Chapter 142. And Win?
Shuta An wasn't sure what had happened. He closed his eyes, then opened them, and the Arima Kinen in the Dream World had already been skipped.
However, from Tokai Teio's position just now and the smile on Groom Higashi Ikuo's face, the young man concluded that he and Tokai Teio had won.
Matsumoto Shoichi and Uchimura Masanori arrived together in the underground passage. Matsumoto Shoichi hugged Shuta An tightly.
"Shuta! Thank you!"
And Uchimura Masanori bowed to him from behind. "Shuta-kun, you've worked hard these past few years."
"You're too kind."
After breaking free from Matsumoto Shoichi's embrace, Shuta An returned the bow.
"It's truly an honor to have been Tokai Teio's main rider. I believe these years spent with Tokai Teio will become beautiful memories that never fade. I may never meet a partner as amazing as Tokai Teio again."
As he said this, two lines of tears streamed down Shuta An's cheeks, but he still forced a smile.
After seeing Matsumoto Shoichi and Uchimura Masanori off, Shuta An wiped his eyes and muttered to himself,
"My performance just now should have won an Oscar, right?"
It wasn't that the young man had no feelings for Tokai Teio in the Dream World. It was just that this was, after all, the Dream World. For Shuta An, his real emotions were naturally invested in the Tokai Teio lying in the hospital bed in the real world.
"Next, it's time for the interview," he murmured to himself.
Today's Arima Kinen race day was not only Tokai Teio's last active race day, but also the day he planned to hold his retirement ceremony.
As Tokai Teio's sole main jockey throughout her active career, Shuta An would naturally be surrounded by reporters for a thorough interview.
However, before the retirement ceremony began, the post-race interview naturally came first.
After a quick wash of his face, Shuta An walked out of the underground passage and arrived at the media interview area.
Before he could even stand still, he was surrounded by reporters.
"Congratulations to Tokai Teio for winning the Arima Kinen. We saw you, Shuta-kun, rubbing your eyes as you crossed the finish line. Were you moved by the audience's 'Teio call'?"
"During the race, I was completely focused. I could only hear the wind and the sound of Teio and my own breathing. I couldn't hear anything else clearly,"
Shuta An said, shaking his head.
"But after crossing the finish line, I suddenly felt very sad. This was my last time partnering with Tokai Teio on the racecourse. I won't be able to step onto the track with him again, and I won't have a partner who makes me so confident that I can win every race. But I know that horse racing as a sport cannot exist without the support of breeders, and passing on his genes to future generations is Teio's mission as a Triple Crown winner. He has nothing left to prove."
"In this race, we saw Shuta-kun choose a senko strategy, moving directly to the front of the pack upon entering the final turn, then pulling away from all opponents in one go. This time, Tokai Teio crossed the finish line 3 lengths ahead of second-place Biwa Hayahide, which could be said to be her most stunning performance this year. Was this tactic decided before the race?"
"I felt it was necessary to ensure Teio finished his last race safely,"
Shuta An replied with a shrug.
"So everything happened naturally. Teio used his own will to shake off all his opponents. He must have known this was his last race."
"Speaking of which, Tokai Teio seems very intelligent," another reporter said.
"Yes, Tokai Teio is very intelligent. The way I first built a good relationship with him was by buying hi, apples. As we became more familiar, Teio became pickier about apples. Apples bought by others had to be better than mine, but whatever variety of apple I gave him, he would be happy. However, since the beginning of this year, I've only provided Teio with Aomori No. 4 apples, which cost 1200 yen each, but Teio loves them."
Aomori No. 4 is a variety name, often advertised as "Sekai-ichi" or "World's Best." These apples have a circumference between 30 and 46 cm, making them one of the largest apple varieties in the world.
Shuta An was not lying. Tokai Teio had eaten nearly a hundred Aomori No. 4 apples this year—of course, this was nothing compared to the expenses of the honors she had won.
When this interview was broadcast live on television, the apple farmers in Aomori Prefecture who watched it saw it as an opportunity to invite Tokai Teio to be their spokesperson.
Of course, at that time, Shuta An was completely unaware of this—even if he had known, it would not have mattered, because he had no say in the matter.
The young man returned to the lounge, preparing to wait for the retirement ceremony that evening.
Yoshida Katsumi sought him out and patted Shuta An on the shoulder.
"I regret it. I really should have listened to Ann-san."
Shuta An knew what he was going to say—because Admire Vega had participated in the Arima Kinen and then suffered a crushing defeat.
"There's nothing to be done," Shuta An said with a shrug. "So, what do you plan to do with Vega?"
"She's going to retire," Yoshida Katsumi sighed. "To be honest, after making this decision, I felt relieved, because, as you know, my three brothers and I are going to split up. To get a Triple Tiara into my breeding lineup after the split is a godsend for me."
"Take good care of Vega," the young man said after a long silence.
"Of course. How could any ranch not take good care of its breeding horse?" Yoshida Katsumi grinned. "After the split, I'm also planning to establish my own membership club. At that time, Shuta-kun must ride our club's racehorse more often."
Although Yoshida Katsumi was smiling brightly, he was quite nervous at the moment.
After all, the young man before him was no longer just "Japan's number one jockey." His dazzling achievements overseas in the summer were enough to guarantee Shuta An a place in major stables all over the world. Moreover, the white-hatted princes of the Middle East were also eyeing him.
In terms of wealth, Yoshida Katsumi felt he was simply incomparable.
So he could only place his hopes on the friendship he had painstakingly built with Shuta An over the past few years.
"Of course, no problem," Shuta An replied without hesitation. "I believe in the quality of the racehorse produced by Katsumi-san's ranch."
"By the way, Katsumi-san, what do you plan to name the ranch? Or will you continue using Shadai Farm plus the place name?"
He was even more curious about this—mainly because he wasn't sure which ranch Yoshida Katsumi had received in the family split.
Was it the earliest, Shadai Farm Chiba? Or the later Shadai Farm Shiraoi? Or Shadai Farm Chitose, the newest and weakest in foundation?
"I plan to rename the Shadai Farm Shiraoi I received to Northern Farm," Yoshida Katsumi said without any concealment.
"Northern Farm, huh? That's good," Shuta An smiled.
With Shadai Farm Shiraoi as the foundation, plus Yoshida Katsumi's talent, the young man was confident he had found a partner who could consistently provide excellent riding resources until he stopped being a jockey.