Chapter 83. Training Homework
The victory in the Ballerina Stakes rewarded Shuta An with a skill called "Wait and See." a stamina recovery ability limited to short-distance races.
For the young man, this skill was relatively niche and hardly felt commensurate with the sheer effort he had exerted in the Dream World the night before.
But by the time he woke up, Shuta An had already shifted his focus. There was just over half a month remaining until the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Today, his priority was finalizing the monthly training regimens for the other Uma Musumes of Team Sadalsuud. Tomorrow, he would fly to France to make the final preparations for the Arc alongside Tokai Teio.
"Going back to France after so long—"
The young man murmured to himself as he thought about his impending flight.
"Last time, Oguri and I laid the foundation for the future there. This time, Teio and I are going to challenge the absolute pinnacle of global middle-to-long-distance turf racing."
Can Teio and I truly claim the crown jewel of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe together?
He wondered as he washed up.
He knew that securing a victory at the Arc would demand the absolute best from both him and Tokai Teio as a pair.
"Never underestimate the field at the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, regardless of the year. Any slackening in your resolve will guarantee your defeat."
This was a lesson drawn directly from Allez France's extensive experience challenging the Arc. Taking it to heart, Shuta An refused to underestimate their rivals.
"This year, over thirty Uma Musumes have registered for the Arc. Barring any surprises, it's going to be a full gate."
Shuta An mused as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
"With eighteen Uma Musumes running together at Longchamp Racecourse, gate positioning will be absolutely critical."
As for the race pace itself, Shuta An wasn't overly concerned.
The blistering, high-speed pace that Tokai Teio historically struggled with was highly unlikely to materialize at Longchamp. Given the grueling 2,400-meter course, the young man deduced that User Friendly—who was most likely to take the lead—wouldn't push a suicidal tempo. After all, she had already suffered the consequences of doing exactly that at the Epsom Derby.
"Thinking about it that way, going to the Epsom Derby provided us with a rather nice tactical advantage."
Shuta An smiled to himself.
Upon arriving at the Academy and clocking in, the young man headed straight for Team Sadalsuud's activity room. He dedicated his morning to drafting individualized, month-long training plans for both the Uma Musumes currently competing in the Twinkle Series and those who had yet to debut. Once the plans were finalized, he called them in for one-on-one reviews.
Admire Vega was the first to be called.
Shuta An's requirements for her were straightforward: maintain a relatively low-intensity baseline compared to the senior team members, and gradually incorporate gym equipment to cultivate her explosive power.
"Ayabe, I believe your calm personality means we don't need to force you into fighting for the lead. Instead, we can utilize late-surger or end-closer tactics. But regardless of the specific strategy we choose, raw explosive power is a fundamental skill you need to build up gradually."
"I understand." Admire Vega sat on the sofa, nodding obediently before posing a question. "In that case, Trainer, will I continue training alongside Kurofune-senpai, or should I train alone?"
"I'd prefer you train alone for now. Kurofune's regimen is slowly diverging from yours. Aside from general jogging laps, I suggest you handle your other training items solo. If you ever feel unconfident about executing them properly, you can always ask Dober for guidance."
"Understood. Thank you, Trainer."
Admire Vega offered a polite curtsy, stood up, and took her training menu.
"Why do I have to do this?"
Kurofune's eyes widened in disbelief as she pointed at a specific instruction on her menu:
Once a week, travel to Aomori Prefecture and climb from the base to the summit of the Sarugamori Sand Dunes (must face directly into the wind).
"Climbing sand dunes while being forced to face the wind means I'm going to end up eating a mouthful of sand!"
Kurofune pouted indignantly.
"It's to get you accustomed to the sensation of sand blasting into your face."
Shuta An explained, meeting her gaze.
"You're targeting the dirt track circuit in the future. If you don't acclimatize to this feeling, your only viable tactical option will be running as a front-runner to avoid the kickback."
"Can't I just wear a mask and goggles?" Kurofune tilted her head. "Wouldn't that solve the problem?"
"Goggles restrict your peripheral vision. If an opponent sweeps in from the far outside and you're wearing goggles, by the time you spot them, it will be too late to initiate your acceleration and counterattack."
Shuta An's pragmatic reasoning left Kurofune with no room for excuses.
"Of course, you could go to the Tottori Sand Dunes instead, but the conditioning effect there would be slightly inferior."
The young man added casually.
"Then I'll stick to the Sarugamori Sand Dunes."
Kurofune made the honest, albeit reluctant, choice. She had correctly deduced that if she opted for the smaller Tottori dunes, her Trainer would absolutely increase the frequency from once to twice a week.
When it was Rice Shower's turn, Shuta An handed her a plan that featured increased swimming and spin-bike sessions while reducing her jogging laps. He also explicitly requested that she limit her hill training to no more than twice a week.
"The Kikuka Sho primarily tests pure stamina. I'm not too worried about you on that front. However, leading up to the Derby, your training leaned heavily toward explosiveness and speed. We need to gradually adjust your conditioning back to an endurance focus."
Shuta paused, his expression softening.
"Also, I'm giving you a homework assignment, Rice."
"Eh?"
The dark bay Uma Musume looked up in surprise.
"When I return from France, I want you to tell me whether or not you want to participate in the Arima Kinen."
Shuta An raised his index finger to gently forestall her immediate reply.
"Don't answer me right now. Wait until I get back. Take this time to think it over carefully."
The young man patted Rice Shower's shoulder reassuringly.
"Whatever you decide—whether you run or not—I will completely respect your choice."
"Okay... I'll take my time and think about it."
Rice Shower, who already harbored a quiet resolve in her heart, accepted his terms, deciding she would declare her intentions the moment her Trainer returned.
Mejiro Dober's situation was the most straightforward. The regimen Shuta An had devised for her was essentially a highly intensified version of Admire Vega's, with the stringent addition of multiple gate-training sessions each week.
"The 2,000-meter route on the Tokyo turf track features a turn almost immediately after the start. Because of that geometry, you need to rigorously practice both your gate exits and your initial explosive power."
Shuta An explained.
"I'll get it done."
Mejiro Dober accepted the training plan with a determined nod. She then leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lover's cheek.
"I will prove to everyone that Ann's is right—a truly strong Uma Musume remains strong, no matter what path she takes!"
"I know you can do it, Dober."
Shuta An smiled, pulling her into an embrace and returning the kiss.