Chapter 98. Hong Kong International Cup (Part 1)
December 14th, Sunday—this year's Hong Kong International Races were being held today at Sha Tin Racecourse.
Although all three races were G2 events, the generous prize money attracted a strong field of overseas Uma Musume.
The Hong Kong International Cup was scheduled as the final race of the day. Despite arriving at Sha Tin Racecourse early, Shuta An paid little attention to the track itself until the participating Uma Musume for the Cup were about to make their entrance.
"Alright, alright. If there's a chance, we'll meet again at Nakayama Racecourse at the end of the year."
With a smile, the Young man saw off the president of the Hong Kong URA Association, then closed the door to the VIP box.
"From morning until now, aside from lunch, I've been busy chatting with colleagues," Shuta An muttered softly. "I've never seen my father do this kind of work…but then again, he didn't have international race days like this back then. No—he only went to Europe on expeditions, didn't he?"
Turning his head, he looked through the floor-to-ceiling window. At that moment, the Uma Musume participating in the Hong Kong International Cup were emerging one by one from the underground passage.
"Hm…Hong Kong really is different from Japan. Or rather, Japan is the exception." Shuta An crossed his arms lightly. "Here, the number on the racing outfit doesn't correspond to the gate position. Suzuka's number is 4, and there are only fourteen runners in total."
"These numbers are assigned based on ratings," he continued, gaze steady. "That means the Hong Kong URA Association holds Suzuka in fairly high regard."
Yet Shuta An did not believe Silence Suzuka could easily produce a result worthy of that evaluation.
"That assessment comes from her Great Escape tactic," he said quietly, picking up a can of sparkling water as he walked closer to the glass. "But she can't use that weapon this time. So in the end—we can only rely on her tenacity in the final stretch."
—
As Silence Suzuka stepped onto the turf of Sha Tin Racecourse, she stamped her foot lightly, a satisfied expression appearing on her face.
"This turf feels very similar to Tokyo Racecourse," she thought.
Hong Kong had enjoyed continuous sunny weather during this period. With no rain to soften the ground, the turf was extremely dry—and fast.
"Hmph…since the conditions are this favorable," Silence Suzuka murmured to herself, "I have to give a performance worthy of this luck."
Nearby, Val Prince—who had stepped onto the track earlier—deliberately positioned herself within Silence Suzuka's blind spot.
"Trainer told me to mark Silence Suzuka," she thought, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Her Great Escape in the Secretariat Stakes was impressive, but Trainer is certain she won't use it this time."
"The reason isn't about her ability—"
Her Trainer's words resurfaced clearly in her mind:
"Silence Suzuka's Trainer has deep ties to Secretariat—his father was Secretariat's Trainer, after all. More importantly, he prioritizes the safety of his Uma Musume. Suzuka hasn't fully matured yet, so there's no way he'll allow her to gamble with a risky Great Escape on an unfamiliar course. Val Prince, you can mark her with confidence."
"If she doesn't go for a Great Escape, then keeping her in check won't be difficult," Val Prince's lips curved into a confident smile. "I didn't cross an ocean just to finish second."
Although the pre-race favorites were local Uma Musume, Val Prince firmly believed she was not inferior to any of them.
"Obey Your Master nearly pulled off an upset in the Japan Cup," she thought. "That means my chances of winning here are even higher."
With that, she lifted her chin, confidence shining in her expression.
—
Because Silence Suzuka was in an even-numbered gate, she entered slightly later despite being in Gate 4. After Val Prince in Gate 2 stepped inside, Silence Suzuka briefly glanced toward the VIP box, then smoothly entered her own gate without assistance.
Once inside, she calmly surveyed the runners beside her.
Gate 3 was FOROMOR) from New Zealand, a G3 winner.
Gate 5 was Seascay, a two-time G1 winner from Australia—though her most recent victory was already two years past.
"So she's been running for four years without retiring," Silence Suzuka thought. "Is she aiming for one more win?"
In Japan, even legendary seniors like Oguri Cap only planned to compete for two veteran seasons. Many Uma Musume followed the same path. Staying on the Twinkle Series stage for too long—even while undefeated—often invited criticism from fans.
If someone like Seascay raced in Japan, she would likely become the target of jokes. Shaking her head, Silence Suzuka dismissed the distraction.
"JOHAN CRUYFF on the outside is about to enter. Once that happens, the race begins." Her gaze sharpened. "Since I'm taking the lead, I absolutely can't afford a slow start or a delayed break."
If either happened, the race would be over before it truly began.
Understanding this clearly, Silence Suzuka closed her eyes, focused inward, and waited quietly for the gates to open.
—
From the VIP box, Shuta An watched the large screen above the course. Silence Suzuka's figure appeared clearly—not because of special attention, but simply because the camera had rotated to her.
"If there's a chance," he murmured, eyes narrowing slightly, "I want to make her the focus of this entire venue next year. And not just for local audiences."
Although all three Hong Kong International Races this year were G2 events, Team Sadalsuud's participation—and Shuta An's proven overseas record—had convinced Japanese media to broadcast the Hong Kong International Cup.
He had only learned of it that morning and hadn't told Silence Suzuka yet.
"Maybe that's for the best," he muttered. "If she knew, the pressure would only increase."
"In any case—I hope she meets everyone's expectations today."
—
Inside the starting gate, Silence Suzuka was completely free of distractions, as if the world contained only herself.
Then—
Click.
Ring—
The gates burst open.
Her eyes snapped open. With a powerful push of her legs, Silence Suzuka shot forward, exploding out of the gate. Her starting speed was clearly faster than SEASCAY and Cruff—indeed, faster than all thirteen of her opponents.
"What a start!" Val Prince's pupils contracted. "As expected of someone capable of a Great Escape—her acceleration is terrifying."
"The gates weren't even fully open before she forced her way through, using her slender build to avoid contact and seize the lead. Truly worthy of a G1 winner."
SEASCAY and Cruff frowned simultaneously.
"This girl's start is outrageous," they thought in unison.
Securing the lead, Silence Suzuka immediately cut toward the inside rail, denying any chance for rivals to steal ground. It was a fundamental maneuver for front-runners—and she executed it flawlessly.
Victorymount, the local Uma Musume in Gate 8, had also been instructed to contest the lead. But her gate speed fell short, and her position offered no advantage.
She could only tuck in behind Silence Suzuka, waiting.
"It's a shame," Victorymount thought. "Her acceleration and early pace are too strong."
"Do I really have to wait until she slows down in the final straight?"
Val Prince settled into fifth, separated from Silence Suzuka only by Victorymount—close enough to mark her easily.
"Just as Trainer predicted," Val Prince muttered. "She isn't using a Great Escape. Her pace isn't fast."
"She makes a show of grabbing the lead, convinces everyone she'll burn herself out… but in reality, she controls the pace, preserves stamina, and resists the chase at the end."
"So that's your plan," she smirked. "I won't fall for it."
—
In the VIP box, the sectional times appeared on screen.
"First 200 meters—13 seconds," Shuta An murmured. "Her start is even sharper than in Japan. That means she can afford to slow the middle section."
A trace of excitement surfaced in his heart.
"No Trainer ever wishes for defeat."
—
Approaching the bend, Silence Suzuka glanced back using the curve of the track.
"Victory Mount is more than half a length behind," she assessed calmly. "If I want to meet Trainer's second condition, I'll need to widen the gap in the middle section."
"As for the rhythm—" Her confidence was steady. "The kilometer split will definitely stay under sixty seconds."
Val Prince edged outward slightly through the turn.
"To maintain marking position, some extra legwork is unavoidable," she thought with mild regret. "Gate 5 would've been better. Gate 2 really isn't ideal for a leading strategy."
Behind her, Oriental Express—the strongest local Uma Musume this year but not the favorite—was quietly storing strength.
"We've met outside before," Oriental Express thought. "But we never really spoke."
"Language barriers don't matter," she lowered her center of gravity. "We can communicate through the race itself."
Her excitement nearly triggered an early acceleration—but experience restrained her.
"Not yet," she warned herself. "The goddess of victory only smiles on those who endure."
—
Silence Suzuka passed the 1000-meter mark. Shuta An calculated instinctively—and smiled.
"Exactly sixty seconds. Perfect. She's completed the first condition."
He squinted toward the distance between Silence Suzuka and Victorymount.
"About one length," he judged. "That should satisfy the second as well."
Scratching his head, he sighed softly.
"So…what kind of request will Suzuka make? I can't just leave Oguri and Berno out of it," he mused. "That would look like I don't trust her."
"Never mind."
He straightened, refocusing.
"Let's see how this Hong Kong International Cup ends."
—
The final straight of Sha Tin Racecourse stretched a daunting 430 meters—an unforgiving distance for front-runners.
"If she can withstand the chase here," Shuta An said quietly, "then next year's Autumn Tenno Sho at Tokyo won't be a problem."
In his mind, he already saw Silence Suzuka shaking off every challenger beneath Tokyo's autumn sky. Then—
His brows suddenly furrowed.
"Why does she look like she's slowing down?"(She really needs to train her Stamina and Guts)
The live commentary echoed through the VIP box.
The final straight of Sha Tin Racecourse was only about one hundred meters shorter than that of Tokyo Racecourse. After Silence Suzuka entered the stretch in the lead, she quickly realized that the Uma Musume behind her did not immediately begin their acceleration. This, too, was within her expectations.
"Not every Uma Musume can accelerate on a long straight," she thought calmly. "The usual approach is to conserve strength upon entering the straight, then unleash everything with three hundred meters remaining."
Having reached this conclusion, Silence Suzuka decisively eased her pace.
"It's not as if I can't unleash a final burst."
At that moment, she felt a deep gratitude toward the requirements her Trainer had imposed. A pace of sixty seconds per kilometer lay precisely on the critical boundary of her physical limits. If it were any faster, she would be forced to grit her teeth just to maintain it. If it were slower, she would be unable to widen the gap with the leading and stalking groups—and even with surplus stamina, her explosive power would be insufficient to contend with specialists who excelled in sudden acceleration.
Sixty seconds per kilometer was the baseline Shuta An had set for the current Silence Suzuka. By reaching it, she had barely preserved a margin for secondary acceleration—without overtaxing her body.
Shuta An himself, however, had not thought so deeply when setting that condition. That was why his brow furrowed when he saw Silence Suzuka slow down.
A quarter of the final straight had already passed.
Behind her, the sound of hooves grew denser—closer.
Silence Suzuka leaned forward. Her stride quickened. The rhythm of her legs began to rise once more.
At the same instant, Val Prince and Oriental Express adjusted their own cadence and launched their accelerations in unison.
"If I let her lead from start to finish, I'll be a disgrace to every Uma Musume who uses the marking tactic!" Val Prince growled inwardly as she fought her way out of the pack.
Victorymount was no match for her. Val Prince swept past on the right with ease.
Oriental Express, unwilling to fall behind, acted decisively. Victorymount shifted left to avoid obstruction, and Oriental Express seized the opening. In just two strides, she devoured the remaining gap, surging past and leaving Victorymount behind entirely.
Inside the VIP box, Shuta An's gaze locked onto the screen the moment Silence Suzuka accelerated again.
"At sixty seconds per kilometer…she can still produce a final burst?" he murmured.
A theory from his father resurfaced in his mind.
"The most complete leading tactic is to seize the front immediately, maintain a high-speed cruise, and then unleash a final burst that rivals' stalkers and closers."
He had always believed that such a tactic belonged only to Secretariat—and only when she was in a foul mood.
But now, he saw a possibility.
"I don't need her to reach Secretariat's level," Shuta An thought quietly. "Seventy percent—seventy percent would be more than enough."
From this moment onward, the future he envisioned for Silence Suzuka subtly shifted.
Yet brilliance alone could not erase reality.
Despite the talent now on display, Silence Suzuka—still immature—could not completely shake off Oriental Express and Val Prince.
"Silence Suzuka remains in the lead! But Val Prince and Oriental Express are closing fast!" the live commentator exclaimed, voice rising with excitement—especially at the mention of Oriental Express, the hometown Uma Musume.
"This is my home turf!" Oriental Express roared inwardly. "The stands are filled with my supporters! The International Bottle and International Cup slipped away earlier—this is the final chance, and it's fallen to me!"
She turned her head briefly, locking eyes with Val Prince.
"I am the Hong Kong Derby Uma Musume—the strongest of my generation!"
Her nerves tightened, her will poured then her eyes flickered. She poured every last fragment of strength into her stride.
Beside her, Val Prince felt the pressure radiating from Oriental Express and glanced sideways.
"So frightening…" she thought. "I've only felt this aura from legendary seniors back at the academy."
Her expression hardened.
"But I didn't come all this way to fight for second."
She forced her body beyond its limits and accelerated once more.
At this moment, both Val Prince and Oriental Express regarded each other—not Silence Suzuka—as their greatest rival.
"Silence Suzuka is still leading! But Oriental Express and Val Prince have drawn level! The final one hundred meters!" the Live commentator cried out. "Can Silence Suzuka hold on?!"
"Silence Suzuka—hold on!"
Standing by the window of the VIP box, Shuta An slowly shook his head.
"Just as I feared—she hasn't fully matured yet," he said softly. "She can't execute this strategy perfectly—not yet."
As his words fell, Val Prince and Oriental Express finally matched Silence Suzuka's pace.
This time, however, they did not pass her as cleanly as they had Victorymount.
Silence Suzuka's grit asserted itself.
Clenching her teeth, she fought them stride for stride for over thirty meters—forcing them to pay a price—before her strength finally gave way.
As the figures of her rivals filled both sides of her vision, the breath she had held since the start of the race finally escaped.
"Damn it."
Biting her lip, Silence Suzuka crossed the finish line in third place, behind Oriental Express and Val Prince.
"Oriental Express! She has defended the honor of the host!" the local commentator erupted with joy. (Oh, a different result. IRL Suzuka was placed fifth while Oriental second and Val Prince first.)
Inside the VIP box, Shuta An applauded the victor—while his heart ached for his Uma Musume.
"Next year," he murmured, eyes fixed on Silence Suzuka, who stood by the track with hands on her knees, gasping for breath. "Next year, we'll take it back."
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