Chapter 96. NHK's Attitude
Shuta An and Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmouk Al Maktoum chatted until the welcome party finally drew to a close. By the end, the two had even begun discussing potential names for the races.
Naturally, Shuta An did not offer any concrete suggestions. Instead, he merely proposed that Sheikh Rashid bin Dalmouk Al Maktoum adopt a sponsorship model, allowing sponsors to share in the prize money and naming rights of the races.
This idea happened to align perfectly with the President of the Dubai URA Association's own thoughts.
"Did Trainer encounter something pleasant at the party? You seem to be in rather high spirits." On the way back to the hotel, Silence Suzuka tilted her head slightly as she asked.
"Well— I had a conversation with executives from an overseas URA Association," Shuta An replied, turning his head toward her with a faint smile. "If everything goes smoothly, Suzuka's racing schedule may see some new changes next year."
"New changes?" Silence Suzuka blinked, clearly puzzled.
"Well…whether it will actually come to fruition remains to be seen," Shuta An shrugged lightly. "But if it does, it will certainly be a good thing for you. For now, though, Suzuka should focus on the upcoming Hong Kong International Cup."
"I will, of course." The Uma Musume puffed her cheeks slightly. "I was just curious because Trainer suddenly looked so happy."
—
After returning to the hotel, Shuta An took a warm bath, changed into his pajamas, and went to bed earlier than usual. Since he had reminded Silence Suzuka to rest well, the Young man decided to set an example himself.
After wishing Oguri Cap and Berno Light good night, he plugged in his phone and casually placed it on the desk. Pulling the covers up, he closed his eyes—and skillfully drifted into the Dream World.
There were still two weeks remaining before the Arima Kinen. Although Oguri Cap's camp had yet to officially announce whether he would participate, the fan voting results had already been released.
Oguri Cap had received a staggering 210,000 votes.
It was a new historical record.
As soon as the JRA Association published the results, they immediately dispatched staff to contact Trainer Setoguchi Tsutomu, hoping to confirm whether Oguri Cap would choose the Arima Kinen as his retirement race.
"If he doesn't go, it will be a seven-G1 retirement—but she withdrew from the Japan Cup due to injury. NHK would be criticized for decades."
"If he goes, she has a chance to break 'Symboli Rudolf's Wall' and become the first racehorse to win eight G1 titles. A legend without equal—transferring from local to Central, missing the Classic Races, surpassing an undefeated Triple Crown winner, and becoming the Japanese racehorse with the most G1 victories."
Deep down, the JRA Association staff all hoped Oguri Cap would appear at Nakayama. Yet Trainer Setoguchi Tsutomu remained tight-lipped regarding his condition.
When Shuta An arrived at Setoguchi Tsutomu Stable, he saw the veteran trainer reviewing the day's condition records. Hesitating briefly, he asked in a low voice, "Trainer Setoguchi… how is Oguri Cap's condition?"
"He'll return to the stable tomorrow. Otherwise, he won't make it to the Arima Kinen," Setoguchi Tsutomu replied without lifting his head. "However, according to the ranch, if we want to avoid any risk, the training intensity in Ritto cannot be too high. I estimate that you'll only be able to partner with him at about eighty percent condition."
"It's fine." Shuta An answered without hesitation. "Oguri Cap at eighty percent is already enough. I'll make him perform at two hundred percent. I'll do everything in my power to give him a glorious finale."
"This time, Okabe-kun will surely do everything he can to stop you from challenging eight G1 victories," Setoguchi Tsutomu reminded him gently. "Shuta-kun, be careful."
"I know." Shuta An's lips curved upward. "Senior Okabe will be riding Yaeno Muteki. Whether he can truly adapt to the 2500-meter distance is still an unknown—but I think it will be very difficult."
"As long as you have confidence," Setoguchi Tsutomu sighed softly. "I swear on my honor: this time, I will absolutely ensure that Oguri Cap steps onto the Nakayama Racecourse in perfect health. I was negligent during the Japan Cup."
He could shoulder the blame himself—but Shuta An would not accept it.
"It wasn't your fault," the Young man said firmly. "It was NHK's production crew who ignored our rules for their own benefit."
"Tomorrow, NHK's president, Keiji Shima, will issue a public apology on television," Setoguchi Tsutomu glanced at him. "And because of this incident, it's said he'll be forced to resign before even serving half a year."
"And the production crew?" Shuta An frowned slightly. Compared to the president, he cared far more about the people who had truly 'harassed' Oguri Cap.
"If the president loses his position, what do you think will happen to them?" Setoguchi Tsutomu smiled faintly. "In any case, NHK probably won't dare propose anything similar for the next ten years."
"If that makes them behave for ten years, that's enough." After understanding the unspoken meaning, Shuta An's mood visibly brightened. "Oguri Cap returns tomorrow, rests for two days, and starts light training on the weekend. I'll ride him then."
"Of course." Setoguchi Tsutomu lowered his head again. "Hasn't his training always been your responsibility?"
After leaving Setoguchi Tsutomu Stable, Shuta An found himself with nothing pressing to do. He made his way unhurriedly toward Matsumoto Shoichi Stable, intending to check on Tokai Teio, who was scheduled to debut in half a month.
The staff there were already aware of Shuta An's proposed route for Tokai Teio—but they did not truly understand it.
Within the Japanese racing world, the prevailing belief was simple: if a racehorse could run more, then it should, to accumulate experience. Shuta An's suggestion—sending Tokai Teio from a Maiden Race directly into the Yayoi Sho—was considered highly unconventional.
Yet there was nothing they could do.
Matsumoto Shoichi, as the head of the stable, had already approved the plan. As employees, the staff had no grounds to object. Moreover, if Tokai Teio achieved outstanding results, everyone would benefit financially. Who wouldn't wish for his success?
And the one who would ultimately decide Tokai Teio's performance on the track—was Shuta An.
Japan's acknowledged top jockey.
A professional already recognized even overseas.
Replacing him over disagreements about route planning? No one at the stable would dare suggest such a thing. If Shuta An were replaced, whoever took Tokai Teio's reins next would only be a downgrade.
Shuta An paid no heed to the objections raised by the stable staff. After all, although their opinions differed regarding the race schedule, their shared objective was clear—to see Tokai Teio achieve success.
"Teio is a Racehorse with the potential to become a champion. Anyone who restrains him within this stable will be the common enemy of the entire camp." Matsumoto Shoichi made this stance explicit to his assistants when Shuta An was not present.
Because of this, even stable hands who were not directly involved in Tokai Teio's daily care went out of their way to accommodate her in every possible detail.
When Shuta An arrived at Matsumoto Shoichi Stable, a single glance was enough for him to tell that Tokai Teio was living quite comfortably. Otherwise, he would not be lying lazily inside his stall, snorting contentedly.
"Going to sleep this early?" Shuta An asked in surprise as he stood outside the stall.
The moment his voice reached her ears, Tokai Teio gracefully rose to his feet and poked his head out of the stall.
"Teio really likes Shuta-kun." Stable hand Higashi Ikuo walked up behind Shuta An, watching as Tokai Teio gently nuzzled the Young man's palm with his nose.
Without turning his head, Shuta An replied, "Probably because I started interacting with him before he was even weaned. To Teio, I'm someone he can feel at ease around."
"That's true. When Shuta-kun isn't here, Teio is only relatively close to me and Trainer Matsumoto. He keeps his distance from others—especially the veterinarian…" Higashi Ikuo shook his head. "The first vet who examined him nearly got kicked. We had to switch to a more experienced one before he finally accepted them."
"That actually happened?" Shuta An was genuinely surprised.
A few minutes later, Matsumoto Shoichi entered the stable and stopped on Shuta An's other side.
"Shuta-kun, is there any update regarding Oguri Cap's situation?"
Facing the direct question, Shuta An nodded. "Yes. The way NHK handled the matter was very satisfactory for me and the rest of the camp."
He had no intention of elaborating. Matsumoto Shoichi would learn the details soon enough.
"That's good." Trainer Matsumoto visibly relaxed. "Teio also needs Shuta-kun's close attention. The route you've planned leaves no room for error. We'll be relying on your performance on the track."
"Teio will become a Racehorse who creates miracles." Shuta An spoke with unwavering confidence.
"He'll debut in the week of the Arima Kinen. I hope we can start with a victory," Matsumoto Shoichi said with a shrug. "To be honest, my main focus now—and next year—will be on Tokai Teio. As one of Symboli Rudolf's first foals, expectations are high from the owner, Symboli Ranch, and Nagahama Ranch alike."
"I won't let anyone down." Shuta An repeated his promise and added, "Although I won't resume racing until Arima Kinen week, I'll come to ride him in training every Wednesday and Sunday for the next two weeks."
"Then I'll leave it to you." Only after hearing this did Matsumoto Shoichi finally smile.
Having the main jockey personally handle fast work for two consecutive weeks would allow them to better grasp Tokai Teio's condition. With such an unconventional race plan, perfection in every detail was essential.
At the very least, Matsumoto Shoichi needed Shuta An's diligence to set his mind at ease. He did not possess many Trainer honors—Tokai Teio was the kind of Racehorse he believed he would encounter only once in his career.
—
When he woke up, Shuta An glanced at the clock and realized he had risen earlier than usual.
"Forget it. If I go back to sleep now and oversleep, that'd be worse." Scratching his head, the Young man simply got out of bed. "Since I have extra time, I might as well take a walk around Sha Tin."
After washing up, Shuta An put on a thick coat, donned sunglasses and a mask, and left the hotel.
It was a little past five in the morning. Under normal circumstances, he would still be fast asleep at this hour. Yet Hong Kong was already fully awake.
"Even in Tokyo, where I usually stay, it's much quieter at this time—" Walking along the sidewalk, Shuta An narrowed his eyes and murmured to himself.
With the annual international race day approaching, the Hong Kong URA Association had poured substantial promotional resources into Sha Tin. Billboards related to the event appeared every few steps.
Shuta An scanned the Uma Musume featured on them—yet Silence Suzuka was nowhere to be seen.
"If it were Oguri…" His eyes narrowed as he imagined the scene.
"As expected, with Suzuka's current achievements, she still doesn't receive much attention." Rather than feeling dissatisfied, Shuta An fully understood the reasoning behind it.
"Then let's set a small goal." He snapped his fingers. "Next year, Suzuka will be on those advertisements too."
With that, he turned back toward the hotel.
—
When Silence Suzuka woke up, the first thing she saw was the clock hanging opposite her bed.
"It's six o'clock…" She pursed her lips, got up, poured herself a glass of water, and drank it in one go before shaking her head.
"The gate draw is tonight. I hope I don't get a very wide gate."
For a Uma Musume who specialized in leading, a wide gate was particularly troublesome. It meant expending extra energy just to contest the lead. If she were the type who could both lead and stalk from the front, a wide draw would simply mean switching tactics.
But Silence Suzuka couldn't do that.
She understood her own condition clearly—if she failed to secure the lead, her competitiveness in top-tier races would drop sharply. Her Trainer had promised to grant her one request if she won the Hong Kong International Cup this time.
She had long since decided what that request would be. She could not afford to lose this carefully planned opportunity.
"After washing up, I'll have breakfast, rest for a bit, then head to Sha Tin Racecourse for the final pre-race workout."
Changing out of her pajamas, she reached for warmer clothes, thinking quietly to herself.
"The race is only a few days away. I have to be careful. If I catch a cold…"
Silence Suzuka's gaze sharpened.
She would never allow herself to withdraw from the race for such a reason.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For anyone interested, or just want to support me. Hit the membership button to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ModerateCitizens