Chapter 92. Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (Part 2)
Originally, Shuta An had believed that entering the first false straight would present an opportunity to escape the pack.
After estimating the passing time, however, he could only sigh inwardly.
"Roughly one minute and forty seconds since the start with about 1,000 meters remaining."
A super slow pace—
Although he had expected it from the beginning, confirming the actual fractions still left him inwardly astonished.
At this kind of pace, the race will ultimately come down to who can seize an opening in the final straight and unleash the strongest finishing burst.
With such a leisurely tempo, the front-runners would naturally preserve far more stamina than they would under ordinary race conditions. Conversely, horses settling further back would see much of their stamina advantage erased.
Unless they possessed acceleration vastly superior to everyone else, the ground they willingly conceded earlier would become an impossible gulf to bridge once the sprint truly began.
Fortunately—
Tokai Teio's explosive acceleration had always been one of her greatest strengths.
"There was clearly an opportunity to pull out just now, but Shuta-kun chose not to let Teio accelerate. Now they're about to enter the final straight—what do we do? The horses in front have already closed ranks again—"
Matsumoto Shoichi's anxiety was written plainly across his face.
Beside him, Uchimura Masanori looked even more distressed.
"Shuta-kun still isn't sending Teio forward—it's too late!"
His fists clenched tightly as he shouted almost involuntarily.
Neither the Stableman nor the stable staff said a word, yet every one of them shared the Horse Owner's unease.
Looking at the dense wall of horses blocking Tokai Teio's path, André Fabre slowly raised an eyebrow.
"Will Shuta regret not taking that opening on the bend?"
"He probably will," Gosden replied calmly. "After all, Tokai Teio is his most important partner, and this is the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
Realizing that, André Fabre could not help feeling a trace of sympathy.
"This is his first Arc. It's a cruel lesson."
—
Only a little over 500 meters remained as Shuta An guided Tokai Teio onto the final straight.
His heart had already climbed into his throat.
The moment Doleuze realized that he and Guillot had unintentionally opened a lane for Tokai Teio on the bend, he had immediately begun defending aggressively from the instant they entered the false straight.
Now, directly in front of Shuta An, the field had formed into a tightly packed 4-3 formation.
Every gap had disappeared.
There was nowhere to go.
The headwind slammed against his face as he listened to Tokai Teio's breathing beneath him. Sweat continuously formed across his forehead.
At this moment, horse and rider felt as though they were trapped in a swamp.
They wanted to accelerate, yet crashing into the horses ahead was not an option.
They wanted to pull wide, yet there wasn't enough room even to begin.
Shuta An understood something with painful clarity.
If Tokai Teio failed to win today, regardless of what anyone else said—
His ride would be a failure.
And he himself would never forgive it.
I NEED TO FIND A PATH—
His teeth clenched tightly.
Ignoring the fierce wind blowing directly into his face, Shuta An lifted his gaze, searching desperately among the movements of the seven horses ahead.
Searching for the single rope that could pull both him and Tokai Teio out of this swamp.
Where is it?
Can I find it?
I can.
I will find it.
His brows drew together as his eyes tracked every minute shift in the horses before him, waiting for the slightest opening.
—
Four hundred meters from the finish.
Guillot, urging Bright Moon I forward, switched to a right-handed whip.
Almost simultaneously—
Shuta An gave Tokai Teio a signaling tap before driving with his body.
As though releasing every ounce of frustration he had accumulated during more than 2,000 meters of confinement, Tokai Teio responded with astonishing immediacy.
The instant the whip touched his body—
He surged.
There was virtually no delay.
Capitalizing on the fleeting gap created by Guillot and Bright Moon I, Shuta An drove Tokai Teio straight into the opening, forcing his way into the line of three horses ahead.
Now, standing before him were only Bobs Return under Robinson, Only Royale with Cochrane, Opera House with Robert, and Intrepidity ridden by Thierry.
Almost instantly—
Shuta An saw it.
A path.
To his right-front.
All he had to do was overtake Doleuze, gain a horse's length, angle diagonally toward the rail, seize the inside, then unleash a right-handed whip and commit everything.
That was the key.
The one route through every obstacle before him.
The moment he recognized it, Shuta An turned his head toward Doleuze.
As though reading his intentions, Doleuze had already begun throwing desperate windmill whips.
He refused to let Tokai Teio slip past so easily.
But the horse beneath him had already begun paying the price for today's demanding ground.
Its speed was visibly fading.
I spent too much attention trying to block Shuta An—
Only then did Doleuze realize his mistake.
By then—
It was already too late.
Tokai Teio powered past him.
Without waiting for another instruction, Shuta An trusted his partner completely.
Tokai Teio immediately darted past Only Royale's outside shoulder before cutting cleanly onto the rail.
In an instant—
The road ahead opened.
A completely unobstructed lane belonged to them.
Do I unleash the full sprint here?
The question flashed through Shuta An's mind.
Three hundred meters remained.
By every conventional standard—
Now was the moment.
His experiments throughout the day had already proven it.
Accelerating here was the correct decision.
Yet, as he glanced sideways at the four rivals still running level with Tokai Teio, another realization struck him.
Even without entering his absolute finishing drive—
Tokai Teio was already pulling away.
He was simply faster than the rivals who had begun asking for everything much earlier.
And if I commit to a full sprint now—
The horses behind me will immediately use the gap I've opened.
The ones that were ahead of Teio have already spent most of their stamina.
The horses behind can't swing wide—they'd lose far too much ground.
Their only option—
is to force their way through the inside.
And that inside lane—
The only escape route remaining—
Was precisely the rail Tokai Teio now occupied.
All of these thoughts flashed through Shuta An's mind within a single instant.
One length behind Tokai Teio, the jockey aboard Urban Sea stared fixedly at Shuta An's back.
His heart burned with impatience.
Why are you hesitating?!
Sprint!
Open the way for me!