Chapter 30. Unrivaled Figure Part 2
The starting phase of the 2000-meter course at Sha Tin Racecourse consisted of a 200-meter straight. It wasn't particularly long, but compared to the Tokyo 2000-meter course—where runners had to enter a turn within mere dozens of meters—it was far more forgiving.
From the moment Silence Suzuka broke out of the gate, her acceleration was immediate and decisive. Although her initial reaction speed was comparable to the others, within just a few strides she had already opened up a one-length advantage over those beside her.
By the time that gap stretched to two lengths, she was already angling slightly inward—and without hesitation, she cut cleanly toward the rail.
The runners on the inside, unable to match her pace, could only watch as she slipped past and secured the lead with ease.
"Silence Suzuka pushes forward right from the start and takes the lead—this is her signature style," the commentator explained, addressing viewers unfamiliar with overseas competitors. "In her earlier Classic races, she showed some hesitation in executing her tactics, but that's no longer the case. Even if challenged for the lead, she responds by raising the pace and decisively shutting down any attempt."
He paused briefly before adding,
"At the Dubai Turf, she actually held back somewhat. If you want to see her at full intensity, look at last year's Tenno Sho (Autumn)—she covered the first 1000 meters in just over 57 seconds. It was terrifying."
"…It really was terrifying," Shuta An muttered to himself in the VIP box. "Even now, it still feels ridiculous."
—
On the track, the wind roared past her ears, drowning out everything else.
Silence Suzuka did not hear the commentary.
As she entered the turn, she made no effort to ease her pace to counter centrifugal force, unlike many of the runners behind her. Instead, she maintained her rhythm—and the gap between her and the rest of the field widened steadily.
"First 200 meters in 12.65 seconds," Shuta An glanced at the timing display.
"Fast."
At Sha Tin, that was already a very aggressive opening.
"It seems the local runners can't quite adapt to her pace," the commentator noted, observing how the pack was beginning to string out behind her.
As she approached the exit of the first turn, Silence Suzuka briefly glanced back.
Second place—Industrialist—was already nearly seven lengths behind.
"So they're not forcing themselves to follow," she thought calmly. "A wise choice."
Even in Japan, few would dare to match her pace head-on.
The cautious approach taken by the Hong Kong runners—unfamiliar with her racing style—was exactly what both she and Shuta An had anticipated.
At this point, there were still around 1400 meters remaining.
Shuta An's eyes shifted back to the screen.
0:35.41.
"600 meters in 35 seconds and they didn't even notice she eased slightly to conserve energy," he raised an eyebrow.
"Their experience against runaway tactics is lacking."
That puzzled him.
Hong Kong's racing system was well-developed, with frequent competition and strict pressure on Trainers. Logically, even if "Great Escape" wasn't a common strategy, it shouldn't have been completely unfamiliar.
And yet—
Their response now seemed almost—naive.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, the commentators unknowingly answered his question.
"Silence Suzuka continues to extend her lead—Industrialist and the others appear completely at a loss."
"There's not much they can do," another commentator added. "The local URA prohibits high-risk tactics like Great Escape. They can't ban foreign runners from using it, but that also means local Uma Musume rarely face it. Naturally, they struggle when encountering it in a real race."
"If Oriental Express were still active, she wouldn't have allowed this situation to develop. Suzuka's pace may look reckless, but if you study her races, you'll see that it doesn't affect her finishing speed at all. Her stamina distribution is exceptional—and that's might be closely tied to her Trainer's guidance."
—
By the time the discussion ended, Silence Suzuka had already reached the 1200-meter mark.
The split for the next 200 meters—
Exactly 12 seconds.
"She's picking up the pace again," Shuta An nodded slightly. "Starting to press early—she's confident in her reserves."
His gaze narrowed.
"Now the question is—will they continue holding back until the straight?"
If it were him—
He would already be making a move.
"There's no way I'd let her enter the final straight with a ten-length lead," he thought. "Sha Tin's straight isn't short, but Suzuka always keeps enough stamina for a second surge. Trying to close that gap with just a late burst…"
He exhaled softly.
"Even Oguri would struggle."
That didn't mean he believed Suzuka had surpassed Oguri Cap. After all, Oguri Cap's racing instincts were exceptionally sharp. If she were in this race—she would have started closing the gap already.
"But Cruff… and Industrialist…"
His expression turned strange.
"They're still holding their pace?"
He frowned slightly.
"Did they get paid to let her go?"
The thought was half-joking, half-serious.
Because at this point, the gap had already stretched beyond ten lengths—
And yet, there was still no sign of pursuit.
"I don't remember either of them being strong late closers…" Shuta An muttered.
For a moment—even he couldn't understand what he was seeing.
As Silence Suzuka approached the end of the back straight, still firmly in the lead and about to enter the final turn, the big screen displayed the split for the first 1000 meters—
58.5 seconds.
"…hat fast?" Shuta An was momentarily startled.
He knew Suzuka was capable of this pace—but what caught his attention was the distribution. Her 800-meter split had been 47.41 seconds, which meant that the next 200 meters had taken just over 11 seconds. That was a sprint-level burst, yet she had used it in the middle phase of a 2000-meter race.
That single surge had stretched the gap between her and Cruff behind her to nearly fifteen lengths.
Of course, such a move came with its own consequences.
Whether it was Industrialist, Cruff, Willie, Foresight, or the other runners, they all recognized the same thing—
The gap had grown too large.
And so, almost in unison, they began preparing to accelerate and give chase.
But to Shuta An, this development posed no real threat.
"Less than a thousand meters left," he thought calmly. "And Suzuka still has enough in reserve for another burst."
His gaze remained steady.
"Unless someone like Symboli Rudolf shows up, a lead of over ten lengths isn't something they can close."
His confidence in Suzuka did not waver.
—
As she entered the turn, Silence Suzuka briefly glanced back.
She noticed it immediately—Industrialist and the others had begun to move.
"Starting now?" she murmured softly. "Isn't that a bit early?"
From her perspective, sustaining acceleration over a distance of nearly 1000 meters was unrealistic. If they committed too soon, they would inevitably lose their finishing strength before reaching the straight.
"I only increased the pace slightly earlier to widen the gap," she thought. "But I still have enough stamina left for another acceleration after the turn."
Her reasoning was simple—
And precise.
"But can your stamina distribution really keep up?"
She already knew the answer.
Because no one understood her stamina better than her Trainer.
"Ann knows it best."
—
"Her pace changes are too sharp," Symboli Rudolf said, watching the broadcast with a faint frown. "Doesn't she worry about wasting unnecessary stamina? There's no need to accelerate and decelerate like that."
"Normally, the Trainer sets the plan before the race," Tokai Teio explained. "But Suzuka-senpai is different. Usually, the Trainer only limits her pace for the first 1000 meters—after that, she decides how to distribute it herself."
She paused slightly.
"Of course, the general stamina plan is still discussed beforehand."
Then she tilted her head.
"But their way of coordinating is kind of strange. I don't really understand it."
Symboli Rudolf raised an eyebrow but didn't respond.
She understood exactly what Teio meant by "strange."
But there was no need to explain it.
"If Teio starts thinking along those lines too," she thought quietly, "I'd just be creating trouble for Shuta-kun."
And that—
Was the last thing she intended to do.
—
By the time Silence Suzuka exited the turn and entered the final straight, Willie in second place had managed to close the gap slightly—
But the distance between them was still around ten lengths.
And that gap wasn't closed purely through Industrialist's acceleration.
It was also because Suzuka had begun adjusting her stride.
The stride used for high-speed leading—
And the stride used for a final sprint—
Were fundamentally different.
Although she could blend them under normal circumstances, this time—
She separated them completely.
After transitioning fully into her sprinting rhythm, Silence Suzuka lowered her center of gravity, every nerve in her body tightening.
"Last 440 meters."
Her gaze locked forward.
"No mistakes allowed."
All the stamina she had reserved—was now directed into this final stretch.
"Win this race… and I can go to England with Ann this summer."
With that thought burning in her mind, she drove her legs forward with even greater force.
—
At first, Industrialist had been satisfied. On the turn, she had gained nearly five lengths. But as soon as they entered the straight, reality set in. The turn had been 400 meters—
And she had only gained five lengths.
The straight ahead was 440 meters—How much could she possibly close?
"Damn it."
She gritted her teeth, trying to draw out every last bit of strength she had conserved earlier. But even an Uma Musume blessed by the Three Goddesses could not release all her stamina over such a short distance.
Her body simply could not sustain that level of output.
Only then did she realize—how flawed her earlier assumption had been.
"How could I expect someone like Silence Suzuka to collapse at the end of a 2000-meter race—?"
Regret surged within her.
—
That same realization spread silently through the field.
Everyone understood it now—
Unless Silence Suzuka suffered a dramatic drop in speed—
Catching her was impossible.
Even so, not a single runner gave up. Each of them pushed forward with everything they had left.
Because here, in Hong Kong—Passive racing was not tolerated.
The rules were clear—Every Uma Musume had to give her all.
Failure to do so would bring penalties—not only to the runner, but to the Trainer as well.
—
But none of that mattered to Silence Suzuka anymore.
The further she ran, the lighter her body felt.
Her focus had long since shifted away from her opponents.
Right now—
She only wanted to show her best self—
To the one person she cared about most.
"No matter what…" Her steps remained unwavering. "I want to go to England with Ann—properly this time."
—
"Still no one can catch Silence Suzuka! An unmatched Great Escape!" the commentator's voice rang out. "She's simply unstoppable! The regret from the Hong Kong International Cup has finally been erased after a year and a half! The two-time Dubai Turf champion claims her sixth G1 victory! Her next target—surpassing Japan's symbol!"
Though the voice was filled with excitement, a trace of disappointment lingered beneath it.
After all, in a race featuring a foreign challenger— Who wouldn't hope for a local victory?
But—
"Sorry," Shuta An thought quietly as he watched. "Suzuka has a reason she absolutely cannot lose."
His gaze remained fixed on the track.
"Because only by winning can she move forward. Toward the International Stakes."