Regarding Oguri Cap's schedule for the first half of next year, Shuta An had originally planned to start with the Yayoi Sho, then follow the royal road toward the Satsuki Sho and the Derby.
But after Symboli Rudolf pointed out a major problem, he was forced to rethink his plans.
Although there were many Derbies overseas, Shuta An had no intention of letting Oguri Cap run in those of lesser prestige or quality—such as the German Derby, Italian Derby, or South African Cape Derby.
Looking again at Oguri Cap's base attributes, he noticed that even after more than half a year of dirt racing, her dirt adaptability remained at B. That alone made him even more unwilling to enter her in the American Triple Crown or any South American Derbies.
"Even if her dirt adaptability reached S, like Symboli Rudolf's turf adaptability, I still wouldn't let her run the American Triple Crown," he muttered to himself.
After all, the three races of the American Triple Crown cover 2000 meters, 1900 meters, and 2400 meters respectively—and all three must be completed within just five weeks. Many American Uma Musumes require long recovery periods afterward, and some even lose their competitive ability entirely, forced to retire from exhaustion.
Shuta An's father had been among the top Trainers who valued their Uma Musumes' health above all else. Yet even he had watched several talented Uma Musumes bid farewell to Tracen Academy due to the merciless schedule and strain of the American Triple Crown.
"If I could choose, I'd do everything possible to stop them from running the full American Triple Crown." Shuta An had heard his father say this countless times—and those words left a deep impression on him. His unusually lenient schedule for Oguri Cap, in contrast to his colleagues at Kasamatsu, was a direct reflection of that influence.
"One win is not worth a lifetime." That was the principle the young Trainer always reminded himself of before planning any race for Oguri Cap.
That evening, after dinner and his usual exercise, Shuta An sat at his desk and began drafting Oguri Cap's race schedule for the first half of next year. After ruling out so many options, only three "Derbies" remained worth considering: the venerable British Epsom Derby, the Irish Derby held three weeks later, and the The Prix du Jockey Club—commonly known as the "French Derby"—which took place just one day after the Epsom Derby.
All three races were listed at 2400 meters, but Shuta An knew that number alone didn't tell the whole story.
"They're all 2400 meters, but Epsom Racecourse and Curragh Racecourse—the sites of the Epsom and Irish Derbies—are very different. Especially the former," he murmured, frowning.
Leaving aside the Curragh Racecourse, which hosts the Irish Derby—the least prestigious of the three—he began analyzing Epsom first.
Epsom Racecourse was unique. Most racecourses, whether triangular, circular, or oval, form closed loops. But Epsom's track was horseshoe-shaped—an open circuit 2405 meters long, with a straight stretch that ran entirely downhill. As a result, even 1000-meter races there were blisteringly fast, as if the turf itself were paved with concrete.
However, once the distance extended to 2400 meters, everything changed.
From the starting gate on the right side of the course, the Uma Musume would enter a left-hand turn after only a few strides, then climb a long uphill section of nearly 700 meters to reach the end of the bend. By then, only 1200 meters would remain—but during that first half, the track would have already risen 45 meters in elevation. After that came a slight downhill stretch, followed by another climb before the final straight.
In short, the Epsom Derby was a brutal test of stamina, willpower, and climbing strength—one of the hardest Derbies in existence.
Just visualizing the course in his mind, Shuta An dismissed the idea of entering Oguri Cap there. Even with its global prestige couldn't change his mind.
"This kind of track is unacceptable for Oguri Cap. I don't even have the training facilities in Japan to prepare her for such slopes she'd only run once."
Another concern was the turf itself—Epsom's grass held a high water (moisture) content. Even though Oguri Cap had built considerable strength from her dirt races, she still couldn't compare to the heavily muscled European Uma Musumes built for that kind of ground.
Curragh Racecourse in Ireland posed similar challenges, though slightly less extreme. Of course, the Irish Derby's prestige was also much lower.
Given all this, only one option remained.
"Back to France…" Shuta An closed his eyes. "Let Oguri Cap challenge the French Derby."
For him, the French Derby and French Oaks held deep personal ties.
His mother, Alice, had once been a French Triple Tiara Uma Musume—and naturally, she had won the French Oaks. His maternal grandmother, the legendary Sea-Bird, had claimed victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, defeating even the French Derby-winning Uma Musume of her generation.
"If Oguri Cap can win, my family will have claimed both the Derby and the Oaks," Shuta An thought.
And the Chantilly Racecourse, where the French Derby was held, offered far more favorable conditions. After the start, runners would go a flat 1000 meters straight before entering a gentle bend. Though the section had a mild incline, the gradient was far from steep.
After about 200 more meters came the next turn, slightly sharper, and upon exiting it, the Uma Musumes would sprint the final 600-meter flat straight—testing stamina and explosive power to claim the title of "French Derby Uma Musume," awarded to only one each year.
The course favored pace-chaser and late-surger tactics—an excellent fit for Oguri Cap. And with its gentle slopes, there was no need to worry about her being overpowered by the bulkier European runners.
"So this is the one," Shuta An decided firmly, jotting down Oguri Cap's schedule for the first half of next year in his notebook:
"March 6th — Yayoi Sho."
"June 4th — French Derby."
Just two races in six months.
"But I don't plan to lose even one." His grip on the pen tightened. "Oguri Cap and I must win them both."
A sharp crack echoed through the quiet room as the plastic pen shattered in Shuta An's bare hand.
Although the plan for the first half of the following year had changed, Shuta An did not intend to alter Oguri Cap's training regimen, as many of its components were universally applicable.
"The turf at Chantilly Racecourse contains slightly more moisture than that of Sapporo Racecourse. Under good track conditions, it can be considered a marginally heavier version of Sapporo's turf. Therefore, Oguri Cap should not be concerned about her adaptability to the Chantilly track."
However, since she would be embarking on an overseas expedition to France the next year, Shuta An also needed to prepare for the various logistical matters related to their stay abroad—tasks that could not yet be entrusted to Berno Light, who remained unfamiliar with France.
"It's still a bit early," Shuta An noted, jotting down reminders in his notebook before preparing to wash up and rest. That night, in the Dream World, he once again rode Oguri Cap—this time to challenge the Chukyo Hai.
Having gained experience from the daytime's training, Shuta An and Oguri Cap achieved an easy victory through a conventional leading tactic. After dismounting, he heard the live commentator at Chukyo Racecourse announcing to the audience:
"This Chukyo Hai marks the second major race victory for rookie jockey Shuta An, who debuted this year—and his 100th career win! His performance this season ranks second only to 'Kasamatsu's Strongest,' Katsumi Ando. Undoubtedly, Shuta An is the brightest new star in the regional racing scene this year!"
"I wonder who's stronger, him or Yutaka Take from Central," a spectator murmured.
"It's definitely someone from Central. Everyone knows how low the level is in the local circuits," another replied dismissively. Since Chukyo Racecourse was affiliated with the Central region, its regular patrons were well aware of the disparities between Central and local competition.
"But hasn't Shuta-kun never taken a ride in Central?" a supporter countered. "Maybe he'd be just as strong there too!"
Shuta An himself paid little attention to these speculations. His mind was occupied with a more pressing concern.
"In reality, after this race, Symboli Rudolf approached Oguri Cap's owner with an offer... So in the Dream World, could it happen again?" he wondered, gripping his whip tightly. "Can Sagami Masayuki really keep Oguri Cap?"
He was genuinely uncertain.
Indeed, as he feared, a Racehorse owner from Central had already initiated discussions to purchase Oguri Cap from her current owner, who, though reluctant to sell, was conflicted between business and personal attachment.
Trainer Sagami Masayuki, while unaware that Central interests had already made contact, sensed something amiss through his seasoned intuition. Thus, the next day—when Shuta An entered the Dream World again—Sagami called him over.
"Shuta-kun, I have a friend who trains at the Mihono Training Center in Central," Sagami began. "This weekend, his stable is fielding four Uma Musume, but the jockey originally scheduled for them caught a cold yesterday and had to cancel."
"A Trainer in Kanto should consider Kanto jockeys first, shouldn't he?" Shuta An asked, uncertain of where this was leading, though a suspicion began to form in his mind.
"All four of his horses will be racing at Kyoto Racecourse," Sagami explained. "So he's looking for jockeys based closer to Kansai." He paused, raising an eyebrow.
"So... you mean me, Teacher?" Shuta An pointed at himself.
"That's right," Sagami said with an approving smile. "Yesterday, you achieved your 100th career victory at Chukyo Racecourse. According to the regulations, you've officially graduated from your apprenticeship. You are a true talent, Shuta-kun, and I believe it's time for you to face challenges worthy of that talent."
He muttered to himself, "It will also pave the way for a broader future."
"A Central ride?" Shuta An made his decision immediately. "I'll go."
"Good," Sagami replied, grinning. "I'll entrust you with three condition races and one major stakes race."
"Major stakes?!" Shuta An exclaimed. "You mean I'll be running a major stakes race in Kyoto this weekend?!"
"Of course," Sagami said, still smiling. "And not just any stakes race—the Kyoto Shimbun Hai, a key prelude to the Kikuka Sho. The Uma Musume you'll be riding is none other than Gold City, last year's Grade 1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies champion."
Shuta An frowned. "Can you really entrust such a horse to me?"
"There's no other option," Sagami explained. "The former main jockey was replaced due to underperformance, and his substitute fell ill. Under these circumstances, selecting you is their last resort."
"Understood," Shuta An sighed, pressing his forehead. "I'll do my utmost not to disappoint the Uma Musume's owner or Trainer Yano."
When he awoke the next morning and finished washing up, the conversation from his dream lingered in his mind. "If that Uma Musume existed in the Dream World after winning a G1," he thought, "does she also exist in the real world?"
Driven by curiosity, he began searching for information on a Uma Musume named Gold City.
This caught Berno Light's attention, arousing her suspicion.
"Isn't Gold City that celebrity Uma Musume who's always appearing in fashion magazines?" the chestnut-haired umamusume muttered to herself. "Why is the Trainer researching her? She doesn't even race on the same circuit as Oguri! Her next race is the Kyoto Shimbun Hai this weekend."
The more Berno Light thought about it, the more anxious she became.
Meanwhile, Shuta An was deeply absorbed in his research. Seizing the moment, Berno Light left the library and hurried to the cafeteria, where she found Oguri Cap devouring her meal. Sitting across from her, Berno began urgently, "Oguri, stop eating for a moment! The Trainer—he—muffled sound—"
Mid-sentence, her mouth was blocked by a hard-boiled egg from Oguri Cap. "The Trainer said I need to rest properly," the gray umamusume replied calmly.
For Oguri Cap, eating was the most comfortable form of rest.
After reluctantly swallowing, Berno Light protested, "Oguri, at least let me finish! The Trainer's looking up a Uma Musume I know is incredibly beautiful!"
"So what?" Oguri Cap tilted her head. "The Trainer's probably preparing for next year. Berno, you don't need to panic."
"That's definitely not for racing purposes!" Berno Light exclaimed in frustration, shaking Oguri Cap's shoulders. "We have to keep an eye on him!"
"Even so," Oguri Cap replied between bites of carrot, "the Trainer surely has his reasons. When it's time for us to know, he'll tell us."
Then, with quiet conviction, the gray umamusume added, "I trust Trainer."