At the moment the gates opened, the rain clouds seemed to respond to the electric bell—the downpour suddenly intensified. But Oguri Cap, already experienced with racing in the rain, wasn't shaken. With her rain-specific racing boots, she enjoyed a golden start compared to the other fifteen competitors.
Even so, she didn't forget Shuta An's instructions. Realizing she had surged ahead right out of the gate, she stabilized her speed, using the momentum from her good start to gradually angle toward the inner lane, aiming for a solid forward position.
The six Uma Musume on the inside weren't clueless. The instant Oguri Cap took her first diagonal step, they understood what she intended. Waki River, starting from gate 2, immediately pushed forward, refusing to let Oguri cut her off. Fijar Tango from gate 6, caught off guard and unable to respond instantly, was forced to angle outward, swapping positions with Oguri to avoid being trapped in a "private box." As for the remaining inside runners, their reactions were mediocre at best. They hesitated for a heartbeat—and in that moment, the early contest for positioning was already lost.
On the outside, Poliglote from the far outside gate and Toppe from gate 14 refused to accept a disadvantage. Both accelerated sharply, burning more stamina to rush toward the front—it was clear both wanted the lead.
Oguri Cap, who had no intention of front-running, easily grasped their intention with a brief glance.
"Trainer said I should use a forward (Senkō) strategy this time." Repeating this in her mind, she didn't contest the lead with Poliglote or Toppe, keeping to a pace she felt comfortable with as she cruised forward.
"As long as I stay steady in the forward group, it doesn't matter if others pass me on the long straight." She'd run with a pace-chaser strategy before, and although this stage was much grander than anything she'd faced, she now understood the rhythm of front-pack racing far more clearly.
"Is it because the pressure is forcing out my potential?" Oguri Cap muttered inwardly.
Maintaining her cruising state, she gradually slipped into the middle of the leading cluster—one runner still between her and the inside rail, with two runners on her left. It looked almost like she was boxed in.
"This isn't good—" Berno Light's anxiety spiked. "If she's trapped now, won't it be impossible to break out later?"
It wasn't just Berno. Most viewers supporting Oguri Cap shared the same worry.
"Isn't this going to get her blocked?" Fujimasa March murmured.
"Feels like she's letting herself get targeted," Kitahara added in frustration.
But others saw it differently—Tokai Teio, for example:
"The position looks dangerous, but it's actually fine. The first long straight isn't even over. This 2400-meter course is shaped like a teardrop. Once they enter the bend, there will be plenty of chances to break out. Oguri-senpai will definitely seize that."
Symboli Rudolf kept her own thoughts to herself.
In the Chantilly VIP area, Shuta An only narrowed his eyes at Berno's concern, watching the display screen without commenting.
"It's too early to judge the position," he thought.
His attention was fixed on two others instead—Hours After and Emmson.
On this track, officially listed as "slightly heavy" but in reality closer to "heavy," Hours After and Emmson were the biggest threats. Shuta wanted to see what tactics their Trainers had assigned. He didn't need to wait long—within five or six seconds, he had his answer.
"Emmson's running a Senkō strategy like Oguri, but her positioning is more passive. She's drifting behind Oguri. Or maybe that's intentional—maybe she's marking Oguri."
"And Hours After she's already shifted into the back position. Not surprising; Uma Musume using late-surger tactics tend to do better in 2400m races here."
Shuta clicked his tongue softly. "Between the two, Oguri needs to watch Emmson more."
But he couldn't warn her. He could only watch her figure in the rain and cheer silently as she approached the end of the first long straight.
Toppe and Poliglote had already reached a consensus at the front, setting a surprisingly slow pace. By the time they exited the long straight, nearly 80 seconds had passed—slower than any race Oguri had ever run. Sensing the sluggish tempo, she nudged her position forward as they entered the first bend, moving up into fourth. Aside from the two leaders, only remained ahead.
Using the bend's slope, Frankly Perfect glanced back and immediately spotted Oguri Cap.
"What, she's trying to break out already? Can't handle this slow pace?" She remembered watching the French 2000 Guineas replay—the early pace there had been blisteringly fast.
"It's possible…" Frankly Perfect considered letting Oguri go early. "If I open a path, she'll burn her stamina too soon and be out of contention."
But she suppressed the idea.
"My Trainer stressed it: don't let Oguri break out comfortably. If I act on my own and lose, I'm finished…"
After entering the second bend, Oguri cut closer to the inner lane again, blocking Sarhoob's attempt to advance through the rail. Then she made no more major moves—just raised her cruising speed slightly. Behind her, the pack began preparing for the decisive 600-meter final straight.
Hours After subtly angled outward, planning to launch her burst the moment they entered the straight.
Emmson, seeing Oguri shift, briefly accelerated, filling the opening Oguri left and forcing Sarhoob into an awkward wide-angle breakout later.
Ghost Buster, true to her reputation, stayed quiet for now—but was silently plotting the perfect moment to disrupt everyone's acceleration pattern.
At the same time, Shuta wiped rain from his face and turned to Berno.
"I'll be gone a moment. Stay here; don't move. I'll be right back."
"Understood," Berno nodded, confused but obedient.
Shuta strode across the VIP area. He wanted to reach a spot where Oguri could hear him as she entered the final straight—even if he knew he wouldn't make it to the actual beginning of it.
He spotted a turf path between the VIP zone and the stands, wide enough for several people to run on.
"This must be for Uma Musume moving between VIP areas," he thought, glancing quickly at the display board—
"Only 400 meters remain before the final straight! The winner of this year's Prix du Jockey Club will be decided in less than a minute!!"
In Central Tracen Academy's Student Council room, Symboli Rudolf let out a soft exhale.
"What's wrong, President?" Tokai Teio asked, turning her head.
"Nothing," Rudolf replied.
She was simply remembering her own retirement race—how she'd been boxed in the entire time, unable to move, finishing in disgrace.
"Oguri's race development is much better than mine was," Rudolf thought. "She can win."
"If she wins— I'll have the absolute confidence to push for better policies for local Tracen students at the URA meeting later."
The Kasamatsu girls didn't know any of this. All they saw was that Oguri hadn't fallen behind and still looked composed.
"Oguri might actually win?" Fujimasa whispered, clutching her phone unconsciously.
In Hokkaido, the Hiratori Onsen Yukara lobby was lively. Staff and guests gathered around the TV.
"That Uma Musume who stayed with us last year" Miss Sachiko murmured. "If she wins, we should redo the promotional board outside."
Meanwhile, in Monbetsu's dorms, Don Fortis curled up under her blanket, watching through her phone.
"I'm still stuck in Monbetsu and Oguri is already running on Europe's biggest stage." She turned off her phone and pulled up her blanket. "I'll work harder. I'll build up strength and reach Ōi as soon as I can."
Back in Chantilly, Oguri Cap entered the final straight in fourth place. Six hundred meters remained.
"It's time to break out," she reminded herself, shifting from cruising pitch to her familiar Stride Gait, lowering her body.
But almost every Uma Musume with stamina left had the same idea—accelerate now.
Suddenly, the pack's formation shifted. Oguri's planned breakout line was disrupted, intentionally or not.
"This is bad! Do I need to find another line?!" she gritted her teeth.
Just then, a shout pierced through the rain—familiar beyond doubt.
"Oguri! Accelerate and pull ahead now!"
Shuta An's voice. Before shouting, Shuta instantly activated "Insight" on the attribute viewer.
"A chaotic pack like this is perfect for Oguri to fish in troubled waters!"
Without hesitation, he bit down, climbed over the fence, and jumped onto the turf strip between the restricted zone and the stands—then broke into a sprint alongside Oguri Cap, running parallel with the track toward the finish line.
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