Chapter 99. Japan Cup Eve Part 1
(I don't remember seeing Teio run in Japan Cup in the Anime, especially after her loss and fracture in Spring Tenno Sho to Mejiro McQueen. But in her official race records, she races in November 1st, 1992 Autumn Tenno Sho and lost to Lets Go Tarquin then go to Japan Cup in November 29th)
That evening, Nishizaki Ryu arranged a celebration banquet in the academy cafeteria for Special Week's Japan Cup victory. Shuta Ann also brought the Uma Musume from Team Sadalsuud over to join the festivities.
After all, it was not only Sadalsuud attending. Kitahara, Minamisaka, and Tojo Hana had all brought the Uma Musume under their care as well, turning the cafeteria into an unusually lively gathering.
In addition to the academy staff, several media outlets had also been invited to the celebration.
Before the race, many people had confidently believed that Montjeu would sweep through the Japan Cup without difficulty. Even El Condor Pasa had failed to overcome her overseas, so naturally, people assumed Special Week—who had once been "captured" by El Condor Pasa during last year's Japan Cup—would fare even worse.
That had practically become the mainstream opinion before the race.
Shuta Ann himself never publicly commented on those predictions. When "Twinkle" magazine released its Japan Cup feature and invited an academy expert for analysis, the one they interviewed was Tojo Hana rather than him.
Although Tojo Hana had strongly supported Special Week at the time, she still framed her as the challenger.
Now that Special Week had truly defeated Montjeu, public opinion online had completely exploded. Some people were even loudly claiming that if Special Week had gone to the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe instead, she definitely would have achieved better results than El Condor Pasa.
Shuta Ann could not even be bothered to respond to that kind of argument.
Nishizaki Ryu, however, had directly refuted those opinions on social media, openly stating that El Condor Pasa's overseas campaign this year deserved proper respect.
"If everyone in the URA Association knew how to speak as properly as Nishizaki-san," Tojo Hana whispered quietly beside Shuta Ann, "then El Condor Pasa probably wouldn't have become so disappointed with the URA Association that she chose early retirement."
"The URA Association president will be coming later," Shuta Ann replied while raising an eyebrow slightly. "Miss Tojo can tell him that directly."
"He's probably already regretting Miss El Condor Pasa's retirement enough as it is. If you mention it face-to-face, the entire URA staff will probably start studying books called 'The Art of Speaking' tomorrow morning."
"Forget it." Tojo Hana shook her head softly.
"What's done is done. Saying anything now won't change the result."
Her gaze drifted slightly toward the lively banquet hall.
"It's better for him to continue carrying that guilt. Maybe later, we can use it to secure some real benefits for El instead."
Although Tojo Hana did not explicitly explain what she meant by "real benefits," Shuta Ann already had a rough guess in mind.
Most likely, Hall of Fame certification for the Twinkle Series.
With El Condor Pasa's number of G1 victories alone, obtaining Hall of Fame status might still be somewhat difficult. However, the quality of those victories was unquestionably extraordinary. In the end, everything would depend on how the voting committee evaluated her achievements.
"If Miss Tojo brings up El Condor Pasa's sacrifices during the committee's deliberation period," Shuta Ann thought silently, "then sympathy votes will probably swing the outcome decisively."
At that thought, the young man suddenly realized something else.
"It's a good thing I've never seriously considered whether the members of Team Sadalsuud could become Hall of Fame Uma Musume in the future."
Halfway through the banquet, Nishizaki Ryu officially announced Special Week's next race schedule.
"As many people have already guessed, Special Week's next race will be the Arima Kinen on December 26th."
"Everyone already knew that," Shuta Ann muttered under his breath.
"However…" Tojo Hana noticed something immediately. "That means Team Spica will have two Uma Musume entering the Arima Kinen this year."
"Special Week and Mejiro McQueen."
She paused briefly.
"And unless something unexpected happens, there probably won't be a clear distinction between ace and support. Won't that create conflict?"
Shuta Ann did not look surprised at all.
"They'll compete seriously against each other while still maintaining harmony inside the team."
He shrugged lightly.
"Honestly, isn't that a pretty ideal atmosphere already?"
Tojo Hana blinked briefly before letting out a faint sigh.
"I suppose I was overthinking it."
Her eyes shifted toward Nishizaki Ryu in the distance.
"Nishizaki really is impressive to maintain Team Spica's atmosphere this well."
"In any case, it's not something we need to worry about," Shuta Ann replied casually.
Just as he lowered his head again and prepared to continue enjoying the cafeteria's special hamburger steak, he noticed Mejiro McQueen quietly standing up from her seat.
He paid it no attention at first.
Forking off another piece of hamburger steak, the young man chewed slowly before muttering to himself:
"This sauce really is excellent."
"No wonder the Uma Musume keep saying that even bitter melon tastes good with the cafeteria sauce."
—
After finishing the last bite, Shuta Ann finally looked up again.
At that moment, he noticed that Nishizaki Ryu's expression had become noticeably heavier.
"What happened?" he murmured instinctively.
Then his gaze shifted slightly—and he realized Mejiro McQueen had just stepped away from Nishizaki Ryu's side.
A faint sense of unease immediately surfaced within him.
"What exactly did Miss McQueen say to Nishizaki-san?"
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the cafeteria, Mejiro Dober had also noticed McQueen's earlier actions.
"What did McQueen do?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why does her Trainer suddenly look so unhappy?"
Unlike Shuta Ann's seating angle, Mejiro Dober had clearly seen Mejiro McQueen hand Nishizaki Ryu a piece of paper.
"What was written on it?"
A faint wrinkle appeared between her brows.
"Could it be some notice from the family?"
But after thinking briefly, she immediately rejected that possibility herself.
"No…if the family were sending an official notice to a Trainer, they definitely wouldn't use such ordinary paper."
Thinking about the Mejiro Family's rigid obsession with appearances despite their declining finances, Mejiro Dober's mood dimmed again.
"Even now, they still insist on wasting money maintaining those pointless formalities."
Just as her thoughts drifted in that direction, Nishizaki Ryu suddenly stood up and lightly cleared his throat.
"My apologies, everyone."
The banquet hall quieted almost instantly. Nishizaki Ryu looked toward the invited reporters before speaking calmly.
"McQueen's examination results today confirmed discomfort in her leg. For safety reasons, she will therefore withdraw from this year's Arima Kinen."
The reporters immediately focused their attention on him.
"Please make sure to explain this situation clearly in your reports," Nishizaki Ryu continued. "McQueen herself is also extremely disappointed by this outcome, so I hope no unnecessary misunderstandings are created."
"We understand," the reporters answered together. "We will report the matter objectively to the Twinkle Series audience."
"Mejiro McQueen is withdrawing from the Arima Kinen…"
Shuta Ann froze briefly.
Something about the situation felt subtly wrong.
"Is her condition really serious enough that she can't compete over a month from now?"
He frowned slightly.
"Her gait looked relatively normal today."
—
By the time the banquet ended, Shuta Ann was preparing to drive home when Nishizaki Ryu suddenly called out to him.
"Ann-san, wait a moment."
"What's wrong?" Shuta Ann rolled down the car window with a smile. "Need me to drive you home?"
In reality, however, he sincerely hoped Nishizaki Ryu would refuse.
After all, Silence Suzuka was still sitting in the back seat.
"Do you think McQueen actually looks injured?"
Nishizaki Ryu asked directly. The blunt question left Shuta Ann silent for a brief moment.
After hesitating slightly, he finally answered:
"If the examination results showed a problem—then I think it's better to trust Miss McQueen herself, don't you?"
"True." Nishizaki Ryu sighed softly. "Maybe the Kikuka Sho really exhausted her more than expected. If that's the case, then it's better for her to properly rest and return next year—just like Miss Dober did."
"Yes." Shuta Ann nodded lightly.
"In any case, the Uma Musume of the Mejiro Family's generation have already produced excellent results during the Classic season. Even if she withdraws from the Arima Kinen, it won't change that."
Nishizaki Ryu then gave a helpless smile.
"To be honest, this actually makes things easier for me too. Otherwise, if McQueen and Special Week faced each other in the Arima Kinen—I genuinely wouldn't know which one I should support."
"I won't keep Ann-san any longer," he added while stepping back. "See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Shuta Ann waved lightly before rolling the car window back up.
Only after the vehicle began moving again did Silence Suzuka finally speak from the back seat.
"McQueen probably isn't injured at all, is she?"
Although her voice remained soft, her intuition sounded strangely firm.
"Her gait did look slightly unnatural," Silence Suzuka continued quietly, "but I still feel she was pretending."
"Don't think too much about it," Shuta Ann interrupted her gently. "We're leaving for Hong Kong tomorrow morning."
"There's no need to waste energy worrying about other matters tonight."
Silence Suzuka smiled faintly at that.
Then she leaned forward slightly, placing both hands upon her lover's shoulders.
"In that case…"
Her voice carried a soft, dangerously alluring warmth.
"Tonight, Ann has to stay by my side."
—
Late at night, holding Silence Suzuka in his arms, Shuta An fell into the Dream World.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself at Tokyo Racecourse. Corresponding to the real world, today was the Japan Cup race day, and he and Tokai Teio were competing as the absolute top favorites.
A few days earlier, during an interview in the Dream World, a reporter had asked the young man:
"Today, you will face opponents such as User Friendly, this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe runner-up and undefeated British mare with two Triple Crowns;
Quest For Fame, the Epsom Derby winner and winner of this year's Hollywood Turf Cup; Naturalism, the Australian two-time Triple Crown winner;
Dear Doctor, this year's Arlington Million winner;
Dr. Devious, this year's Epsom Derby winner and Irish Champion Stakes champion;
Lets Elope, the New Zealand four-G1 queen who achieved consecutive Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup victories last year, along with many other world-class competitors.
What are your expectations for the Japan Cup, Shuta-kun?"
"Expectations?"
At the time, Shuta An had merely smiled, his expression carrying an almost undisguised arrogance.
"I welcome them from afar to reap defeat. Tokai Teio and I will show them at Tokyo Racecourse that whether in Europe or Japan, they are not a match for Tokai Teio and me."
That report quickly spread overseas, and to the surprise of many Japanese fans, French media experts unanimously believed Shuta An's words were not excessive at all.
"If Tokai Teio had run in this year's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, User Friendly would only have finished third! Subotica and her was never Tokai Teio's opponent!"
After all, Subotica had already lost once to Tokai Teio in the Prix Ganay. From the French perspective, Subotica skipping the Japan Cup was practically an admission of fear, and naturally, there was no shortage of ridicule.
However, media from other countries and regions clearly did not share the same opinion. In their eyes, Shuta An's remarks were simply too arrogant. The level of Japanese racing was only average to begin with, and no matter how outstanding Tokai Teio might be, there had to be a limit.
Her performance in the Prix Ganay was merely because the opposition had been out of form or too weak at the time.
When Shuta An opened his eyes, he found himself seated in the jockey waiting room.
Among the fourteen saddles in this year's Japan Cup, only seven belonged to Japanese jockeys. Aside from Yutaka Take, the only person Shuta An was relatively familiar with was Kawachi Hiroshi.
"Good luck today, Shuta-kun!"
Kawachi Hiroshi walked over first and offered his encouragement.
Today, he would once again ride Yamanin Global, the horse who had finished fourth in the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
Frankly speaking, Kawachi Hiroshi himself understood very clearly that neither he nor Yamanin Global truly had a chance to compete for victory today. Rather than holding onto unrealistic expectations, he hoped instead that Shuta An and Tokai Teio, representing Japan's local forces, could reclaim the glory of the Japan Cup.
After all, only last year had a Japanese horse failed to win the Japan Cup. Before that, local horses had practically dominated the race for years.
(What local horses? Isn't it just Oguri Cap and Shuta?)
"I already said all that during the interview a few days ago,"
Shuta An replied with a grin, showing no intention of being modest now that things had reached this point.
"If I lose after talking like that, wouldn't that just make me a joke? Kawachi-kun, just watch carefully today. Tokai Teio and I will definitely give them a proper shock."
"Absolutely," Yutaka Take chimed in from nearby, laughing as he leaned back in his seat.
"Honestly, most of us local jockeys are just accompanying the field today. In the end, we can only count on Ann-san and Tokai Teio."
At those words, Hideki Kotani, who would be riding Legacy World today, also walked over.
"My teacher asked me to ask whether Shuta-kun needs any assistance tactically today," he said directly. "Legacy World will adopt a leading strategy in this race."
"No need to trouble yourselves," Shuta An replied with a smile, casually waving his hand. "Everyone should just ride their own best race. Tokai Teio and I have no need for that kind of coordination."
"Understood."
Hideki Kotani nodded, though before leaving, he still lowered his voice slightly and added another sentence.
"The turf at Tokyo Racecourse turned unexpectedly heavy today. For Legacy World's safety, I'll try to keep the pace as slow as possible."
That was Toyama Tameo's instruction.
Although already bedridden, the veteran Trainer still believed that when facing a heavy track, Legacy World needed to learn Mihono Bourbon's rhythm and control the pace steadily from the front.
"Even if Tokai Teio would also benefit from a slower pace, preserving our own chance of victory comes first. Oganai-kun, no matter what, you must suppress the tempo."
Those had been Toyama Tameo's exact words.
And whether intentional or not, Hideki Kotani also had his own calculations when relaying that information to Shuta An.
He understood very clearly that nearly all his riding resources came from his teacher. Yet Toyama Tameo's worsening illness was an undeniable reality, and once his teacher eventually passed away, his own career as a jockey would likely collapse alongside it.
Because of that, he hoped to establish some connection with Shuta An today. Even a small amount of goodwill from someone like Shuta An could greatly improve his future prospects once he transitioned into another career.
Soon, it was time for the paddock display.
The jockeys left the waiting room one after another, and when Shuta An arrived trackside, his gaze slowly swept across the fourteen participating racehorses.
"Everyone looks to be in excellent condition"
The young man nodded faintly to himself as he observed the paddock.
"As expected of the Japan Cup. Every stable has adjusted their horses to their absolute peak."
When Tokai Teio arrived before him, Stableman Azuma Ikuo assisted from below, allowing Shuta An to mount smoothly onto the saddle. After settling himself properly, the young man lightly stroked Tokai Teio's neck, his fingertips brushing against his glossy coat.
"His coat condition is excellent. He's clearly been taken very good care of lately."
"That's only natural," Azuma Ikuo immediately replied. "He takes two baths a day now, and his feed has been specially supplemented with protein. Everything is being handled with the highest standards possible. To be honest, even Symboli Rudolf probably never enjoyed treatment this luxurious during his active years."
"Is that so?"
Shuta An raised an eyebrow slightly before letting out a soft laugh.
"Then he's definitely living more comfortably than I am."
Tokai Teio immediately let out a spirited neigh and lifted his head proudly, his ears twitching with excitement.
Seeing that reaction, Shuta An gently tightened the reins just enough to remind him to calm down, and only after Tokai Teio obediently settled himself again did the young man quietly exhale in relief.
"Being overly excited before the race isn't a good thing," he murmured. "This level is just right."
"Can we really win today?" Azuma Ikuo could not help asking before Tokai Teio officially entered the Racecourse.
"Of course."
Shuta An answered without the slightest hesitation. Then, after a brief pause, he slowly raised three fingers.
"And not just win. This race—Tokai Teio and I will win by at least three lengths. If we can't do that, I'll personally treat everyone at Matsumoto Stable to a full day at the Kani Doraku main branch in Osaka."
"Winning alone would already be enough," Azuma Ikuo shook his head helplessly.
"No one dares to expect a margin like that. The overseas horses this time are simply too strong. Even the Horse Owner has been nervous lately."
At those words, Shuta An suddenly seemed to remember something.
"Right, Higashi-san. After you head back later, help me pass along a message."
"What message?"
Azuma Ikuo loosened the reins slightly before handing full control back to Shuta An.
"If Tokai Teio and I win convincingly today—"
The young man lightly urged Tokai Teio forward toward the Racecourse entrance, his voice carrying clear confidence even as his figure gradually moved farther away.
"Then next year, let the entire world witness just how strong Tokai Teio truly is."
Watching the retreating figure of the young man and the horse beneath him, Azuma Ikuo felt his chest surge with emotion.
"I'll definitely pass it on to the Horse Owner!" he shouted toward Shuta An's back.