Chapter 66. Nobody Wanted Part 1
During the display segment, the cheers Tokai Teio received, while not as thunderous as in her home country, were still like a tidal wave.
"Well, overseas fans are quite enthusiastic too."
Tokai Teio, smiling and waving to the stands, mused inwardly.
"Now I really have to give it my all."
Because she was assigned the far outside starting gate, Tokai Teio was the last to step onto the display stage. After stepping off, she scanned the already empty display area and quickened her pace towards the starting gate for her pre-race warm-up.
While Tokai Teio and the other Epsom Derby Uma Musumes were warming up, the pure straight race preceding the Epsom Derby was about to begin.
Part of this race used the second straight section of the Epsom Derby course, so Tokai Teio warmed up while watching the screen.
"Let's see how the track is after being watered."
The conclusion Tokai Teio reached was not unexpected.
"It looks a bit heavy. On this section of the course, it's indeed necessary to conserve stamina. Considering this is an uphill section, the positions of the horses here shouldn't change much."
Opera House and other European Uma Musumes came to the same conclusion. But there are always those who want to stir things up.
User Friendly squinted, pondering.
"Logically speaking, Tokai Teio is the biggest opponent this year. Japanese race pace is faster than ours, so she can definitely adapt to a fast pace. But if I set a slow-to-fast pace, I can catch her off guard."
Before the race, User Friendly's Trainer, Whiteley, intended for User Friendly to set a slow pace.
Although he also noticed that Tokai Teio might not adapt to a fast pace in Japan, such a pace, if copied to Ascot Racecourse, would be suicidal. So Whiteley decided to do the opposite, directly arranging for User Friendly to rein in the pace, forcing Tokai Teio and the local Uma Musumes to compete on their final burst of speed.
"In terms of track adaptability and explosive power, Tokai Teio won't have an advantage over us."
Whiteley's plan was sound, but User Friendly came up with her own idea after watching this class race. And Whiteley was still oblivious to this.
—
As the Uma Musume starting from the outermost gate, gate number 11, Tokai Teio was naturally the last to enter the starting gate.
Having already adjusted her condition, she glanced at a photographer not far from her side before stepping into the starting gate.
"Teio looked at the camera!"
Mayano Top Gun, sitting on the sofa in the Sadalsuud team's activity room, shouted.
"That gaze was so cool!"
"Maya-senpai, a little quieter."
Rice Shower reminded helplessly.
"We're already sneaking out late at night to watch the race. If the dormitory supervisors notice, we'll be scolded."
"True."
Mayano Top Gun stuck out her tongue.
"We can't even turn on the lights. It's like secretly playing games in the dorm in the middle of the night."
No one had more experience in this than Mayano Top Gun, so the Sadalsuud team's Uma Musumes could only laugh awkwardly.
"Teio-senpai will win this time, right?" Kurofune stared at the screen. "The Epsom Derby—you can tell by the name that it's a big deal, to be named after royalty."
"Didn't the Trainer say in his pre-race interview that he has full confidence this time?"
Rice Shower chimed in.
"Last time he wasn't as confident in me, and I still won the Japanese Derby. This time, there's definitely no problem!"
Admire Vega, hugging a soft carrot-patterned cushion, did not join the conversation. She just silently gazed at the TV screen, listening to the GreenChannel commentator praise Tokai Teio-senpai with words full of anticipation.
"Sister, I will definitely stand on the stage where Teio-senpai stands right now in the future."
She vowed in her heart. If it weren't for the Trainer's strict instructions to control her training intensity, Admire Vega would already be heading out to the training ground for a few laps.
—
"Click!"
The sound of the starting gate was crisp and clear, louder than the starting gates in Japan. But Tokai Teio's speed out of the gate was similar to when she raced in Japan.
Tokai Teio, remembering Shuta's instructions, did not, as other Uma Musumes had anticipated before the race, eagerly cut into the inner lane after leaving the gate. Instead, she slowly followed alongside Planetary Aspect, who started from gate 10, gradually moving towards the inner lane.
But upon noticing that Planetary Aspect chose to stay behind, Tokai Teio simply accelerated slightly, got ahead of Planetary Aspect, and then continued to slowly cut to the outermost edge of the pack, roughly in the four-wide position.
"Good, now there's no need to consider cutting further inside. Just wait for an opportunity in this spot."
Shuta nodded in satisfaction.
The Epsom Derby starts with a downhill section. Here, you don't need to expend too much effort to build up speed, and User Friendly also slowly accelerated at the start to the front of the pack. It could be said that she didn't seize the leading position; everyone yielded it to her.
User Friendly estimated her current stamina reserves, her heart leaping.
"After turning past Swinley Bottom, I can prepare to accelerate once we enter the straight!"
Noticing User Friendly's performance, Whiteley nodded in satisfaction.
"Maintain this rhythm, bring Tokai Teio to the same level as the other opponents. Don't set a pace that she finds comfortable but other Uma Musumes find difficult."
Muttering to himself, he turned his head and glanced at Tokai Teio's Trainer, who was holding hands with Mejiro Dober not far away.
"Tokai Teio's explosive power is indeed very strong, but this is Ascot, a track that many local European Uma Musumes find difficult to overcome. Do you have the confidence to make Tokai Teio perfectly adapt here in less than two months?"
Whiteley himself didn't believe it.
—
"User Friendly is setting the pace too slow," Shuta An said softly, looking at the screen. "Tokai Teio is now in fifth place, which is a very good position."
"The pace will probably slow down to around 65 seconds for the first 1000 meters,"
Dober continued. "Is that good news for Tokai Teio?"
"Everyone can adapt, so it will purely be a test of sprinting ability in the final straight."
Shuta An chuckled.
"It just so happens that when I analyzed the race for Tokai Teio before the race, I focused on acceleration tips for the final straight. Whiteley and the others will probably be very surprised later."
"Then what can you teach me for the Nassau Stakes?" Mejiro Dober linked arms with her lover. "I'm very curious."