At the forefront of the racetrack!
After the lance of [Stardust Fall] was hurled downward!
The scorching sunlight reflected off the metallic surface of the sword-spear, blazing so brilliantly it was as if a gate of light had suddenly opened in the sky. The trajectory of the spear became a tunnel of radiance, tightly connecting the Radiant Knight, Nearl, to the finish line!
Behind that dazzling golden figure, the nine other Uma Musume stared wide-eyed, their expressions frozen in that very moment.
The American Uma Musume in the race held their breath, their hearts racing! It was as if the entire venue had fallen into a silent standstill!
From the front-running escape types to the stalkers, and even the mid-pack closers—every gaze was locked onto that sword-spear as it tore through the heavens, ripping apart the clouds until sunlight came pouring down!!
Just what… kind of breathtaking spectacle was this?
Were they really expected to surpass a Radiant Knight who could hurl a spear straight through the clouds?!
A scene like this…
Not just in their careers—having debuted mere months ago and run more than a few races—but even in all their years as spectators, some for nearly a decade, they had almost never witnessed anything like it!!
All except one American closer tucked away in the pack. She'd somewhat idolized Dubai Millennium and, months earlier, just before her own debut, had gone to Dubai to watch the [Dubai World Cup].
First, she was utterly stunned to witness Platinum overpowering the "Heavy Track Demon" Montjeu in the deep going. Then, she was lucky enough to see the Pegasus Platinum return to the track, and after that…
She watched her crush her idol, Dubai Millennium!
And just like that, her idol became [Pegasus Platinum]...
This closer had thought that since she was about to debut and couldn't just be a spectator anymore, she'd basically never get to see that [Uma Musume Special Effect] again.
The only theoretical possibility was if Platinum continued dominating both dirt and turf, maybe one day venturing to the U.S. Then, maybe, she'd have another chance to witness that unbelievable, awe-inspiring special effect.
But who would have thought… in this very Hopeful Stakes, the G1 race she'd chosen for her debut, she'd actually get to see an Uma Musume Special Effect again—and from "another Pegasus"!!
"First a Silver Pegasus, now a Golden one?"
"No, wait—are all so-called [Pegasus] capable of special effects??"
Baffled and utterly amazed, she—along with several other American Uma Musume nearby—after their initial shock, couldn't help but follow the sunlight scattering down from the torn clouds high above, tracing it all the way to that golden figure leading the way.
So this… is the Radiant Knight, Margaret Nearl?!
And unconsciously, even though the gates had just opened,
That golden-haired girl at the front, Nearl, had already overtaken every other Uma Musume and seized the lead!
Three lengths!
Four lengths!
Five lengths!
"This… is a [Great Escape]??"
Just like in her debut race, the Radiant Knight, in her first G1 start, fearlessly launched into a long-distance escape!
--+--
[Just what… magnificent, unbelievable scene is unfolding?]
[High in the sky, layers of clouds seem to have been pierced through by a lance or an arrow!]
[The clouds that once blocked the sunlight have been shattered by some mysterious impact, revealing the blue sky and dazzling sun behind them!]
[The blazing sun shines down upon Nearl, whom the Pegasus Platinum crowned "The Radiant Knight," as she begins her Great Escape!!]
The announcer's voice went far beyond the standard, formulaic opening report on the positions and rankings of all the Uma Musume.
In that commentary, there was now a passionate tone, as if he were witnessing something truly incredible.
Up in the booth, the announcer couldn't help but look up, gazing at those layered, mountain-like clouds so thick they nearly blotted out the sky—and at the… tear that ripped through it all.
Ordinary people, non-professional Uma Musume, couldn't see the Golden Maiden's Phantom figure clad in Knight's Armor right out of the gate, nor could they see the sword-spear thrown like a meteor, blazing gloriously all the way to the finish line.
But…
They could all see the torn clouds, that rare lance- or arrow-shaped scar in the sky, and the dazzling sunlight streaming down once more!
The ordinary spectators didn't see the sword-spear effect or Nearl's Phantom, but they saw the weather change!
The overcast skies cleared, and then…
Clear skies turned into Stardust Fall!
The sunlight shone down starting from Nearl's position, stretching all the way to the finish line.
And the Golden Maiden, unleashing a Great Escape at the front, already approaching the first turn, was like the brightest star under the sun!
The stands immediately filled with sounds of utter astonishment.
"Huh? What in the world… just happened?"
"Why did the clouds suddenly clear?"
"Wasn't it overcast? Why… does it look like the clouds were pierced? The sunlight's gotten so hot all of a sudden."
"What a coincidence! The sudden sunlight is shining right down on the path ahead where The Radiant Knight is charging forward in her Great Escape!"
"This looks… so cool!! Nearl really looks like a knight in full gallop!"
Amid the endless exclamations rising from the stands…
The one who caused it all, the Golden Maiden who'd pierced the heavens with her sword-spear, was only picking up speed!!
And in the front rows of the spectators, it wasn't just ordinary people or regular Uma Musume.
One dark-haired girl's pupils sharply contracted, as if she were seeing something even more incredible than what the audience witnessed.
Sunday Silence, renowned superpower of the American Triple Crown, a contender with both the potential and skill to be a favorite, was seeing something she'd never seen before.
The ordinary spectators only saw the unbelievable cloud-piercing phenomenon but didn't know what caused it.
But Sunday Silence, as an outstanding Uma Musume, had seen it clearly: that golden phantom of Nearl hurling her lance with meteor-like force, tearing through the clouds all the way to the finish line!!
"I never thought…"
"After Platinum, there could be a second Uma Musume with special effects beyond a Domain?!"
Even Sunday Silence was almost on the edge of her seat.
But as if remembering something, she let out a slight sigh of relief.
Judging by the reactions around her, clearly no one could tell it was caused by the sword-spear Nearl carried.
That breathtaking scene—the audience only saw half of it! So in the future, even if she were to race against Nearl, it wouldn't become a topic of endless discussion among fans.
Just like how, after the Arima Kinen, when the special effects-displaying Pegasus Platinum crushed Agnes Tachyon.
And then, in the world-renowned Dubai World Cup, Montjeu and Dubai Millennium, after their defeats, entered the Pegasus' Hall of Fame…
Those losers kept getting brought up worldwide—downright unlucky.
Sunday Silence had no desire to follow in those predecessors' footsteps, being remembered endlessly as a loser.
But thankfully… although the special effect was incredible and unique, ordinary spectators could only see the weather change.
Regular folks saw the clouds part, but only Uma Musume could see clear skies turn into Stardust Fall!
"Next year's American Triple Crown—Dr. Lin will definitely come to watch in person."
"If I lose in front of him, and especially if I lose while that special effect is going off… all the attention would be stolen by Nearl, right?"
"Good thing… Dr. Lin definitely can't see the special effect!"
Besides, she might not even lose!
The dark-haired girl, seemingly slender and petite, actually hid immense tenacity and power!
--+--
[This is the 1400-meter Hopeful Stakes! 200 meters longer than Nearl's debut race, yet that difference in distance seems to pose no obstacle to her?]
[Once again launching into a Great Escape, Nearl shows no intention of slowing down or trying to conserve energy.]
[After the first turn, Nearl has already built a lead of twelve lengths and is still widening it! She flies onward toward the halfway point.]
[Under the blazing sun, the Radiant Knight's escape is radiant, worthy of the Pegasus title!!]
On the dirt track, at the very front!
Thirteen lengths!
Fourteen lengths!
Now, that tall golden figure had suddenly built a massive lead.
Keep in mind, this was a short-distance race of only 1400 meters! And her opponents weren't newcomers in a debut race—each one was a potential future star aiming for next year's Triple Crown events.
The field's overall strength, while maybe not on par with internationally famous super G1s, certainly surpassed ordinary graded stakes and was far more challenging than her previous debut race.
In a Hopeful Stakes with such a significant jump in average opponent quality, how could Nearl's dominant Great Escape not get the entire audience excited, even boiling?
And what really heightened the spectacle was… the race wasn't even halfway done, yet Nearl seemed unsatisfied with her current speed.
That shining golden figure at the front was putting distance between herself and the pack behind at an incredible rate!
Nearl was still accelerating!!
Sixteen lengths!
Seventeen lengths!
Just as the race was about to reach the halfway point, the golden-haired girl named Margaret Nearl at the front had opened up a lead approaching "super massive" proportions!
--+--
The Closer Group.
In American dirt racing, where front-running tactics—escape and stalker styles—are king, there are still quite a few closers.
It's like Japanese turf racing: even though stalker and closer tactics are dominant, every race still has at least one escape-type Uma Musume, and sometimes even a deep closer.
The advantage of non-dominant strategies is avoiding positioning crises, but it requires excellent timing for acceleration and seizing opportunities!
So now, the three closers gritted their teeth, staring intently at that dazzling Golden Great Escapee at the front.
[Great Escape]—that's the style most disruptive to rhythm and timing!
The first victims are inevitably those who rely on their late kick.
"N-no way, the gap's almost a super massive lead?!"
"If by the third turn the gap spreads to twenty-five lengths… I'll accelerate early."
"If it gets much bigger, sticking to my preferred acceleration rhythm might be too late. Chasing down over twenty lengths is way too hard."
"Keep a close eye on the gap. I need to speed up a bit earlier. Can't let this Pegasus get too far ahead. The victims of the last Pegasus Platinum are everywhere!"
Under the tension and anxiety, the three closers immediately made their choices.
Some chose to gradually increase speed; others decided to kick into their late acceleration the moment the gap hit their mental limit!
Anyway… none dared maintain their best acceleration rhythm.
Among the mid-pack, determined, unwilling-to-admit-defeat voices weren't rare—there were more than one or two!
And ahead of them, in the stalker group…
Some Uma Musume chose to maintain their preferred current pace; others also wanted to accelerate early, trying to close the gap with Nearl!
The pressure from Nearl's Great Escape saturated every Uma Musume's heart.
The white-hot fighting phase seemed about to start early!
--+--
Meanwhile, in Europe.
This time, at a private training ground.
Several European Uma Musume, incredibly fast and imposing, reached the finish line on the soft turf track one after another.
Clearly, they had just finished an intense training race!
"Huff… huff…"
"So, how about it? Everyone's condition seems pretty good this time."
"In a regular G1, if there aren't any terrifying monsters, we might all have a chance to win, right?"
As these blonde-haired girls walked toward the bench where towels were laid out, they picked them up and wiped the sweat from their foreheads.
Training races are usually one-on-one or with two or three participants. Sometimes, it's seniors in a team going easy on juniors in an encouraging match.
But a fierce race like this, with as many as five Uma Musme? That's something you'd never see in a normal training session, and it definitely couldn't be a team under a single trainer.
After all, a typical trainer has to develop older Uma Musume, look after classic-year Uma Musume, and might also want to recruit promising newbies.
With a trainer's workload, it's impossible to focus solely on one group of horse girls. Otherwise… after two years, when they all retire, wouldn't the trainer be basically unemployed?
And a single trainer's team couldn't possibly accommodate six older Uma Musume at once.
As for inviting elites from other teams for training races, it's usually two or three people. Any more, and it doesn't simulate a real race.
These five, who seemed quite familiar with each other, weren't from the same team yet were all skilled enough to compete in G1s!
Across Europe and the U.S., this situation is quite special and rare.
Because… they came from very close-knit [families]! Specifically, Europe's famous united elite group [Coolmore]!
Among them, one blonde Uma Musume finished wiping the sweat from her brow.
Then, in a sharp tone, she refuted the earlier comment, though without much confidence.
In the coldest, firmest voice, she stated what she saw as the truth.
"But the [Eclipse Stakes] is anything but conventional, and the opponent is Platinum, who's more monstrous than actual monsters!"
"It's not enough. Our current speed and performance—no one stands a chance against Pegasus Platinum in the [Eclipse Stakes]!"
"We're not Secretariat, nor are we Sea the Stars or Dahlia. How can we possibly beat Platinum?"
Obviously!
Even these elite European Uma Musume had already conceded that Platinum's raw ability was, well, a tad exaggerated.
If it were any other Japanese or overseas turf Uma Musume, even another Dubai Sheema Classic winner, they wouldn't rate them so highly, let alone fear them.
After all, to achieve great results in Europe's famous G1 races, strength alone isn't enough—you need excellent adaptability to the course.
That's why, until now, the UK's Epsom Derby had never been won by a non-European.
But that world-famous Derby was won by Platinum—still in her classic year, possibly not even fully matured—by a massive margin!
Some in this group had lost to Platinum in the Epsom Derby before; others were defeated by Galileo in the Irish Derby.
Even Galileo, who twice entered the Pegasus' Hall of Fame, was stronger than them, let alone Pegasus Platinum!
Plus, there was Platinum's world-shocking Dubai World Cup double, dominating both turf and dirt in a single day!
All of this, though looking only at race counts, Pegasus Platinum had "only" won three overseas G1s, which might not seem like much… but in Uma Musume racing, what matters is quality, not quantity.
Take Secretariat's Belmont Stakes, hailed as the race of the century—winning one G1 by over thirty lengths earned higher praise than any previous American Triple Crown winner's three races combined!
Many Uma Musume might win multiple G1s, but their total acclaim could easily be less than that from one dominant G1 performance. And Platinum's three wins included elements like crossing surfaces, heavy tracks, European racing, and more—each time winning by a huge margin, without exception!
This made these proud European elite Uma Musume, even if some didn't like Pegasus Platinum as a rival, grudgingly admit that Platinum was above them.
No one even dared ask, "Can we win?"
Forget them—even their super-elite families would have to look back decades to find their most top-tier geniuses to have a chance against Platinum.
And what that chance might be… was hard to say!
In the eyes of many European young ladies, Platinum was like an outside [Big Bad Wolf] coming to devour them all!!
Platinum was simply—the pinnacle of Uma Musume, the answer on Earth!
"In a head-to-head race, my advice is to withdraw. Save the high entry fee and avoid embarrassing the family."
"If we end up in the Pegasus' Hall of Fame, that would be bad."
"And we might not even make it into the hall of fame."
"But the problem is, we have no way out."
After these final words, the several Coolmore Uma Musume fell silent for a moment.
Whether it was the Pegasus' Great Escape or her Great Chase, they couldn't imagine any scenario where they could win one-on-one.
Only in their dreams, perhaps.
After a collective silence, the sharp-voiced blonde leader clenched her fist, narrowing her eyes.
"If we avoid this race, the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes likely won't have a spot for us either."
"Harbinger's performance in the last G2 was excellent. Family analysts confirmed she's reached world champion level… no, maybe even stronger, historical-tier like Sea the Stars and Dahlia."
"If we avoid Platinum in the Eclipse Stakes, then Harbinger in the King George… wouldn't we still have to avoid that too? Not to mention Platinum, having tasted success in the Eclipse, will probably run the King George as well."
"So, this seemingly unwinnable Eclipse Stakes might actually be our best chance at victory."
This stirred up a feeling among the others.
Fear was swallowed by competitiveness and desire for achievement.
After all, this assessment was spot-on—this year's turf competition was just too terrifying!
One behemoth after another—each of those entities could be the world's strongest turf dominator in a normal year.
By comparison, the Eclipse Stakes only had Platinum as the sole superpower.
The King George and the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe would each have at least two superpowers. Crunching the numbers, the Eclipse Stakes was the one race they absolutely couldn't avoid or yield.
They couldn't, as elite Uma Musume, go fight over G2 races, could they?
That would be just as shameful.
"So what do you suggest we do?"
"Yeah, even if we learn from the Sea family's prodigy Sea the Stars and pray for rain, it's no use. Senior Montjeu couldn't beat Platinum on a heavy track."
"Then—"
In a razor-sharp, no-retreat tone, the blonde leader laid it out.
"[Block] her! Hunt the Pegasus!"
The words hung in the air, leaving the large training ground in momentary silence.
"Block her, so she can't escape, can't chase. Even at her full power, she'd only manage seventy or eighty percent."
"And with so many of us, we can then fight for the championship among ourselves. That's the only way we have a chance!"
"Even though it's also a disgrace… compared to being scared into running some lowly G2, winning a G1 is still better than winning a G2, right?"
"Besides, years from now, if the winner is one of us, the history of winning through blocking will fade. People will only remember our victory!"
Some Uma Musume hesitated at this.
"Huh? But this… is against the rules. If it's found out we intentionally blocked her, we could be severely punished."
"But without this, we can't win. It's not like we can block two champions in the King George and the Arc, right?"
"Relax, as long as we're not too obvious, it'll be fine!"
"Yeah, I think this is the only way to win. We can't end the second half of the year empty-handed, can we?"
"I agree. Block the Pegasus, hunt Platinum!!"
With general agreement reached and the group decided, sorry Platinum, but you're in our way!
The blonde leader nodded, offering final words of encouragement.
"Don't worry, we will win! After claiming victory…"
To have so many star Uma Musume collectively discard dignity for a championship—that's a treatment even legendary Uma Musume might not have received. In a way, it's the highest, even supreme recognition of you!
"I won't keep this glory to myself!"
--+--
The U.S., at a racecourse!
The third turn!
The Golden Maiden at the front shone brilliantly, like the sun itself—dazzling and commanding awe.
And from the torn clouds high above, the actual sun poured down its rays, illuminating this Radiant Knight's path forward!
Nearl's tall, steadfast form, with its smooth yet powerful muscle lines, strained like a longbow drawn to its limit, ready to shoot an arrow into the sky!
Twenty lengths!
Twenty-one lengths!
That super massive lead had already ignited the crowd's excitement to the extreme.
Chants of "Nearl!! Nearl!!" filled the venue.
"Turf has its Pegasus, but do we now have one for dirt?!"
"If you just look at the running style and the awe factor, if you covered her face, I'd believe she was the legendary Man o' War, even Secretariat!"
"The Strongest!! The Strongest!! I've been solely supporting the Radiant Knight since 2008!"
The golden-haired girl named Margaret Nearl, her powerful strides kicking up sand on the dirt track.
Now, Nearl, charging forward, gathered boundless energy, continuing her relentless flight!
And she seemed… still unsatisfied with her current advantage and lead!
'Should I use my Domain now?'
'What will my Domain be like?'
In the next instant, Nearl without hesitation chose to activate her Domain for the first time!
[Domain]!
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
There should be... around 70+ advanced chapters?
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.