Chapter 134. The Gate Position I Hope Not to Draw
On Thursday afternoon, the Arima Kinen draw ceremony was held at the URA Association headquarters.
After Shuta An and Tokai Teio finished lunch, they drove to the URA Association and arrived among the first guests at the venue.
The invited guests overseeing the draw this time were Super Creek and Tamamo Cross.
Super Creek was still active in the Dream Trophy Series, while Tamamo Cross only ran two Dream Trophy Series races each year in the Hokkaido region and spent the rest of her time helping manage her family's ranch and guesthouse. Thanks to the fame she had gained in the Twinkle Series, Tamamo Cross's family income had risen year after year, and everyone's lives were becoming more prosperous.
Although she certainly could not compare in income to Oguri Cap, whom she had battled many times, she was already very satisfied.
"The most important thing is that we let the uncles and aunts at the family ranch live good lives," Tamamo Cross proudly told reporters when discussing her current situation.
Accepting the invitation to serve as a draw guest this time was also a kind of part-time job for her.
There was not much to do at the family guesthouse and ranch at the moment anyway, so the former Gray Mane monster took the opportunity to earn some extra money and do a bit of shopping in Tokyo.
She had already made plans with Oguri Cap to spend the next two days touring Tokyo's major department stores and buying all the rare items her elders needed, along with the things she wanted for herself.
Shuta had arrived very early at the venue, so both Tamamo Cross and Super Creek noticed him.
"It's hard to imagine that the Trainer who was once rejected by Central has now accumulated all the honors that no previous Trainer has ever achieved,"
Tamamo Cross murmured with emotion.
"Aren't you going to say hello?" Super Creek asked softly, turning her head.
"Forget it. He's Oguri Cap's Trainer. There's not much to talk about if we go over to greet him," Tamamo Cross shook her head. "Let's just go backstage and wait for our cue to go on stage."
"You're right."
Super Creek had not interacted much with Shuta An in recent years either, so she did not really know what to say. She simply followed Tamamo Cross and left with her.
"Were those Senior Tamamo Cross and Senior Super Creek who just left?"
Tokai Teio asked after noticing the two Uma Musume.
"Yes."
Although Shuta An had no personal connection with Tamamo Cross and Super Creek, he could recognize them both from their backs alone—mainly because the URA had already announced the identities of the draw guests. With that information, Tamamo Cross was easy to identify, and the one walking with her would naturally be Super Creek.
"Speaking of which, among the final entries for this year's Arima Kinen, there's also an Uma Musume trained by Fumino Nase."
That Uma Musume, Osumi Shadai, had announced last Sunday that this year's Arima Kinen would be her last race. Although she had won two G2 races and only barely qualified for the Dream Trophy Series, she planned to enter a sports university through the Central Tracen Academy route and become a physical education teacher at a middle school in the future.
Uma Musume like Osumi Shadai were very welcome in elementary and middle schools. No one was more suitable to be a PE teacher than a retired stakes-race Uma Musume.
"Even though this race will be the retirement race for many opponents," Tokai Teio muttered beside the young man, "I won't hold back."
"Let's see what gate position we draw first."
Shuta An lifted his teacup and took a sip.
"I sincerely hope we don't get an outside gate this time. Otherwise, that would really be a headache."
It was difficult to win the Arima Kinen from an outside gate. Everyone knew that. Tokai Teio had already drawn an outside gate in three consecutive G1 races. Shuta An felt that if he publicly drew gate 16 this time, he would definitely complain.
At 5 p.m., after all 16 participating Uma Musume and their Trainers had arrived, everyone began chatting with acquaintances nearby.
Tokai Teio stared intently at Air Groove, while Shuta An chatted with Tojo Hana.
"What gate position are you hoping to draw this time?"
Tojo Hana was very curious about this. Everyone knew the story of Shuta An hoping for an outside gate before the Kikuka Sho and getting his wish. This time, she wanted to know whether his friend planned to keep actively courting trouble.
"A middle gate, I guess."
Shuta An shrugged.
"Any other position, especially an outside gate, is really best forgotten."
"Indeed. But I imagine it definitely won't be an outside gate this time."
Tojo Hana took over the conversation.
"Another outside gate would make it four consecutive outside gates, and that would really be—"
Even if the Arima Kinen draw was broadcast live on television, public opinion would still be a bit—especially since Tokai Teio was an undefeated Undefeated Triple Crown winner.
"Today, we really can only rely on luck."
Shuta An sighed.
"If we really get an outside gate, then we'll just have to accept it."
"With Tokai Teio's strength, even with an outside gate, the probability of winning is still very high," Tojo Hana said honestly.
"If we can make it easier, then of course we'd rather make it easier."
That sentence spoke for all Trainers.
No one wants to win a race the hard way.
People say that results achieved through hard work are sweeter, but if one can easily pick abundant fruit, few would choose the long way around.
While Shuta An and Tojo Hana were chatting, Teio was still staring at Air Groove.
Air Groove, however, did not return the stare.
Although she had debuted later than Tokai Teio, she was far more mentally mature. She also understood why Teio was staring at her so intensely.
It was simply that after Teio won the Kikuka Sho, every time she acted spoiled toward Symboli Rudolf, Kaichou would refuse her and then use Air Groove as an example to tell Teio to grow up.
As the Student Council secretary, Air Groove did not want Symboli Rudolf to use her as an example every day, but it was not something she could refuse.
However, because she did not dare make eye contact with Tokai Teio, Air Groove did not notice that Teio's gaze had drifted to a rather unusual place.
"Gulp—"
Tokai Teio looked at Air Groove's generous figure and let out a strange sound out of envy.
"I'm only a little better than Senior Suzuka."
If the Suzuka had heard that, she would definitely have made a scene—fortunately, Suzuka was not there at the moment.
Shuta An heard Tokai Teio mention Silence Suzuka, but did not clearly catch what she had said, so he turned his head.
"Teio, what's wrong? I heard you mention Suzuka?"
"Nothing."
Tokai Teio waved her hands repeatedly and explained:
"I was just thinking that this race doesn't have a super-fast escape-type Uma Musume like Suzuka-senpai, so it should be much easier."
"That's true."
Shuta An did not suspect anything.
After all, Tokai Teio was telling the truth.
She was not good at handling extremely fast-paced races, and among the 16 Uma Musume participating in this Arima Kinen, there was only one true great escape runner: Twin Turbo.
Unlike Silence Suzuka, who could control her pace and conserve stamina, Twin Turbo would truly give everything to set the pace. Over a 2500-meter course, a runner like that would have almost no negative impact on Tokai Teio, so there was no need to worry about her.