Chapter 27. Post-Satsuki Sho Interview and Gate Predictions
Unlike yesterday at Randwick Racecourse, this time, when Tokai Teio crossed the finish line, Shuta An did not turn his back toward the track and bow to the grandstand.
Instead, he simply raised his hand and waved toward Tokai Teio.
And upon noticing him, Tokai Teio's smile immediately became even brighter.
There was no doubt—she had seen him.
"You won the Satsuki Sho." Mejiro Dober gently held the young man's other hand and spoke softly. "Tomorrow, let's hold a joint celebration party for Teio and me, okay?"
"At the academy, or somewhere outside?" Shuta An took advantage of the fact that Tokai Teio was still interacting with the other participants after the race and turned his head to ask.
"I'm fine either way. Let's ask Teio what she wants later." Mejiro Dober herself had no particular preference.
"Alright." Shuta An nodded casually, though inwardly he had already begun calculating.
"If we celebrate outside, it's probably better to just do it at home. Booking a proper restaurant on such short notice would be difficult."
—
While Shuta An and Mejiro Dober were quietly discussing the celebration, Tokai Teio had already proactively walked toward Shako Grade, who was currently bent over slightly while catching her breath with both hands on her knees.
Tokai Teio extended her hand toward the second-place finisher of the Satsuki Sho.
"Grade-chan's performance was amazing," Tokai Teio praised sincerely. "Being able to chase that quickly on Nakayama Racecourse's short straight is really impressive."
Shako Grade grasped Tokai Teio's hand with a bitter smile.
"This race should've been ideal for a late-closing strategy," she admitted honestly. "But against Teio-chan, I was completely powerless. I overestimate myself this time."
Then she straightened up again.
"For the Japanese Derby, I'll still use a strong outside-closing tactic from the very back. Once we move to Tokyo Racecourse, I'll definitely perform even better than today!"
"Alright." Tokai Teio smiled brightly. "Then I'll wait for Grade-chan to catch up and pressure me next time."
At the same time, however, she quietly muttered to herself inwardly:
"I already got gate 18 in the Satsuki Sho, so my luck should be better during the Japanese Derby… right?"
After exchanging a few more words with the other competitors, Tokai Teio finally arrived before the grandstand.
First, she gently nodded toward her Trainer.
Then her gaze lifted toward the countless spectators filling the stands.
A confident smile appeared on her face.
Raising her right hand high, Tokai Teio extended a single index finger toward the sky.
"Next race—the Japanese Derby!" she shouted loudly. "I'll continue winning!"
Logically speaking, one person's voice should never have been capable of suppressing the overwhelming noise of the grandstand audience.
Yet at this moment, Tokai Teio's aura completely overwhelmed the entire venue.
Every single person heard her declaration clearly.
"She'll do it." Shuta An's calm voice reached the ears of those around him. "If even gate 18 in the Satsuki Sho couldn't stop her, then that experience will only make Tokai Teio even stronger."
"I just hope the Japanese Derby doesn't give her another horrible gate position." Mejiro Dober sighed softly beside him.
"She probably won't." Shuta An rapidly calculated the probability in his mind.
The odds of drawing the outermost gate in two consecutive races were one in three hundred and sixty.
Tokai Teio's luck couldn't possibly be that terrible.
(She really has that luck. FYI, she was still on the outer gate in Japanese Derby.)
—
While Tokai Teio returned to the lounge to prepare for the Winning Live, Shuta An headed toward the media interview area.
"Everyone, same rules as always." The young man smiled lightly as a reminder.
Immediately, the reporter from "Twinkle" magazine seized the first opportunity to ask a question.
"Congratulations, Shuta Trainer, on your first Satsuki Sho victory. How do you feel right now?"
"Tokai Teio possesses both extraordinary talent and the willingness to work harder than anyone else," Shuta An replied calmly. "Being able to train a Uma Musume like her is an honor for me."
"Before I departed for Australia to participate in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Teio and I made a promise—that I would personally watch her race live. I'm very happy that I fulfilled that promise and witnessed such a spectacular race with my own eyes."
"Shuta Trainer, what was the meaning behind Tokai Teio's pose at the finish line?" another reporter immediately followed up.
Shuta An answered without hesitation.
"Obviously, it was her celebration for winning the first crown."
"How would Shuta Trainer evaluate Tokai Teio's current strength?" another reporter pressed further, still refusing to let the topic drift away from Tokai Teio.
Shuta An raised his hand and pointed directly toward the large screen not far away.
"2 minutes and 0.5 seconds."
His tone carried unmistakable confidence.
"That was still Teio's finishing time after she clearly slowed down at the end of the race. So I can confidently say this—if Tokai Teio had run all-out through the finish line, she could have easily broken the two-minute barrier."
"And don't forget," Shuta An smiled faintly, "she did this while starting from the outermost gate."
"I already said a long time ago that Tokai Teio's goal is the Undefeated Triple Crown."
"Perhaps some people doubted those words before. But now—" the young man glanced around at the reporters before him, "everyone should understand by now, right? Tokai Teio is a genius capable of even shattering curses."
"Tokai Teio's gate this time was extremely unfavorable," another reporter asked. "So for the upcoming Japanese Derby, what gate position would Shuta Trainer prefer?"
Upon hearing the question, Shuta An's gaze flickered slightly.
He thought for a moment before speaking.
"First, let me make something clear." The young man smiled. "If Tokai Teio really draws the gate I'm about to mention, it absolutely isn't because we manipulated anything."
That instantly drew laughter from the reporters nearby.
Then Shuta An continued calmly:
"Personally, I hope Tokai Teio draws between gates 4 and 8. That range suits her best."
—
"You don't need to follow us home, right?" After leaving the racecourse, Shuta An—who was about to call a taxi for himself and Mejiro Dober—turned around and asked the NHK documentary director.
"Of course not." The director immediately waved his hands repeatedly.
Although many people within the industry were deeply curious about Shuta An's address, everyone also knew that Bungeishunju had long since become like a vicious watchdog toward anyone attempting to maliciously investigate Shuta An's private life.
Because of this, NHK's upper management had already informed the production crew beforehand that they were not required to continue following Shuta An after the race ended.
And precisely because of that decision—
they completely missed the fact that after returning to Central Tracen Academy, although Shuta An dropped Tokai Teio off at the academy gates, Mejiro Dober quietly followed him all the way to the parking lot before getting into the car together.
After stepping out of the vehicle, Tokai Teio had originally intended to follow her Trainer home as well.
Unfortunately, the young man rejected her firmly.
As a result, the Satsuki Sho champion could only lower her head unhappily and walk back toward the academy alone.
Fortunately, at Tokai Teio's own request, tomorrow's celebration party would be held at Shuta An's house.
Thinking about that instantly improved her mood considerably.
"There are still five weeks left until the Japanese Derby." Tokai Teio clenched her fist tightly.
"Before then, Team Sadalsuud doesn't have any especially important races. Whether it's Dober-senpai's Yasuda Kinen or Rice Shower-chan's debut race, they're both scheduled after my Japanese Derby."
That meant—
"During this entire period—"
Tokai Teio's eyes sparkled brightly.
"Trainer's attention will still belong entirely to me!"
—
After returning home, Shuta An was practically confined to his room by the four Uma Musume. They jointly decided that he was temporarily forbidden from going anywhere, and even dinner was delivered directly to his door.
The young man, however, did not mind this arrangement too much. Most of his attention was already occupied by Tokai Teio's next race.
There was no need to deliberate over her schedule. The Japanese Derby was naturally the next stage Tokai Teio had to challenge.
"A 2400-meter race at Tokyo Racecourse—a once-in-a-lifetime stage."
Shuta An stared at the aerial course map displayed on his computer screen, his thoughts gradually deepening.
"They say that winning the Derby means standing at the summit of an entire generation. And to some extent, that's true. Winning the Derby does grant a Uma Musume tremendous leniency in public opinion—"
He paused slightly.
"But neither Oguri nor Suzuka ever won the Japanese Derby. Even Oguri, who carries the title of French Derby Uma Musume—when fans discuss her legacy, they speak more about the Japan Cup and the Arima Kinen afterward than those two French Crown races."
"In the end, the Japanese Derby alone doesn't determine the overall evaluation of a Uma Musume's Twinkle Series career."
That was Shuta An's conclusion regarding the Derby.
"However, for Tokai Teio, whose goal is the Undefeated Triple Crown, the Japanese Derby is a race that absolutely must be won."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"She defeated Shako Grade by three lengths in the Satsuki Sho. Then in the Japanese Derby, she has to win by even more."
"If her margin of victory shrinks instead, public opinion will inevitably start claiming that Tokai Teio performs worse over longer distances."
"I can't allow anyone to question Teio's long-distance aptitude."
As those thoughts surfaced, Shuta An unconsciously recalled what he had seen in the Dream World—the race in which Mihono Bourbon was defeated in the Kikuka Sho.
Was it truly only because of Kyoei Arrow's interference and Rice Shower's superior ability?
Without Shuta An riding her personally, Rice Shower would never have defeated Mihono Bourbon by such a large margin. And if Kyoei Arrow had not interfered in contesting the lead—if Mihono Bourbon had been allowed to dictate a pace she found comfortable—then what exactly had given the Kyoei Arrow camp the confidence to act that way?
Why were they so certain Mihono Bourbon's long-distance ability would fail her?
Shuta An narrowed his eyes.
"I'll use this Japanese Derby to completely terrify everyone who's targeting Teio."
Even so, he understood one thing clearly. Even if Tokai Teio somehow reproduced something on the level of Secretariat's Belmont Stakes miracle in the Japanese Derby, there would still be formidable Uma Musume waiting to challenge her in the Kikuka Sho.
"But fewer problems are always better."
The young man did not wish to see Tokai Teio enter an even more disadvantageous battlefield later on. The Kikuka Sho's conditions were already naturally unfavorable for her.
"Forget about that for now. First, focus on the Derby."
Shuta An shook his head lightly and returned his attention to the course map on the screen.
The Japanese Derby prep races—the NHK Mile Cup and the Aoba Sho—had not yet been held. However, setting the former aside, the winner of the Aoba Sho had still never gone on to win the Japanese Derby itself. Because of that, Shuta An silently lowered the priority of the Aoba Sho when considering future opponents.
"First, I'll reserve the hospital appointment."
"The day after tomorrow, I'll take Teio for a full post-race examination. If everything comes back fine, I'll give her a simple one-week break. Then we'll officially begin Derby preparation the following week."
—
As for Mejiro Dober, because her target was the Yasuda Kinen, Shuta An had already begun the registration process for her.
Tokyo Racecourse's turf mile layout was almost perfectly suited to Mejiro Dober's style.
Starting from the far side of the backstretch, running through the entire straight, then entering the final bend before transitioning into the long home straight—
Even imagining the structure alone made it easy to understand how ideal it was for a Uma Musume like Mejiro Dober, who excelled at stalking tactics.
"For the Yasuda Kinen, the key opponents are Daiichi Ruby and Daitaku Helios."
(FYI, in real life, Mejiro Dober should go to Takarazuka Kinen and run together with Suzuka, where she lost and place sixth in this race. However, since this Yasuda Kinen happened to have Daiichi Ruby and Daitaku Helios, then this Yasuda Kinen should be the one in 1992 race)
Shuta An frowned slightly.
In truth, those two names were not unfamiliar to him in the slightest. He had heard them repeatedly within the Dream World. Among them, Daitaku Helios in particular had crossed paths with him several times, leaving an especially deep impression.
"Fortunately, Teio won't need to race against her for now. Otherwise, against that kind of pace, things would become very troublesome."
Daitaku Helios was a true runaway-style Uma Musume. Although Tokai Teio had already proven during the Satsuki Sho that she could endure a fast pace head-on, she had not yet experienced an ultra-fast pace.
And if possible, Shuta An hoped she never would.
Though he also knew such a thing was unrealistic.
Late at night, after taking a quick bath, Shuta An finally lay down to rest.
Although yesterday in the Dream World had also been Satsuki Sho race day, he himself had not appeared at Nakayama Racecourse. This year, he had no riding bookings for the Satsuki Sho at all.
In fact, Shuta An had directly abandoned all riding assignments for the entire Sunday, simply to celebrate Tokai Teio's Queen Elizabeth Stakes victory together with her team in Australia.
"So you didn't have any mounts in this year's Satsuki Sho. Does that mean you also don't have any candidates for the Japanese Derby?"
Matsumoto Shoichi asked during the celebration party. "Do you want me to help ask around among the Ritto Trainers?"
"No need."
Shuta An waved his hand casually.
"It doesn't matter if I don't ride in this year's Derby. There aren't any horse I'm particularly interested in anyway."
"Oh?" Matsumoto Shoichi raised an eyebrow. "Not even the BNW trio catches your attention? The domestic media are all saying those three are capable of challenging Tokai Teio."
"Challenge Tokai Teio?"
The corner of Shuta An's mouth lifted immediately, his tone rising sharply.
"Huh? Them?"
He stared directly at Matsumoto Shoichi.
"Then those media people had better open their eyes wide. Because at the Arima Kinen, Teio and I are going to completely crush them."
"It seems Shuta-kun really doesn't think highly of BNW."
Matsumoto Shoichi only smiled and shook his head, deciding not to pursue the topic further. After all, none of the BNW trio belonged to his stable, and he had little interest in asking Shuta An why he viewed them so poorly.
Not long afterward, Uchimura Masanori approached and sat down opposite the young man, pouring him a glass of water.
"Shuta-kun, if I remember correctly, you don't drink alcohol?"
"Thank you. That's right," Shuta An accepted the glass and nodded. "Alcohol affects reaction speed, and it's not particularly good for the body either. So I don't drink."
"Tokai Teio will first return to Japan for quarantine, then head out for pasture,"
Uchimura Masanori explained regarding her upcoming schedule.
"And I've already informed the reporters that Teio will not run in the Takarazuka Kinen. I also hope the fans won't vote for her. Our target is the Epsom Derby."
Only then did Shuta An quietly breathe a sigh of relief.
Truthfully, he had worried that Uchimura Masanori might once again be persuaded by the JRA into considering a Takarazuka Kinen run before sending Tokai Teio to the Epsom Derby.
Under normal circumstances, such a schedule was certainly manageable. But this is Tokai Teio he was talking, he just didn't want to take that risks.