
Grass Wonder was probably worried about Suzuka trying to break away, so she was blocking the best racing line on purpose.
'Can't see an opening anymore...'
A flicker of worry crept in.
'Maybe I should hold back even more. Save it all for the final stretch like Hana-san said.'
'I'll win in the end anyway.'
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"This is basically the same as the other trial race. King Halo's going to lose again."
"I don't know about that. Look closer, King Halo doesn't have sweat pouring down her face or that panicked expression from before. She looks way more composed this time."
Seiun Sky dropped her hands and actually looked at King Halo down on the track. Something was different.
What changed?
Silence Suzuka not taking the lead was one thing, but even Halo-chan was holding back instead of sprinting desperately like usual...
Did this trainer really predict all this?
Could Halo-chan actually win?
She glanced at Hayato, then shook her head.
'Nah. Even if Silence Suzuka has an off day, Grass-chan's still there.'
'No way Grass Wonder loses to anyone in this field.'
"What do you think of Grass Wonder?"
Tojo Hana was watching the race intently from the other side of the venue.
"Very popular among the freshmen students. Her start positioning and race rhythm are both really smooth. I heard her personality is apparently too gentle, though."
"Yeah, but she said she's not very passionate about winning first place and doesn't plan to participate in the Classic Series at all."
Standing beside Tojo Hana was the Emperor herself, Symboli Rudolf. She'd come specifically to check out the new team member, Silence Suzuka's actual running abilities.
Supposedly this girl was a natural speedster like Maruzensky. Of course, Symboli Rudolf was curious.
"Not passionate about first place?" Symboli Rudolf repeated Tojo Hana's words with surprise.
A horse girl who didn't care about winning first? She'd never heard of that in her entire career.
But watching Grass Wonder race down there, it didn't look that way at all. She seemed plenty driven.
If she really didn't care about winning, she wouldn't be racing this seriously.
"Maybe I should talk to her later..."
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"Calm down, calm down, calm down. Watch your breathing, watch your stride length, don't panic at all. As long as I stay completely calm, first place will definitely be mine."
King Halo kept telling herself again and again to just stay calm and trust the strategy.
She was positioned right behind Silence Suzuka and another horse girl in the pack.
She hadn't pulled too far away from them either. The late surger position was an energy-efficient running style when done right.
Coming into the first turn, Grass Wonder glanced back at Silence Suzuka.
'Still no sign of her sprinting.'
Grass Wonder immediately adjusted, increasing her speed as she closed in on Sakura Laurel's lead.
The best window for a big breakaway had already passed. Trying a massive escape now wouldn't work.
"Entering the last turn, and we're seeing some shifts in position! But Sakura Laurel is still in first!"