"How about... a trip to the US?"
The Silver-White Maiden carrying the bow case immediately began to ponder.
The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe takes place in October.
The [Late Stage Schedule], after conquering the Arc, would be followed by the American Dirt Triple Crown.
Typically, after the Arc concludes, there are no other major G1 races left in Europe to choose from.
And the American Triple Crown races run from May through June.
Even if Platinum returned to Japan afterward to run in the year-end, lucrative Arima Kinen or something similar, there would still be a whopping half-year break in between.
When that time came, she'd be pretty much free and easy—able to pick up extra work wherever she wanted, or slack off as she pleased.
"After the Arc, I'll have all the freedom in the world."
"I could go for the Japan Cup, the Arima Kinen, or the Dubai World Cup—all with huge prizes..."
"Or I could just head straight to the States for a vacation!"
What piqued her curiosity a little was this: after Margaret Nearl wrapped up the American Triple Crown and the [Late Stage] concluded, would there be some kind of [Final Stage] after that?
I mean, look at the Evangelion movies next door—they had [You Are (Not) Alone], [You Can (Not) Advance], [You Can (Not) Redo], and [Thrice Upon a Time]... and they could still keep going.
So wouldn't it make sense if after her [Early Stage], [Mid Stage], and [Late Stage], there was also a [Final Stage]?
After all, even if Margaret Nearl won the American Triple Crown, she still wouldn't be considered the GOAT, the greatest of all time.
With Secretariat having debuted earlier and holding the advantage of time, that head start was just too significant.
No matter how impressive Nearl's achievements were, at best, people would see them as roughly equal in ability.
Only by facing Secretariat directly in later races and surpassing that Big Red Monster fair and square could she truly claim the title of the Strongest.
It's just like the situation between [Symboli Rudolf] and [Mr. C.B.] in Japanese Uma Musume racing!
Before Platinum burst onto the scene, Symboli Rudolf, who retired and became the Student Council President with nearly limitless authority, overshadowed Mr. C.B. and other Triple Crown winners in almost every way—fame, popularity, influence, you name it.
But in reality, few knew that Mr. C.B. was once the most popular Uma Musume.
After all, Mr. C.B. was a deep closer, famous for her breathtaking late-speed surges from behind, making her races incredibly exciting to watch.
Plus, she debuted earlier than Symboli Rudolf and was widely known before her, naturally becoming a sort of idealized figure, like a "White Moonlight," for most people.
So when Symboli Rudolf achieved her Triple Crown a year later, she was once viewed as the [villain] in Japan.
But it was exactly that villain who mercilessly defeated Mr. C.B. in direct competition, solidifying her title as the [Emperor]!
As time passed, her ability and record allowed her to pull far ahead, her popularity soaring until she eventually became a legendary figure in Japanese Uma Musume racing.
And now, the situation between Secretariat and Margaret Nearl is so similar!
There's a one-year gap between them—Secretariat debuted earlier, seized the Triple Crown first, and now enjoys popularity that tops the American dirt racing scene, even gaining worldwide fame.
Secretariat's running style is exactly like Mr. C.B.'s: a slow start, hanging back, and then a visually stunning [deep closing] surge!
So...
The future showdown between Secretariat and Margaret Nearl is bound to be eagerly anticipated by countless people.
That's why the Silver Pegasus Maiden believed, no, was certain, that the final mission wouldn't end with just the American Triple Crown.
"Speaking of which, when we get to that final stage, besides Nearl facing off against Big Red..."
Platinum lazily blinked her eyes as she strolled down the street toward the racetrack.
"What about [me]? What other races might there be?"
"Ah, never mind. No use thinking too far ahead. First, I need to win this world-famous [King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes]—the race closest to the Arc!"
That historically strongest G2 Uma Musume, Harbinger, was still waiting for her!
--+--
"Hmm..."
Back at the estate, the current trickster was sitting in her room.
The elegant black-haired young lady, with her enviable figure, was gritting her silver teeth in frustration.
"Darn it, that Flightline girl..."
"Next time, how can I make my move again?"
It wasn't that Sham regretted what she'd done—more that she felt unwilling to accept how things stood.
Sure, Flightline and Secretariat had been there first.
But she was the one who made the first move! Trying to turn that into an exclusive claim was clearly impossible now that Flightline knew about it.
Sham knew in her heart that just being the first to act wasn't enough to deliver that race-winning, finish-line [burst of speed].
It wasn't enough!
If she wanted to be the first to achieve horse jumping and keep Dr. Lin by her side, she'd basically be openly declaring war on Flightline.
By then, Secretariat, Sunday Silence, Ruffian, and even those overseas like Dahlia and Sea the Stars...
That whole group of monsters, each from super prestigious families and no less talented or capable than her, would definitely not sit still.
Even with a head start, Sham wasn't sure she could manage an exclusive claim with so many Uma Musume in the picture.
She pondered but couldn't come up with a suitable answer for now.
But whenever she recalled that first night, the night she started her diary and made her move, she couldn't help but let out a soft hum, her cheeks flushing slightly.
She regretted not dragging things out until evening when she saw Dr. Lin off that day.
As for what she'd do if she kept him until nightfall... well, that was obvious—she'd make her move!
--+--
In front of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes racetrack in Europe.
The tens of thousands of seats in the stands were completely packed.
Alongside many spectators from various European countries, there were also quite a few Asian fans, including from Japan, all waiting for this top-tier international G1 race to begin.
Many Japanese fans held up support signs.
[Platinum is the best!!]
[Platinum Strongest! Platinum Strongest!]
[First defeat Harbinger, then beat Sea the Stars! Soar through the skies, Silver Pegasus!]
It's worth noting that among the Japanese fans holding these signs were quite a few Uma Musume themselves.
Including, surprisingly, both Kitasan Black and Satono Diamond.
By now, they had successfully made their debuts.
Their growth progress had advanced—these two, who were once so small, had now surpassed Platinum in height.
In fact, these two young fans had both height and figure that outdid a certain Platinum!
Well, with a lower limit like that, it was pretty hard not to stand out.
Probably in the entire Tracen Academy, only the Mejiro family's young lady, Mejiro McQueen, and the dark monster, Manhattan Cafe, could rival Platinum! (In terms of flatness, that is.)
Right now, Satono Diamond was incredibly excited. The elegance usually present on her face was completely overshadowed by her anticipation of seeing Platinum take the stage.
"It's been months since I last got to watch Miss Platinum race in person! Every day felt like a year."
"Thank goodness we managed to debut and finally free up some time to fly to the UK for this!!"
"The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes—they call it the last major hurdle before the Arc!"
"If I missed Miss Platinum's super important race here, I'd regret it for the rest of my life!!"
The thrilled Satono Diamond, now more mature and a full-fledged Uma Musume, hadn't just grown taller and curvier—she'd also improved significantly in speed and racing knowledge.
After all, Tracen Academy did have academic courses, and the core of the curriculum was inevitably focused on Uma Musume racing.
Beside her, Kitasan Black thought for a moment, recalling what they'd learned in class.
"I've heard from senior upperclassmen at Tracen that the textbooks have very little coverage of foreign races."
"And in the foreign racing section, the Arc alone takes up half the content—it's crazy detailed."
"The remaining dozens of foreign international G1s split the other half."
"But after Miss Platinum won the British Epsom Derby and then grabbed the Dubai World Cup with a double crown in one day!"
"The URA urgently revised part of the curriculum. For example, they changed the page introducing [Japan's Strongest Uma Musume Ever] and [Japan's GOAT] from President Rudolf to Miss Platinum."
"Now President Rudolf's entry just says 'renowned Uma Musume, former GOAT.'"
Kitasan Black shared something that would surely make a certain joke-cracking, nearly all-powerful Student Council President's face stiffen.
Then, Kitasan Black continued with awe.
"Not only that, the section on foreign races got much thicker—over twice as long as before!"
"Now it finally gives proper attention to other foreign races, including the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes."
"Today's new generation of Japanese Uma Musume all understand the value of this race!"
The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes also run over 2400 meters! That distance is one of the most demanding in middle-distance racing, testing Uma Musume to their limits.
It requires stamina, but also places strict demands on power, acceleration, burst speed, and more to win in a field where G1 champions are everywhere.
"I remember, quite a few European elite families really favor this race."
Hearing her friend's words, Satono Diamond couldn't help adding.
"Yeah, even... Japan's Satomi Stable has a lot of interest in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes."
Europe has heavyweight family alliances like Coolmore, but Japan has its own too, namely [Satomi Stable]. For instance, Kitasan Black's family is part of the Satomi alliance.
Of course, Satomi is nowhere near as blatantly obstructive as Coolmore—they wouldn't dare.
Ever since Platinum emerged and became famous in Japan, every race had at least one or two Satomi Uma Musume losing to her.
The shrewd insiders at Satomi knew that even the URA bowed to Platinum, let alone them, so they didn't dare try any similar blocking tactics.
If they did, Tracen Academy and the URA would be at their doorstep the next day.
Within Satomi, there's strong interest in both the Arc and the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but alas... their trained Uma Musume just aren't strong enough.
Yet Platinum's increasingly remarkable achievements overseas have ignited the ambitions of many Japanese Uma Musume elite families, including Satomi. The URA followed the trend and pushed for revisions to the overseas racing curriculum, encouraging Japanese Uma Musume to venture abroad.
Inside Tracen Academy, many Uma Musume believe that even if winning famous European international G1s might be tough short-term, given time, they could definitely nurture a King George or Arc champion, right?
For example... the current new era powerhouse who has already completed two classics and is on the verge of a Triple Crown—[Golden Tyrant · Orfevre]!
That masked, imposing tyrant of a maiden has already shown exceptional talent and is considered the Japanese Uma Musume most likely to approach—or even challenge—Platinum.
After Orfevre comes Kitasan Black and others who will enter their classic year next year.
Anyway, the Japanese Uma Musume scene is on the rise! The Arc can't be far off!
"Yeah, so some of my seniors and juniors also made time to come watch in person."
Kitasan Black turned toward the section of Japanese Uma Musume on the opposite stands.
There were no fewer than a dozen Satomi Uma Musume there alone.
"Lots of people feel that Pegasus Platinum started the [Great Expedition Era] for Japanese Uma Musume racing. Many are now thinking about racing overseas."
"Just Satomi alone has this many people here, not to mention other elite families."
"If the intensity of a G1-of-G1s like the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes meets their expectations... they'll probably all start expeditions for real, right?"
But Kitasan Black had a feeling it wouldn't be that simple.
The Japanese Uma Musume world shouldn't catch up to Europe that quickly, right?
Just because Miss Platinum caught up to and even surpassed the elite European young ladies doesn't mean the rest can do it too!
Miss Platinum is basically in a league of her own, outside the Japanese Uma Musume scene. Her ability isn't something Tracen Academy could ever develop.
For some reason, Satono Diamond suddenly voiced her opinion.
"I have a feeling... everyone might end up really discouraged, return to Japan, and give up on racing in Europe."
Because!
She was looking toward the competitor entrance and saw a relatively low-profile G2 Uma Musume walking into the backstage area with the bearing of a ruler overlooking everything.
So, so strong?!!
"Senior Orfevre, with two classics under her belt, might become the next one to surpass the Emperor."
"But that tyrant's current presence... doesn't seem as strong as that Uma Musume over there."
"Even though she's just a G2 champion?"
Satono Diamond found it unbelievable.
How could a European G2 champion have a more intimidating presence than a Japanese Double G1 Crown Winner??
How is that fair?!
Was... was it just her imagination?
--+--
In the Uma Musume preparation area.
The Silver Maiden paused slightly in surprise as she entered, scanning the room.
There were so many of them?
Usually, Europe's strict and expensive entry fees meant only a handful of top contenders, confident in their skills, would sign up.
So, most of the time, European races didn't require worrying too much about gate positions; even outside posts didn't matter much.
In her last race, even with four Coolmore Uma Musume specifically entering to block her, the total number was only eight or nine.
But now, the field had reached double digits—eleven! Counting Platinum, that made twelve!
Not only that, but there were no fewer than five G1 champions in this race, nearly half the field being top-tier winners.
The other Uma Musume, even without a G1 title, were mostly at least G2 champions or had achieved top-three finishes in G1s—no weak, blind entries here.
From the number of participants to the overall strength, it was incredibly impressive, the biggest lineup Platinum had ever seen since her debut!
'No wonder this is called a super G1 worthy of comparison with the Arc.'
'Just as Galileo said, the most awe-inspiring presence among these competitors isn't one of the G1 champions, but rather...'
The Silver Maiden's assassin-like perception instantly focused on the seemingly unassuming G2 Uma Musume who was actually the center of attention.
Namely, Harbinger!
From Platinum to Harbinger, their gazes locked onto each other.
Two immensely powerful auras, intense enough to make the other highly skilled Uma Musume feel a pang of apprehension, naturally emanated during this visual standoff.
A second later, as the other elite Uma Musume watched, nearly breaking a cold sweat...
One European elite young lady, tall and mature, had eyes shining with excitement as she looked at the Pegasus Maiden.
"It's the real Platinum!"
"The little Pegasus who smashed through the blockade and won two crowns in one day!"
"Can I get your autograph?"
Her name was Youmzain, and she was actually senior to Platinum.
Youmzain wasn't oblivious to the tension; it's just that her own ability was so outstanding that while weaker Uma Musume felt pressured, she didn't.
Because she was a two-time Arc runner-up.
As the name suggests, she placed second in last year's Arc, and second again the year before.
Achieving back-to-back second-place finishes in the world's premier turf race was a testament to absolute skill.
Also, Youmzain was a fan of Platinum's, so she didn't hesitate to stand up and greet her, unlike the other Uma Musume who watched with either reverence or competitive spirit.
"Here, a pen..."
"Could you sign right here?"
Youmzain walked over to Platinum and pointed to her own ample chest, indicating where to sign.
Instantly, Platinum's sharp edge softened. She blinked, looking at the enthusiastic young lady, and accepted the pen.
"Here?"
Platinum eyed Youmzain's chest, which even her race uniform couldn't fully conceal, with a hint of doubt.
But Youmzain nodded without hesitation.
"Yep, right here."
The older girl's face was slightly flushed, whether from excitement, anticipation, or shyness.
"After this race, I'm never washing this uniform!!"
"Little Pegasus, please grace it with your name!"
In the slightly awkward atmosphere, Platinum thought for a second, then finally signed her name.
As Youmzain's face turned redder and she subtly clenched her legs, Platinum smoothly signed her short name.
"My place is pretty big, Platinum. Want to stay at my house? We could have training matches together later?"
"Let's prepare for the Arc together, okay?"
Youmzain pressed her advantage, inviting the Pegasus Maiden even before the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes had begun.
As a two-time Arc runner-up, she certainly had the right to invite others to jointly prepare for the race.
This training invite was quite valuable.
But hearing it, Platinum's expression froze slightly.
She immediately recalled what had happened to her original self, her other half, at Sham's place in the US.
The next second, Platinum shook her head like a rattle drum.
"No, that won't be necessary."
Platinum declined, to the foreign young lady's disappointment.
"Compared to the Arc, I'd rather focus on winning this King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes first!"
A few seconds later—
A race official entered the preparation area.
"First favorite, Platinum."
"Time to enter the starting gate."
The race was about to begin!
--+--
[The first favorite, the absolute top pick, a peerless monster whose popularity rivals that of the second through fifth favorites combined!]
[The Silver Pegasus Platinum has arrived!]
[Starting from the eleventh gate, the widest outside post. Can she deliver her usual breathtaking performance? Let's wait and see!]
Amid the commentator's excited voice, the Silver Maiden, carrying her altered, even colder and more dazzling bow, strode calmly to the gate.
...
[Third favorite, Youmzain, as a two-time...]
...
[Fifth favorite, Harbinger. Though a G2 champion, she...]
...
A short while later, all participants entered the gates.
[3!]
[2!]
[1!]
The countdown ended.
Instantly, all twelve Uma Musume burst forth.
The silver-white maiden from the outside post didn't hold back or lag at all—she launched into a full-speed dash right away.
Acknowledging Harbinger's strength, the Pegasus did not slack off!!
--+--
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.