Chapter 85. Second Dream Encounter Dober Ver.
Berno Light was wearing Oguri Cap's racing outfit, while Oguri Cap had squeezed herself into Silence Suzuka's—her chest straining conspicuously against the fabric, enough to make the outfit's rightful owner shed tears upon seeing it.
"What are you two doing…?" Shuta Trainer's mouth twitched as he spoke. "Why are you wearing these at home?"
Neither Berno Light nor Oguri Cap answered. Instead, the two silently joined forces and pushed the young man straight out of the room.
Shuta Trainer waited patiently outside for a while. When the rustling sounds within finally ceased, he stepped back inside. This time, both Uma Musume had changed back into their loungewear and were seated on the sofa, the television just turned on.
Seeing that neither of them showed the slightest intention of explaining what had just happened, Shuta Trainer wisely chose not to pursue the matter.
He would, however, learn the truth later that night—
—
Late into the evening, after carrying the already half-asleep Oguri Cap back to her bed, Shuta Trainer let out a long yawn and returned to his own room. The moment his head touched the pillow, consciousness slipped away.
Indeed—pre-sleep exercise was excellent for promoting sleep. (chuckles)
In that night's Dream World, Shuta Trainer once again appeared at the Ritto Training Center. Today's task was to ride Oguri Cap for her three-weeks-out training ahead of the Japan Cup.
By the time he arrived at Setoguchi Tsutomu Stable, his longtime partner, Assistant Ikee, had already led Oguri Cap out.
"Today's training is all yours, Shuta-kun," Assistant Ikee said. "Trainer Setoguchi wants to raise the intensity."
"So…a full-speed run on the Slope Road?" Shuta Trainer raised an eyebrow as he mounted Oguri Cap with Ikee's assistance.
"Yes. One run on the Slope Road, then a light trot around the corner track," Assistant Ikee continued. "I'll be counting on you."
"No trouble at all," Shuta Trainer replied, waving a hand. "I'm Oguri's main rider. Riding him in training is part of my job."
He tightened his legs slightly. With just that cue, Oguri Cap understood and obediently headed toward the Slope Road training ground.
"Hmm~"
After completing the slope work, Oguri Cap followed Shuta An's instructions and walked slowly toward the nearby racecourse.
Assistant Ikee was already waiting at the entrance.
"You've worked hard today, Shuta-kun," he said as he took the reins. "How did he feel?"
"Very good," Shuta An answered with a smile. "His condition is excellent. His gait and responsiveness are even sharper than before."
"That's reassuring." Assistant Ikee nodded, then glanced around before lowering his voice. "Oguri Cap will retire at the end of the year. What do you plan to do afterward, Shuta-kun?"
"Plan?" Shuta An looked puzzled. "I'm a jockey. Even if Oguri retires, my work doesn't stop."
"I mean—have you considered becoming a freelance jockey?" Assistant Ikee clarified. "Once Oguri retires, there's no real reason for you to remain formally affiliated with Setoguchi Stable, is there?"
"So you're thinking of changing jobs, Ikee-kun?" Shuta An caught on and decided to be equally frank.
"Something like that," Assistant Ikee admitted. "You know my younger brother is a Trainer. Lately he's been complaining that his assistant isn't cutting it, so I was thinking of moving over to help him."
"I see." Shuta An nodded, then smoothly changed the subject. "As for me, I haven't really thought about freelancing yet. Even though I'm nominally attached to Trainer Setoguchi, he doesn't force me to ride his horses. In practice, it's no different from freelancing already."
"That's true," Assistant Ikee said, stretching his shoulders. "Looks like I'll be relying on you quite a bit more in the future."
"Like this weekend's Kikuka Sho?" Shuta An raised an eyebrow. "Come to think of it, Trainer Ikee didn't ask me to ride Mejiro McQueen today."
"Because his training is tomorrow," Assistant Ikee grinned. "He figured that if it were scheduled today, you might be too busy. Training tomorrow won't affect his recovery going into the race."
"What's so busy about it?" Shuta An shook his head lightly. "Still, since it's tomorrow, the intensity will be lower, right?"
"Yes," Assistant Ikee said with a smile. "And after tomorrow's training, my brother also wants to discuss the Kikuka Sho race plan with you."
"No problem." Shuta An made an OK gesture. "With the winners of the first two Triple Crown races absent this year, I won't let Mejiro McQueen miss his final chance at a Classic title."
Though his tone was serious, the truth was that Shuta An hadn't ridden Mejiro McQueen even once in the past three weeks. Tomorrow would be his first time working with him this month.
Still, his unusual performance in the conditions race earlier that year had left a deep impression on him.
"He's clearly a forward-runner…yet he managed a powerful late surge from the back," he recalled. "That was extraordinary."
Because of that, Shuta An had vaguely considered letting Mejiro McQueen restrain himself early in the Kikuka Sho, conserving stamina before unleashing a wide, explosive charge down the final straight.
However, the next day—after McQueen's training—Ikee Tairo firmly rejected the idea.
"No," the older Trainer said decisively. "We'll stick to orthodox forward-running tactics. I don't want any surprises this time."
Shuta An didn't insist. Whether leading from the front or closing from behind, the objective was the same.
Victory in the Kikuka Sho.
That said, he had his own quiet motive as well. He had not forgotten the doubts harbored by the elderly woman responsible for the Mejiro name. This time, he intended to use results to show just how hollow that arrogance truly was.
"But if you and McQueen win the Kikuka Sho—" Ikee Tairo sighed, rubbing his temples. "That'll bring another headache."
"What do you mean?" Shuta An asked.
"If McQueen wins, he'll definitely target the Arima Kinen. And when that happens—" Ikee Tairo looked at him helplessly. "You'll ride Oguri Cap, won't you?"
"Of course." Shuta An answered without the slightest hesitation.
"That's exactly the problem," Ikee Tairo sighed again.
"If it comes to that, I can help arrange for Take-kun," Shuta An thought briefly before offering his solution.
"Really?!" Ikee Tairo's eyes lit up. Even if he couldn't secure Shuta An, having Yutaka Take take the reins would be more than acceptable.
"Shouldn't be a problem," Shuta An said, blinking.
At that moment, he only thought he needed Yutaka Take to substitute for him—just once.
After finalizing Mejiro McQueen's Kikuka Sho tactics with Trainer Ikee Tairo, Shuta An planned to head to Setoguchi Tsutomu Stable to check on Oguri Cap. However, he hadn't gone far after leaving the Ikee Tairo Stable when a voice called out behind him—
"Shuta-kun! Please wait a moment!"
Shuta An turned around, slightly surprised. "Higashi-kun? What's the matter?"
The one who had called him was Higashi Ikuo, Tokai Teio's Groom. Because Shuta An often rode Tokai Teio during training, the two were acquainted—though since Teio had yet to debut and spent most of his time at the ranch, their interactions were infrequent.
"Trainer Matsumoto asked me to look for you," Higashi Ikuo said. "He hopes you can come to our stable. There's an important matter he wants to discuss."
"An important matter?" Shuta An immediately grasped the gist. "Is Teio about to debut?"
"Probably—" Higashi Ikuo scratched his head. Despite being Tokai Teio's Groom, he wasn't privy to such decisions. That alone reflected his standing within Matsumoto Shoichi Stable—far from the influence Assistant Ikee held at Setoguchi Tsutomu Stable.
"I understand. Let's go." Shuta An didn't hesitate and followed Higashi Ikuo toward Matsumoto Shoichi Stable.
—
The moment he stepped inside, Shuta An spotted Tokai Teio energetically poking his head out of his stall. Standing beside him was Trainer Matsumoto Shoichi.
"Good morning, Shuta-kun," Matsumoto greeted him as he turned around.
"Good morning, Trainer Matsumoto." Shuta An returned the greeting and went straight to the point. "Did you invite me today to discuss Teio's debut race?"
"That's correct—and not only that," Matsumoto Shoichi replied with a smile. "What I want to discuss today is not just his debut, but also his schedule afterward."
"Afterward?" Shuta An glanced at Tokai Teio. "What do you mean?"
"The races between his debut and the Classic season," Matsumoto explained. "I want to finalize them all with you today."
"There's usually nothing complicated about that, is there?" Shuta An raised an eyebrow. "Debut race, then a one-win class, followed by an Open race, and finally a Satsuki Sho trial. That's the standard route. Is there a need for anything special?"
"Tokai Teio's talent speaks for itself," Matsumoto Shoichi said calmly. "Shuta-kun, you've spent plenty of time with him—you understand his ability well. Our goal is naturally the Triple Crown."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"My current plan is this: his debut will be in early December at Chukyo Racecourse. After a win there, he'll run the Cyclamen Stakes, a 2000-meter turf Open race at Kyoto in late December. Then, in late January next year, he'll contest the Wakakoma Stakes. Finally, in mid-March, he'll go to Nakayama for the Wakaba Stakes to secure his ticket to the Satsuki Sho."
"So four races before the Satsuki Sho," Shuta An said. "That's perfectly standard. I don't see any issues."
He paused, puzzled. "If that's all, you wouldn't have needed to call me over."
"There's one thing I want you to be aware of," Matsumoto Shoichi said slowly. "The Cyclamen Stakes at Kyoto is held on the same day as the Arima Kinen at Nakayama."
Shuta An froze.
No further explanation was necessary.
"So it clashes with Oguri's schedule…" he murmured.
"For Tokai Teio's sake, I want the best jockey available," Matsumoto Shoichi said frankly. "If Shuta-kun can't ride that day, then I'd rather have Teio skip that race altogether."
At those words, Shuta An suddenly spoke up.
"If we skip the Cyclamen Stakes, then there's no real need to run the Wakakoma Stakes either," he said. "How about going straight to the Yayoi Sho instead?"
"Straight from the Maiden race to the Yayoi Sho?" Matsumoto Shoichi's eyes widened. "Isn't that far too aggressive? Without sufficient race experience, problems are bound to arise on the big stage. A single mistake could lead to disastrous results."
His concern was reasonable. In conventional Japanese training philosophy, accumulating race experience was considered essential to avoid collapse under pressure in high-level competition.
Objectively speaking, that logic was sound.
But Tokai Teio was no ordinary Racehorse.
"If this were any other Racehorse, I would agree with you completely," Shuta An said calmly. "But Tokai Teio is different."
He extended his hand. Tokai Teio walked over without hesitation, rubbing against him before allowing him to gently stroke his nose and head.
Watching the scene, Matsumoto Shoichi and Higashi Ikuo were momentarily stunned. As Teio's Trainer and Groom, they knew his temperament well—proud, aloof, and rarely affectionate. Such closeness was something they had almost never seen.
"From the moment I first saw Tokai Teio, I knew he was a genius unlike any ordinary racer," Shuta An continued as he stroked her. "His flexibility is outstanding, his intelligence is high, and his running form is exceptionally elegant. Even the ranch staff agree—his talent is extraordinary."
He paused, then added honestly, "I won't deny my selfish motives either. If the Arima Kinen didn't clash with Oguri's schedule, I would've accepted your original plan without hesitation."
Shuta An turned his gaze to Matsumoto Shoichi.
"But since you want to fix my partnership with Teio and are willing to cancel the Cyclamen Stakes, then as his main jockey, I'll say this clearly: Tokai Teio doesn't need meaningless races. He only needs one prep race to qualify for the Satsuki Sho. The rest—leave it to him and to me."
His voice was firm, brimming with confidence.
That confidence quietly spread to Matsumoto Shoichi.
"Then we'll do as you say," he said at last, giving a crooked, uncertain smile. "If everything goes well, we'll be making history. Winning the Satsuki Sho in just two races—even imagining it sounds insane."
"Tokai Teio is exactly the kind of existence that turns fantasy into reality," Shuta An replied with a grin. "Believe me."
As if he understood his words, Tokai Teio shook his head lightly inside the stall.
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