Chapter 72. Expedition Partners and Race Ratings
"Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe is out of the question, but I'm interested in the Breeders Cup Series,"
Kitahara-san was the first to respond. "However, Sabuno Hana Park is the only one on my team who can make the trip."
"Why is Shuta-kun suddenly asking about this?" Fumino Nase, Super Creek's Trainer, appeared in the chat after a long absence.
"Are you planning to organize a group expedition so everyone can split the travel costs?"
"I do have a Classic-season Uma Musume on my team who won a G3 this year. Since I'm not entirely convinced she's suited for middle-distance races, I've been considering having her skip the final Triple Crown race."
"Because I received an invitation from the Breeders Cup Series organizing committee,"
Shuta An explained, "I figured that if only Mejiro Dober from Team Sadalsuud went on the expedition, it would be difficult to find suitable sparring partners. So I thought it would be better to gather a few interested Trainers from the Academy and travel together, similar to what we did during the Dubai World Cup Race Day a few years ago."
"I originally intended for Air Groove to complete the domestic Triple Tiara route,"
Tojo Hana followed up.
"However, because she missed the Oka Sho due to physical issues, I've been hesitating about whether to enter her in the Shuka Sho. Since Ann-san brought up the Breeders Cup Series, I think it might be a good alternative. I'll discuss it with Air Groove and give Ann-san an answer as soon as possible."
"Anyway, I originally hoped one or two people might join, but the more the better. Everyone can train together, improve together, and strive for strong results in America."
Shuta An had no limit on the number of teammates for this expedition. If there were only a few participants, everyone could stay at his house. If there were many, they could borrow apartments from West Coast Tracen Academy. No matter what, there was no possibility of ending up sleeping in cars at some plaza.
By the time Shuta An finished his bath, changed into his pajamas, and called room service, only Fumino Nase, Kitahara-san, and Tojo Hana had clearly expressed interest in the Breeders Cup expedition. Nishizaki Ryu and Minamisaka both stated that their teams would remain focused on domestic competition. The remaining Trainers either never appeared or regretfully admitted that sending their Uma Musume overseas would simply be a waste of money.
"Participation can be secured through invitations from the organizing committee. A single word from me will be enough."
After saying that, Shuta An created a separate Line group for the interested parties, intending to discuss all matters related to the Breeders Cup expedition there.
"From your side, it's only Miss Mejiro Dober who's going, right?" Fumino Nase asked. "Which race is she planning to enter? It would be better if everyone avoided it. If we end up competing in the same race, it would feel a little regrettable."
"My current plan is for Mejiro Dober to run in the Breeders Cup Turf," Shuta An replied directly.
"I want Sabuno Hana Park to participate in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf," Kitahara-san immediately responded.
"Air Groove will also be entering the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf," Tojo Hana added honestly.
Fumino Nase looked at the three messages and hesitated briefly.
Originally, she had planned for Scarlet Bouquet to challenge the Filly & Mare Turf as well. However, if Scarlet Bouquet had to face Air Groove, her chances of winning would be virtually nonexistent. After a moment of thought, she changed her mind.
"I'm planning to enter Scarlet Bouquet in the Breeders Cup Mile."
"Scarlet Bouquet?"
The moment he saw the name, Shuta An immediately froze for a second.
"I didn't expect the real-world Scarlet Bouquet to be on Miss Nase's team. That's quite a surprise."
The fate of the Dream World belonged to the Dream World, and Shuta An had no intention of dwelling on it further.
After lunch, he prepared to take a nap and recover some energy.
Meanwhile, in the Line group, Fumino Nase complained to Nishizaki Ryu,
"I told Scarlet Bouquet about the expedition arrangements, and the first thing she asked was whether your Daiwa Scarlet from Team Spica would be going. She's becoming more and more hopeless."
Nishizaki Ryu could only respond with an awkward smile.
The truth was that he wasn't particularly familiar with the social circles of Team Spica's Uma Musume within Tracen Academy, so he genuinely had no idea what to say.
That evening, after organizing the latest Twinkle Series information, Shuta An opened a can of sparkling water and took a sip while preparing to begin his IFUA scoring work.
He and the other members of his scoring group were responsible for evaluating the Uma Musume participating in Japanese G1 races, the top four finishers of open races, Listed races, and other major events, as well as every participant in key overseas G1 races.
Naturally, this meant Mejiro Dober's Yorkshire Oaks performance was also within his scope of responsibility.
After a moment of consideration, Shuta An decided to leave the Yorkshire Oaks for last and first complete the domestic evaluations.
"It seems I only need to follow the existing scoring standards."
For him, scoring domestic Uma Musume was hardly difficult.
The ratings assigned for victories at each race level were already fairly standardized. Furthermore, he didn't need to evaluate every participant individually. As long as the ratings for the top four finishers were accurate, the task was relatively simple.
Eventually, only the Yorkshire Oaks remained.
Shuta An frowned deeply.
"Normally, the winner of a senior-year Triple Tiara-limited race in Japan would receive a rating around 115. Considering this race was run in Britain, and Dober's finishing time was exceptionally strong—which is actually more important than the eighteen-length margin—I can justify adding several more points."
He paused briefly before arriving at a conclusion.
"It can probably be rated at 122."
One should not underestimate a rating of 122.
According to IFUA regulations, ratings earned in Triple Tiara Series races are adjusted to be three points lower than equivalent mixed-race performances. Therefore, Mejiro Dober's 122 rating in the Yorkshire Oaks was effectively comparable to a 125 rating in a mixed race.
In this year's IFUA World Uma Musume Rankings, such a number would be enough to secure a place within the Top Ten.
"If this had been an eighteen-length victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, it would probably have shot straight past 130."
Satisfied that the number was fair and reasonable, Shuta An submitted the rating.
"I wonder what score Miss Tojo and the others will give Dober."
Lying on his bed, he began thinking about the matter.
Based on Tojo Hana and the others' previous habits, he estimated they would probably assign a slightly higher rating.
"But at most it'll be 123. It can't realistically go any higher."
That was his bold prediction.
"Still, the final rating for the Yorkshire Oaks will ultimately depend on the British URA Association's evaluation."
Shuta An always felt that the British side would avoid assigning an excessively inflated number.
Yet when he remembered the reaction of the crowd at York Racecourse after witnessing Mejiro Dober's astonishing margin of victory, he found himself becoming less certain.
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