Chapter 13. Dober's Next Race and Admire Vega's Dream
1:47.6—this finishing time is not just a race record in the history of the Dubai Turf.
Mejiro Dober is also currently the only Uma Musume who can run the 1800-meter turf race at Meydan Racecourse in under 1 minute and 48 seconds.
This race was targeted from the beginning, but Mejiro Dober still seized the opportunity to get to the front of the pack early, and then, after entering the final straight, a burst of speed left all her opponents behind.
The entire race unfolded as if everything was meant to be.
It was as if Mejiro Dober was destined to claim the victory star.
"Dober-senpai is amazing~"
This was Admire Vega's first time watching Mejiro Dober's race offline after joining Team Sadalsuud.
Although she knew before that her seniors were terrifyingly strong, this performance still exceeded Admire Vega's expectations.
"Normal performance."
Shuta An was not surprised by winning this race.
In his pre-race predictions, the strongest opponents, Street Cry and Noverre, were inferior in both their past achievements and their demonstrated abilities.
"But 1:47.6 is too fast," the young man muttered to himself. "After we return to the country, I might have to let Dober rest for a while."
—
As Shuta An was thinking about how to arrange Mejiro Dober's vacation, a helpless Sule walked over and extended his hand,
"I'm impressed. We couldn't beat Miss Mejiro Dober. Mr. Shuta has indeed trained another incredibly strong Uma Musume for the Mile race line."
"It's just that Dober has a lot of race experience and seized that momentary possibility."
Shuta An, having come back to his senses, chuckled.
"Mr. Sule's tactics were very well set, and he didn't go too far."
"It's impossible to foul on the track." Sule shook his head. "Only those madmen would do such a thing."
Shuta An didn't respond to Sule's complaint.
After all, when it came to it, the Uma Musume in North/South America had too many tricks for fouling on the track.
The most classic was turning their heads to bite an opponent during a G1 major race—Shuta An was stunned for a long time when he saw the report.
He found it hard to imagine how one could bite someone while speeding at high velocity.
"Will everyone in Team Sadalsuud have to wear helmets on the track when they go to America for an expedition?"
Shuta An actually thought about this at the time.
Admire Vega quietly followed by Shuta An's side, watching her trainer exchange pleasantries with other trainers one by one.
This was a world she had never seen before.
Admire Vega had participated in many "PONY Cups" held for young Uma Musume, but after the races, she had never seen trainers chatting with each other—although many young Uma Musume didn't have trainers, who were an existence that required considerable family expense to recruit.
"Although the trainer's tone sounds calm, the smile on his face is so bright—this is the confidence Dober-senpai gave him."
Admire Vega looked up, staring at her trainer's face.
"I will also be able to be like Dober-senpai in the future"
"No," she interrupted her fantasy. "I cannot become an existence like Dober-senpai."
"Because I have more important things to do. There is only one reason for me to achieve good results in the Twinkle Series."
She bit her lip, feeling a little guilty.
"But that reason cannot be for the trainer who is so good to me."
—
After finishing the pleasantries with the other trainers, Shuta prepared to lead Admire Vega to meet Mejiro Dober, but when he turned around, he found Admire Vega teary-eyed.
"What's wrong? Ayabe? Are you feeling unwell? If you're uncomfortable, let's go back to the Box, and I'll call a doctor for you."
The young man leaned slightly, asking Admire Vega softly.
To be honest, Admire Vega was probably the most troublesome Uma Musume Shuta An had encountered in the team since he came to Japan and became a trainer.
But Shuta An had not expelled anyone from the team so far, and he didn't plan to do so in the future—that incident with Tokai Teio was purely a "threat."
Would any trainer really be willing to expel an Uma Musume with Tokai Teio's talent from the team? They wouldn't think it was some kind of "leaving the team" worldview, would they?
"I'm fine."
Admire Vega took out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes.
"I was just moved by the atmosphere in the racetrack after seeing Dober-senpai win the race."
"This is Ayabe's first time watching a race abroad, isn't it?"
Shuta An raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, it's truly moving to see so many overseas spectators cheering for the seniors, and to think that I might have such an opportunity in the future."
Perhaps it was due to that well-founded guilt, Admire Vega uncharacteristically stopped giving only short answers.
"I'm really looking forward to it."
"I'm looking forward to it too." Shuta An straightened up and took Admire Vega's hand. "I'm really looking forward to Ayabe's performance on the Twinkle Series stage. I believe you can achieve your dream."
"Let's go, we're going to meet Dober."
The young man finished speaking and led Admire Vega towards the underground passage.
But Admire Vega's thoughts remained where they were.
"Can I achieve my dream?" She clenched her fist. "Do you believe I can atone?"
Shuta An couldn't hear Admire Vega's thoughts; otherwise, he would have dragged Admire Vega to Jerusalem and the Vatican to pray more, to see if it could lessen her obsession.
Of course, the cheapest and most likely effective method would be to drag Admire Vega to the courtyard to worship the Three Goddesses Statue after returning to Central Tracen Academy.
After meeting Mejiro Dober, the two only shared a brief hug.
The young man felt a damp sensation for a moment, then let her go.
"Go back and rest, then wait for the Winning Live." Shuta An pinched Mejiro Dober's cheek. "Your performance this time was truly perfect. I'll reward you with an extra half-month of vacation."
"Yay!" Mejiro Dober was very happy with this reward. "So, has my next race also been decided?"
"Of course." Shuta An did not hide it. "The Victoria Mile in May. As a newly established G1, Dober, don't you want to be the first Uma Musume to win in its history?"
"Of course I do." Mejiro Dober very obediently took over the conversation. "So, my vacation can extend until the end of April?"
"That's right. Where do you want to go, Dober?"
Shuta An sensed something and simply asked.
"I want to go to Sister Ardan's place with Sister Ramonu again."
Mejiro Dober gave a straightforward answer.
"No problem." The young man granted permission without hesitation. "We'll return to Japan first, and then you and Miss Ramonu can go together."
"I know, it's to comply with that strange URA Association rule, right?"
Mejiro Dober blinked.
—
After Shuta left, Mejiro Dober didn't go directly back to the lounge.
She looked at Admire Vega and asked with a beaming smile,
"Ayabe-chan, did the trainer say anything about me in front of you?"
Admire Vega swallowed, and under Mejiro Dober's "pressure," Admire Vega's physical attack was reduced, and she frankly answered Mejiro Dober's question, relaying Shuta An's words in detail.
"Just as I thought." Mejiro Dober patted Admire Vega's shoulder. "Ayabe-chan, wait for the trainer here. I'm heading back first."
"Mhm, mhm!"
Admire Vega was more than happy to see Mejiro Dober leave her line of sight quickly.
After Mejiro Dober's figure disappeared, Admire Vega gently patted her chest.
"That older sister is really scary," a voice echoed in her mind.
"Little sister..." Admire Vega was startled, not expecting her, who had already appeared once during the day, to speak suddenly.
"The pressure older sister felt just now was too great, so it woke me up from my slumber~ But now I can go back to sleep peacefully again—Oh, right, this racetrack is really beautiful. Older sister will definitely be able to compete here in the future, won't she?"
The voice faded after leaving that sentence, and Admire Vega also came back to her senses.
"It's been three years. It really wasn't a hallucination," she showed a happy smile, looking up at the upper stands of Meydan Racecourse.
"Older sister promises you, I will definitely train hard and stand here as a victor."
—
Shuta An arrived at the media area. Facing the eager reporters, he waved his hand,
"The Dubai Sheema Classic is next, and I have an Uma Musume under my care participating in that race, so there's only time for five questions."
"Then we hope Mr. Shuta can return here after the Dubai Sheema Classic ends," the reporter from 'Twinkle' offered his blessing.
"I hope so," Shuta An said with a smile, pointing to a local reporter. "First question."
"How does it feel to win the race?"
This was a standard first question, no matter who asked it.
"Very happy. Dober running under 1 minute and 48 seconds was beyond my expectations. This time is even faster than Suzuka's back then, and I think it also proves that my training ability has improved over the past few years."
"So, can we interpret that Mejiro Dober is stronger than Silence Suzuka now?"
Another reporter from Australia tried to stir up trouble.
"Not really,"
Shuta An denied decisively. He still wanted to go home and eat at the table after returning to Tokyo.
"Third question."
As a counterattack, the young man directly pointed to the next reporter, counting the Australian reporter's question as the second one.
"What are your plans for Miss Mejiro Dober's next race?"
This was also a formulaic question.
"In May, Japan will have a newly established G1 grade race this year, the Victoria Mile. This race is Mejiro Dober's next goal, and we aim to be the first-ever winner of the Victoria Mile."
"If Miss Mejiro Dober is interfered with by an opponent during the race, will Mr. Shuta consider filing a complaint?"
"No, the team tactics did not involve physical contact, and Mr. Sule also had a friendly exchange with me."
The last question came from the reporter of 'Twinkle' magazine—
"This year is Miss Mejiro Dober's last year in the Twinkle Series. Many fans have expressed hope that their favorite Uma Musume's retirement race can be held on home soil. So, what are your plans, Shuta-kun?"
"Honestly, I haven't considered Dober's retirement race yet,"
Shuta An answered vaguely. Honestly, he could hear the implied meaning of that statement.
Whether Mejiro Dober's fans truly wished for her to run her retirement race on home soil aside, the reporter's question seemed more like an invitation from the URA Association, inviting Mejiro Dober to participate in this year's Arima Kinen—after all, this race has historically been the choice for many famous Uma Musume's retirement races in Japan.
However, considering Mejiro Dober's unpleasant result in that Arima Kinen, and the likely participation of Tokai Teio, Shuta An did not intend to let Mejiro Dober participate in the Arima Kinen.
Who doesn't hope that the Uma Musume they train can have a beautiful ending?
After leaving the media area, Shuta An secretly pondered,
"Dober's retirement race would be better arranged on home soil, so the Queen Elizabeth Cup would be the most suitable."
As for using a G2/G3 grade race as a retirement race, he had never considered it.
He almost never let his Trainee run a G2/G3 grade race in his career—ugh, except Oguri and their Junior Year—and then have her final retirement race be of such a level, it just didn't feel right.
While thinking about these matters, Shuta An walked towards the underground passage. Ayabe was most likely still there—he believed she wouldn't wander off.
Sure enough, when the young man arrived at the exit of the underground passage, Ayabe was still standing there, staring blankly at the ceiling of the underground passage.
"Let's go, to the display area, and wait for Teio to come out,"
Shuta An patted her shoulder, bringing Ayabe back to her senses.
"Okay," Admire Vega softly responded.
—
Honestly, Admire Vega had thought the treatment Mejiro Dober received at Meydan Racecourse was already enviable, but when she stood with Shuta Trainer, watching Tokai Teio, dressed in her initial race outfit, walk into the display area and appear in their sight, feeling the roar from the stands behind them that could almost knock her over.
"Is this truly the highest level of treatment?"
Admire Vega mused.
"Teio has never raced overseas either, so why does she have more overseas fans than Dober?"
Shuta An was quite puzzled.
And when Tokai Teio stood on the display stage, the live host's tone was even higher than when introducing the previous 11 Uma Musume, even somewhat sharp and distorted—
"THE LAST ONE TO STEP ONTO THE DISPLAY STAGE IS! LAST YEAR'S JAPANESE UNDEFEATED TRIPLE CROWN UMA MUSUME! HAVING CARRIED COUNTLESS EXPECTATIONS EVEN BEFORE HER DEBUT, PRAISED BY EXPERTS IN AMERICA AS THE NEXT UMA MUSUME WHO CAN REPRESENT JAPAN, THE SECRET WEAPON OF TEAM SADALSUUD! THE FIVE-TIME G1 CHAMPION—TOKAI TEIO!"
Facing the thunderous cheers from the stands, Tokai Teio smiled confidently, then extended an index finger, pointing to the night sky of Dubai.
"Having traveled thousands of miles to get here, my goal is to continue my undefeated record! I will take first place in today's race!"
Tokai Teio drew starting gate number 12, naturally being the last to step into the starting gate.
Although this was her first time competing in the Twinkle Series outside of her home racetrack, all 11 other Uma Musume in the same race had been informed beforehand that she was the biggest opponent.
No one would doubt the strength of an undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume, especially when she came from Team Sadalsuud. Just look at the names of Team Sadalsuud's previous Uma Musume—Oguri Cap, Mejiro Dober, Silence Suzuka—
Which one didn't have a brilliant performance on the world stage? Even if this was Tokai Teio's first time competing in an overseas race, everyone was still wary of her.
However, the degree of importance still varied. Some trainers merely mentioned her briefly, and Sule, who had no hopes, only briefly analyzed Tokai Teio's habitual tactics to give his seven Uma Musume some idea.
You read that right, there were a total of 12 Uma Musume participating in this race, and Sule's team had seven. And after the news broke that Tokai Teio might withdraw from the Dubai Sheema Classic, he meticulously prepared a set of team tactics, but upon hearing that Tokai Teio decided to participate, Sule also candidly gave up on this race.
"Even if I target Tokai Teio, the chances of winning won't exceed 30%, and if I use seven Uma Musume to execute tactics and Tokai Teio still wins, then I'll be laughed at until the name Tokai Teio is completely forgotten."
Sule felt this was too unprofitable, so he decided to let his seven Uma Musume try their best individually.
—
Therefore, as Tokai Teio entered the starting gate, she noticed that the other 11 opponents were all sizing her up.
However, the undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume didn't take this seriously. She just thought it was because she was the last to enter the starting gate, which was why everyone was looking at her.
Moreover, compared to the gazes of her opponents, Tokai Teio was currently thinking about something else.
"In all the previous races today, the Uma Musume who were in the top three when turning out of the final bend won. This proves that today's track is extremely front-biased. So, should I also consider taking a more forward position?"
After stepping into the starting gate, Tokai Teio hesitated over this question while setting up her starting pose.
It wasn't until the electric bell rang that she made up her mind,
"Once I'm on the track, how I run is up to me, so I'll take an aggressive position!"
With a "click!", the starting gates opened in unison, and Tokai Teio lowered her head, moving her legs, and burst out of the starting gate in an instant.
Because she intended to take an aggressive position, Tokai Teio did not, as usual, cut into the inner lane at cruising speed, but instead immediately entered acceleration mode, intending to swiftly reach around fifth place, and then cut into the inner lane to hug the rail.
But as Tokai Teio crossed the finish line for the first time, about to enter the first bend, she noticed in her peripheral vision that there were only a few opponents left on her left side.
"Did I accelerate too much?"
She was a little surprised, then turned her head to look closely, and was astonished to find that she seemed to have arrived at the very front of the pack.
"Did I over-accelerate and snatch the leading position?"
Tokai Teio confirmed this, and before she could think of a solution, she arrived at the first bend, so she simply cut into the inner lane first.
"First, hug the rail to save energy, then I'll think about what to do in this situation," she thought.
Tokai Teio had never tried a leading strategy before, and suddenly finding herself at the front of the pack, she felt a bit unaccustomed.
—
Shuta, standing by the track, immediately noticed Tokai Teio's forward positioning problem.
However, Tokai Teio's situation wasn't because she accelerated too hard.
"A bit unexpected, none of the other 11 Uma Musume wanted to take the lead. What's going on?" The young man frowned.
"Does everyone not want to lead? Or did Sule set some kind of strategy?"
Shuta couldn't help but turn to look at Sule, finding the other party's expression calm, and his suspicion grew stronger.
"Is this some kind of strategy? But it doesn't make sense, does it?"
He couldn't quite figure it out.
"What strategy could predict that Tokai Teio would rush to the front?"
"Could it be that Sule thought I would arrange for Tokai Teio to take an aggressive position, so he had the Uma Musume he trained take passive positions, then sent Tokai Teio to the very front, and then everyone marked her?"
But Shuta An felt that this strategy clearly underestimated Tokai Teio's pressure resistance. Not to mention seven Uma Musume with insufficient strength marking Tokai Teio, even if it doubled, Tokai Teio wouldn't feel any pressure.
Sule watched the big screen with a calm expression. It wasn't because he felt very reassured by the race's unfolding, but because he hadn't held much hope for this race since before it started. Although Tokai Teio had never competed on a racetrack outside of Japan, Sule, who had extensive industry connections, had heard many evaluations of Tokai Teio from local trainers from his American friends.
Although Sule didn't think those trainers were as skilled as he was, there was one among them who also gave Tokai Teio a very high evaluation that he had to take seriously—Miesque once said that an un-matured Tokai Teio had the ability to win in the Breeders Cup Series.
This European Mile Queen no longer raced, but she was previously known for her keen eye for talent. She single-handedly discovered many star Uma Musume who achieved excellent results in Europe and America. And this comment about Tokai Teio came from her private casual chat and was not widely spread.
But even so, after hearing this statement and studying Tokai Teio's performance in the Japanese Classic race, Sule was certain that Miesque had absolutely not fabricated rumors.
"Tokai Teio's strength is not something Nedawi and her companions can contend with,"
Sule thought.
Nedawi was the winning Uma Musume of last year's St. Leger Stakes in England, but in Sule's opinion, it would still be too difficult for her to compete with Tokai Teio over the 2410-meter course.
"Especially since she's facing Tokai Teio and still thinking of handing the pace to her—Nedawi, are you planning to compete with Tokai Teio in terms of explosive power?"
Sule muttered to himself while pondering Nedawi's reason for doing so.
Unfortunately, Sule never figured out the reason.
Tokai Teio entered the turn in the first position. At this point, she maintained a cruising state while stabilizing her emotions.
"Since I've reached the first position, I can't slow down and disrupt my rhythm. Fortunately, I can completely accept this cruising speed,"
Tokai Teio mused.
"Suzuka-senpai said that as a leading Uma Musume, you must find opportunities to recover stamina while maintaining your position."
At this moment, Tokai Teio was incredibly grateful to be in Team Sadalsuud, having excellent seniors to teach her valuable race experience.
Firmly remembering Silence Suzuka's words, Teio then glanced behind her using the turn's terrain.
Fruit of Love and Nedawi were almost neck and neck, following just over a length behind her.
"This gap isn't enough to comfortably recover stamina; I still need to wait, anyway, my stamina reserves can completely hold up right now."
Tokai Teio abandoned the idea of slowing down here and simply continued to maintain her cruising state—at least until she reached the super-long straight opposite the stands, she didn't plan to slow down.
—
"Is Teio-senpai leading okay?" Admire Vega worried for her senior. "Does it look like it's not going so well? Her first time leading on such a stage—"
Although Admire Vega spoke a long sentence again, Shuta An wasn't surprised this time.
He reassured her,
"It's fine. Although Teio is leading for the first time, the pace currently seems relatively slow, which suits Teio's preferred rhythm. And if she doesn't know how to set the pace, I believe Teio can come up with a good solution to this problem."
"If it were the trainer..."
Admire Vega looked up at Shuta An.
The unspoken meaning was—"If you were on the track, how would you solve this problem?"
"If it were me, I would imagine a leading Uma Musume running in front of me,"
Shuta An gave his answer.
"Can that work?"
Admire Vega didn't speak, but she felt some doubt in her heart.
—
"This won't do,"
Tokai Teio thought as she was about to exit the first turn.
"I'm really not used to leading like this; I always feel like I can't control the pace well. What should I do?"
Tokai Teio frowned while cruising, pondering.
It wasn't until she fully entered the long straight opposite the stands that she had a flash of inspiration.
"I can imagine Suzuka-senpai running in front of me. Since she can't really run a 2400-meter race, I can imagine her starting to slow down at 2000 meters and completely stopping at 2200 meters. That way, I can start chasing and sprinting at the corresponding positions."
The more Tokai Teio thought about it, the more she felt it was a good idea. The only drawback was that Silence Suzuka couldn't know.
"Otherwise, when I visit the trainer's house, Suzuka-senpai will pull my ears."
With a new idea, Tokai Teio immediately put it into practice.
She imagined Silence Suzuka-senpai chaseing at full speed five lengths in front of her.
"I'm in the second position chasing now! I know how to do this!"
After re-framing the problem into an area she was skilled in, Tokai Teio's fighting spirit became even more fervent.
"Although I didn't get to compete with Suzuka-senpai on the Twinkle Series stage, I can now imagine myself competing with her—even if this stage might not be fair."
With these thoughts, Tokai Teio gradually widened the gap between herself and her opponents behind her.
And Fruit of Loves and Nedawi both chose not to accelerate and keep up.
"Is Tokai Teio crazy? She accelerated right after coming out of the turn? Do you think you're running a 1200-meter race?"
Fruit of Loves complained in her heart—Nedawi thought the same thing.
So Tokai Teio gradually extended her lead to three lengths.
At this point, Tokai Teio re-entered a cruising state. And in her mind, Silence Suzuka still maintained a five-horse-length gap from her.
"When I enter the final turn later, I'll accelerate to close the distance with Suzuka-senpai,"
She set her next goal for herself.
And as Tokai Teio's figure was the first to pass the 1000-meter marker, the big screen quickly showed the elapsed time for the first 1000 meters—1:03.24.
"The first 1000 meters in 63.24 seconds, which is a bit fast on the Meydan Racecourse," said the live commentator for Japan's Green Channel.
"Considering the different timing methods, if this race were held in Japan, it would be roughly a 61-second kilometer, which is a standard-to-slow pace. But after all, the turf conditions at Meydan Racecourse are not quite the same as our domestic racetracks, so we cannot be overly rigid in our interpretation."
"TOKAI TEIO'S FIRST 1000 METERS IN 63.24 SECONDS! IT SEEMS THAT LEADING FOR THE FIRST TIME IS NOT DIFFICULT FOR JAPAN'S UNDEFEATED TRIPLE CROWN UMA MUSUME. EVEN RUNNING THIS STRATEGY FOR THE FIRST TIME, TOKAI TEIO STILL LOOKS COMPLETELY AT EASE!"
Shouted the local live commentator at Meydan Racecourse.
On the commentary stand, commentators from other countries and regions also mentioned the pace of this race.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Tokai Teio's fans were, to be honest, a bit nervous.
"This pace is still a bit too tough for an Uma Musume leading for the first time, isn't it?"
A local UAE Tokai Teio fan, wearing a small white cap and headscarf, showed a worried expression and whispered to his friend.
"The turf at Meydan Racecourse is very dry and fast. I feel Tokai Teio should have conserved energy earlier, so I think it'll be fine."
His friend, however, was full of confidence in Tokai Teio.
Behind the railing, Sule glanced at Shuta An, finding that this globally recognized top trainer was not nervous at all, even chatting and laughing with the petite Uma Musume beside him.
"He's very confident in Tokai Teio's ability," a thought popped into Sule's mind, then he gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "If it were me, I'd be just as confident."
However, as Sule looked at Shuta An, the young man was discussing a serious issue with Admire Vega—
"For the celebration party later, should we order room service at the hotel, or go to the Burj Khalifa hotel restaurant?"