Chapter 58 – Apparently Britain Has Monsters Too
“Golden Beer of Japan takes the lead! Golden Beer is holding on! But here comes Dancing Tony from the outside! Dancing Tony! He passes them all at once! So strong! Dancing Tony wins! Golden Beer finishes second!”
The stable’s television, which we’d recently replaced with a larger one, carried the unfamiliar roar of a foreign crowd and the Japanese commentary added moments later.
And immediately afterward-
“That idiot Beer lost!”
Rudolf roared.
Too loud.
“Keep your voice down!”
When I spoke in exasperation, Rudolf glared at the television and snorted violently.
“If Golden Beer loses, doesn’t that lower my standing too?”
“I don’t know.”
Well, I understood the feeling.
It was after midnight on a day in July.
The television had been showing the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, run over twenty-four hundred meters of British turf.
The reason we were watching an overseas race was simple: Golden Beer was running.
Second place.
I thought he’d done remarkably well.
Even someone with my shallow knowledge knew it was an extraordinary race.
The horse most upset by the result, however, was our Derby winner.
“Don’t lose, you idiot!”
“Why are you so angry?”
“Because losing to anyone except me is pathetic!”
“You sound like a delinquent.”
Rudolf was in excellent form tonight too.
Beside him, Crown gave a knowing snort.
“Hmph…”
“And what is that ‘hmph’ supposed to mean?”
“The world is vast.”
“Don’t suddenly say something profound.”
“Still, what a shame, Beer!”
Crown raised his head proudly toward the television.
“I might have won.”
“You have some nerve saying that,” Stone replied coldly.
“Forget overseas. Have you forgotten Golden Wing crushing you at Hakodate?”
“Sister, that’s an old wound!”
“Old wounds don’t appear to heal well, do they?”
“Stop!”
Crown was defeated.
This year’s foals gathered around wearing expressions that said they understood nothing.
One tilted its head at the television.
“Beer lost?”
“He did.”
“What happens when you lose?”
“You feel frustrated.”
“Is frustrated tasty?”
“You can’t eat it.”
“Then I don’t want it.”
Of course.
Your world revolved almost entirely around whether something was edible.
The yearlings were slightly more realistic.
“Isn’t Britain far away?”
“Maybe the food is different.”
“If it’s delicious, I want to go.”
“The grass looks as though it tastes different on television.”
“You don’t race according to taste, do you?”
Yayoi-chan sat beside me and spoke quietly.
“Dancing Tony was incredible.”
“He really was.”
I meant it.
Beer had won his prep race and entered this one with high expectations, yet Dancing Tony had beaten him decisively.
I didn’t understand the details, but the winner had clearly run at a level that violated the laws of the world.
Rudolf still looked thoroughly displeased, but at last he turned away from the screen and faced me.
“I will win the Kikuka Sho.”
“I see.”
“I will win overwhelmingly.”
“That’s a remarkably crude declaration.”
“Then I will act smug in front of Beer.”
“Other horses will hate you if you say things like that.”
Rudolf had already switched gears.
Moments ago, he’d been furious on Beer’s behalf. Now he was thinking about his own next race.
“Winning the Satsuki Sho and Derby was already incredible.”
“It is not enough.”
“It isn’t?”
“I’ll become an undefeated Triple Crown winner and make Grandpa and Saku proud.”
I laughed softly at his answer.
What was that?
Still, it sounded like Rudolf.
Yayoi-chan tilted her head.
“What is Rudolf saying?”
“He says he’ll win the Kikuka Sho.”
When I translated, she watched Rudolf for a moment, then smiled.
“…That does sound like him.”
“Right?”
After a brief pause, Yayoi-chan looked at me.
“…Saku-san.”
“Hm?”
“If Rudolf wins the Triple Crown, we might become even busier.”
I couldn’t answer immediately.
I had imagined it.
Even now, strange cars appeared at the ranch entrance, interview requests kept arriving, and visitors continued to increase.
We’d hired more people and somehow kept things running, but life remained hectic.
What would happen if Rudolf also acquired the title “undefeated Triple Crown winner”?
“…You’re right.”
I nodded with complete seriousness.
“Should we install a gate at the entrance and hire more people now?”
“…Probably.”
It was a terribly realistic proposal.
A gate.
We needed one. We truly did.
And we might still be short-staffed.
“More people, huh…”
When I muttered with a distant look, Crown suddenly interrupted.
“I like girls!”
“Female staff, then.”
Well, Yayoi-chan would probably be happier that way too.
“Exactly! Flowers! We need flowers!”
“Crown-senpai, are you saying things like, ‘I like girls’?”
Yayoi-chan smiled, and Crown froze completely.
Was she angry?
The yearlings laughed.
“Big Brother Crown is scared.”
“He won’t get treats.”
“Yayoi-chan is strong.”
Beside them, Rudolf puffed out his chest, entirely unconcerned.
“If you’re installing a gate, I would like a magnificent one.”
“Why?”
“And a sign.”
“What should it say?”
“Sakurai Rudolf Ranch.”
“What nonsense. That isn’t a good name,” Stone admonished.
“What?”
Rudolf looked dissatisfied, but couldn’t argue with her.
Just as I began to find that amusing, Stone sighed deeply.
“By the way, kid.”
“What?”
“Wouldn’t Stonebreak Ranch be a fine name?”
“You too?”
“Naturally.”
So she’d merely wanted her own name on it.
The broodmares giggled.
“Then please include our names too.”
“I think it should say, ‘Visitors must not shout.'”
“And, ‘Do not stand behind a horse.'”
“What about, ‘Apples welcome’?”
“That’ll only attract more strange visitors.”
In reality, displaying the rules clearly might be a good idea.
A gate, a sign, and a notice.
Wow. We were suddenly beginning to sound like a famous ranch.
“Saku.”
“Hm?”
“What about Mister Crown Ranch?”
“Fine, if you get Yayoi-chan’s permission.”
“Then I give up.”
Crown immediately flattened his ears.
I was beginning to suspect that the women and mares stood at the very top of this ranch’s power structure.