Chapter 107. A Phantom Soaring over Sha Tin
After the outermost Uma Musume entered the starting gate, Silence Suzuka focused her attention and prepared for the start. Because she was in the innermost gate, she knew very clearly that she absolutely could not afford a slow start or a missed break.
A sharp "click!" entered the Uma Musume's ears.
She instantly moved.
Just like in her previous races, Silence Suzuka exploded out of the starting gate before the gate had even fully opened, relying on her overwhelming physical advantage to seize at least a one-horse-length lead over all her opponents in the very first instant.
Although Fantastic Light, starting from gate number 2, already knew that Silence Suzuka was an exceptionally strong front-running Uma Musume, she was still shocked when she personally witnessed the Uma Musume's terrifying start speed for the first time.
"What kind of starting speed is that? She's already more than a horse length ahead of me?!"
By the time Fantastic Light completed her own start, Silence Suzuka had already finished her initial acceleration for positioning and was rapidly beginning to take control of the race pace through the advantage created by her explosive break.
However, Shuta An frowned slightly.
Because he noticed that Sunline, who had started from gate number 10, was also charging aggressively forward from the outside of the pack, clearly showing the intention to contest pace dominance with Silence Suzuka.
"Although Sunline is also a front-running Uma Musume in the Southern Hemisphere Twinkle Series, does she really intend to compete with Suzuka for pace control at Sha Tin when Suzuka is obviously prepared to run an extremely fast pace today?" the young man muttered softly to himself.
"Trainer Stephen Mckee can't seriously believe Suzuka intends to run conservatively today, right? Is he planning to send Sunline up early to pressure Suzuka?"
If that truly was Stephen Mckee's intention, then Shuta An's excitement instead rose even higher.
Because before the Hong Kong Cup, the pace he had designed for Silence Suzuka was a first 1000 meters in 58 seconds. At Sha Tin Racecourse, this was unquestionably a super-high pace.
In the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Hong Kong), Silence Suzuka had completed the first 1000 meters in 58.5 seconds. This time, the Uma Musume intended to be another half-second faster.
If Sunline truly intended to forcibly endure such an abnormal race pace, then Shuta An would be extremely pleased to watch her completely lose speed later and collapse backward through the field. And through that result, he would gladly teach Trainer Stephen Mckee a lesson he would never forget for the rest of his life—
Never attempt to "provoke" a top-tier grand-escape Uma Musume during the opening stages of a race.
After Silence Suzuka slightly stabilized her leading position, she immediately noticed Sunline attempting to pressure her from behind.
She merely confirmed this fact before calmly redirecting her attention back toward herself.
"Sunline wants to pressure me?"
Silence Suzuka slightly lowered her center of gravity.
"Then come and try it."
She steadily increased her speed, gradually widening the gap between herself and the rest of the field, while Sunline alone continued desperately accelerating from behind, trying to close the distance and apply even greater pressure.
Watching the Uma Musume he trained execute the pre-race tactical plan step by step, Stephen Mckee maintained a relaxed expression.
"In their second senior year, generally speaking, an Uma Musume's condition is no longer as sharp as during their peak period. Just because Silence Suzuka could run the first 1000 meters in 58.5 seconds during the first half of the year doesn't mean she can still do it now."
Of course, another major source of confidence for him came from Silence Suzuka's training data after arriving at Sha Tin.
Compared to the first half of the year, it clearly appeared less explosive.
"It's obvious her condition has already declined somewhat," Stephen Mckee silently concluded.
If Shuta An knew what Stephen Mckee was thinking right now, he would probably be smiling from ear to ear.
Because as Silence Suzuka's Trainer, Shuta An himself had naturally also noticed the slight decline in her training numbers. However, during their nightly discussions together, he had already learned the real reason from the Uma Musume herself—
Silence Suzuka had deliberately been suppressing her own training intensity.
If anyone genuinely believed that Silence Suzuka had already entered a declining period, then after this Hong Kong Cup ended, they would undoubtedly be filled with regret.
Of this, Shuta An was absolutely convinced.
"Silence Suzuka continues to lead the field as usual! Sunline follows closely behind, and five lengths behind Sunline are the American representative Running Stag and the local contender Resfa!" the commentator continuously reported the race situation.
"However, there is still a gap of roughly three Uma Musume lengths between Silence Suzuka and Sunline. The leading and front-running groups are already extremely stretched out, while the chasing pack behind remains very tightly grouped."
"This is also one of the characteristics of races involving Silence Suzuka. But Sunline is already beginning to pressure Silence Suzuka this early? The race has only just passed 400 meters. Silence Suzuka completed the first 400 meters in 25.3 seconds. From the looks of it, Silence Suzuka has absolutely no intention of slowing down between the 400-meter and 800-meter marks. The first half of today's race is definitely heading toward a super-fast pace. I truly wonder what kind of pace Silence Suzuka intends to set in her retirement race while under Sunline's pressure!"
The live commentators and guest commentators continued discussing enthusiastically. Just like the spectators in the grandstands, everyone eagerly anticipated what kind of terrifying split times Silence Suzuka would produce during the upcoming 600 meters between the 400-meter and 1000-meter marks.
After finishing her Winning Live, Tokai Teio and the teammates who had come to pick her up entered a nearby restaurant close to Nakayama Racecourse for a simple meal.
Because of the restaurant's proximity to the Racecourse, Silence Suzuka's retirement race was naturally being broadcast on the television inside.
"It's rare to see another Uma Musume daring to pressure Suzuka-senpai this early," Kurofune commented. "Isn't she afraid of collapsing herself first?"
Tokai Teio lightly shook her head.
"This only proves their understanding of Senior Suzuka is too shallow. Judging from today's conditions, the turf at Sha Tin Racecourse is extremely fast. It should be the track most suited for Senior Suzuka. Applying pressure this early will only drag the entire race into a super-high-speed rhythm—"
She narrowed her eyes slightly while watching the race footage.
"It's honestly difficult to imagine what kind of pace Senior Suzuka will ultimately set today."
To be honest, even Shuta An himself could not fully imagine it.
When Silence Suzuka passed the 800-meter marker, the 800-meter split immediately lit up on the large screen—
23.4 seconds.
"The first 800 meters were completed in 48.7 seconds. If this pace continues, then according to Hong Kong timing standards, the first 1000 meters should be around 60 seconds, or in the 58-second range according to Japanese timing standards. That's exactly the pace I planned for Suzuka before the race."
As the young man mentally calculated the numbers, the pressure in his heart eased considerably.
"This pace is practically like a fish in water for Suzuka."
Meanwhile, out on the track, Silence Suzuka could still feel Sunline stubbornly attempting to pressure her from behind.
The Uma Musume lightly snorted and simply accelerated again, completely abandoning the idea of intentionally slowing down during the middle stages to conserve stamina.
"My condition today is excellent. Even if I don't conserve stamina here, running another 1400 meters still won't be a problem!"
With that thought in mind, Silence Suzuka swung her legs with even greater force.
At Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong, it was customary for split times to be displayed every 400 meters on the giant screen. Because of this, Shuta An could only estimate Silence Suzuka's 1000-meter split by watching the race clock displayed in the upper-right corner of the screen.
The 1000-meter marker for the Hong Kong Cup sat at the very end of the backstretch, just before entering the final straight.
The instant Silence Suzuka swept into the final straight while still holding the lead, the race clock displayed in the upper-right corner of the giant screen read—
0:59.4.
Converted according to Japanese timing standards, that was roughly equivalent to a 57.4-second opening 1000 meters.
The moment Shuta An realized that number, his thoughts instantly drifted back to Tokyo Racecourse last year.
"It's different from last year. Suzuka has grown stronger, and this time I prepared every weapon she could possibly use before the race. Nothing will go wrong this time."
The young man continuously reassured himself inwardly.
Inside another Box, Stephen Mckee's pupils visibly contracted after seeing the split.
"Sunline pressured Silence Suzuka this hard, and Silence Suzuka really did set an ultra-fast pace…but why doesn't she look exhausted at all, while Sunline's stride is already beginning to collapse?"
Stephen Mckee frowned as his gaze shifted toward the race clock once more.
1:11.5.
"The section from 800 to 1200 meters took 22.8 seconds, but Silence Suzuka's speed did decrease slightly after entering the bend—"
Stephen Mckee muttered quietly to himself.
"Is her stamina finally starting to run low?"
Yet before he could even feel relieved, he immediately realized a far more serious problem—
Compared to Silence Suzuka, Sunline's stamina depletion was clearly even worse. In fact, it was severe enough that the difference was already visible to the naked eye.
"It would've been better not to pressure Silence Suzuka at all. Were her training numbers before the race deliberately falsified? Is her Trainer really that devious? Deliberately lowering her visible training intensity before retirement just to mislead opponents?"
Stephen Mckee thought of Shuta An's perpetually smiling face and suddenly felt that the young man was unbelievably wicked.
At that moment, he genuinely wanted to punch him.
Although considering what Shuta An had once done at West Coast Tracen Academy, Stephen Mckee understood very clearly that even if there were three copies of himself combined together, they still probably wouldn't be Shuta An's opponent.
In the latter half of the bend, Silence Suzuka's speed dropped slightly more compared to the previous 1200-to-1400-meter section. However, because Sunline had desperately chased her earlier, the gap between Silence Suzuka and the third-place Lear Spear had already widened to nearly fifteen Uma Musume lengths.
"A true grand escape~"
Sitting on the small grandstand outside the Box, Shuta An clasped his hands together tightly.
"I just hope Suzuka can finish this race safely. No injuries. Nothing unexpected."
This time, the opening 1000-meter split was almost identical to last year's Tenno Sho (Autumn).
Although Silence Suzuka had exceeded even the pace Shuta An originally planned for her, the young man still felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.
As long as Silence Suzuka could completely overcome the nightmare that had nearly destroyed everything last year, then all of this was worth it.
"Reflected Crown's Eyes… Suzuka, I hope I can finally witness the miracle you create with your own power."
Shuta An silently prayed for the Uma Musume.
—
As she approached the exit of the final bend, Silence Suzuka could clearly feel that although she had intentionally slowed slightly during this section, the stamina consumption she experienced was still far greater than expected.
However, none of this surprised her.
"I pushed the pace much harder than originally planned—It really does feel just like last autumn at Tokyo Racecourse."
The Uma Musume involuntarily recalled the Tenno Sho (Autumn).
"But now—I have someone I love. I'm no longer the lost and confused Silence Suzuka from before."
Completely unlike last autumn, after entering the prelude state that once dragged her into the "Zone," Silence Suzuka immediately broke free from it this time and successfully expanded the boundaries of her "Zone."
This was also the first time all year that she had fully displayed her "Zone" during an official race.
The reason she could accomplish this was deeply connected to the method Shuta An used to teach her how to enter the Zone through intimate emotional synchronization.
When Silence Suzuka approached the final-straight sprint phase of a race, her accumulated race experience naturally allowed her concentration to sharpen completely.
Under those conditions, entering the Zone became almost instinctive.
And by using that state as the foundation to further expand her "Zone," Silence Suzuka was able, after only a brief moment of disorientation, to once again grasp that overwhelming sensation she experienced on the final straight at Tokyo Racecourse—
The sensation of completely throwing every opponent behind her.
"Silence Suzuka is still desperately maintaining her speed! OMG! Sunline has already been swallowed by the pack, yet second-place Jim and Tonic remains eight Uma Musume lengths behind Silence Suzuka!"
The live commentator shouted almost hysterically.
"The final 400 meters! Can Silence Suzuka maintain this lead all the way to the finish?!"
Shuta An glanced toward the giant screen.
The race clock in the upper-right corner currently displayed—
1:35.7.
"For local-level Uma Musume, this 1600-meter split alone is already equivalent to a lower-grade track record"
The young man slowly stood up, gripping the railing tightly as he stared at Silence Suzuka's distant figure.
"But Suzuka still has another 400 meters left. At this point…everything depends entirely on Suzuka's own willpower."
There was nothing more he could do now.
Before the race even began, he had already played every card available to him.
"Even though I believe Suzuka doesn't need a miracle to win—"
A thought quietly surfaced in Shuta An's mind.
"I still hope a miracle descends upon her, so she doesn't have to struggle so painfully."
Then—
With 350 meters remaining until the finish line—
Silence Suzuka suddenly accelerated again.
The distance between her and the pursuing field visibly expanded once more.
"The phantom has descended upon Sha Tin Racecourse!"
The Green commentator suddenly blurted out this improvised line before immediately standing up, raising his voice even further so he could continue his commentary smoothly and passionately—
"Silence Suzuka is galloping beautifully down the final straight of Sha Tin Racecourse—a battlefield where she once tasted disappointment!"
"Although Silence Suzuka already avenged her former self here during the spring season, today she is proving that her victories in the International Stakes and the Cox Plate were absolutely not products of tactical fortune!"
"She will use a dazzling and magnificent performance to bring the final curtain down upon her Twinkle Series career!"
"She will prove to the entire world that within Team Sadalsuud, she stands as an existence no less brilliant than Oguri Cap herself!"
Inside different Boxes, every Trainer whose Uma Musume participated in this Hong Kong Cup had their eyes firmly locked onto Silence Suzuka.
"Incredible mental fortitude—"
Stephen Mckee muttered quietly.
"She set that kind of suicidal pace from the front and yet she can still accelerate at the end. It feels like she exists on an entirely different level compared to the others."
Trainer Francois Doumen, whose Jim and Tonic had successfully risen into second place and opened more than a one-length advantage over third-place Running Stag, slowly removed his gentleman's hat and bowed respectfully toward the track.
"An indescribable strength. Truly worthy of being the Uma Musume who once conquered the International Stakes."
"She is even stronger now than she was back then. It is my honor to finish second behind her in this Hong Kong Cup."
The guest commentator gave a summary of the race as it progressed near the end.
"Silence Suzuka has completely shaken off every opponent!"
"In the retirement race of her Twinkle Series career, the Uma Musume from Team Sadalsuud has finally displayed the entirety of her sharp brilliance!"
"All powerful rivals have become completely incapable of matching her!"
"From the instant the gates opened, even Silence Suzuka's shadow resembled an awe-inspiring monarch beyond challenge!"
"She permits no opponent to violate her authority!"
"She set a horrifying opening pace of 59.4 seconds—and completely destroyed every front-running Uma Musume who dared follow her during the opening stages!"
Shuta An stood motionless in place, staring at Silence Suzuka as she neared the finish line. His thoughts unconsciously drifted back toward a morning years ago in Chicago.
"If she can run both halves of a 2000-meter race in 59 seconds—then she can win anywhere in the world."
That had once been Shuta An's expectation for Silence Suzuka.
Back then, however, the Uma Musume was completely incapable of reaching that level.
So the young man quietly buried that expectation deep inside his heart.
Later, even after Silence Suzuka gradually developed the ability to approach that ideal, Shuta An still never directly spoke those words aloud.
He only continued guiding her, step by step, toward getting infinitely closer to that dream.
"Too late! Far too late! She has completely thrown away every pursuer!"
"The runaway Uma Musume who once finished ninth in the Derby has now seized her long-awaited victory in foreign lands!"
As the commentator passionately shouted those words, Silence Suzuka finally earned her very first G1 victory in front of Shuta An.
Afterward, although she suffered defeats in both the Breeder's Cup Turf Classic and the Hong Kong International Cup, Shuta An still managed—through persistence bordering on stubbornness—to lead Silence Suzuka back toward victory beneath the night skies of Dubai.
"For three entire years, across eleven races, Suzuka never once showed weakness on the track. Even when racing beyond her ideal distance aptitude, she still fought desperately all the way until the finish line."
"From our first meeting years ago in Hokkaido… to her unexpected transfer into the team… then to us confirming our relationship last year…"
"And now…"
Muttering softly to this point, the young man suddenly found his vision becoming slightly blurred.
"You've worked hard, Suzuka."
"From now on…leave the future to me."
"1:59.7! Silence Suzuka crosses the finish line in glorious fashion!"
"She steps onto the final stage of her Twinkle Series career with an overwhelming eight-length victory!"
"In the final year of her Twinkle Series career, Silence Suzuka conquered three countries, displaying her own unmatched style in every race while defeating every opponent who attempted to chase her!"
"It is true that her Classic Race year was not entirely successful—but Classic Race achievements alone can never fully define an Uma Musume's entire Twinkle Series career!"
"If you are currently struggling during your own Classic Race year, then do not feel despair! Do not panic! Do not fear becoming a failure!"
"Look at Silence Suzuka!"
"As long as you continue running forward, one day you too may become a queen who claims her own unique glory across three countries—just like her!"
Hearing the commentator's words, Shuta An immediately turned around and left the Box seating area, hurrying rapidly toward the track.
Along the way, he only perfunctorily responded to the congratulations offered by fellow Trainers and Sha Tin staff members.
At this moment, the young man's mind contained only a single thought—
He wanted to rush to Silence Suzuka's side.
He wanted to embrace her there at Sha Tin Racecourse, in front of the audience, in front of the cameras, and in front of the entire broadcast world—
And tell her only one sentence.
"You worked hard."