Chapter 116. A New G1 Established Domestically
After morning practice, Shuta An announced that Rice Shower and the others were free to go.
Rice Shower and Kurofune decided to head back to the activity room for a quick shower, then return to their dorms to change before leaving the Academy for shopping.
Teio also planned to go to Akihabara today to buy the latest controller — she wanted to improve her chances of winning when playing games with Mayano Top Gun.
Shuta An politely declined the three Uma Musumes' invitations. He didn't join them for shopping. He didn't even follow Rice Shower back to the Sadalsuud team's activity room to idle. Instead, he went alone to the Student Council office. He wanted Symboli Rudolf to submit a proposal to the URA Association.
Although confident, he still wanted to secure Symboli Rudolf's support first.
He knocked on the door.
After getting Symboli Rudolf's permission, Shuta An stepped into the Student Council office. He glanced around — besides Symboli Rudolf, Maruzensky was playing on her phone nearby, and Air Groove was studying the newly added tea bar machine in the office.
"Good morning, everyone~"
Shuta An greeted them. The three Uma Musumes all looked at him.
"I'm here to make a suggestion to Miss Rudolf."
The young man sat down on the sofa without waiting. Air Groove took the opportunity to hand him a cup of brewed green tea.
"Thank you."
Shuta An said, then blew on the tea, picked up the cup, took a sip, and waited for Symboli Rudolf to speak.
"What suggestion?" Symboli Rudolf put down her work, staring at the young man curiously. "It's quite rare for Shuta-kun to come with a suggestion. Has Shuta-kun discovered any shortcomings in the Academy recently?"
To be honest, when she asked this, the Student Council President was a little nervous. She was genuinely worried that Shuta An, returning from overseas, had found some problem no one else had noticed.
"It's not a problem with the Academy."
Shuta An waved his hand.
"It's about the Twinkle Series. I hope Miss Rudolf can propose to the URA Association to add a G1 race exclusively for Triple Tiara in the first half of each year at Tokyo Racecourse. The distance could be set at 1600 meters or 2000 meters; 1800 meters would also be fine."
"Add a new G1?" Symboli Rudolf raised an eyebrow. "Shuta-kun, you should know that adding a new race in Central is a big deal that affects everything and cannot be easily added. So, what's your reason?"
"My idea, of course, is related to our Sadalsuud team members."
At the beginning of this year, when he was scheduling Mejiro Dober's races, he was surprised to find that Mejiro Dober could only run two races in Japan in the first half of the year: the Yasuda Kinen and the Takarazuka Kinen.
"Don't ask me why I only look at G1s."
Shuta An added here, preempting Air Groove and Maruzensky's comments.
The two Uma Musumes nodded obediently. Unlike before, Shuta An had produced Triple Tiara Uma Musumes and defend French's two consecutive years; his status within the Academy had risen significantly. Maruzensky knew it wasn't the time to tease him.
"Of course, we all know that Uma Musumes on the Triple Tiara Route are often slightly less powerful than those on the classic three Crowns Route."
Shuta An said this candidly, as it was a fact and nothing to be ashamed of.
"Mejiro Dober is exceptionally strong and can achieve good results in the Yasuda Kinen or Takarazuka Kinen, but what about the weaker Triple Tiara Route Uma Musumes?"
"If a Uma Musume on the Triple Tiara Route doesn't go abroad and only races domestically, then the only limited G1s she can run are the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies, the Triple Tiara, and the Queen Elizabeth Cup. Even after entering her senior year, there is only the Queen Elizabeth Cup as a Triple Tiara-limited G1 each year."
Shuta An's gaze shifted from Symboli Rudolf's face to Air Groove.
"What does this mean for Uma Musumes on the Triple Tiara Route? If a Uma Musume on the Triple Tiara Route cannot run 2200-meter races, it means she can only reluctantly run the Yasuda Kinen and the Mile Championship every year."
"That's too cruel for them. Since the URA Association wants excellent local Uma Musumes to reduce their overseas expeditions, shouldn't they also provide them with enough stages, shouldn't they?"
The young man looked at Symboli Rudolf again and continued.
"Therefore, I believe that adding a G1 race exclusively for the Triple Tiara Route in the first half of the year at Tokyo Racecourse is imperative."
"There's no need to add any additional G1 prep races — the Hanshin Tiara Stakes and Fukushima Tiara Stakes, one in early April and one in late April, already serve that purpose. This new G1 can be placed in mid-May, one week before the Oaks, perfectly filling the gap in G1 races between the NHK Mile Cup and the Japanese Oaks."
"That's indeed a good idea."
Air Groove spoke in support — this was also for her own benefit. She didn't want to have to compete against Uma Musumes from the classic three crowns route every year, except for the Queen Elizabeth Cup.
"The reasons are compelling."
Symboli Rudolf closed her eyes, pondered for a moment, and then continued.
"I will convey this proposal to the URA Association. I think they will approve it, as their annual meeting is next month. Perhaps it can even be held next year."
"That would be even better." Shuta An's lips curved upwards. "If this race can be held next year, then I guarantee Mejiro Dober will participate."
Hearing that Mejiro Dober would participate, Air Groove's eyes lit up.
She knew this might be the best stage for her to compete against Mejiro Dober — as for the Queen Elizabeth 2 Cup, just look at Mejiro Dober's schedule this year; Shuta seemed to have no intention of letting Mejiro Dober attempt to win that race consecutively.
After making his suggestion, Shuta An returned to the activity room, opened his computer, and prepared to study the ratings from last week's Japanese races.
The young man had rated Tokai Teio's Kikuka Sho performance at 117 points — a relatively low score, while Tojo Hana and others had given her 119 and 120. Everyone felt that, no matter what, as the winner of the Kikuka Sho, Tokai Teio's score was too low, making the scores of the subsequent Uma Musume even more pitiful.
Shuta An didn't insist on his own opinion and finally set Tokai Teio's Kikuka Sho score at 119 points.
"This will probably be Tokai Teio's last ultra-long-distance race." the young man thought. "I absolutely will not let her enter the Spring Tenno Sho."
As for the Arima Kinen, which is also considered a long-distance race in Japan, Shuta An knew that the 2500 meters at Nakayama Racecourse did not mean it was a standard long-distance track.
"Although many people say it's equivalent to 2600 meters or even longer at Tokyo Racecourse, if the pace is right, Uma Musume who excel at mile races will perform absolutely no worse here than Uma Musume with good long-distance adaptability."
Oguri Cap is an excellent example.