Chapter 67. A Multiple-Choice Question of Three Options
Waking up from the Dream World, Shuta An was disappointed to discover that the Epsom Derby he and Tokai Teio had won the previous night had only been converted into 270,000 pounds in the Attribute Viewer. That amount happened to be the winner's purse of the Epsom Derby in the current Dream World.
Converted into Japanese yen, the prize money could not even compare to the purses of many major G2 races held in Japan.
"Damn it, the Europeans really don't pay much prize money," the young man muttered under his breath.
Clearly, Shuta An had completely forgotten that the winner's purse of the Yorkshire Oaks, the race Mejiro Dober was preparing to contest, did not even reach 100,000 pounds.
It was no wonder that most European Uma Musumes chose to transfer to the Dream Trophy Series as early as possible once they achieved outstanding results during their Classic years.
After all, only the Dream Trophy Series offered truly lucrative rewards. In the Twinkle Series, the ones making the real money were the URA Association.
"It really was the right decision not to pursue a career in Europe back then," Shuta An concluded.
Even though he was not short on money, merely looking at the enormous gap between Japanese and European prize purses made him feel that if he had truly come to Europe to work back then, his heart would have bled.
As the Ebor Festival at York Racecourse drew nearer, the entry lists for the major races gradually became finalized.
What relieved Shuta An was that all the information he had collected beforehand could now be put to use. Every Uma Musume whose data he had gathered was officially confirmed for the Yorkshire Oaks.
"I will defend the honor of this year's European Oaks Uma Musumes."
As the newly crowned Epsom Oaks winner, Reams of Verse spoke confidently in front of the reporters.
Watching the interview together with Shuta An, Mejiro Dober silently memorized the name Reams of Verse.
The young man seemed to notice immediately. Reaching out, he pinched his lover's cheek.
"You don't need to pay attention to what those opponents say. Dober only needs to focus on doing her best. Your opponent has never been anyone standing on York Racecourse."
"I understand," Mejiro Dober replied vaguely. "And I think this isn't just for this race. For the Prix Vermeille afterward, Ann probably wants me to think the same way, right?"
"Dober can be a little more confident."
Shuta An extended his other hand and pinched both of her cheeks this time.
"For every remaining race this year, you can think that way. The current Dober is already at the strongest level in the world among Triple Tiara-limited races."
Shuta An was extremely confident in that assessment.
What he failed to notice was the faintly ambiguous light that flickered in Mejiro Dober's eyes after hearing those words.
Having witnessed the achievements of the two senior members of Team Sadalsuud, Mejiro Dober was clearly not satisfied with her lover's current evaluation.
Meanwhile, in the Dream World, although Tokai Teio departed for Japan two days after winning the Epsom Derby, Shuta An remained in Europe while his partner returned home to enjoy the treatment of a national hero.
"Japan's first G1 race won't begin until the end of October, so I plan to stay in Europe until mid-October," Shuta An stated during an interview with reporters.
Naturally, through his agent, he also applied to the JRA for an extension of his overseas riding permit.
The JRA readily approved the request.
During the period Shuta An had been absent from Japan, jockeys such as Yutaka Take had steadily accumulated victories and already surpassed him in the jockey rankings.
At present, the young man ranked fourth, holding a fifteen-win advantage over Minai Katsumi.
The top three positions belonged to Yutaka Take, Yukio Okabe, and Shibata Masato.
For the JRA, Yutaka Take capturing this year's champion jockey title was undoubtedly the most beneficial outcome.
Shuta An voluntarily giving up riding opportunities in Japan played perfectly into their plans.
The young man was fully aware that spending nearly five months riding overseas would significantly impact his domestic record.
But he simply did not care.
As long as he wished to, once he returned to Japan at the end of October, he would show Yutaka Take exactly how much he had evolved after spending months sparring against world-class masters such as Walter Swinburn, Frankie Dettori, Weiderly, and Kinane throughout Europe.
Shuta An was confident that he needed only two months to catch up to the results those two had accumulated over seven months.
"Maybe I really should broaden their horizons a little," he thought, unable to suppress a smile.
He could already imagine the stunned expressions on Yutaka Take and the others when he returned to the Racecourse.
Now, he was confident that he could easily defeat the version of himself from two months ago.
—
Until one week before the Yorkshire Oaks, Mejiro Dober's condition had steadily approached its peak.
At the same time, Shuta An achieved four consecutive G1 victories in the Dream World, capturing the Goodwood Cup, Sussex Stakes, Prix Rothschild, and Prix Maurice de Gheest, while also finishing second in the Phoenix Stakes.
Dream World Yutaka Take was so envious that he privately told Shuta An he planned to follow his example and spend half a year studying in America the following year.
One reporter even published an article suggesting that the JRA prepare a special award for Shuta An.
Naturally, in Shuta An's eyes, that article was merely proof that the reporter did not believe he could immediately reclaim first place in the jockey rankings after returning to Japan.
Just like the Epsom Derby, however, the Attribute Viewer only awarded him the official prize purses from those races.
The additional rewards he valued most remained completely absent.
"You'd better give me something worthwhile when I finally return to Japan in the Dream World."
The young man rolled his eyes at the thought.
The Attribute Viewer offered no response whatsoever.
It seemed that until the "Fame in Summer" mission chain was fully settled, he would not receive the rewards he truly wanted.
Compared to all of that, Shuta An was paying much more attention to Mejiro Dober.
As the Ebor Festival approached, the promotional video filmed earlier in Hokkaido was officially released by York Racecourse.
The result exceeded everyone's expectations.
Both he and Mejiro Dober suddenly gained tremendous attention.
Now, the moment Mejiro Dober stepped outside, she could be recognized as the overseas Uma Musume occupying the largest share of the promotional posters.
As a result, she received treatment in a foreign country almost identical to what she experienced in Tokyo.
Going out for a casual walk without carefully disguising herself had become nearly impossible. Yet dressing heavily in disguise during this season was simply asking for trouble.
In the end, Mejiro Dober chose to remain in her room whenever she was not training.
She spent her time drawing or watching television.
As for continuing her exploration of Japanese lessons with her lover, considering that an important race awaited her next week, she temporarily restrained herself.
—
August 17th—two days before the Ebor Festival.
However, on the previous day, the organizers of York Racecourse had sent an invitation, inviting Shuta An and Mejiro Dober to attend the draw ceremony for the Ebor Festival's three marquee races that evening.
"The Ebor Handicap, the Yorkshire Oaks, and the International Stakes."
Shuta An listed them one by one for Mejiro Dober.
"To be honest, I was originally puzzled about why this festival is called the Ebor Festival when the Ebor Handicap itself isn't even a graded race."
"Probably because of its history," Mejiro Dober answered before he could continue.
"Bingo~"
Shuta An snapped his fingers.
"That's exactly the reason I eventually found out. Fortunately, though, the audience knows what really matters. No matter how long the Ebor Handicap's history may be, it's still not a graded race."
"The true centerpiece events of this festival are the Yorkshire Oaks and the International Stakes. Unlike last year, this time only you, Dober, are participating in the Yorkshire Oaks."
"I'll achieve the same result as last year."
At that point, a thought suddenly occurred to Mejiro Dober.
"I remember that the Prix Vermeille is also a Classic Race. If I win both the Yorkshire Oaks and the Prix Vermeille, would that count as a Classic Double Tiara?"
"Unfortunately, the Yorkshire Oaks isn't a Classic Race."
Shuta An spread his hands, mercilessly pouring cold water over her idea.
"If Dober wants to make history, I wouldn't mind entering you in the Grand Prix de Paris or the St Leger Stakes and helping you achieve an unconventional Double Crown."
"Then forget it."
Mejiro Dober stuck out her tongue.
"Both 2800 meters and 3000 meters are a little too much for me."
Shuta An naturally knew that.
His previous suggestion had merely been a joke.
Even if Mejiro Dober seriously asked him to enter her in either the Grand Prix de Paris or the St Leger Stakes, he would refuse without hesitation.
So he smoothly changed the subject.
"Dober, you should start thinking about which race you want to enter in the Breeders Cup Series."
"Do you have any recommendations, Ann?"
Mejiro Dober blinked.
The year before last, she had won a listed race within the Breeders Cup Series.
This year, that same race had been upgraded to a G1. Unfortunately, because it was restricted to debut-year Uma Musumes, she no longer qualified to defend her title.
"Without considering whether we want to surprise the fans, there are only three races suitable for Dober."
"Will you choose the Breeders Cup Turf, the Breeders Cup Mile, or the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf?"
Shuta An paused briefly before adding,
"The distances are 2400 meters, 1600 meters, and 2000 meters respectively."
"In your opinion, Ann, the safest choice would definitely be the Filly & Mare Turf, right?"
Mejiro Dober immediately saw through him.
"That's right."
The young man had no intention of hiding it and admitted it readily.
"Then I'll choose the Breeders Cup Turf."
Mejiro Dober deliberately chose the opposite option.
"This year I've already won three G1 races, and there are still two more G1s ahead. After the Breeders Cup, there's another G1 waiting in Hong Kong."
"Looking at it, the schedule seems busy, but honestly, the competitive pressure in most of these races isn't particularly high."
"So I want to challenge myself. Don't worry, Ann."
Mejiro Dober reached out and rested her hand lightly on her lover's shoulder.
"Even if I lose this time, I won't be left with any lingering shadows. After all, I already let go of the burden of being undefeated at the end of last year, didn't I?"
"Alright."
Shuta An tapped his forehead lightly.
What he didn't tell Mejiro Dober was that before presenting her with this multiple-choice question, he had already withdrawn the entries for both the Breeders Cup Mile and the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.
He had accurately predicted exactly what choice his lover would make.
After lunch, the two embraced and enjoyed a brief afternoon nap together.
When Shuta An woke up, he discovered that Mejiro Dober was already changing clothes in preparation for the evening's draw ceremony.
"Starting this early?"
The young man muttered to himself before getting out of bed.
After washing his face, he carefully checked the mirror to make sure his bedmate had not secretly left any traces on him.
Fortunately, he found nothing suspicious.
Only then did he return to the bedroom with peace of mind, select a formal suit, and prepare to leave for the venue.
Meanwhile, after meticulously applying her makeup, Mejiro Dober found herself stuck in front of the wardrobe. She was having difficulty deciding which evening gown to wear.
Considering the nature of today's event, she did not want to choose something excessively formal. However, many of the dresses with a lighter and more cheerful atmosphere featured designs that were rather bold.
"There's actually no requirement for us to wear formal attire at the draw ceremony."
Seeing Mejiro Dober standing thoughtfully before the wardrobe, Shuta An offered a reminder.
"Dober can simply choose something comfortable."
Mejiro Dober turned around and raised an eyebrow.
"But didn't Ann choose a suit?"
Faced with her question, the young man calmly loosened his tie.
"If Dober doesn't want to wear an evening gown, I can change into something more casual as well."
A grin appeared on his face.
"Besides, I think wearing formal clothes in this weather would probably make me sweat to death."
In the end, Mejiro Dober chose a short-sleeved dress.
Shuta An followed suit by changing into something even more casual than she was wearing—a short-sleeved shirt paired with beach shorts, making him look more like someone heading to the seaside than attending a formal event.
As expected, after arriving at the venue, they discovered that everyone else was dressed considerably more formally.
As a result, the already eye-catching pair instantly became the center of attention.
"Don't worry about them staring."
Shuta An felt Mejiro Dober beginning to tremble slightly beside him and immediately comforted her.
"The main reason everyone is looking at Dober is because you're the strongest Uma Musume in this entire venue."
"It's just that I didn't expect us to be the only ones dressed casually."
Mejiro Dober lowered her voice.
"I'm a little nervous. It feels like we don't fit in with the atmosphere here."
"Who cares about them?"
Shuta An flicked her forehead.
"The race results aren't decided by whoever dresses the most formally. Forget about that. Let's see what kind of starting gate the people at York Racecourse give us."
"I don't think the starting gate matters."
Mejiro Dober answered softly.
"Because Ann believes I'm the strongest Uma Musume here. No matter which gate I draw, I can still win the Yorkshire Oaks."
"You're right." Shuta An nodded. "But if you can win more easily, there's no need to waste unnecessary stamina."
As he said that, he suddenly realized there was a flaw in the schedule he had previously planned for Mejiro Dober.
Fortunately, it was still something that could be corrected now.
"After the race, Dober, come back to Tokyo with me first. Then you can travel to France on your own afterward."
Without offering any explanation, Shuta An lowered his voice and spoke.
"Okay."
Mejiro Dober agreed immediately. She did not even ask why.