Chapter 91. Unexpected Route Selection
"Click!"
The starting gate sprang open with a crisp, decisive snap, yet Shuta An did not urge Let's Go Tarquin forward at once. Instead, he allowed him to break naturally, letting instinct guide his first strides.
"Though the start is a little slow, it's exactly what I want. There's no need to rush at the beginning of this race."
Not only did he refrain from pushing, he subtly drew the reins tighter, deliberately suppressing any early acceleration and guiding Let's Go Tarquin to settle toward the middle-rear of the field.
Daitaku Helios, drawn in gate six, would almost certainly follow his usual reckless front-running pattern under Kishi Shigehiko.
If that happened, the whip would come early, forcing a sharp break, and he would surge straight to the front.
Mejiro Palmer, with Shinji Fujita aboard, would never allow that uncontested; the two would inevitably clash for the lead.
Given the Tenno Sho (Autumn) at Tokyo—2000 meters on turf with a bend arriving almost immediately—such a scenario could only produce a brutally fast pace.
Because of that, Shuta An's ideal position was clear: as close to the rear as possible, but not excessively so. Third from last would be optimal. Any further back, and Let's Go Tarquin might not have the finishing capacity to bridge the gap later.
"After all, he's not Teio. He can't take any position at will—we have to calculate every step."
Recalling Hirojiro Hashiguchi's pre-race instructions, Shuta An found them perfectly aligned with his own judgment. As Let's Go Tarquin gradually slipped to fourteenth, he guided him inward, edging closer to the rail with careful precision.
"As expected of one of Japan's top Trainers this year—his grasp of race dynamics is impeccable."
A faint trace of admiration passed through his mind, but he did not linger on it. His hands remained steady as he settled Let's Go Tarquin into position.
"I can't afford a mistake either. After all, I'm the champion jockey."
—
"It seems no one is wary of Shuta-kun,"
Yoshida Katsumi remarked, standing beside Hirojiro Hashiguchi in the owner's viewing area. His tone carried a hint of curiosity.
"I don't quite understand it. Even if Let's Go Tarquin doesn't appear particularly strong, Shuta-kun has proven time and again that he can create miracles."
"Even now, many seasoned figures in the industry believe his achievements are largely the result of superior resources,"
Hashiguchi replied calmly. "To encounter a horse like Oguri Cap after beginning in the regional circuit—it must be said his fortune is exceptional."
"Resources alone mean nothing without the ability to use them,"
Katsumi countered with a faint frown.
"When I studied in the United States, I realized something—true top-tier jockeys reveal their brilliance from the very beginning. Steve Cauthen claimed the American Triple Crown at eighteen. Walter Swinburn won the Epsom Derby at nineteen. Lester Piggott was already winning races at twelve. A genius distinguishes himself early."
He paused, his gaze sharpening slightly.
"Yutaka Take is also a genius. Why does no one claim his resources are inferior? Because of his background, they can only complain about others behind their backs."
"That may be so," Hashiguchi admitted with a nod. "But Shuta-kun's selectiveness with mounts does make many Trainers uneasy."
"There's nothing to be done about that." Katsumi shrugged lightly.
"He told me himself—he wants both a high winning percentage and a large number of victories. I've already promised him that once I gain independent control over part of Shadai Farm, I'll ensure he has access to top-tier mounts every year."
Hashiguchi smiled faintly. "Few jockeys could resist such an offer. I imagine he must have been quite moved."
Katsumi let out a soft breath.
"He said it still depends on whether he encounters a horse that truly excites him—like Tokai Teio. Honestly, that answer makes perfect sense. Who wouldn't be drawn to a horse of that caliber?"
While the two continued their discussion, Let's Go Tarquin remained firmly in fourteenth position. More than 800 meters had already passed since the start.
"This pace will likely mirror Suzuka's Tenno Sho run,"
Shuta An assessed quietly from the saddle, his gaze fixed ahead.
"But neither Mejiro Palmer nor Daitaku Helios possesses a decisive second burst in the final stage."
As Daitaku Helios crossed the 1000-meter mark, the commentator's voice rang out across the racecourse:
"57.5 seconds! An astonishing pace for the first 1000 meters! Daitaku Helios and Mejiro Palmer have once again torn the race apart with their relentless speed!"
"What a pace—" Yoshida Katsumi's expression shifted in surprise. "Even for them, this is excessive."
Hashiguchi, however, merely smiled.
"Yet Ikuno Dictus in third is still close behind, and the rest of the field hasn't been completely shaken off. This development actually favors those coming from behind. I believe we're about to witness something quite remarkable."
"Let's Go Tarquin has conserved his strength perfectly," Katsumi said, his attention sharpening. "Now it depends entirely on how Shuta-kun chooses to break through."
"There's no need to doubt him in that regard."
—
As they approached the final turn, Shuta An made no attempt to angle outward in search of open space. Instead, he maintained his line along the rail without deviation.
"What is he doing?!" Katsumi's eyes widened in disbelief. "At this stage, wouldn't it be simplest to swing wide and launch a sweeping move?"
"Shuta-kun must have his reasons," Hashiguchi replied, though even his expression tightened slightly.
Shuta An paid no attention to the confusion around him. As they entered the bend, he pressed Let's Go Tarquin even closer to the inside, his path hugging the rail so tightly that his left leg nearly brushed against it.
From the stands, it looked like a dead end—a path that would inevitably collapse under pressure. But from Shuta An's perspective, the route ahead was perfectly clear.
"Drive through here and overtake them all."
A faint curve lifted the corner of his lips. In one smooth motion, he shifted the whip to his left hand and delivered a precise, guiding strike.
With a single guiding strike, Let's Go Tarquin surged forward with a sharp "whoosh." Yet even as the acceleration kicked in, Shuta An could clearly feel it—purely in terms of burst speed, he still leaned toward the sluggish side.
"It looks like I'm definitely getting fined today," he thought calmly. "Judging by this year's record— 50,000 yen, probably."
But compared to the 6.5 million yen commission tied to the Tenno Sho (Autumn)'s winner's purse, such a fine was almost laughably insignificant.
When Let's Go Tarquin tore out from the trailing group along the inside, Matsumoto Tatsuya—riding Osumi Lotte at the head of that cluster—was caught completely off guard.
"What is this?! How did one shoot out from the inside?! What are the ones behind doing—no one's contesting the rail?!"
His frustration changed nothing. The moment had already passed.
In the next instant, his eyes widened further.
After forcing his way into the leading group, the inner lane ahead appeared sealed off by the horses in front. Yet with another precise cue from Shuta An, Let's Go Tarquin moved as though guided by an unseen hand—sliding diagonally outward, threading through the pack with astonishing fluidity before bursting forward again.
More terrifying still—
His speed never dropped.
The maneuver, intricate as it was, had not disrupted his acceleration in the slightest.
"What…is that supposed to be?!"
Even seasoned riders could not comprehend what they had just witnessed.
"What's the point of weaving like that instead of taking the outside?" Yoshida Katsumi frowned, unable to decipher the intent.
"Other than saving ground—I can't think of anything,"
Hirotsugu Hashiguchi replied with a helpless shrug.
"Perhaps that's all it is. The logic of a genius isn't something ordinary people can easily grasp."
"I'll ask him after the race," Yoshida Katsumi muttered under his breath.
At the 200-meter mark, Let's Go Tarquin had already climbed to fourth.
Ahead, the path opened completely—no more obstruction, no more need for delicate positioning.
Movie Star, under Yutaka Take, pressed from behind in fifth, only half a length adrift.
Kawachi Hiroshi guided Yaemon Global in third, pushing forward in pursuit.
Masahiro Matsunaga held Nice Nature in second, fending off pressure while attempting to close on the leader.
At the very front, White Stone—ridden by Shibata Masato—fought desperately, whip driving down again and again, unwilling to surrender a victory that lay just beyond reach.
At that moment, Shuta An switched the whip to his right hand.
His left wrist turned sharply, shortening the reins and locking them firmly into his palm.
Preparation—complete.
The next second, the whip fell, and his left hand drove forward in a powerful push. Downward pressure, then a sharp lift—reins rising high.
It was unmistakable.
Tahara Seiki's push-riding.
The effect was immediate.
Yaemon Global and Nice Nature were swept aside almost instantly, overtaken with decisive force. Hearing the rhythm of the whip closing in behind him, Shibata Masato's expression tightened.
"Even on a longshot—he's reached second?!"
The memory surfaced unbidden—last year's Tenno Sho (Autumn), where a foul had handed Shuta An a G1 victory aboard an outsider.
"That's right—here, he never underperforms."
He really was An "Autumn Shield Man."
Reluctance burned in his chest, but reality was merciless—White Stone, having spent too much early, no longer had the reserves to resist. Bit by bit, her advantage eroded.
At the 100-meter mark, the two ran neck and neck.
Yet Shuta An did not overtake.
He held position deliberately.
Hashiguchi's warning echoed clearly—once Let's Go Tarquin secured the lead, his focus would waver.
So he restrained him.
Maintained the balance.
Waited.
Then—
Fifty meters.
Three sharp, consecutive strikes.
Let's Go Tarquin responded instantly, breaking free with ease.
And just as predicted, the moment he gained clear daylight, her concentration faltered. But under Shuta An's relentless push, the drop in speed remained minimal.
He crossed the line cleanly.
Two lengths ahead.
"Let's Go Tarquin! Consecutive graded 1 victories for Shuta An! For the second year in a row, he snatches the Autumn Shield with a longshot! And the favorite, Nice Nature, still falls short of his long-awaited G1 triumph! Is fate itself favoring only the undefeated Triple Crown generation?!"
Amid the commentator's rising voice, Shuta An simply smiled.
"Call it destiny—it's not entirely wrong."
In a generation defined by Tokai Teio, the pressure in middle-distance G1 races was overwhelming.
"Teio wasn't here today—that alone made it an opportunity. But those two idiots set such a brutal pace—the entire rhythm collapsed."
He exhaled lightly.
"In the end, it's just luck."
After the race, standing before the cheering crowd, he exchanged brief interactions with the fans before turning toward Yutaka Take with a grin.
"Did anyone file a complaint about my riding?"
For a fleeting moment, Yutaka Take genuinely felt the urge to throw a punch.
But he held back.
His mount, Movie Star, had surged late to claim second—overtaking White Stone, Yaemon Global, and Nice Nature in the final strides. The order had reversed from last year, yet the final placing remained exactly the same.
And recalling his own mistake in that very race—his chest tightened with quiet frustration.
"I'll treat Take-san to dinner tonight, don't go back to Kyoto early." Shuta An said to his friend before entering the underground passage.
"Okay!" Yutaka Take's spirits immediately lifted. He planned to make Shuta pay dearly for dinner tonight.
"Shuta-kun, how did you plan your inner lane sprint on the final straight today?"
Before Yoshida Katsumi could ask, an eager reporter questioned the young man.
"I chose the inner lane because I thought everyone else would go for the outer lane. If Let's Go Tarquin also went for the outer lane, it would likely have to make a very wide turn. Since the inner lane of the group was empty, I didn't overthink it and simply went for an inner lane sprint."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For anyone interested for some advanced chapters, or just want to support me. Hit the membership button to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ModerateCitizens