Chapter 5. Tokai Teio Schedule in Dream World
Because Shuta An had announced the news of Rice Shower's impending full-fledged maturation during the press conference without informing her beforehand, Rice Shower herself ended up becoming the very last person to learn about her own maturation after returning to the dormitory following afternoon classes.
"Eh—?"
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Rice Shower subconsciously rubbed her cheeks lightly.
"Come to think of it… I really do feel like I've grown a little taller recently…"
The moment that realization surfaced in her mind, her eyes immediately brightened.
"My Twinkle Series debut—"
Rice Shower gently clenched her fists.
"Does this mean I can finally debut this year?"
Just imagining herself standing upon the Twinkle Series stage personally was already enough to make her heart begin beating uncontrollably fast.
"I want to become an Uma Musume as incredible as Teio-senpai—"
Rice Shower silently made a vow deep within her heart.
"Starting tomorrow, I'll train even harder! Even harder than Teio-senpai herself!"
Just as Rice Shower was still immersed within her own imagination, her phone suddenly rang.
Startled back to reality, she hurriedly picked it up before discovering a Line message from her Trainer.
"Since Rice Shower is about to enter full-fledged maturation, the current training plan will need adjustments. Starting tomorrow, for the time being, we'll focus only on the most basic stamina training. I'll prepare a new training plan as quickly as possible."
"Yes! Understood!"
Rice Shower immediately typed out her response with serious concentration.
However—
After sending the message, another thought quietly surfaced within her mind.
"Since I'm about to begin full-fledged maturation—Does that mean my training intensity and Kurofune-chan's will gradually become different too?"
"And…will the way we address each other also change?"
Rice Shower immediately buried her face into the pillow halfway through thinking about it.
After all—
There was no way she could actually gather the courage to ask something like,
"Since I'll debut earlier…does that mean Kurofune-chan should call me Rice Shower-senpai now?"
She absolutely could not say those words aloud.
At most—
Rice Shower only dared to secretly fantasize about it in her imagination.
Then, merely imagining Kurofune obediently calling her "senpai" was already enough to make her roll around foolishly on the bed while giggling to herself.
"What exactly is Rice fantasizing about this time?"
At that moment, Zenno Rob Roy returned to the dormitory carrying several books she had borrowed from the library.
The moment she saw Rice Shower rolling around happily on the bed by herself, she could not help muttering inwardly in confusion.
—
Meanwhile, after the press conference ended, Shuta An headed directly toward the office to clock out.
As for the massive reaction caused by the reports published afterward—
The young man simply did not care.
The moment he entered off-duty mode, the only thing remaining in his mind was returning home as quickly as possible.
Thus, after arriving home, he unexpectedly discovered Oguri Cap and Silence Suzuka currently discussing Mejiro Dober's upcoming Australian expedition.
"I still think Rosehill Racecourse is better suited for front-running tactics."
Silence Suzuka crossed her arms while speaking seriously.
"Even though the final straight exceeds four hundred meters, the slope itself isn't especially severe. Plus, there's still a long five-hundred-meter straight section near the start, so there's more than enough room to fight for position."
"As long as the pace is controlled properly, leading tactics should definitely have the advantage."
"Actually, coming from behind is still stronger."
Oguri Cap immediately rejected the idea decisively.
"Suzuka, didn't you say it yourself? The final straight is more than four hundred meters long. If acceleration begins there, catching up becomes much easier."
"With Dober-chan's ability, bursting wide from the outside shouldn't be any problem at all."
"I'm home."
At that moment, Shuta An pushed open the door and walked inside. The instant they noticed him, the two Uma Musume simultaneously turned toward him.
"What do you think, Ann?"
"Huh?"
Shuta An froze briefly, completely unable to understand what the two of them were talking about.
Only after hearing their explanation regarding the previous debate did the young man finally react.
"Actually, running style itself doesn't have that much influence at Rosehill Racecourse."
Shuta An shook his head slightly.
"The biggest factor there is still gate position. The inner lanes possess a noticeably higher win rate compared to the outside lanes. No matter what tactics are used, the inside is naturally advantageous on that track."
As he spoke, the young man casually sat down nearby.
"So honestly, both Suzuka and Oguri are correct. It's just that neither of you focused on the real priority."
"Then what tactics would Ann use for Dober-chan?"
Oguri Cap immediately asked.
"Stalking tactics, obviously."
Shuta An answered almost instantly without even thinking.
Oguri Cap immediately raised an eyebrow toward Silence Suzuka triumphantly.
Meanwhile, Silence Suzuka pouted in dissatisfaction.
"But why stalking tactics? Front-running should also suit that track perfectly well."
"But stalking is what Dober is best at."
Shuta An scratched his head in confusion as though the answer should have been obvious from the beginning.
"Why deliberately force her into a different style? Especially on an unfamiliar overseas track where tactics themselves don't create a huge difference, it's naturally best to use the strategy she's most comfortable with."
Silence Suzuka puffed her cheeks slightly.
"If it were me, I'd definitely lead from start to finish."
The young man immediately flicked her forehead lightly before forcibly changing the topic.
"Speaking of which, where's Berno? Wasn't she with you two earlier?"
"Berno went out to buy groceries." Oguri Cap answered naturally. "She said she's making hamburger steaks tonight."
"Then I'll help later."
Shuta An nodded immediately.
After all—
Considering Oguri Cap's appetite, he genuinely worried Berno might be too tired in preparing enough food to satisfy her.
—
Late at night, after returning to his room, Shuta An yawned softly before lying down on the bed and stretching his body.
"Starting tomorrow, I'll need to redesign Rice Shower's training program from the beginning—"
"Playing it safe is better. The training intensity absolutely can't be too excessive."
Although Rice Shower within the Dream World had never displayed any hidden physical dangers, Shuta An still had no intention of directly copying Mihono Bourbon's near-devilish training methods onto her.
Because in Shuta An's eyes—
The Dream World was still ultimately only a dream.
Reality itself mattered far more. No matter what happened, the real world would always take priority over everything else.
The Dream World merely served as a reference.
"Time to sleep…"
The young man slowly closed his eyes.
"I still need to meet Trainer Matsumoto Shoichi in the Dream World tonight…"
—
After entering the Dream World once more, Shuta An discovered that he had appeared directly inside Matsumoto Shoichi Stable.
Tonight, he had come specifically to discuss Tokai Teio's upcoming race plans with Trainer Matsumoto.
However—
The moment he stepped inside the stable, Shuta An unexpectedly discovered another familiar figure already waiting there.
Mr. Uchimura.
Still, after briefly freezing, Shuta An quickly shook his head inwardly.
"What's there to be surprised about? He's Tokai Teio's owner in the first place. If we're discussing Teio's future schedule, then it's perfectly normal for him to appear here."
At that moment, Uchimura Masanori slowly stood up before bowing politely toward Shuta An.
"Good morning, Shuta-kun."
Shuta An naturally did not dare accept that greeting casually. He immediately straightened his posture before bowing in return.
"Good morning, Mr. Uchimura."
"I really didn't expect you to come personally today. I originally thought you would simply send a representative to discuss Teio's upcoming race schedule."
"After all…" Uchimura Masanori paused briefly. "This is Teio's final racing year."
"I want to roughly finalize this year's overall schedule today. And at the same time—I'd also like to know beforehand approximately how much funding I should prepare for overseas expeditions this year."
"Then it seems we'll have to prioritize races with extremely high prize money."
The corners of Shuta An's lips curled upward slightly.
"No need."
Uchimura Masanori waved his hand decisively.
"The priority should still be races capable of further elevating Teio's prestige and future breeding value."
Hearing those words, Shuta An's gaze flickered slightly.
At that moment, he realized once again—
The man standing before him truly loved Tokai Teio in this world just as deeply as he himself did.
After Matsumoto Shoichi hurried back, the three men found a table nearby and sat down together.
Meanwhile, Higashi Ikuo, who had originally intended to remain quietly nearby and listen in, displayed remarkable attentiveness by immediately going out to buy three bottles of chilled barley tea before returning and distributing them respectfully to everyone present.
After thanking him, Shuta An twisted open the bottle cap, took a small sip of the cold barley tea, then raised his eyes toward Matsumoto Shoichi.
"Trainer Matsumoto, since you specifically called us here today, I assume you've already finalized your thoughts regarding Teio's race schedule."
"That's right." Matsumoto Shoichi nodded directly without denying it. "I already have a rough framework in mind for Tokai Teio's campaign this year."
"Then please go ahead."
Uchimura Masanori immediately followed up calmly.
"And while you're at it, tell me approximately how much funding I should prepare for the overseas expeditions."
"The first point is JRA's stance."
Matsumoto Shoichi paused slightly before continuing.
"They hope Tokai Teio's opening race this year will still be held domestically."
As he spoke, he instinctively looked toward Uchimura Masanori.
However, after seeing that the latter displayed no visible reaction, Matsumoto Shoichi continued speaking.
"Long-distance races clearly aren't Tokai Teio's strong point. So my initial thought was to use the February Meguro Kinen—a 2500-meter G2 with substantial prize money held at Tokyo Racecourse—as the season opener."
"This would also leave sufficient time afterward for overseas travel."
"The Meguro Kinen is a handicap race, isn't it?"
Uchimura Masanori frowned almost immediately.
"That means Tokai Teio would very likely carry the highest assigned weight in the field. It should be fifty-nine kilograms."
"I also think that's somewhat inappropriate." Shuta An nodded in agreement. "After all, it's still a handicap race. Using fifty-nine kilograms for Teio's first race of the year feels like placing too much pressure on her."
"But aside from that, there really aren't many suitable options in February."
Matsumoto Shoichi patiently explained further.
"January is too close to the Arima Kinen. And if we delay until March, then the timing for an Australian expedition becomes rather awkward."
"Do we absolutely need to follow JRA's preferences?"
Uchimura Masanori suddenly asked.
"As long as Tokai Teio can continue bringing home international honors, what exactly can they do even if we don't cooperate?"
The moment those words were spoken, Matsumoto Shoichi's expression visibly became troubled. After all, with Tokai Teio's current reputation and status, ignoring JRA's wishes was not impossible.
However—
Tokai Teio would not race forever.
But Matsumoto Shoichi still intended to continue living and working within Japanese racing circles long after Tokai Teio retired.
Needlessly offending JRA here was clearly not a wise decision.
Shuta An naturally noticed Matsumoto Shoichi's hesitation as well. Thus, after briefly considering it, he proactively opened his mouth and offered another proposal.
"Then let's choose the Nikkei Shinshun Hai instead. In that case, Tokai Teio would only have a three-week interval after the Arima Kinen."
Trainer Matsumoto immediately reminded him.
"But isn't the interval between the Satsuki Sho and the Japanese Derby also only three weeks?"
Shuta An shrugged casually.
"Besides, I didn't really force Teio to exhaust herself during the Arima Kinen. And compared to the Meguro Kinen, carrying fifty-eight kilograms in the Nikkei Shinshun Hai creates a much smaller disparity against the rest of the field."
"I'm confident Teio can handle it comfortably."
"Then let's settle on the Nikkei Shinshun Hai."
Since Uchimura Masanori showed no objections, Matsumoto Shoichi also nodded in agreement afterward.
After finalizing the opening race, Shuta An spoke again.
"As for America, there really aren't any turf races worth Teio making a special trip for."
"That's true."
Trainer Matsumoto immediately echoed the sentiment.
"I've already looked into it myself. There aren't many truly competitive turf races over there. The only one genuinely worth considering would probably be the Breeders' Cup Turf."
"But that race is held in early November, so it isn't part of our current discussion."
"Last year, Trainer Matsumoto and I already reviewed most of the European turf races for older horses."
Shuta An continued calmly.
"The first major G1 is the Prix Ganay. But Teio already won that race last year. So there's no real value in challenging it again. Which means—At this point, there's really only one remaining direction left."
"Australia."
Trainer Matsumoto Shoichi's expression became noticeably serious.
"Shuta-kun mentioned this possibility to me previously, so I've already gathered relevant information beforehand. No Japanese racehorse has ever campaigned in Australia before, correct?"
Uchimura Masanori frowned slightly.
"And transportation costs to the Southern Hemisphere should be extremely expensive."
"We can reduce most of that through an invitation."
Shuta An calmly explained.
"If the Australian Jockey Club formally invites us, transportation and registration expenses can be covered by them."
"That's actually possible?"
Even Matsumoto Shoichi looked genuinely surprised this time.
"During last year's Japan Cup, I chatted briefly with an Australian jockey at the racecourse and exchanged contact information."
Shuta An paused briefly while calculating inwardly.
"I can contact them directly."
"And honestly—considering Teio's status as an undefeated Triple Crown horse, plus his performances in the Japan Cup and Prix Ganay last year, he already possesses considerable international recognition."
"I think there's roughly an eighty percent chance we can persuade them."
"Then I'll have to trouble Shuta-kun with the negotiations."
Trainer Matsumoto nodded immediately.
"If possible, I'd like the Queen Elizabeth Stakes to become Tokai Teio's first overseas target this year. That race takes place on April twelfth, which provides sufficient recovery time after the Nikkei Shinshun Hai."
"And if I remember correctly—"
At this point, Matsumoto Shoichi's expression subtly changed.
"The winner's purse is also extremely high. It's close to three hundred million yen."
That single sentence immediately succeeded in moving Uchimura Masanori.
"Then it's decided."
He clenched his fist lightly before making the decision decisively.
"As for the third race, it naturally has to be in Europe."
Trainer Matsumoto continued speaking.
"If everything proceeds smoothly, Teio will return to Japan from Australia, rest for roughly two months, then head directly to Europe afterward."
"So the most suitable target should ideally be somewhere between late July and August."
At this point, Trainer Matsumoto finally revealed the race he had clearly been eyeing from the very beginning.
"The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes."
"In summer, there's probably no race more capable of proving Tokai Teio's strength than this one."
"Indeed." Shuta An nodded slowly in agreement. "That race is basically regarded as Europe's pinnacle twelve-furlong event."
"In prestige alone, it's nearly on the same level as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
"And after that—"
Trainer Matsumoto Shoichi suddenly clenched his fists tightly.
"Tokai Teio's final objective will naturally become the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe itself! Last year, we defeated the Arc runner-up at Tokyo Racecourse."
"But this year—it's our turn to head toward Longchamp and prove that Tokai Teio himself can become the champion of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe!"
"Win the Arc."
Shuta An's eyes also sharpened immediately afterward.
"Achieve what neither the Mejiro Family nor the Symboli Family managed to accomplish. Prove that Tokai Teio can stand atop Longchamp Racecourse. I'll absolutely give everything I have."
"After that—"
Trainer Matsumoto slowly looked toward Uchimura Masanori.
"It should probably become Tokai Teio's retirement race. Or perhaps—The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe itself becomes her final race. Mr. Uchimura, what are your thoughts?"
"The Arima Kinen." Uchimura Masanori answered almost instantly without hesitation. "Teio's retirement race should be the Arima Kinen."
"Arima…?"
Shuta An blinked slightly.
"Because allowing a legendary horse to conclude his career beautifully at the Arima Kinen is itself a responsibility."
Uchimura Masanori's tone remained steady and unwavering.
At those words, neither Shuta An nor Trainer Matsumoto Shoichi found themselves capable of objecting.
"Then it's settled."
Trainer Matsumoto finally clapped his hands lightly.
"However, for now, we'll only publicly announce Tokai Teio's participation in the Nikkei Shinshun Hai. As for the remaining overseas schedule, we'll gradually reveal it step by step later."
"That way, fans' expectations won't become excessively inflated from the very beginning. And it also leaves us some room to adapt if unexpected circumstances occur."
"No problem."
Shuta An naturally welcomed this far more pressure-relieving approach wholeheartedly.
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