The principles behind “Corner Positioning” and “Corner Blocking” were fundamentally similar; the primary difference was that Positioning could be executed with fewer Uma Musume, often just one or two, whereas Blocking required more coordinated teamwork.
On a curve, front-runner Uma Musume naturally tended to cling to the inner lane, both from instinct and to counteract centrifugal force. As a result, leaders often unintentionally blocked the ideal paths of trailing runners, causing those behind to drift slightly outward.
From the front-runner’s position, an arc formed outward, effectively trapping or blocking Uma Musume attempting to overtake from the inside. If trailing Uma Musume accelerated, the one caught inside would be forced into an exhausting cycle of constantly adjusting their line and struggling to break free.
For a front-runner like Kitasan Black, her ideal position was naturally in first or second place. Corner Positioning and Blocking were precisely the strategies that effectively neutralized her strengths.
Experienced racers like Daiwa Scarlet were well aware of this, hence their deliberate use of these tactics during the training race.
One of the most effective counters to this strategy was the “Gradual Acceleration” technique Kitasan had managed to utilize early in the race. Gradual Acceleration involved carefully managing acceleration differently at three key points: entering the corner, turning midpoint, and exiting the corner. This made it easier to mislead opponents into misjudging pacing and positioning, creating opportunities to overtake.
Kitasan Black had handled the first turn excellently during the training race, employing this technique almost perfectly, but had become visibly overwhelmed in the far more complex final corner. There, she had looked like a complete novice, clearly uncertain how to respond.
This was simply because she hadn’t yet fully mastered Gradual Acceleration. Her successful use at the start was largely instinctive—a surprise even to Yasui Makoto himself.
“So that’s what it was…” After Yasui’s explanation, realization dawned clearly on Kitasan’s face. She nodded thoughtfully. “Now I understand. Honestly, I didn’t think much at the time—I just thought, ‘I need to accelerate now,’ and went for it.”
She paused briefly, then continued enthusiastically, “Then is the next step just repeatedly practicing this Gradual Acceleration? No problem at all—I can handle any number of repetitions!”
“Good enthusiasm,” Yasui said approvingly, but shook his head and pointed toward the grassy slopes beside the nearby staircase.
“But you won’t only practice Gradual Acceleration. See that slope over there?”
As Kitasan turned her gaze toward it, Yasui began explaining.
“I was genuinely impressed with your performance in the training race. Your sprinting ability has clearly improved significantly, so now it’s time for more advanced training.”
“As you’ve learned in class, and I’ve mentioned before, the greatest challenge of the Satsuki Sho is its two sharp uphill corners.”
“Besides Gradual Acceleration, what you’ll practice next is precisely this specialized segment.”
Yasui was referring to the infamous “Nakayama Hill” of the Satsuki Sho at Nakayama Racecourse.
The corner there was incredibly tight, leading immediately into a demanding uphill stretch right at the exit. Uma Musume had to manage both centrifugal force from cornering and resistance from the incline simultaneously, requiring rapid stride adjustment, careful energy management, and substantial core strength.
Based on her performance in the training race, if her Satsuki Sho opponents could analyze her strengths and weaknesses as well as Daiwa Scarlet and the others had, she’d need to anticipate tactics involving positioning and sudden acceleration, developing counters accordingly.
Given Kitasan’s proven endurance, strength, and stride stability from earlier races, these foundational aspects weren’t the main concern. Instead, the focus would be enhancing her specialized sprinting capabilities tailored specifically to race conditions, and thoroughly mastering relevant techniques.
After listening, Kitasan Black seemed momentarily stunned.
“Trainer-san…why does it suddenly feel like the Satsuki Sho involves so many more elements than previous races?”
Yasui chuckled slightly at his Uma Musume’s reaction, but quickly turned serious.
“Of course it does. We’re talking about the Satsuki Sho—a G1, a jewel among the Classics, the first leg of the Triple Crown.”
“I never told you all this earlier because you simply weren’t ready—neither in experience nor capability.”
“But don’t let that discourage you.”
“Your experience and skills may be lacking, but so are your competitors’. Everyone is a Classic-year Uma Musume, after all.”
“Right now, it’s a contest of who can make the most of their limited time to prepare.”
After her initial shock faded, Kitasan gradually began to understand.
Having raced three times now, she already realized firsthand that watching or hearing about races was vastly different from actually participating.
Her earlier surprise stemmed precisely from this newfound understanding.
Before, she’d known only abstractly how important the Satsuki Sho was, but now, after hearing Yasui describe the extensive special training involved, she finally started to grasp why exactly it was so crucial.
Seeing her slowly regain composure and determination, Yasui nodded silently and officially started the training session.
As before, Kitasan trained with a parachute strapped behind her, adding drag. The difference this time was her course: not a flat track but a “simulated sharp corner” setup, running from the flat field onto the slope by the steps.
Using traffic cones, Yasui had precisely replicated Nakayama Hill’s challenging trajectory.
Kitasan’s task was simple yet rigorous: repeatedly sprint through this simulation, meeting exacting criteria each time.
Soon, the training grounds echoed with Kitasan’s spirited cries of effort, interspersed with Yasui’s frequent corrections.
…
“This round, your outer foot landed at the wrong angle, too far outward. That means running several extra meters wide and wasting precious time.”
“Yes! I’ll fix it on the next run!”
…
“Better this time—foot placement was good. But don’t get ahead of yourself; your body angle was off. Remember, immediately after this corner is the incline. You need to lean your center of gravity forward before exiting the curve, preparing for the climb.”
“Exit into an incline, lean forward…incline after the turn…got it! I’ll go again!”
…
“Cadence, stride length, heart-rate changes—all looking good. This is currently your maximum threshold for sprint endurance. Run one more set. Feel this limit clearly, and memorize it physically.”
“Understood! I’ll go right away!”
…
“Your heart rate hit 180 bpm…you’re nearly at your limit.”
“My limit…? But I feel like I can run a bit more, Trainer-san.”
“You probably can, physically—but how clearly are you thinking right now? Thinking also drains energy.”
“My…mind? Hmm… Now that you mention it, my head feels pretty tired too. Does that mean today’s morning session is done?”
“Nope, we have one more run. Your current exhausted state is perfect for training decision-making under pressure. Let me adjust the route slightly, then you’ll do one last set.”
“No problem! I’m ready!”
…
After an entire morning’s training, clear, deeply pressed footprints marked the path from the training ground onto the slope. Meanwhile, Yasui’s tablet and notebook steadily filled with meticulous notes.
—
This is a fan translation of 赛马娘：从被撞飞十米开始 by 百升飞上天 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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