Chapter 17. Insufficient Confidence
The Oka Sho was undoubtedly Nishino Flower's victory.
Shuta An was not at all surprised by this race result.
"Ann predicted the top three perfectly."
Silence Suzuka covered her mouth, slightly surprised.
"I knew Nishino Flower performed well last year, but Ann even accurately predicted the third place Luck Mugen; that's too amazing."
"Third place was a guess." Shuta An shrugged. "Only the top two I was confident about, but after guessing the third place, I imagine more people will carefully study my later predictions about the Oaks and Shuka Sho."
"Ann still doesn't favor Nishino Flower for the Japanese Oaks?"
Silence Suzuka leaned against him and asked softly.
"I see many people saying Nishino Flower can run middle-to-long distances."
"Being able to run and running well are two different concepts."
Shuta An simply pulled the Uma Musume into his arms, letting her lie on her side on his lap.
"Let me use Suzuka's Twinkle Series as an example. Suzuka can certainly run 2400 meters, but how does she perform?"
"Nishino Flower's distance adaptability should be in the 1200 to 1600-meter range. I'm not her Trainer, so I can't decide her race schedule, but if it were me, I would forgo the Japanese Oaks and turn to the NHK Mile Cup, then the Yasuda Kinen before entering summer break, with the Mile Championship as the big goal in autumn, and finally the Hong Kong Mile to cap off the year."
Shuta An finished, then sighed: "But I guess her Trainer will have her run the Japanese Oaks, Rose Stakes, and Shuka Sho, and then realize she should be running short-distance races and sign up for the Sprinter Stakes"
"That's actually quite idealistic, isn't it? Generally speaking, it's more likely they'd stubbornly go for the Arima Kinen?"
Silence Suzuka rolled over to face her lover.
"Just like Tojo-Tra—"
"Don't tease her." Shuta An extended his index finger and pressed it against Silence Suzuka's lips. "Miss Tojo is still working hard to learn."
The Uma Musume licked his fingertip,
"Let's not discuss her. It's rare for us to have time alone."
—
On Monday, Shuta An returned to Central Tracen Academy.
"This week is Satsuki Sho race week, so the workload will return to peak levels."
After clocking in, he briefly chatted with Kitahara-san.
"If anyone comes here looking for me, Kitahara-san, remember to tell them I'm busy this week, and if it's truly urgent, they can contact me by email."
"OK, OK."
Kitahara-san readily agreed.
"I'll pass on the message. But generally, no one comes here looking for you anyway. Everyone pretty much knows that Ann-san spends most of his time in Team Sadalsuud's clubroom now."
"Trainer Kuronuma didn't come to find me after he was here two days ago. I hope it wasn't anything important."
Shuta An shrugged, then turned to leave the office.
"I really envy Ann-san—Having his own team clubroom is much more comfortable than me being in the office."
Kitahara-san had visited Team Sadalsuud's clubroom once when he went drinking and was quite envious of its setup.
"My Uma Musume and I also have to work hard to get our own clubroom this year!" Kitahara-san clenched his fist, his desire to work increased to another level.
—
While Kitahara-san was diligently working in the office, Shuta An sat in front of the computer, tapping his toes on the ground. The office chair smoothly slid back, quickly resting against the wall.
"The biggest opponent, the only opponent, is Mihono Bourbon,"
The young man repeated this fact that he had known since he recruited Rice into his team.
If Rice had Teio's talent, Shuta An was confident that Mihono Bourbon would have no chance at all, but Rice's talent was in long-distance races, so Shuta An could only do his best in the spring Classic Race two-crown, to see if Rice could achieve a better result than in the Dream World.
"For the Satsuki Sho, considering the heavy track, Rice still needs to take a position as far forward as possible."
Shuta An probably guessed that Rice's gate position would be exactly the same as in the Dream World, so the strategy could be customized starting today.
After simply planning Rice's race strategy for the Satsuki Sho, Shuta An did not idle. He also had to write training plans and reports for Kurofune and Rice Shower.
These things were all submitted to the Tracen Academy every week, and Symboli Rudolf would review them. However, Shuta An estimated that Symboli Rudolf probably wouldn't look at each one carefully.
There were thousands of Uma Musume in the Tracen Academy; assuming 80% of them needed training reports, if she read thousands of them every week, Shuta An wouldn't believe it if Symboli Rudolf's eyes weren't nearsighted.
"After finishing all of these, it should be lunch break,"
Shuta An thought to himself.
Anyway, after finishing work in the morning, the young man planned to sleep soundly in the lounge until it was time to clock out—he hadn't slept well last night. After all, Silence Suzuka felt that it was a rare moment alone, so she asked for it a few more times. The young man probably only slept about three hours last night.
—
During his lunch break, Shuta An yawned and came to the cafeteria. After simply ordering a ramen set meal, he carried his tray, found a corner, and sat down, gently placing the tray steadily.
"It looks quite light, I hope I don't find out later that I was deceived by this soup," he muttered softly.
"Ann-san, good afternoon~" Nishizaki Ryu sat opposite the young man with his tray. "Is it okay if I sit here?"
"No problem." Shuta An nodded. "Good afternoon, Nishizaki-san."
"It seems Ann-san must have been very busy with work this morning. After all, Rice Shower's Satsuki Sho is this Sunday,"
Nishizaki Ryu made his judgment.
"It was very tiring. But I've finished everything this morning, so I can go straight to the lounge to sleep soundly this afternoon."
Shuta An yawned again.
"Tomorrow should be a bit of a break; the busiest time starts the day after tomorrow, Nishizaki-san, you should know that too."
"Tell me honestly, how confident are you about Rice Shower's Satsuki Sho?"
Nishizaki Ryu leaned in a little and asked in a low voice.
"I have confidence, but not a lot. Mihono Bourbon is indeed very strong, and the Satsuki Sho stage is not that favorable for Rice to perform well,"
Shuta An shrugged.
"I think the Japanese Derby has a greater chance, and by the time of the Kikuka Sho, Mihono Bourbon will have no chance of winning."
"If you say that, reporters will remember it and wait to hold you accountable,"
Nishizaki Ryu reminded his friend.
"Just tell us, don't say it outside."
"I'll say the same thing to reporters outside,"
Shuta An took a sip of ramen soup. Fortunately, the refreshing aroma of soy sauce was just right.
—
On Thursday afternoon, the Satsuki Sho gate positions were released on time by the URA Association and mailed to the email addresses of the participating Uma Musume's Trainers.
After lunch, Shuta An called Rice Shower in the Line group to wait in the clubroom to look at the gate positions together. At this moment, Rice Shower stood behind the young man, her eyes fixed on the monitor screen.
A once-in-a-lifetime Classic Race, Rice's heart pounded. She really wanted to know her gate position immediately.
Shuta An's first glance caught Mihono Bourbon's gate number—"4".
"Inside position favors leading, Mihono Bourbon's gate position allows her to maximize her advantage infinitely. Time and place are on her side," the young man was a little helpless.
Next, the young man saw Rice's gate number, "9".
"Exactly the same as in the Dream World," Shuta An breathed a sigh of relief. "In that case, the goal this time is to aim for a top-three finish."
Surely Rice's performance in the real world couldn't be worse than in the Dream World, right? If such a thing really happened, the young man would find it a bit unacceptable.
"Is gate number 9 still considered acceptable?" Rice Shower asked softly.
"In the past few decades of the Satsuki Sho, gate number 9 has won once," Shuta An responded. "It's not good data, but the Uma Musumes assigned to gate number 9 weren't strong enough, so it's not surprising."
The young man tapped his toe on the ground, making the office chair turn half a circle. Facing Rice Shower, he comforted her,
"Don't worry about historical data. For Rice, that's other people's data, and your future is for you to create."
"Mhm." Rice nodded in agreement, but in her heart, she was still muttering,
"You're the one who loves to quote historical data, Trainer."
Since the gate position was exactly the same as in the Dream World, Shuta An estimated that the race progression this time would most likely be no different from the Dream World. Therefore, in terms of tactical arrangements, he decided to make further improvements to his riding choices from the Dream World.
"Rice, because your gate position is in the middle, your start isn't as critical this time. What you need to do is control the pace well."
"Mihono Bourbon, starting from gate 4, will definitely grab the leading position. Considering her performance in the Spring Stakes, the pace of this Satsuki Sho will definitely be fast. Combining the track structure of Nakayama Racecourse, holding back and then making a late charge fits the rhythm but isn't suitable for this track, while following the leader fits the track but not the rhythm."
"So, weighing both options, I think a standard senko strategy is better. Rice, take a position around sixth place in the first half, and then, when you turn into the straight opposite the grandstand, start gradually increasing your speed and moving forward, but you don't need to immediately enter full acceleration. Release your accumulated leg strength when you turn out of the final bend and full speed to chase Mihono Bourbon."
Shuta An stood in front of the whiteboard, writing and drawing while explaining his tactical ideas to Rice Shower.
Rice Shower listened intently, and even after the young man finished speaking, she didn't say anything.
"Rice, if you have any questions or suggestions you'd like to make, please feel free to speak up. Although this is your first time participating in a G1 major race, there's no need to just follow instructions. Your seniors on the track all have the power to make on-the-spot decisions, and as your race experience grows, you can do the same. After all, I'm not on the track, so I definitely can't notice some details as well as you can on the track."
Shuta An looked at Rice, his tone gentle, encouraging Rice to express her understanding and thoughts, even if they conflicted with his own.
"Rice is thinking— if everyone runs with the idea of keeping a close eye on Mihono Bourbon, will the sixth position also be very far forward?"
Rice Shower softly expressed her unease. For Rice Shower, daring to raise a question to her Trainer required a lot of courage.
"That's okay, because if the sixth position is already very far forward, the other opponents in the front-runner group will also be very exhausted," Shuta An gently tapped the whiteboard. "And stamina is the one thing you are least lacking. Competing in stamina is your strong suit."
"So, it's still about using stamina to gain a good position, and then pushing hard in the final straight—" Rice dissected Shuta An's idea, pointing out the most core aspect.
"Exactly." Shuta An was quite satisfied with Rice's comprehension. "For this race, Rice, just do your best. As I said before, time is on our side."
"I understand." Rice Shower nodded gently, her ears twitching, making them quite noticeable.
—
On Friday morning, since there were only a few days left until the Satsuki Sho, Shuta simply gave Rice Shower a day off, only requiring her to do some low-intensity training at the gym.
And he wouldn't be idle either, because there was a press conference organized by the URA Association in the morning. All Trainers of the participating Uma Musume had to attend.
Naturally, Shuta met Trainer Kuronuma outside the venue.
The two nodded, acknowledging each other.
The young man did not ask Kuronuma why he had sought him out before, nor did Kuronuma mention his previous visit to the Trainer's office to find Shuta An.
The two acted as if nothing had happened, maintaining distance and silence.
Soon, Kuronuma got up and entered the venue, preparing to start his press conference. Shuta An continued playing on his phone.
At this time, Twittr would have real-time updates of the press conference news, and the statements of the three Trainers before Kuronuma had already been disclosed.
Soon, even before Kuronuma returned, parts of his statement were also posted by reporters on Twittr.
"Although she won the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes just like Tokai Teio. But Mihono Bourbon is not the next Tokai Teio, just the first Mihono Bourbon. Our goal is to surpass Tokai Teio. By the end of the year, we will win one more G2 than Tokai Teio, which Tokai Teio, who dares not race frequently, cannot do."
"Heh."
Shuta An chuckled and closed the page. He wasn't interested in arguing with others about Tokai Teio's race frequency.
"If they think Tokai Teio races too little, then so be it. As long as Teio wins, such objections are worthless."
What's more, Mihono Bourbon only had one G1 now. If Shuta An argued with her Trainer, it would be giving the other side a popularity boost.
Most importantly—
"How could I let you achieve a Undefeated Triple Crown?" the young man muttered to himself.
—
After Trainer Kuronuma returned, Shuta An continued to look at his phone, but now he was not looking at the news, but at his Line chat messages.
In the Line group, Nishizaki Ryu, who already knew about Kuronuma's statement, was the first to start a topic,
"Ann-san, can you tolerate this? Aren't you going to fight back?"
"What is there to tolerate?" Shuta An was a bit speechless. "Do I have to respond to everyone who evaluates me? How many G1s does he have? What champions has he won? How many Triple Crowns has he taken? Nishizaki-san, don't stir up trouble."
"Stirring up trouble—that's quite an apt description." Minamisaka, who had been camping before, imagined the scene and chuckled.
"Minamisaka, you're interrupting—The child in your team named Tannhauser, she almost made it into the Satsuki Sho, didn't she?"
"If she didn't make it, she didn't make it." Minamisaka wasn't that disappointed. "I plan to sign her up for the NHK Mile Cup, and then try to get her into the Japanese Derby entry list through that race."
"There is indeed such a route, but the pressure to compete is it not..." Tojo Hana joined the discussion.
"It's nothing, Tannhauser has already adjusted recently." Minamisaka knew in his heart. "This year's Classic Race will definitely not let Ann-san be tired by himself; I also want to participate."
"Alright, I'm looking forward to Miss Tannhauser's performance." Shuta An typed his reply.
—
When it was Shuta An's turn to enter the venue for the press conference, he silenced his phone, put it in his pocket, and followed the staff into the venue.
Sitting in the main seat with familiarity, the young man smiled and scanned the audience—mostly familiar faces.
"Let's begin."
Shuta An tapped the microphone lightly, then announced.
The reporters' gazes in the venue were all focused on him. Shuta An had long been accustomed to this feeling, so he remained expressionless.
The staff assisting in the venue skillfully began the procedure, preparing to call on reporters from the audience to ask questions.
The questions asked by the reporters earlier were unremarkable, the type Shuta An answered countless times daily, so the young man handled them with ease.
But the next question from a reporter from "Nikkan Sports" forced Shuta An to perk up—
"Shuta, you should already know Trainer Kuronuma's statement. I'd like to ask for your thoughts on it?"
"I have no thoughts. Tokai Teio's ability and achievements do not need anyone's recognition. They are right there, whether you acknowledge them or not, they are there."
Shuta An spread his hands.
"I don't care what others say because I know every Uma Musume only has one chance in her life to make achievements in the Twinkle Series, so I want to cherish this time. Oguri Cap suffered consecutive injuries and lost two springs. I learned my lesson and absolutely do not want the Uma Musume of the Sadalsuud team to encounter such a predicament again. As for others saying this and that about the race plan—"
"Win an overseas G1 first. Otherwise, your evaluation is worthless to me."
Shuta An finally couldn't help but throw out this last sentence.
"Then, are you confident in defeating Trainer Kuronuma in the Satsuki Sho?" the reporter continued to press.
Shuta An did not answer, but only turned his head to glance at the staff—one question per reporter; it was obvious the guy in the audience had overstepped.
After the staff noticed the young man's action, his heart tightened, and he immediately said, "Next!"
—
After the press conference ended, Shuta An stood up and walked out of the venue.
"Sure enough, I've won too few times domestically in recent years, so anyone dares to provoke me."
The reporter from "Nikkan Sports" was clearly aiming to set a trap for him—if he gave an affirmative answer, Rice Shower would most likely not win, and while Shuta An wouldn't care after the race, Rice Shower would definitely feel pressure upon seeing the report. If he gave a negative answer, it wouldn't be surprising how the reporter would sensationalize it.
This was the reason Shuta An was unwilling to answer the second question.
"It's getting a bit boring."
At this moment, the young man somewhat wished Mihono Bourbon would win the first two Triple Crowns, and then he and Rice Shower would shatter her Triple Crown dream on the Kikuka Sho stage.
"And then at the press conference, say, 'Is this even comparable to Tokai Teio?'—Forget it, that sounds petty."
Shuta An mused to himself.
But because it was Tokai Teio, the young man felt that being petty just once was understandable. The only thing preventing him from doing so was that Mihono Bourbon hadn't provoked him.
"Trash talk should just be aimed at these reporters."
He gently tapped his forehead to calm himself down.
—
On Saturday, Tokai Teio, still on vacation, called her Trainer,
"Trainer, do I need to go to Nakayama Racecourse tomorrow to cheer for Rice Shower-chan?"
"If you want to come, there's a place for you. It doesn't matter if you don't."
Shuta An didn't force Tokai Teio to come.
"Then I'll go after all. Can I bring a friend?"
Tokai Teio, upon hearing this reply, decisively decided to go to Nakayama Racecourse tomorrow, but then immediately proposed a new request.
"No problem."
Shuta An readily agreed. Anyway, besides him, only Kurofune and Admire Vega were going to Nakayama Racecourse tomorrow to cheer for Rice Shower, and there were plenty of seats in the Box. And the friend Tokai Teio could bring, the young man guessed, would probably be Mayano Top Gun. This was also a familiar Uma Musume, so he naturally had no reason to refuse.
"Hee hee, I didn't expect Trainer to agree so readily!"
Tokai Teio said with a beaming smile after hanging up the phone.
"Trainer really dotes on me!"
"Has Teio-senpai already taken care of it?"
The bay Uma Musume standing behind Tokai Teio asked cautiously—Tokai Teio's build was already relatively petite, but this bay Uma Musume, perhaps due to her age, looked much smaller than Tokai Teio.
"I haven't failed to resolve anything I've promised!"
Tokai Teio patted her unremarkable chest and raised her head.
"We'll be able to watch the Satsuki Sho tomorrow from the Box at the highest point of the Nakayama Racecourse grandstand!"
"Thank you, Teio-nee-chan!"
The bay Uma Musume instantly changed her address, making Tokai Teio even more delighted.
Usually, she was more of a junior in the Sadalsuud team, so it was rare to hear someone call her "nee-chan." Her heart was overflowing with joy.
"Deep-chan, say it a few more times, let me hear."
Tokai Teio grinned, urging with a smile.
(Kitasan? Where are you? Why Deep-chan is here?)
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