Chapter 90. First Race Back in Japan (Part 1)
On Sunday, the sky above Tokyo Racecourse was cloudless. Though winter was steadily approaching, the autumn wind failed to bite. Standing at a high vantage point, Shuta An narrowed his eyes toward the distant skyline; after a moment's thought, he loosened his scarf slightly, easing his breathing.
Berno Light hesitated, then stepped forward and helped adjust the scarf for him. Once she was satisfied, she returned to the box and hung it neatly on the rack. When she came back out onto the terrace, she spoke in a low voice.
"Ann looks nervous."
"It'd be a lie to say I'm not," Shuta An replied, turning to her. "Teio is watching with Miss Rudolf. Suzuka's continuing her preparations for Hong Kong, so she won't be here today. What about Miss Dober?"
"She's probably watching with the rest of the Mejiro Family?" Berno Light guessed.
"Go ask her," Shuta An said. "If she's coming, it's better to be prepared. There's a good chance she won't come alone."
"Is that so?" Berno Light looked unconvinced, but she nodded and went back inside to get her phone.
A few minutes later, Shuta An noticed her raise an eyebrow as she looked up.
"You really guessed right," Berno Light said, half-complaining. "Miss Dober is coming to watch with us—and she asked if she could bring another Uma Musume you know."
At the latter half of that sentence, a name immediately surfaced in Shuta An's mind.
"That's fine," he answered without hesitation.
"Alright, I'll reply then."
Not long after, just as he expected, Mejiro Dober entered the VIP box—accompanied by Agnes Digital.
"Thank you very much, Trainer!" Agnes Digital bowed deeply the moment she stepped inside. "For allowing me to watch the Japan Cup from here!"
"It's nothing," Shuta An waved it off. "You're Dober's…close friend. It's a reasonable request."
When he turned to Mejiro Dober, he paused briefly, then took the risk of calling her by her given name.
She only froze for an instant. She didn't object—nor did she correct him.
"So she doesn't mind," Shuta An noted inwardly.
"There are eleven races today," he said aloud. "Aside from the Japan Cup, are there any others you're interested in?"
"No," Berno Light replied at once. "I only ever watch Oguri and Suzuka."
"Me too," Mejiro Dober said softly.
"As for me!" Agnes Digital suddenly perked up. "First race—Indie Kid. Second—Dance Rules. Third—Cane Teeth Dance. Fourth—Bird Sea Ace—"
She rattled off names without pause, then continued in one breath.
"Take the first race, for example—Indie Kid and Kobayashi Sunday haven't won yet, but they've raced together several times. Super niche, but extremely shippable. The only pity is that if they stay winless, we probably won't see them together again this time next year—"
She went on and on, describing backgrounds, rivalries, growth arcs, and even personal struggles.
"And for the eleventh race! Ice Snow Mirror finished dead last in her debut, but that was because of severe mysophobia and terrible track conditions. She couldn't secure the lead, got dragged into the pack, and collapsed completely. After that, she sought counseling, faced her issues head-on, switched to dirt tracks, and now she's incredibly strong!"
By the time she finally stopped, Shuta An was staring at her in genuine astonishment.
"She remembers all of that?" he thought. "That level of detail—she's incredible."
Agnes Digital suddenly realized how much she'd spoken and laughed awkwardly. "Ah—sorry. I got carried away."
"It's fine," Shuta An said sincerely. "Your knowledge and memory are truly impressive."
Receiving praise from a Trainer rumored to be almost godlike at Central Tracen Academy, Agnes Digital shyly looked away.
In truth, the only person at the Academy who could enthusiastically discuss such things with her—or even patiently listen—was Mejiro Dober. For Shuta An to hear her out so seriously on just their second meeting filled her with surprise and delight.
At noon, after watching five races, Shuta An checked the time.
"Let's head down and eat something," he suggested. "There's still an hour before the next race."
No one objected.
Shuta An stood first. Berno Light followed closely, her steps brisk. Mejiro Dober hesitated, then positioned herself slightly apart from Berno. Agnes Digital quietly tucked herself on Dober's other side.
From where he walked, Shuta An didn't notice Agnes Digital's eyes darting back and forth between him and Mejiro Dober.
"No, no," she scolded herself silently. "Oguri Cap-senpai feels like the safer choice… but a girl with androphobia and her male Trainer is also such a good ship…"
Her thoughts spun wildly.
"Ugh—why is choosing a ship this hard?!"
Oblivious to her inner turmoil, Shuta An was instead wrestling with a far more universal dilemma.
What should we eat?
After pondering fruitlessly, he surrendered and turned the decision over to the three behind him.
"I want stewed beef tendon!" Berno Light declared. "It was ranked first in Tokyo Racecourse's food rankings last year!"
Mejiro Dober hesitated, then nodded. "I'd like to try it too."
Agnes Digital simply nodded along.
Shuta An felt something subtly off in the air. He glanced at Berno Light—but said nothing.
In the afternoon, the Japan Cup pre-race parade began right on schedule.
"There aren't any tricks with the winning outfit this time," Shuta An said with a faint smile as he watched Oguri Cap emerge from the underground passage.
"Tricks with the winning outfit?" Mejiro Dober looked utterly confused. "What do you mean? Was there some untold story behind Oguri-senpai's winning outfit before?"
Berno Light glanced at Shuta An. The Young man gave a slight nod—there was nothing to hide from Mejiro Dober. Agnes Digital, meanwhile, had obediently left the box and stepped out onto the terrace.
So Berno Light explained to Mejiro Dober the arrangements Shuta An had once made for Oguri Cap's and Silence Suzuka's winning outfits during the Breeders' Cup Series.
"So that's what happened—" Mejiro Dober was visibly surprised. She had never seen another Trainer issue instruction like that.
"It was just a spur-of-the-moment idea," Shuta An said with a shrug, without the slightest hint of smugness. "Now, there's no room for those little tricks. It all comes down to Oguri Cap's own ability."
On the turf of Tokyo Racecourse, after her brief appearance in the parade, Oguri Cap tidied her sideburns and stopped near the starting gates.
She had drawn gate seven, so there was still some time before she needed to enter. Oguri Cap calmly surveyed her surroundings and realized that among the local Uma Musume "fighting alongside" her this time, only Yaeno Muteki was a familiar face.
"Super Creek chose to retire from the Twinkle Series due to injury, focusing on recovery for a future Dream Trophy. Inari One announced her retirement after finishing fourth in this year's Takarazuka Kinen, skipping the autumn season to prepare for the winter Dream Trophy Series," Oguri Cap muttered to herself, lips pursed. "Both of my 'Heisei Three Strong' peers have left the Twinkle Series. Only I'm still standing here."
"It really feels like an era has changed…"
The Gray Uma Musume's gaze sharpened as she examined the opponents nearby. Those who noticed her eyes instinctively looked away—after proving herself on the world stage, Oguri Cap had long accumulated an undeniable presence.
"I only have two races left in the Twinkle Series," she reminded herself clearly. "I must win both. As long as I'm still standing on this stage, my era isn't over yet!"
Once her resolve was set, Tokyo Racecourse staff began signaling the Uma Musume to prepare to enter the gates.
Oguri Cap snapped back to reality, shook her head lightly, and, under the staff's guidance, stepped into the starting gate in sequence.
While waiting for Ode to enter the outermost gate, she observed the runners to her left and right—Osaichi George in gate six, winner of this year's Takarazuka Kinen, and Alwuhush in gate eight.
"Osaichi George is a front-runner; she'll definitely take the lead. Alwuhush is a deep closer and will drop to the back after the break," Oguri Cap silently reviewed Shuta An's pre-race analysis. (Who was her Manga name?)
"Then a mid-pack position is best for me this time. Tokyo turf, 2400 meters—if Osaichi George still has any rationality, she won't go out too fast. Waiting patiently in the middle is the wisest choice."
Her thoughts raced as she prepared for the start.
With a muted click—perhaps dulled by her recent heavy workload—the gates sprang open. The sound seemed slightly distant to Oguri Cap, but it didn't affect her clean break.
She easily overtook Alwuhush, slipped ahead, and quickly moved toward the inside rail, concealing herself within the main group.
"Is that really okay?" Mejiro Dober asked, perplexed. "Isn't being completely surrounded a huge disadvantage?"
"It's a 2400-meter race. This is just the beginning, not the final straight," Shuta An replied, making an OK gesture. "For now, it's fine."
"Besides," he added, "several of the more dangerous overseas Uma Musume are behind Oguri Cap. They can't use their physical advantage to block her acceleration path. There's nothing to worry about."
Before Mejiro Dober could respond, Shuta An changed the topic.
"But you can't do this, Dober. In the future, your main distances will be 1600 to 2200 meters, mostly at Hanshin and Kyoto. Your best tactic is late-surger—you need a clear path before the sprint phase. Oguri Cap's style, where she enters her 'private box' up front and enjoys maximum wind-breaking benefits, wouldn't suit you."
"I understand. And Trainer, you're overthinking it," Mejiro Dober pouted. "I don't think I have Oguri Cap-senpai's ability to carve a path through the pack, so I definitely won't try to copy that."
Agnes Digital, who had returned to the box before the start, remained silent. For her, even fragments of race analysis from Shuta An and the team's Uma Musume were things teachers would never explain in school. Simply listening was already a huge gain.
As the field approached the first bend, Oguri Cap briefly glanced behind her.
Better Loosen Up followed three lengths back, with Eve Binti and Yaeno Muteki in between.
"Eve Binti led last year and only finished eighth—so she changed tactics this time?" Oguri Cap was momentarily surprised. Still, she remembered Shuta An's reminder—Eve Binti wasn't a runner who could only perform well from the lead. With Osaichi George firmly in front, Eve Binti's adjustment didn't trouble her much.
As for Yaeno Muteki, seeing Oguri Cap's back just ahead stirred a fierce urge to challenge her. But reason prevailed—accelerating this early would only disrupt her rhythm and bring no benefit.
Drawing on her martial arts discipline, Yaeno Muteki forced herself to calm down and stop fixating on Oguri Cap.
As they exited the first bend and entered the straight opposite the stands, Oguri Cap picked up a discordant note in the rhythm of footsteps behind her.
"Someone's getting impatient," she deduced.
She chose not to respond. Positioned in the middle, Oguri Cap intended to run her own race. One reason the leading tactic is considered orthodox winning tactic is that it frees the runner from reacting to others—she only needs to maintain her rhythm to overwhelm her rivals.
After three years of tempering in the Twinkle Series, Oguri Cap now possessed that kind of regal composure.
When Better Loosen Up surged past Eve Binti to pressure the mid-pack, only PhantomBreeze—the fourth-place finisher in the Irish Derby—panicked, hastily accelerating out of the group to avoid being marked.
Seeing that Oguri Cap remained completely unmoved, Better Loosen Up abandoned her extra maneuvers and settled honestly into ninth place, right behind Yaeno Muteki.
Now it was Yaeno Muteki's turn to feel the discomfort of being marked. Better Loosen Up didn't focus on her entirely, keeping part of her attention on Oguri Cap, the acknowledged favorite. That half-hearted pressure made Yaeno Muteki increasingly uneasy.
"Even if I'm not as strong as Oguri Cap, I'm still a two-G1 Uma Musume," Yaeno Muteki muttered through clenched teeth. "Treating me like this…just wait. I'll show you what I can do."
"It looks like Oguri-senpai is being marked by Better Loosen Up," Mejiro Dober said again from the sofa.
Agnes Digital cracked open a can of Yakult and glanced at Shuta An's back. The Young man stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, eyes fixed on the massive screen.
"It doesn't matter," he said calmly. "Even if Saumarez, this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner, were marking Oguri, I believe she could shake her off at the right moment."
"Trainer's confidence is really overflowing," Mejiro Dober replied with a hint of sour sarcasm. "I thought you'd be at least a little worried."
"I used to be," Shuta An admitted, lips pursed. After a pause, he continued, "But after the Breeders' Cup Mile, I understood. Oguri is the kind of Uma Musume a Trainer might meet only once in a lifetime. Three years were enough to sculpt her into my finest work. So it's only natural that I trust her to overcome any difficulty or targeting."
Realizing his words might sound off, he quickly added, "Well…every Uma Musume a Trainer raises is a 'once-in-a-lifetime' existence. In short, I trust the work I've done over the past three years."
By the end, even he felt his thoughts had become a little tangled.
"I understand what you mean, Trainer," Mejiro Dober said gently, sparing him any embarrassment. "I'll also work hard to become a Uma Musume you can trust like that."
For a moment, Shuta An didn't know how to respond.
Agnes Digital stared blankly at the screen, as if none of the exchange had reached her ears. Berno Light, however, glanced at Mejiro Dober with growing unease, her earlier premonition strengthening.
"Ugh…I really have to tell Oguri," she muttered under her breath. "Compared to Teio, this one's danger level is way higher."
Unaware of her friend's quiet concern, Oguri Cap continued her steady cruise along the straight opposite the stands, letting Better Loosen Up and Yaeno Muteki enjoy the negligible slipstream she provided.
None of the other Uma Musume made a move either; for now, everything remained calm.
After setting a pace of 60.2 seconds per kilometer, Osaichi George slightly eased off to recover stamina and preserve her lead for as long as possible into the final stretch. If she could maintain her two-length advantage to the end, that would be ideal.
"But the final bend won't be this peaceful," Oguri Cap and several overseas runners silently reached the same conclusion.
Waiting until the 500-meter final straight to look for acceleration lanes was impossible. Even with Tokyo's long stretch, in a top-tier G1 race, delaying lane selection would leave only about 300 meters to accelerate, while those who moved earlier could enjoy nearly 500 meters—a decisive 200-meter difference.
Overseas Uma Musume tended to be aggressive in securing position and lanes early. In contrast, many Japanese closers preferred to swing wide and rely on raw burst and stamina for a dramatic outside charge—simpler mentally, but disadvantageous in a race like the Japan Cup due to the longer route.
With extensive overseas experience and two Japan Cup victories, Oguri Cap knew exactly when her foreign rivals would begin preparing their acceleration paths.
Local Uma Musume like Yaeno Muteki, however, were caught off guard. They couldn't understand why runners like Better Loosen Up would drift outward on the bend, seemingly sacrificing speed and wasting strides.
It wasn't that they hadn't studied their opponents—it was simply that their Trainers lacked experience dealing with overseas contenders.
"Hmph." Standing before the window, Shuta An suddenly let out a cold laugh. "So, they really haven't improved much in three years."
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