Chapter 68. Yorkshire Oaks: Pre-warning of Team Tactics
For this year's Yorkshire Oaks, Mejiro Dober drew starting gate number nine—once again, the outermost lane without question.
"Maybe it really is a matter of luck," Shuta An grumbled alongside Mejiro Dober at the venue.
However, after leaving the venue and facing the reporters, the young man immediately changed his tone.
"No matter which gate we draw, it will not affect our determination to defend our title. We came here for victory in this Yorkshire Oaks."
"This year's Yorkshire Oaks field is even stronger than last year's. But that doesn't seem to affect Mr. Shuta's confidence in Mejiro Dober, does it?" a reporter asked.
"It doesn't matter how strong the field is. As long as I decide to enter Dober in a race, I will believe she can win it."
To the reporters, "that race" referred to the Yorkshire Oaks.
But to Mejiro Dober, Shuta An was referring to every race that awaited her in the future.
Back at the hotel, Shuta An pulled Mejiro Dober into the study.
"There's nothing more to discuss. Since we drew the outermost gate, Dober will continue using late-surger tactics in this Yorkshire Oaks."
"That's what I was thinking too." Mejiro Dober nodded. "The horses that want the lead this time won't set a fast pace. Whitewater Affair and Crown of Light are from the same stable, so they'll most likely use team tactics. Dober just needs to avoid getting caught up in them."
"They won't specifically target me?" Mejiro Dober asked with a smile. "I feel like if team tactics are involved, the first target should be me."
"Targeting Dober is pointless."
Shuta An turned to look at his lover.
"If they want to create a slow pace, Dober can simply accelerate early. If they want to build a wall to block her route, Dober is already starting from the outermost gate. Going around that wall would be far too easy."
"With Ann saying that, I suddenly feel much more at ease."
Mejiro Dober stuck out her tongue.
"I'll adjust my condition properly over the next few days and make sure I can perform at one hundred percent on race day."
—
Soon, the calendar turned to the twentieth—the day of the Yorkshire Oaks.
Back in Hokkaido, Tokai Teio and the others had already adjusted to the time difference and were preparing to watch the broadcast.
Although overseas expeditions had become increasingly common among the Uma Musume of Central Tracen Academy, only overseas races with relatively high chances of victory were broadcast domestically. For Team Sadalsuud's overseas campaigns, however, broadcasts were arranged whenever conditions allowed.
"I hope Dober-senpai can win her eleventh G1 today."
Sitting on the sofa with a cup of honey special drink in hand, Tokai Teio was the first to speak.
"Eleven G1 victories—" Curren Chan murmured softly. "I still remember the stereotype of the Emperor's Wall. Back then, I never would've believed something like this."
"We have to surpass our predecessors."
The undefeated Triple Crown Uma Musume swung her legs gently.
"Surpass Dober-senpai in quantity, surpass Oguri-senpai in quality. Only then can I become the strongest Uma Musume in Team Sadalsuud."
"That sounds like a goal that's basically impossible."
Kurofune immediately commented.
"I'm focusing on dirt races anyway, so those comparisons don't really concern me."
Curren Chan wanted to add something as well, but she didn't even have a team yet, making it difficult to comment.
As for Rice Shower, she had no confidence in predicting what achievements she might obtain in the future, so she simply remained silent and did not join Tokai Teio's fantasy.
—
Yesterday afternoon, Shuta An and Mejiro Dober spent some intimate time together before he sent her to York Racecourse.
After returning to the hotel, finding himself with nothing else to do, the young man vented his excess energy in the hotel gym before going to bed early.
In the Dream World, it was the day of the Ebor Handicap.
Shuta An was scheduled to ride Turgenev from Gosden Stable in the twenty-one-horse handicap race.
Then, on the morning of the Yorkshire Oaks, the young man woke up with his face completely red from anger.
"You can actually ride a race like that?! Twenty horses not running their own races and just staring at me the whole time? Is that even horse racing?!"
Shuta An had nearly been driven dizzy by what happened in the Dream World the previous night.
"Forget it. Forget it."
After washing his face, he gradually calmed down.
"Anyway, that was only the Dream World. The important thing is Dober's race this afternoon."
However, as he recalled last night's experience, his brows furrowed again.
"I need to remind Dober later. She can't expect her opponents to behave according to common sense or act kindly. She has to take control of the race herself."
After waking up in the lounge, Mejiro Dober lay quietly on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
She had a dream.
In that dream, a wall formed by all her opponents stood before her, and no matter what she did, she could not break through their blockade.
"As expected, even with late-surger tactics, I can't fall too far behind. Otherwise, Whitewater Affair and Crown of Light really could block me off."
Mejiro Dober silently reminded herself.
"I still need to move forward a little and gain several lengths. Otherwise, I might end up trapped behind the local Uma Musume and lose my chance to break out."
Meanwhile, Stoute, the Trainer of Whitewater Affair and Crown of Light, was in an exceptionally good mood.
"Shuta An will most likely arrange late-surger tactics for Mejiro Dober. If that happens, Whitewater Affair and Crown of Light can work together to seal off her acceleration route. That should be quite a surprise for them."
When the spirited Stoute encountered Shuta An at the entrance to York Racecourse, he took the initiative to greet the young man.
"Good morning, Mr. Shuta~"
"Good morning, Mr. Stoute."
Shuta An nodded in response.
This was not their first meeting.
When Oguri Cap participated in the Breeders' Cup Mile, the strongest opponent, Royal Academy, had been trained by Stoute. Today marked another meeting between the two since that Breeders' Cup campaign.
"I'm going to reclaim Royal Academy's past defeat from Mr. Shuta today."
Stoute stared directly at the young man, his expression unusually serious.
"I won't give you the chance."
Shuta An casually waved a hand.
Compared to Stoute, he appeared far more relaxed. Yet inwardly, the young man quietly warned himself,
"It seems Stoute has already arranged team tactics for the two Uma Musume under his care, and Dober is the target."
Stepping into the connections' box, Shuta An first took out his phone and plugged it in to charge before preparing to connect with Tokai Teio and the others through a Line voice call.
"Trainer, why are you calling us so early? The broadcast hasn't even started here yet," Tokai Teio immediately complained from the other end of the line.
"The Yorkshire Oaks officially starts around 11:35 p.m. Japan time, so it should be close to 10 p.m. in Hokkaido right now, correct?"
Shuta An glanced at the time and quickly calculated the difference.
"The few of us took a nap this afternoon, and we're planning to stay up late tonight. That should be fine, right?" Tokai Teio asked for her Trainer's approval.
Shuta An agreed without hesitation.
"Today is a special case, so it's fine. But only for today. As for Teio and Rice Shower, don't make a habit of it. The day after tomorrow, Dober and I will be heading back to Hokkaido as well."
"Huh?"
A chorus of confusion came from the other side of the call. Tokai Teio sounded especially puzzled.
"If Dober-senpai is going to the Prix Vermeille next, shouldn't she go straight to Paris and start preparing there?"
"That's what I thought at first too,"
Shuta An said with a sigh.
"Then I suddenly remembered the URA Association's new regulations. If Dober goes directly to Paris, it will probably trigger the domestic suspension clause. Although I never intended to have Dober race domestically again this year, I still need to leave some room for future possibilities. Having her return to Japan first and record an official entry and exit will keep those troublesome people at the URA Association quiet."
"So that's how it is."
Curren Chan's voice suddenly joined the conversation.
"When you think about it, that does make sense. It's just a little troublesome for Dober-oneesan."
"The URA Association probably made this rule specifically to make things troublesome for Uma Musume," Shuta An replied with a helpless shrug.
—
Today's opening race was the G2 1200-meter turf Revann Stakes. Shuta An paid very little attention to it. He would not be participating in this race in the Dream World tonight, and none of the Uma Musume competing in the real-world event would have any connection to him throughout their careers.
In the end, Carrowkeel claimed victory.
After the winning live concluded, Shuta An picked up his phone again.
"I'm heading to the stands to watch the race up close. Let's stop here for now."
"Trainer! Remember to cheer for Dober-senpai on our behalf!" Tokai Teio reminded him earnestly just before hanging up.
"You might as well record a voice message and send it to me," Shuta An suggested. "That would be more meaningful."
"That's a great idea!"
Curren Chan immediately became excited.
The other Uma Musume agreed as well. Compared to having Shuta An relay their support, recording it themselves felt much more sincere.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, they hurried off to prepare their messages.
Meanwhile, Shuta grabbed a can of sparkling water and left the box.
Arriving at the stands closest to the finish line, he exchanged brief greetings with several Trainers he knew. Almost immediately, however, he noticed that Stoute was nowhere to be seen.
"He must have gone to brief the two Uma Musume under his care," the young man thought. "But I still haven't reminded Dober to watch out for Whitewater Affair and Crown of Light."
His original plan was simple.
When Mejiro Dober emerged from the underground passage, he would shout a reminder loudly enough for her to hear.
After all, coordinated team tactics were commonplace in Europe. Even if he openly called attention to it, it would not change anyone's plans. The European audience was already accustomed to such things. Whether he said it aloud or not made little difference.
By 2:10 p.m., the Yorkshire Oaks parade was about to begin.
Shuta An moved closer to the edge of the parade ring.
As expected, Stoute had already arrived.
The two men exchanged glances and smiles. Neither showed the slightest sign of discomfort.
Shuta An then shifted his attention back to the entrance of the underground passage, quietly waiting for the graceful figure he wished to see.
Although she had drawn the outermost gate, Mejiro Dober carried saddlecloth number one in this race, making her the first participant to emerge.
"NUMBER ONE, LAST YEAR'S YORKSHIRE OAKS CHAMPION. JAPAN'S UNDEFEATED TRIPLE TIARA UMA MUSUME. A RUNNER WHO HAS ALREADY SECURED THREE CONSECUTIVE G1 VICTORIES THIS SEASON AND DEMONSTRATED EXTRAORDINARY STRENGTH IN BOTH AUSTRALIA AND JAPAN—MEJIRO DOBER."
Watching her appearance, the commentator's voice echoed through the venue.
"SHE APPEARS TO BE IN EXCELLENT PHYSICAL CONDITION TODAY. HER MENTAL STATE IS EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE. EVERYTHING SUGGESTS SHE IS FULLY PREPARED. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHETHER SHE CAN DELIVER A PERFORMANCE WORTHY OF THE STANDARDS SHE ESTABLISHED IN HER FIRST THREE RACES OF THE SEASON."
The moment she stepped out of the underground passage, Mejiro Dober immediately spotted her Trainer.
She strode forward confidently, her gaze meeting Shuta An's.
If not for the countless spectators surrounding them, she would have wanted to exchange a private gesture with him.
Instead, just as she approached, Shuta An spoke first.
"Dober, be careful of any form of coordinated targeting from your opponents today."
Mejiro Dober's ears twitched upright.
"Trainer is worried about that too?"
She did not answer aloud.
Instead, she simply nodded calmly, indicating that she had understood.
Stoute could not understand Japanese, but he could more or less guess the content of Shuta An's warning.
"A last-minute reminder won't undo the preparations I've made," Stoute snorted inwardly.
After arriving near the starting gate, Mejiro Dober stamped the turf firmly beneath her feet.
She could immediately tell that today's York Racecourse surface was not at its driest condition. At the same time, it was far from difficult to run on.
If she had to evaluate it, the ground would be considered slightly heavy by local standards, close to what would be classified as a heavy track in Japan.
"It's fine. No problem at all."
Mejiro Dober clenched her fist and glanced toward Whitewater Affair, the likely front-runner in today's race.
"Ann warned me about team tactics. The one most likely to execute them is Whitewater Affair. If they're targeting me, they'll probably try to control the pace and stretch the field across the track, making it impossible for me to find a clear path."
Her thoughts raced rapidly.
"To counter something like that, there's only one effective solution."
Having reached her conclusion, Mejiro Dober completed her preparations.
This time, she was ready for anything her opponents intended to throw at her.