Chapter 79. Shuka Sho Part 3
The field surged off the crest of the slope and into the downhill.
Mejiro Dober did not rush.
Where others instinctively leaned into the descent to gain speed, she held her rhythm for a fraction longer—just enough to read the movement ahead. Her gaze settled on Orange Peel. The signs were subtle, but unmistakable: the acceleration lacked cohesion, the stride slightly uneven. Stamina was beginning to fray.
Dober made her decision instantly.
Rather than forcing a line through a fading runner, she shifted outward, cleanly and efficiently. It was a small adjustment, but decisive. By the time she cleared Orange Peel, the path in front of her opened completely—no obstruction, no interference.
Now.
Her stride lengthened.
The transition was seamless. No wasted motion, no hesitation—only a smooth escalation of tempo as she released the restraint she had carried through the middle stages. The chase began.
—
From trackside, Shuta An stepped slightly closer to the big screen, his eyes tracking every detail.
The formation was unfolding exactly as anticipated. Mejiro Dober had moved into the classic outer-chasing lane, her position ideal. Ahead, Kyoei March had finally taken over the lead from Night Cruise—but something was off.
"That acceleration is weaker than expected," Shuta An muttered.
For a runner who had contested the front so aggressively, the surge lacked sharpness. It wasn't just positioning—it was capacity.
"Even 2000 meters might be stretching her limit."
The conclusion came quickly.
"If she can't sustain full output at this distance, she'll have to drop back—to a mile, maybe even sprint distances."
That he could calmly assess a rival's future trajectory in the middle of a G1 finale spoke volumes. His attention was split—but his confidence in Mejiro Dober never wavered.
—
"Mejiro Dober is accelerating strongly—she's already passed Casablanca and moved up to sixth!" the commentator's voice rang out.
"And she's not done yet—her speed is still increasing!"
"The first 1000 meters were covered in 59.2 seconds—a relatively fast pace," the guest analyst added. "This kind of race development favors Dober. A final sprint battle is exactly what she wants."
"They're entering the final straight now—this is where she'll fully unleash her explosive power. And look—none of the runners ahead are shifting to block her line. The path is completely open. Victory is within reach."
—
Inside the Mejiro Family box, the Old Madam extended her hand.
"Help me to the window."
Mejiro Ramonu moved immediately, supporting her with care. As the elderly matriarch steadied herself against the railing, her gaze locked onto the track below.
She found Dober instantly.
"Good," she murmured, her voice low but certain. "To witness another Triple Crown from the Mejiro Family… in my lifetime."
After a brief pause, she turned slightly toward Takamine.
"In the future—she'll ease some of Ramonu's burden, won't she?"
Ramonu said nothing.
Her silence carried its own answer.
I won't let Dober be bound like I was.
The thought was firm, unwavering.
Her life is her own. What the Mejiro Family shares in her glory must never become chains in return.
The Old Madam understood. Of course she did.
But she chose not to press further.
Instead, she returned her gaze to the track.
"Go… Dober," she whispered.
At her age, even that quiet encouragement carried weight.
—
Back in the VIP box, Kurofune leaned forward slightly, eyes fixed on the screen.
"She hasn't even reached the front yet—but it's already over."
There was no doubt in her voice.
Rice Shower nodded, almost instinctively. "Yes…"
Even without firsthand racing experience, both of them could feel it—the overwhelming momentum radiating from Mejiro Dober. It wasn't just speed. It was inevitability.
—
At the finish line, Shuta An had already raised his phone.
He didn't need to wait for confirmation.
He was waiting to capture it.
—
"Toward the brilliance beyond—Mejiro Dober charges forward!" the commentator roared.
One by one, the runners ahead fell away.
On her right, they disappeared in succession—no resistance, no contest. Her position climbed effortlessly, each stride carrying her further beyond the reach of her rivals.
From the desperate duel of the Oka Sho—
To the grueling 146-second battle on heavy ground in the Oaks—
To the commanding five-length victory on foreign soil in the Yorkshire Oaks—
Everything she had endured—every race, every effort—had led to this moment.
The harvest of autumn.
With 100 meters remaining, she drew level with Kyoei March.
And in that instant, Mejiro Dober understood with absolute clarity—
There was no one left.
—
"She's alongside Kyoei March—has the Triple Tiara already been decided?!"
The question had barely left the commentator's lips—
—and it was answered.
Mejiro Dober surged past.
Clean. Decisive. Absolute.
"She's through! Mejiro Dober takes the lead—no one can stop her now!"
The gap widened with every stride.
What had once been competition was now confirmation.
The strongest of her generation.
Unquestioned.
—
As the distance stretched to two lengths, the commentator's voice broke into full exultation:
"Cherry blossoms at Hanshin, the Oaks at Fuchu—now bloom, bloom once more! Powerful, resilient, and beautiful—Mejiro Dober claims an undefeated Triple—no, a Quadruple Tiara!"
—
She crossed the finish line.
And in that instant, her name was carved into history.
—
Shuta An lowered his phone slightly, exhaling at last. A faint smile touched his lips as he shook his head.
"A Quadruple Tiara, huh."
Even he hadn't expected the call to go that far.
This final change of wording was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but something that had been prepared long in advance.
Compared to Mejiro Ramonu, who had once claimed the Triple Tiara, Mejiro Dober's dominance was even more overwhelming, to the point that simply adding the title of "undefeated" felt insufficient in the eyes of the live commentator.
Although the Yorkshire Oaks was not a British Classic Race, it was still restricted to Triple Tiara route Uma Musume, and more importantly, it was an achievement no Japanese Uma Musume had ever reached before.
Because of that, the commentator chose, without hesitation, to add another crown to Mejiro Dober's name. After all, this extra tiara had not been granted by reputation or popularity, but won by Mejiro Dober herself on the track, so there was no reason to hold back or fear criticism.
Before heading to the media area, Shuta An glanced at the display board, where Mejiro Dober's finishing time—1:59.1—was clearly shown.
This was not the race record, and in fact, it was even a full second slower than the best time recorded under similar track conditions.
However, no one present would question it, because the gap between first and second place had already told the real story. Nearly seven lengths, created within just the final 100 meters, was more than enough to prove absolute dominance. It was not merely a victory, but a complete suppression of every opponent in the same generation along the Triple Tiara route.
"So Dober's next Race…"
The thought surfaced quietly in Shuta An's mind, but he did not linger on it, instead turning toward the media area to face the reporters waiting for him.
Without needing any instruction, the reporters, already familiar with his habits, lined up in an orderly manner, preparing to ask their questions one by one. The first question came from "Twinkle" magazine,
"Congratulations to Miss Mejiro Dober for winning the Shuka Sho and achieving the unprecedented undefeated Triple Tiara. Shuta Trainer has once again made history. We'd like to know how you feel right now?"
Shuta An did not answer immediately, instead correcting their statement first.
"First of all, Dober achieved not just an ordinary undefeated Triple Tiara, but a Quadruple Crown, including the Yorkshire Oaks won during her summer overseas expedition."
Only after making that clarification did he continue calmly,
"And then, making history or anything like that isn't novel for Team Sadalsuud. Everything that happened today was already in my mind when Mejiro Dober debuted last year. So I'm not as excited as you might think."
He gave a slight shrug before continuing, "The undefeated Quadruple Crown is just a small part of Mejiro Dober's Twinkle Series career. It doesn't mean this is her highest achievement. I ask all fans to continue to support her with gentle eyes, and in the future, Mejiro Dober will surely achieve more remarkable results."
The next question came from "umakeiba",
"According to the Race schedule of Triple Tiara Route Uma Musume in previous years, will the Queen Elizabeth Cup be considered for the next start?"
Shuta An shook his head slightly and answered truthfully,
"To be honest, it hasn't been decided yet. The only thing I can personally confirm is that, provided her physical examination is clear, Mejiro Dober should run one more Race this year."
Another reporter quickly followed up, "Does Miss Mejiro Dober have plans to return to the Yorkshire Oaks next year to defend her title?"
This question made Shuta An pause for a brief moment, but he still answered without hesitation,
"I think the probability of going to York Racecourse next year is not high, because Dober also wants to have a complete vacation."
After the media interview, Shuta An turned and went upstairs to pick up Rice Shower and Kurofune. The moment he appeared, Kurofune's excitement could no longer be contained.
"That was amazing!" she exclaimed. "Dober-senpai pulled away by such a large margin in the last 100 meters, she's too strong! No one can question Dober-senpai's dominance in the Triple Tiara!"
Shuta An showed no surprise at her reaction and simply replied, "That's normal. On this Racecourse, opponents of the same generation are naturally a bit weaker."
At that moment, Rice Shower hesitated for a brief instant before speaking softly, "Can we also become as strong as Dober-senpai in the future?"
After asking, she lowered her head, avoiding eye contact with her Trainer. Shuta An's tone softened noticeably as he responded, and he reached out to gently ruffle her hair.
"Of course. Making the Uma Musume I train strong—that is inherently my job as a Trainer. As long as Rice Shower and Kurofune train diligently, I guarantee you can both be as strong as Dober."
Hearing this, Rice Shower clenched her fists, her voice firm despite her usual timidity.
"I will work hard to complete Shuta Trainer's tasks!"
Shuta An gave a faint smile and continued,
"If I didn't believe in Rice's talent and attitude, I wouldn't have recruited her to the team," only withdrawing his hand after lightly ruffling her hair for a moment.
"Let's go," he said, returning to his usual tone. "Dober's winning live performance is about to start. Afterward, we'll go to the restaurant we booked for a simple celebration, and after dropping you off at the academy, I'll prepare to go to Melbourne."
"The Cox Plate is next week too, is everything okay with Suzuka-senpai?" Kurofune blinked, a hint of concern in her expression. "She hasn't been very active in the group chat lately, I'm a little worried."
Shuta An waved his hand dismissively, reassuring her, "I've sent her training plans on time, and Suzuka has video called me. There are no problems, so you don't need to worry."
After a brief pause, he added, "The track layout at Moonee Valley Racecourse is truly too suitable for Suzuka. Before seeing the track map, I couldn't imagine a track so perfect for her. If all Racecourses were designed like that, Suzuka could even win the Japanese Derby—although even then, she still couldn't beat Sunny Brian."
At the mention of that name, Shuta An shook his head slightly.
Sunny Brian, a two-time Triple Crown Uma Musume of the same generation as Suzuka, had made a successful comeback in the Tenno Sho (Autumn), only to suffer another injury while preparing for the Arima Kinen. She had been hospitalized in the same place as Suzuka, and on the very day Suzuka won the Dubai Turf, her Trainer had announced her retirement from the Twinkle Series.
"The classic three crowns—they're indeed a once-in-a-lifetime stage for every Uma Musume," Shuta An said quietly as they walked.
"But to destroy an entire Twinkle Series career for those three Races—it's hard to say if it's worth it." In his heart, the answer had always been clear. If forced to choose between the "classic three crowns" and the "G1 Seven Crowns," he would choose the latter without hesitation.
"Suzuka would definitely choose that too," he thought.
The young man knew that she had already let go of her past regrets, and that her path forward was no longer bound by them.
Standing beneath the winner's stage, Shuta An lifted his gaze slightly, his thoughts settling into quiet resolve.
To prove herself, to prove her generation, to prove Team Sadalsuud—
The image of the upcoming race surfaced clearly in his mind.
Suzuka—let's dance a beautiful dance at Moonee Valley Racecourse.
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