Chapter 65. Unexpected in Dream World
That evening, after finishing his work, Shuta An discovered that Mejiro Dober had already gone to bed. He did not wake her. Instead, he quietly returned to his own room and prepared to sleep.
Tonight, in the Dream World, he found himself back at Ascot Racecourse.
This time, however, it was not for a race.
There simply weren't any suitable races scheduled over the next two days. In fact, if he limited himself to listed races and black-type events, he would have no riding opportunities for more than ten days, all the way until the Epsom Derby.
Considering that the completion conditions for the mission series only involved graded races, Shuta decided not to force the issue.
For the next ten days or so, he planned to take things easier. He would ride only three days a week in England, while spending the rest of his time assisting André Fabre, Gosden, and several other Trainers with horses that were not their primary focus.
As for the horses those Trainers truly valued, their preparations naturally remained in the hands of their regular jockeys rather than Shuta An.
"Trainer Shoichi Matsumoto informed me that Tokai Teio will arrive at Ascot Racecourse the day after tomorrow," Yoshida Katsumi said, shaking his head. "After quarantine and condition adjustment, he won't be able to begin proper training until next week. That leaves only ten days before the race."
He frowned slightly.
"I'm worried Teio won't be able to perform at his best."
"It's fine."
Although Shuta was far from pleased with the transportation arrangements, his expression remained calm.
"As long as I can ride steadily in Teio's saddle, I won't allow anyone to take this victory away from us."
Yoshida Katsumi raised an eyebrow and carefully examined the young jockey standing before him. Compared to when Shuta An had first arrived in Europe, something about him had changed.
There was now an additional presence about him.
It was difficult to describe. Yoshida Katsumi had never felt anything similar from any jockey in Japan before. Yet he could clearly sense it.
And he knew one thing for certain.
It was undoubtedly a positive quality.
"This presence—" Yoshida Katsumi thought quietly. "It will probably affect Tokai Teio during the Epsom Derby. When the time comes, I'll see exactly what kind of influence it has."
Although he loved horse racing, none of his children intended to become jockeys. His interest in Shuta An was therefore not professional curiosity, but rather a desire to sharpen his own judgment of people.
"Even if Matsumoto truly trusts both Shuta-kun and Tokai Teio, neglecting the quarantine schedule is still negligence," he thought.
Almost soundlessly, Yoshida Katsumi passed judgment.
"In the future, I won't entrust any promising horses from the club under my control to Matsumoto Shoichi Stable."
It was, in his mind, a death sentence.
—
When he woke the following morning, Shuta An recalled the news from the Dream World and let out a helpless sigh.
"What was Trainer Matsumoto thinking?"
He rubbed his forehead.
"I never paid much attention to Teio's transportation arrangements because, in that world, I'm only the main jockey. Asking too many questions would attract suspicion. But now I don't ask, and something like this happens."
After deducting the quarantine period, Tokai Teio would have only ten days to prepare for the Epsom Derby.
No matter how he looked at it, that was bad news.
Still, after thinking it through carefully, he spoke softly to himself.
"The good news is that the opposition this year isn't particularly terrifying. There are only a few opponents who truly deserve attention. As long as Teio's condition doesn't drop too much, eighty-five percent of his normal performance should still give him a chance to win."
—
Having received that unpleasant news the previous night, Shuta An spent the daytime refining race strategies for himself and Tokai Teio while Mejiro Dober focused on adjusting her condition.
"The forecast is favorable."
He reviewed the weather reports again.
"Clear skies before the Epsom Derby, and clear skies on race day itself. Unless the racecourse staff suddenly decide to soak the turf, Ascot should be running on fast ground."
That, at least, was excellent news.
For foreign horse, Ascot Racecourse was not necessarily any easier to handle than Longchamp. The long uphill stretch in the final straight often determined victory or defeat. Any runner lacking climbing ability could easily be left behind.
Fortunately, Tokai Teio had never struggled in that area.
"The only problem," Shuta An muttered, "is that I need to perform even better than everyone else to compensate for this transportation mistake."
His eyes narrowed.
"At least one hundred and twenty percent."
—
Over the next few days, Mejiro Dober gradually noticed that something about her lover seemed unusual.
Every day, he accompanied her to the gym.
Every day, he focused heavily on training his core and waist.
To be honest, her first thoughts had wandered in a rather different direction. For a brief period, she had even considered whether she should subtly remind him that she had limits.
But after observing him for several days, she quickly realized her misunderstanding.
Shuta An's workouts were completely serious.
They looked less like personal fitness sessions and more like the structured training programs used for Uma Musume.
Embarrassed by her own assumptions, Dober silently shifted her focus back to her own exercise routine.
Even so, a question remained.
"What exactly is Ann training for?"
She still could not understand.
"Although it's clearly not what I first imagined—" she thought. "Who knows?"
"Why are you slowing down?"
Shuta An's voice suddenly reached her. Having finished his own workout, he glanced toward the exercise bike and immediately noticed her reduced pace.
"Ah!"
Caught zoning out, Mejiro Dober let out a startled cry.
Her ears drooped.
Leaning forward, she hurriedly resumed a proper training posture.
"Did she get distracted watching me?" Shuta An wondered.
It seemed like a reasonable conclusion. After all, although he had trained before, he had never maintained such consistent intensity.
Naturally, Dober would be curious.
Still, there was no way to explain the truth.
Was he supposed to tell her that every night he entered another world, where he continued working, training, and racing?
And if he explained that he was riding Tokai Teio there as well—
That would create a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions.
—
Several days later, in the Dream World, Tokai Teio and the staff of Matsumoto Shoichi Stable finally arrived at Ascot Racecourse.
This time, the stable staff adapted far better than they had during last year's trip to Paris.
Perhaps it was because Ascot looked more like the romanticized image of an old European city held by many Japanese people.
At the very least, Shuta An did not detect any signs of the so-called "Paris Syndrome."
"Let's get through quarantine first," he said, refocusing his attention. "Only after that can we begin training inside Ascot Racecourse."
After helping the Matsumoto Stable staff settle in, Shuta An finalized his plans for the next two days.
Tomorrow, he would head to Beverley Racecourse and pick up a few rides.
The Epsom Derby was approaching.
And before Tokai Teio officially began his preparations, he intended to sharpen himself first.
—
The 22nd.
Today was the day the Epsom Derby starting gate draw results were officially announced. The day before, both Matsumoto Shoichi and Uchimura Masanori had already arrived in England.
After successfully completing quarantine, Tokai Teio immediately resumed training. Shuta An personally rode him on the turf of Ascot Racecourse, conducting a series of gallops. To his surprise, Tokai Teio adapted exceptionally well to the course conditions.
"He can still run."
That was the first thought that surfaced in Shuta An's mind after completing their initial training session at Ascot.
Over the following days, although the young man continued to receive riding requests from both Gosden and André Fabre, he never mentioned anything regarding Tokai Teio to either of them. Neither stable had a horse entered in this year's Epsom Derby, but Shuta An had already instructed Tokai Teio's staff to keep all information strictly confidential. Naturally, he intended to lead by example.
That afternoon, the organizers released the draw results right on schedule.
Tokai Teio had drawn Gate 2.
"It may not be the perfect gate, but it's certainly not a bad one," Shuta An commented when approached by reporters.
"Whether it's an inside draw or an outside draw, we will do everything within our power," Matsumoto Shoichi stated during his interview.
"It is a great honor for me to participate in one of England's most prestigious races. More importantly, I am grateful to have encountered a horse as extraordinary as Tokai Teio. This is his final active season, and I hope he can achieve enough glory this year to leave his name in world racing history."
As Tokai Teio's owner and the nominal leader of the entire team, Uchimura Masanori spoke honestly from the heart.
The following day, the headline of the Racing Post read:
"The Tokai Teio's Team Aims to Become the First Non-European Racehorse to Conquer the Epsom Derby!"
—
The 24th.
There were now only twenty-seven days remaining until the Yorkshire Oaks.
Three days had already passed since Mejiro Dober officially entered her preparation phase.
Dober had fully returned to an intensive training schedule, while Shuta found himself considerably more relaxed. As long as he arranged an appropriate training program and monitored its execution, he could spend the rest of his time resting or handling personal matters.
Every afternoon, after the day's training concluded, he would personally perform a physical examination on Mejiro Dober, carefully assessing the condition of her muscles and evaluating the degree of fatigue accumulated during training.
Once that was finished, Dober's free time officially began.
As for Shuta An, he returned to his office and began making his final preparations for tonight's Epsom Derby.
"Teio should be able to bring out around ninety-two percent of his current condition. My own physical state has also been adjusted to its peak. Yesterday's serious warm-up at Ascot went smoothly as well."
Sitting in his office chair, Shuta An stared at the track diagram of Ascot Racecourse alongside several professional analyses of the Epsom Derby course layout. As he studied them, he quietly organized his thoughts aloud.
"The Epsom Derby is a Group 1 race run over 2,392 meters. Gate allocation has relatively little impact compared to many other races."
"The field starts from the beginning of the long back straight opposite the grandstand, travels through the entire straight, passes the famous Swinley Bottom section, turns right into the uphill side stretch, then negotiates the sharp final bend before entering the five-hundred-meter uphill home straight."
"Under a normal pace, front-running race possess a considerable advantage. However, if the early pace becomes overly aggressive and the leaders exhaust themselves, the closers can launch a decisive charge in the final straight."
After reaching the end of his analysis, the young man summarized everything in a single sentence.
"In essence, it's a race whose outcome is determined by pace."
The moment he identified the core factor, his mood relaxed considerably.
"And when it comes to reading pace, I should be the most sensitive person in this race."
—
That evening, after holding Mejiro Dober to sleep, Shuta An wrapped his arms around his lover and soon drifted into slumber as well.
Before consciousness faded completely, a final thought crossed his mind.
"I hope being beside Dober improves my luck."
On the day of the Epsom Derby, Shuta An received riding assignments in two races.
Besides Tokai Teio's race, he was also booked for the event immediately preceding the Derby—the only other graded highlight of the day at Ascot Racecourse.
The G3 Princess Margaret Stakes.
A 1,200-meter turf contest.
His mount was Prophecy from Gosden Stable.
Throughout the race, Shuta An kept Prophecy positioned prominently near the front of the field. In the end, she crossed the finish line in second place.
Even so, when discussing the race afterward with Gosden, he remained quite satisfied with her performance.
"I felt today's pace wasn't particularly suitable for her. She should perform much better in a slower-run race."
"In that case, I'll have to trouble Shuta-kun with Prophecy's future campaigns as well."
Without hesitation, Gosden entrusted the young man with authority over the planning of Prophecy's upcoming races.
—
Afterward, Shuta An returned to the jockeys' room.
He stopped by the restroom, splashed cold water onto his face, and used the brief moment to refresh himself.
"The next race is the Epsom Derby."
"There's nothing more to say. Giving up the opportunity to earn money in Japan and coming to Europe served two purposes. First, to sharpen my own abilities. Second, to increase Teio's chances of victory."
"And this Epsom Derby will determine just how much I've grown over the past month."
—
On the other side of the jockeys' room, Frankie Dettori sat quietly with his eyes closed.
Although he had defeated Shuta An in the Princess Margaret Stakes earlier, he knew perfectly well that race had never been the main attraction.
Everything today revolved around one event.
The Epsom Derby.
As the richest and most prestigious race in England, it represented a title that every jockey dreamed of claiming.
Even though Frankie Dettori was Italian rather than British, his desire to win the race he had never conquered before was stronger than ever.
"Believe in Wolf Prince."
He repeated the words silently to himself.
"The Gold Cup winner's stamina is beyond question. All I need is for this race to become a battle of endurance."
However, Wolf Prince was not a front-running horse. That meant Frankie had no direct control over how the pace of the race would develop.
"In the end, it depends on whether Asmussen can create a pace that suits me."
Opening his eyes, Frankie's gaze naturally drifted toward Asmussen, the jockey aboard Dear Doctor.
Then he froze.
Not far away, Asmussen and Shuta An were chatting and laughing together as though they were old friends.
"When did those two become acquainted!?"
Frankie was genuinely startled.
A moment later, he recalled Dear Doctor's recent campaign.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
"Dear Doctor lost to Tokai Teio in the Japan Cup—which means if Asmussen wants revenge, he'll definitely try to slow the race down."
The realization instantly sharpened Frankie's expression.
His fingers tightened around the whip in his hand.
"I'll have to put pressure on Asmussen during the race."