Chapter 50. Two Interpretations for Hanshin 2200
On Thursday, the URA Association announced the gate positions for the Takarazuka Kinen on time—Mejiro McQueen in gate 14, and Tokai Teio in gate 15.
As expected, Tokai Teio was once again starting from the far outside.
"I'm used to it."
The Undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume replied when interviewed by a reporter over the phone.
"It seems like the URA Association intends to use this gate position to make Tokai Teio relive last year."
Shuta An grumbled.
However, this gate position wasn't too bad. The outermost gate on the Hanshin 2200-meter Racecourse has an 18% win rate. As for the top three chances, Shuta An hadn't calculated them—Tokai Teio only needed to focus on first place.
"The decisive point on the Hanshin Racecourse turf 2200-meter course is the downhill section of the third turn, where participating Uma Musume can easily pick up speed unconsciously. If Teio can use this terrain to gain momentum from the outside, it can be a decisive move."
"The final straight on this inner course of the Hanshin Racecourse is very short, about 357 meters, but there's a steep slope between 200 and 100 meters from the finish line—Teio, you should already be familiar with this. Due to the steep and uneven terrain of the course, plus having to run that steep slope twice, this race is an excellent venue for Uma Musume with abundant stamina to showcase their advantages."
Shuta An paused.
"This is the conventional solution. I think Mejiro McQueen also analyzes the Hanshin turf 2200-meter course this way. Racing here, even though it's a middle-distance course, she can best utilize her strengths."
"Conventional solution?"
Tokai Teio keenly caught this keyword.
"Yes, the conventional solution." Shuta An smiled. "Naturally, I also have a more novel solution of my own."
"Like how everyone thinks the Tokyo 1600-meter turf course should be run from behind, but the Trainer instructed Dober to contend for a good position early on—that kind of novel solution?"
As she said this, Tokai Teio's heart pounded.
If Shuta An gave an affirmative answer here, the Undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume deeply understood what that meant.
"Can I really win big in the Takarazuka Kinen like Dober-senpai did?"
As her thoughts turned here, Tokai Teio's eyes were already lit up.
And Shuta An did not disappoint Tokai Teio. The young man nodded vigorously, responding.
"Indeed, I have a new solution for the Hanshin Racecourse turf 2200-meter course that, so far, other Trainers haven't noticed."
"Although it's generally believed that the Takarazuka Kinen course is suitable for front-running or early-positioning tactics for Uma Musume, and that is indeed true, early-positioning tactics also come in many forms. My personal exclusive solution is a special kind of early-positioning tactic."
Tokai Teio recalled what her Trainer had said when first explaining the general understanding of the Hanshin Racecourse, so she tentatively asked.
"Is it to accelerate and improve position on the downhill section of the turn?"
"Teio's idea is a new interpretation, but it's not mine."
Shuta An nodded seriously, then shook his head.
"My solution has a prerequisite: Mejiro Palmer sets a fast pace in this race. If she doesn't set a fast pace, covering the first 1000 meters in under 59 seconds, then Teio should not apply the following analysis in actual race."
The solution Shuta An described was indeed novel. If an example were to be given, Tokai Teio's understanding was to start in a relatively back position, then accelerate on the downhill section, while Shuta An's solution was to immediately pressure Mejiro Palmer from the start, forcing Mejiro Palmer to set a super-fast pace, after which he would control the pace himself—in other words, letting Mejiro Palmer break away, while Tokai Teio herself controlled the overall rhythm.
This solution was entirely aimed at Mejiro McQueen. After all, she is also an Uma Musume who likes to control the overall rhythm, but Shuta An was confident that Nishizaki Ryu would not dare to let Mejiro McQueen engage in a head-to-head battle with Tokai Teio at the start of a middle-distance race, leading to a disastrous pace.
Furthermore, Mejiro McQueen's condition indeed had some issues, so Shuta An naturally had to devise an aggressive tactic targeting her.
However, Shuta also cautiously noted that this strategy was only applicable under the premise that Mejiro Palmer set a fast pace. If Mejiro Palmer ran this Takarazuka Kinen with the intention of winning, then—
"Mejiro Palmer will control the pace, keeping the first 1000-meter split time over 61 seconds. In this situation, your idea, Teio, would be suitable. On the turn, use the downhill terrain to accelerate, surge forward in one go, catch up to Mejiro Palmer, and then don't hesitate or run alongside her; directly leave her behind."
"Don't I need to wait until entering the final straight before starting a full sprint?"
Tokai Teio blinked. According to her idea, even if she accelerated and improved her position, she would still wait until entering the final straight to get to the front of the pack.
"No need, just go for it."
Shuta An's smile held a hint of cruelty.
"Mejiro Palmer has a somewhat passive side to her personality. If Teio overtakes her decisively, it will put immense psychological pressure on her. With Mejiro McQueen still lurking behind, Mejiro Palmer won't be able to unleash her full potential, even if she wants to exceed her limits."
"Trainer, you're so mischievous." Tokai Teio leaned against the young man, sighing deeply. "It's hard to imagine how I'd be targeted if I were a Trainer's opponent."
Shuta An muttered to himself.
"If it wasn't Teio that I trained, she would actually be quite easy to target."
Anyway, the young man felt that no one in the entire Central Tracen Academy, besides himself, would be able to preemptively remove the "landmines" hidden within Tokai Teio.
In such a world-line, it wasn't that Shuta An thought too highly of himself; he truly felt that Tokai Teio would not have won the Triple Crown in most of his colleagues' teams—either her long-distance performance would be poor, or she would get injured after the Japanese Derby—
or even not make it to the Japanese Derby.
"Thinking about it carefully, in the Dream World, Tokai Teio and I partnered to win countless honors, and in the real world, it was I who guided Tokai Teio to win the Undefeated Triple Crown. Is it not an exaggeration to say that no one understands Tokai Teio better than I do, right?"
Allowing Tokai Teio to lean by his side, Shuta An drifted off into thought.
Tokai Teio had initially done it on purpose. Seeing that the Trainer tacitly allowed her closeness, she went a step further and took his hand.
"Trainer." Tokai Teio turned to look at the young man. "After the Takarazuka Kinen, will we head straight to Europe?"
"If Teio wants to, yes."
Shuta An was indifferent—and Mejiro Dober was even more indifferent.
"Then let's depart the next day!"
Tokai Teio made her decision. She was already impatient to showcase herself in the Ascot area.
(This Takarazuka Kinen referenced from the real one in 1992. Since McQueen just win her second Tenno Spring, and didn't experience Rice Shower's assassination yet. The real winner of this year Takarazuka Kinen was Mejiro Palmer)