"So Mr. Takezono's saying… he wants Luminous Dyna to go to France as Nakayama Festa's companion horse?"
When Wada heard the news, he honestly thought he had misheard.
What kind of Japanese owner sends a horse overseas at two years old? In Wada's mind, the earliest that should happen was at three, for a run at the Arc. But now Takezono had come up with another wild idea.
A two-year-old Luminous Dyna. In France.
The whole thing sounded absurd, but Wada could absolutely believe Takezono would do something like that. He did not know the exact reason, and asking Takezono directly would have been impolite, so after hearing it from trainer Iwamoto, all he could do was nod and say he understood.
Wada knew Dyna would never go all the way to France just to serve as a companion horse. There was an extremely high chance she would also run in one of the juvenile fillies' races there. Nakayama Festa, representing Japan, would of course still be ridden by his main jockey, Masayoshi Ebina. And if Dyna ran in any race during that trip, then Ebina would most likely be the one picking up the spare mount. After all, Takezono had no connections with foreign jockeys.
If the pairing of Luminous Dyna and Masayoshi Ebina performed brilliantly in France, then once Dyna came back to Japan… would Wada still be her primary rider?
Even he had no confidence in that.
Ever since Opera O retired, nearly ten years had passed without Wada winning another G1. And the promise he had made with Opera O still had no idea when it would finally be fulfilled. Lately, the quality of the rides he was getting had already started to decline little by little.
Because no owner would willingly hand a horse with true G1-winning potential to a jockey who, on paper, no longer looked like a G1-winning rider.
That was how Wada saw it.
So after leaving trainer Iwamoto, he went straight to Dyna's stall.
Before long, Luminous Dyna would be shipped out with Nakayama Festa as his companion horse and flown to the airport, then on to France.
He stood before the stall and sighed.
"Dyna… do you think we'll still be a pair in the future?"
At that moment, Dyna had been lying all the way in the back, her muzzle buried in the hay. Her breath puffed through the pile and sent bits of straw flying. But when she heard Wada's voice, she slowly got to her feet, walked to the door, and poked her head out.
It was a familiar two-legged creature. The scent matched the one who always sat on her back. Dyna sniffed at him a few times, then stretched out her neck and began nudging him with her nose.
She was a little hungry, but it was not feeding time yet, so she could only satisfy herself by rubbing against this human for a while.
She caught the zipper on Wada's black jacket in her mouth, apparently deciding it was some new toy, and swung her head back and forth to make it slide open and shut. The force of it made Wada laugh helplessly as he pushed her face away.
"All right…"
He rubbed her nose gently.
"In a little while, you'll be off to France. I don't know whether we'll still get to work together after you come back… but I'll keep coming to see you."
His palm was warm on her muzzle.
But Wada was still human. He still had work as a jockey. After lingering only a short while, he turned and walked away, leaving Dyna standing at the door of the stall, staring after him in a daze.
She probably did not yet understand what was about to happen in a few days.
But she could sense that this two-legged creature walking away from her was not in a very good mood.
She wanted to follow and bump him in the back with her nose, but the iron door of the stall remained an uncrossable barrier between horse and man.
At least for Dyna, it was. If she had still been a younger foal, she might have squeezed right through the gap.
Takezono, meanwhile, was in no great mood himself these days.
Ever since Light Dyna—when she had been just a one-year-old filly—had turned his ranch upside down because of Sunday Racing's Golden Master, Takezono's career as an owner had seemed cursed by bad luck. After completely falling out with them, nothing had gone smoothly.
Just this year alone, he had been agonizing over the breeding list, trying to decide which stallion to send Ocean Pride to. In truth, the funds he had on hand for his racehorses were already running thin. Over the years, the horses he had managed to acquire could only win enough prize money in listed races to scrape by, and after deducting training fees and all the other expenses, there really was not much left reaching his account.
And from that same pool of money, he still had to find suitable stallions for his broodmares every single year. For an old man, all of that was exhausting enough.
And once Dyna retired, finding a stallion worthy of pairing with her would be even harder.
Since he had completely broken with Shadai, all of their superior resources were off the table. There was no chance they would extend those opportunities to someone they had already severed ties with.
"I'll probably have to look at other private owners… or overseas stallions."
That was the conclusion he had come to.
Dyna's pedigree was almost absurdly flexible by Japanese standards. From Takezono's perspective, a foal by Gold Journey was a very appealing option. But nearly all of those bloodlines were under Shadai's control. Then, thinking of this year's Takarazuka Kinen winner, a new idea struck him.
"Nakayama Festa is going to France for the Arc, right?"
That was what he asked his assistant.
The assistant answered, "Yes. Victoire Pisa is also going for the Arc."
Takezono was fairly familiar with Nakayama Festa. Up to now he had won three graded races, one of them the G1 Takarazuka Kinen. That alone already made him appealing as a future match for one of Takezono's broodmares. More importantly, he was also a son of Gold Journey, carrying Sunday Silence's blood.
Meanwhile, Dyna had none of Sunday Silence in her blood at all.
Her sire was Opera O, her grandsire Opera House. On the dam's side, her mother was Ocean Pride, her damsire Brave Dance. In other words, she matched beautifully with almost every stallion in Japan.
"Help me get in touch with Nakayama Festa's owner. I think he'd actually suit Dyna quite well. And Mr. Izumi doesn't have that much connection to Shadai, does he?"
Takezono was still wary of Shadai, but at that point there was no point worrying anymore. If he kept dragging his feet, Dyna might retire before he ever found a proper stallion for her.
Izumi Nobuko, Nakayama Festa's owner, had passed away after the Kikuka Sho, and Nakayama Festa had been inherited by her father, Izumi Shinichi.
Since Nakayama Festa was going abroad after winning the Takarazuka, something almost nobody had expected, it had become difficult to find him a proper companion horse. Takezono was gambling on that.
When Izumi Shinichi agreed to meet him, he had already mostly emerged from the grief of losing his daughter. As for racing politics and factional grudges, those were not matters he paid much attention to.
He only wanted to take proper care of the horse his daughter had left behind.
Nakayama Festa had been in good form lately, and Izumi visited his stall often.
After hearing Takezono's request, Izumi could understand it. He had also watched Golden Master's debut in that torrential rain, since she too was by Gold Journey, and he had been left with a strong impression of that chestnut filly who hated to lose.
"If she's just going as a companion horse, then there's no problem giving her breeding priority later. But what I'm worried about is this—she's still young. She hasn't been in a Japanese stable for very long, and now you're going to move her into a French one. Will she adapt? And horsebox fees for a non-runner overseas aren't cheap either."
That was Izumi Shinichi's genuine concern for Takezono.
Then, after thinking about the rain-soaked debut again, Izumi added, "Actually, Dyna handled heavy ground really well. If she's going all the way to France, why not let her run a race? She might even win. There are plenty of G1s for two-year-old fillies over there. Just pick one that isn't too deep."
Their discussion went surprisingly smoothly.
When Takezono stepped out of the izakaya afterward, he felt refreshed. Izumi Shinichi had left him with a very good impression. The only thing Takezono could do in return was quietly lament the daughter he had lost too soon.
So he contacted Iwamoto immediately.
"If Dyna's going to France, then she's running in a G1."
Iwamoto was not remotely surprised. This was exactly the kind of thing Takezono would do.
He recommended the Prix Marcel Boussac, a French G1 restricted to two-year-old fillies. It was a turf mile, and in his view, it fit Dyna well.
"Don't think Dyna isn't good enough. Sure, this race has produced fillies like Zarkava in years past, unbeaten Arc winners and the like, but I honestly think Dyna has the talent to win the Arc too. The Marcel Boussac really does identify the strongest turf filly of the year."
That was Iwamoto's reasoning.
After all, if Dyna had been able to finish a race under that level of torrential rain and still not look all that tired, then why not take a gamble on Longchamp?
Even the worst Longchamp ground was never going to be as bad as the absolute deluge Dyna had already handled.
And so, in the end, Luminous Dyna became the first Japanese two-year-old filly to travel to Europe.
She was bundled into the plane almost before she knew what was happening.
When she was led into the strange iron shell, still in her traveling box, she curiously poked her head out, looking at this unfamiliar place. Beside her stood an unfamiliar colt.
Nakayama Festa's mood had been stable all year. He had been loaded first, and when he spotted the little filly next to him, he let out a sharp snort.
The intimidating snort of an unfamiliar mature male had an enormous effect on Dyna. Her own sire, Opera O, had never treated her like that when she had been around him. So Dyna promptly huddled herself into a corner and stayed there for quite a while before finally inching back out and looking at Nakayama Festa.
Ugly.
That was Dyna's first thought.
Ugly.
That was Nakayama Festa's thought too.
Nakayama Festa's rider for the Arc would remain his regular jockey, Masayoshi Ebina. Victoire Pisa would be partnered by Yutaka Take.
Luminous Dyna, by contrast, had no rider yet.
Takezono simply could not find anyone suitable to ride her in France. Yutaka Take was obviously out of the question, and he did not know any foreign jockeys. So in the end, he had to ask Izumi Shinichi for a favor—have him persuade Masayoshi Ebina to act as Dyna's fill-in rider in France.
The process was winding, but in the end, Ebina agreed.
Since he was the same jockey who had once guided El Condor Pasa to second in the Arc, Takezono had almost religious faith in Ebina's performances at Longchamp.
Of course, not having confidence would not help anyone. No one else had been willing to ride Dyna.
Because he had two horses to ride around Arc weekend, Ebina stayed extremely busy during the adaptation period.
There was no need to say much about Nakayama Festa. They were old partners; he only needed to adapt the horse to conditions in France.
But it was Luminous Dyna who left Ebina baffled.
Not because she had a bad temperament. As a spare rider, Ebina had felt it the first time he mounted her—her body was astonishingly supple, with no hardness at all in her muscles. Even the feedback through the saddle felt almost luxurious.
But once he was on her back, everything felt vaguely wrong.
After one lap, Ebina finally figured out why.
"Is this mare's response really this slow?"
"Oh, yes," said the training assistant. "She has a naturally sluggish feel to her. But Wada said the most sensitive part of her body is her neck, so perhaps you could try working from there."
That was what the assistant told him.
A week before Arc day, Dyna had one final serious piece of work. The weather was poor again, with light rain falling, and the ground was a mess.
Ebina experimented with mostly pushing her forward rather than relying heavily on the whip, and found that after a couple of pushes, the best effect came from only a few strikes. The final gallop time was good by two-year-old filly standards, and after seeing it, Dyna's camp had high hopes for a respectable finish in the Marcel Boussac.
And so, with this ramshackle patchwork of decisions, Luminous Dyna was sent into the Marcel Boussac.
Takezono even flew to France himself.
When he saw Dyna at Longchamp, he found she had grown a great deal since Japan. Her coat was brightening too, as though she were slowly becoming the beautiful chestnut filly she had once been.
"I'm counting on you, Ebina."
That was all Takezono said before the race. No long lecture, no unnecessary words. He knew nothing about Longchamp, and any blind interference from him would only cause trouble. On the track, he had to trust the jockey.
Perched on Dyna's back, already wearing his goggles, Ebina only nodded. The next step was the post parade.
Today it was drizzling, and the ground was officially described as soft. By Arc day, the rain might get even worse.
Months had passed, and for the first time Dyna finally saw someone familiar.
She wanted to rub herself against Takezono—but before she could, Ebina tugged the reins and turned her head aside, because it was almost time to go out.
After all that time working together, Dyna had become a little quicker at responding to Ebina's cues—but the moment she entered the racecourse in front of a crowd, it was as though her personal network connection abruptly lagged again.
Ebina suspected Dyna's reaction speed had gone right back to high-ping delay.
He had to tap her neck several times before she understood what she was supposed to do, and even then she only ambled slowly toward the gate.
"Good girl. Just respond a little more quickly once the race starts."
That was Ebina's hope.
Dyna stood in front of the gate as though rooted there. Even when the attendants tried to lead her around in a small circle, they got absolutely nowhere.
Still, she was not difficult to load. Ebina merely nudged her lightly, and she stepped in on her own.
France – Longchamp Racecourse – G1 Prix Marcel Boussac – Two-Year-Old Fillies – Turf – 1600m – Going: Soft
Luminous Dyna was the eighth choice in the betting, which honestly surprised plenty of people. The fact that she was not favorite for last at least meant some respect.
Takezono bought 500,000 yen's worth of Dyna tickets.
Back in Japan, Wada bought 1,000,000 yen's worth.
He believed Dyna could win.
"The first Japanese two-year-old filly to contest a French juvenile fillies' race, Luminous Dyna, is loaded. The soft ground and the unfamiliar environment will both pose major challenges to this brave little girl—but until the race is over, no one can say who the winner will be!"
"The Prix Marcel Boussac—and they're off!"
The gates flew open.
Contrary to Ebina's fears, Dyna did not break slowly at all. In fact, she was one of the quickest out.
Based on everything he had learned in their time working together, Ebina's instinct was to restrain her and settle her back, because with the sorts of horses he had ridden in the past, a sharp break usually meant they would keep wanting to push on.
But before Ebina had even pulled, Dyna eased herself down.
She placed herself neatly at the back of the field, only half a length off the filly in eighth.
"Luminous Dyna's break and early position are excellent—she looks very comfortable with the Longchamp course!"
From that point onward, it felt almost unnaturally smooth.
As though she already recognized the bends. As though she already knew where the finish line would be after a certain number of turns.
"Miss Fifty" led in the rain, two lengths clear of the main pack.
"Rainbow Springs" headed the stalking group, traveling powerfully.
And down along the rail, Danon Dream was threading her way through the churned-up ground in mid-division.
Ebina had never ridden a horse that felt so settled in a race. Even though she would inevitably eat the kickback of mud from the horses in front, her position was ideal for launching a run.
By the time they reached the middle bend, the pink silks on Ebina's back had been splashed so thoroughly with mud that they were nearly gray-brown.
Most horses hated the mud and grit being flung in their faces.
Dyna, on the other hand, seemed to become more excited because of it.
The body that had felt so soft in the morning began to harden with gathered force.
Then, after coming off the false straight, Dyna took the initiative to move up on her own.
"Very good… just keep it like this."
Ebina was startled—but that astonishment was swiftly replaced by bewilderment.
Because he realized that Dyna was not responding to his urging at all.
She was following her own rhythm.
"Luminous Dyna is sweeping up from behind—she has negotiated Longchamp's final bend beautifully! The fight over the last few hundred meters begins now! This is where the late runners show their true strength!"
Ebina started driving hard.
Once they passed the 200-meter marker, Dyna finally received his instructions properly, and under the encouragement of the whip, she unleashed everything she had.
"Luminous Dyna takes the lead! The margin is still widening! The unfancied Japanese filly gives Japan its first-ever victory in this two-year-old fillies' showpiece! Two lengths! A commanding win!"
From beginning to end, Ebina had struck her only three times.
After the line, he kept patting her neck, gradually letting the speed ebb away, guiding her around the course at an easy canter until she finally relaxed and walked back toward the main stand.
Won?
For a moment, Ebina himself felt a little dazed.
It was as if he had not really done anything.
Dyna had simply run.
His own tactical idea had been to make a conservative move after the bend near the false straight—something safe, sensible, professional.
And then Dyna had accelerated before that bend even arrived. He had used the whip a few times, and that had been that.
She won.
It felt bizarre.
This was not like some fully automated superhorse, hypersensitive to every cue from her rider.
From beginning to end, Luminous Dyna had run in her own rhythm.
Still…
Thank goodness she had won.
Ebina let out a breath he had not realized he was holding.
Against all expectations, he had delivered Takezono's request, added an overseas G1 to his own record, and come out of the spare mount with far more than he had put in.
There had maybe been a little bumping with another horse somewhere in the middle, but he was not entirely sure. Since the stewards had made no inquiry, he treated it as though nothing had happened.
When he dismounted, he even reached up to wipe some of the mud from around Dyna's eyes.
Although she had won him a G1, Ebina still had absolutely no desire to become Luminous Dyna's main rider.
A horse with this kind of talent needed the right partner—a rider who matched her in some essential way. Raw ability mattered less than that affinity.
And for Japan, that rider was probably Wada.
Back in Japan itself, Golden Master—who had only recently managed to break her maiden—was still stumbling around in class races under Iketoe.
An OP second place.A G2 tenth place.
Results like that were enough for Sunday Racing to start harboring real doubts about whether Golden Master would even be ready for the Classics next year.
And once they remembered the comment Takezono had made before the auction—his threat that in the Classic year, he would shave Golden Master's head clean—they found it impossible to dismiss it as empty bluster.
Because Takezono really was the kind of man who would do something like that.
What worried Sunday Racing even more, however, was this:
Luminous Dyna had actually won.
A two-year-old in Europe should have had a much harder time adapting than an older horse. And yet she had won by two lengths.
Inside Sunday Racing, that result caused the first real split of opinion over how Golden Master's future campaign ought to be handled.
Join here to read ahead.
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