Chapter 104.
(A little clarification here, in the previous chapter I remember Rudolf said she is going to exhaust her resources to invite Queen Elizabeth; but actually it was Japan's Emperor.)
"Mejiro Dober's official finishing time for this Autumn Tenno Sho was a staggering 1 minute and 58.1 seconds—a mere 0.1 seconds shy of Special Week's historic course record!"
The guest commentator's voice trembled slightly with lingering adrenaline, picking up the breakdown as the lead broadcaster finally paused to catch his breath.
"She didn't just win; she delivered a generational performance over 2000 meters at Tokyo. She truly lived up to her pre-race vow, proving once and for all that absolute strength transcends track boundaries."
"Looking further down the board, Air Groove—another elite representative of the Triple Tiara Route—remained hidden in the shadows for the vast majority of the race, but quietly and lethally surged into fourth place at the wire. An incredibly solid performance." the guest continued, shuffling his notes. "And Sekitei Ryu O in third place? An absolute revelation. She ran the race of her life today. If she can replicate this explosive closing speed in future middle-distance campaigns, she will undeniably earn her place in the upper echelon of G1 contenders."
"Turning to Team Canopus, it was a profoundly heartbreaking afternoon." the live broadcaster chimed in, his tone dropping to a sympathetic register. "Ikuno Dictus salvaged eighth place as their best result, Nice Nature crossed the line in thirteenth, and Twin Turbo faded to finish dead last by a massive margin. As expected, the suicidal pace she set early on completely broke her."
"The pace was blistering, yes, but the elite runners trailing her didn't actually suffer from it—Twin Turbo simply burned herself alive to set the stage." the guest analyst pointed out clinically. "Mejiro Dober's explosive power was truly anomalous today. To stalk Mejiro McQueen and then effortlessly run her down from behind requires terrifying stamina reserves. As for Twin Turbo, her velocity completely evaporated the second she crossed the 1600-meter mark. Trainer Minamisaka might need to seriously evaluate shortening her racing distances. A 2000-meter Grade 1 is simply too agonizing of a crucible for her current style."
"That will ultimately fall to Trainer Minamisaka's discretion. Returning to the rooster, we had an unprecedented five Uma Musumes from the Mejiro Family on the turf today, and their performances warrant a deep dive." the lead broadcaster seamlessly passed the baton back to the analyst.
"Let's break them down from back to front. Mejiro Bright in fourteenth place... honestly, she ran with immense heart today. But her decision to linger at the absolute rear meant she was hopelessly boxed in when the final straight erupted. She simply couldn't find a passing lane. Her valiant effort and the final result were tragically disproportionate, but this is a recurring flaw in her race execution, so the finish isn't entirely shocking."
"Mejiro Palmer in tenth place attempted to anchor the front at a more conservative pace, a strategy that typically plays to her strengths. Unfortunately for her, the sheer concentration of anomalous, explosive closers in today's field rendered that tempo obsolete. Falling to tenth was a brutal, but expected, outcome."
"Mejiro Ryan secured sixth. While she settled a bit too far back in the pack, her route navigation through the final chaos was infinitely sharper than Bright's. Sixth place is a highly respectable, accurate reflection of her current capabilities."
"And then, we have Mejiro McQueen in second place—"
The guest commentator hesitated, a heavy sigh filtering through his microphone.
Down in the concrete tunnels beneath the grandstands, Nishizaki Ryu—who was pacing anxiously, waiting to receive his exhausted ace—stopped dead in his tracks. He held his breath, straining his ears toward the PA speakers, desperate to hear how the racing elite would evaluate McQueen's heartbreaking silver medal.
"To be brutally honest—while second place in a Tenran Keiba is objectively a brilliant result, I do not believe Mejiro McQueen, nor her fiercely loyal fanbase, will be able to swallow this." the analyst stated, his tone carrying a sharp, clinical edge. "As an absolute titan holding three G1 crowns, her sole objective in a race utterly devoid of Tokai Teio was to win. She failed to achieve that."
Nishizaki winced as the commentator drove the nail deeper.
"Perhaps the brains at Team Spica need to seriously consider permanently pivoting Mejiro McQueen back to the long-distance division. If today proved anything, it is that while McQueen's middle-distance performance is phenomenal, it is unequivocally not the undisputed pinnacle of Japan. Given the sheer, widening margin of her defeat to Mejiro Dober in the final furlong, I am highly pessimistic about her chances in next month's Japan Cup. There, she won't just be facing Tokai Teio—who is returning home in terrifying form after conquering the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe—but an entire front of international monsters. Yes, those foreign runners were defeated by Teio in Europe, and losing to Tokai Teio right now is entirely forgivable. But that absolutely does not mean they can be casually swept aside by domestic Japanese runners."
"Finally, a brief word on our newly crowned Queen, Mejiro Dober." the guest commentator's voice softened into genuine awe. "When Trainer Shuta An first announced her entry into the Autumn Tenno Sho, I kept my mouth shut on the broadcasts, but privately? I thought it was an act of supreme arrogance. Yes, Dober had conquered the world in mixed international G1s, but her only domestic mixed victory was the Yasuda Kinen—a race where her fiercest rivals withdrew before the gates even opened. The Autumn Tenno Sho is Japan's ultimate middle-distance crucible. It destroys careers. I genuinely was not optimistic about her chances."
"But I never, in my wildest dreams, expected her to win so effortlessly. So spectacularly. To stalk the front, perfectly time her acceleration into the final bend, and then wait to launch her sprint after Mejiro McQueen... only to blow past her as if she were standing still? It was a masterpiece of race execution. Looking at the sheer violence of that final kick, I think even Tokai Teio would have to bleed to guarantee a victory against that version of Mejiro Dober."
"MEJIRO DOBER DELIVERED ON HER IMPOSSIBLE PROMISE. SHE PROVED TO THE ENTIRE NATION THAT THE TRIPLE TIARA ROUTE PRODUCES UMA MUSUMES EVERY BIT AS LETHAL AS THE CLASSIC TRIPLE CROWN. HOWEVER, I MUST ADD A CAVEAT: THIS VICTORY ONLY PROVES THAT MEJIRO DOBER IS A TRANSCENDENT ANOMALY. ONLY WHEN FUTURE GENERATIONS OF TRIPLE TIARA RUNNERS CONSISTENTLY CROSS THE WIRE FIRST IN DOMESTIC, MIXED MIDDLE-TO-LONG DISTANCE G1S WILL THIS ARCHAIC PREJUDICE FINALLY BE ERASED FROM THE PUBLIC CONSCIOUSNESS."
—
Up in the VIP suite, Shuta An listened to the commentator's closing monologue, a quiet, satisfied smile playing on his lips.
"Was there a problem with what he said?"
Kurofune asked, tilting her head as she studied her Trainer's expression.
"No problem at all."
Shuta An shook his head, his gaze steady on the monitor.
"To completely dismantle a systemic prejudice, Mejiro Dober alone isn't enough. She broke the ceiling today, but the Uma Musumes who follow the Triple Tiara Route in the future will have to keep fighting to prove he's right."
—
High above the roaring crowds, insulated in the velvet-lined, pristine silence of the Imperial Box at the very apex of the Tokyo Racecourse, Symboli Rudolf and the Chairman of the URA Association stood at respectful attention.
They listened quietly as His Majesty the Emperor, standing at the reinforced glass overlooking the turf, murmured to himself in profound awe.
"Truly magnificent... Tell me, is the Trainer who guides that team from overseas?"
The Emperor asked, his voice calm but undeniably captivated.
"He is, Your Majesty." Symboli Rudolf answered smoothly, addressing his back with flawless, practiced poise. "He completed his internship at the West Coast Tracen Academy in the United States. Following certain administrative conflicts with the local racing circuit there, he relocated to Japan. He initially built his foundation at the Kasamatsu regional center before accepting a formal employment offer from our Central Tracen Academy."
"Fascinating. It seems that even within the prestigious heights of our Twinkle and Dream Trophy Series, there is still much we must humbly learn from the outside world."
The Emperor noted, turning his head slightly to address them.
"Due to the strict protocols of my position, I am unfortunately not permitted to meet him or the Uma Musumes of Team Sadalsuud in person today. However... please convey to them that I was deeply moved by the spectacle of today's race. I sincerely hope that the Uma Musumes of Team Sadalsuud continue to achieve even greater glory in the future."
"I shall ensure your gracious words are passed on to them immediately, Your Majesty!"
Symboli Rudolf bowed deeply, her expression a mask of perfect regal grace.
Beside her, the President of the URA Association mirrored her bow, his heart hammering in his chest. He fully grasped the political gravity of the moment. For the Emperor to explicitly speak those words of praise in front of him meant it was an official endorsement—one that was fully permitted to be leaked to Twinkle magazine and the national press.
With an imperial blessing like this, any lingering, archaic doubts regarding Mejiro Dober's legacy will be completely vaporized by tomorrow mornin.
The Chairman thought, a wave of profound envy washing over him.
If His Majesty had ever bestowed that kind of public praise upon my own administration, I would never have to worry about the stability of my seat ever again.