Chapter 93: Encounter! Dubai Meeting! Part 1

The day of the 'Dubai World Cup Meeting' had finally arrived. While most of the main races were scheduled for the evening, the area around Meydan Racecourse was already bustling with excitement since noon as part of 'Dubai World Cup Day'.

This was a rare sight in Japan—helicopters and drones filled the skies above Meydan. They were probably capturing live footage from above. Crowds of people wearing Middle Eastern-style turbans had gathered...some carrying rocket-shaped cameras that looked slightly comical.

Regardless of attire, Meydan Racecourse was swarming with countless reporters carrying massive cameras. Even though it wasn't even noon yet, many reporters with microphones stood in the square in front of the stands.

I made my way past the TV cameras with Tomio and headed toward the staff entrance of Meydan Racecourse. Since my race was the earliest among our group, I arrived separately with my trainer.

"Whoa~, there are so many TV crews here!"

"They say UAE's national broadcaster is streaming live on Umatube. Modern times, huh~"

"Wow, seriously. There's like 200,000 viewers already."

"Most of the other TV stations here probably came from the home countries of the participating horse girls. Europe, America, Japan, Australia, Africa, the Middle East, South America...you could practically say the whole world is here."

"I wonder if any Japanese stations are here~? Maybe even familiar reporters like Otona Fumi!"

"...About Otona Fumi..."

"Huh?"

"Never mind."

After this mysterious exchange, we passed through a gate marked 'WELCOME TO THE DUBAI WORLD CUP'. The venue was packed—if it was this lively now, the crowd would be even bigger when the main races approached in the evening. Many were dressed in formal attire as if attending a fashion show, posing for photos everywhere.

Since Meydan Racecourse strictly enforced a formal dress code, Tomio wore a suit while I was in uniform. Though it was pretty hot, so the moment we entered, everyone started taking off their jackets.

"Oh! That's Apollo Rainbow from Japan! Let's go get a word with her!"

A nearby TV reporter spotted me and immediately rushed over with a microphone. My trainer must have agreed to a short interview, so I had no objections. I adjusted my bangs and stepped in front of the camera.

I didn't recognize the broadcaster, but there's no harm in gaining fans worldwide. With my European tour this season in mind, it's time to make my global debut.

"Thank you for your time! We'd love to ask you a few questions. Apollo Rainbow, hello!"

"Hello~!"

I waved cheerfully at the camera. After staring at my own adorable face daily, I'd mastered every angle to make Apollo Rainbow look her most charming—knowing exactly how to smile to leave a good impression or how to pull off natural, heart-fluttering gestures. I still couldn't control my ears and tail well, but for a TV shoot, I could present a perfect version of myself.

...Not that it ever worked around a certain trainer. He'd just ignore me.

My act must have hit the mark—an older gentleman behind me clutched his chest like he was overwhelmed. If the reaction was this strong, there were probably viewers falling for my cuteness in real time.

Well, I am genuinely adorable. And I'm a gray, so...

After answering a few questions, the reporter asked, "Among the horse girls racing in the Dubai Gold Cup, is there anyone you see as a rival?" The G2 Dubai Gold Cup I was running in was widely seen as a two-horse race.

Apollo Rainbow and Kayf Tara were far ahead as the top two favorites, making it impossible not to acknowledge her—

"Of course, my rival is Kayf Tara!"

Though I meant it, the media also loved the narrative of the top two contenders eyeing each other. With that in mind, I emphasized her name with conviction.

The interviewer nodded knowingly, about to ask another question—

"Apollo, time to get ready."

"Okay!"

Tomio cut in, and I excused myself from the cameras. The reporters sensed the shift and didn't press further, returning to their coverage of the event.

Inside Meydan's stands, we passed by a merchandise stall packed with Uma Musume goods—likely connected to URA branches worldwide—displaying items featuring me, El-chan, Suzuka-san, and others.

There were also unfamiliar overseas horse girl goods, but somehow they looked cheaper than the Japanese ones. Maybe Japan just goes all-out on merchandise.

After passing by a burly guard in sunglasses, we finally reached the waiting room. Unsurprisingly, backstage wasn't as glamorous—just a plain, ordinary prep area.

I stripped off the stuffy uniform and changed into my tracksuit. I would've loved to wear my race outfit even for a G2, but that would dilute the prestige of G1s. Plus, it's against the rules anyway.

"Alright, Apollo, let's go over the race strategy."
"Sure thing~"

Facing my trainer, I studied the binder he handed me. Sixteen horse girls were competing in the Dubai Gold Cup, with the following lineup:

No. 1 – Drill Isabelle (5th favorite)
No. 2 – Apollo Rainbow (2nd favorite)
No. 3 – Dolphin Drive (10th favorite)
No. 4 – Seaside Axe (7th favorite)
No. 5 – Music Withness (11th favorite)
No. 6 – Caro Memories (12th favorite)
No. 7 – Tiny Reason (6th favorite)
No. 8 – Mississippi Run (8th favorite)
No. 9 – Powerful Calor (13th favorite)
No. 10 – Chief's Glider (3rd favorite)
No. 11 – Vintage Rainbow (14th favorite)
No. 12 – Sharpen Dancer (4th favorite)
No. 13 – Kayf Tara (1st favorite)
No. 14 – Deputy and Royal (16th favorite)
No. 15 – Riverman Soul (9th favorite)
No. 16 – Seattle Charming (15th favorite)

Unlike in Japan, overseas races like Dubai don't use "gate numbers"—just simple post positions.

I was No. 2, the 2nd favorite. A bit confusing. Meanwhile, the 1st favorite was Kayf Tara. A year older than me, her long-distance record earned her the top spot—5 stakes races, 2 wins, including 2 G1 victories in the Gold Cup (where she defeated Double Trigger) and the Irish St. Leger. That performance even won her the Cartier Award for Best Stayer. No question she had more achievements than me.

"Kayf Tara's optimal distance is 2400m to 4000m, with running styles ranging from front-running to closing. Her signature move is a devastating long sprint, and her internal clock is so precise that trick strategies rarely work. On top of that, she's a poker face—hard to read. In a way, she's your polar opposite, Apollo."

Kayf Tara was famous for her explosive late charge, and as Tomio said, she was the complete opposite of me, who could only win by leading from start to finish. His remark about her poker face versus my expressiveness might have carried a hint of teasing.

"Now, this time, you're drawn inside while Kayf Tara is outside—both in positions where you’ll avoid being boxed in by the pack."

In long-distance races, post position advantages and disadvantages are less pronounced. It’s not that they don’t exist at all, but they’re still far less of a factor than in sprint races.

"Facing Kaitfla in our first overseas expedition race is honestly a pretty tough situation... But this isn’t a European racetrack—it’s Dubai. That means while we’re on unfamiliar ground, so are they. We’ve got a real shot at winning."

"Yeah, I get that."

"We’ve got three advantages. First, Dubai’s course is flat, favoring speed over raw power or stamina. With today’s firm turf, the pace is going to be blistering."

Due to its geography, Dubai sees extremely little rainfall. As a result, races are almost always run on firm turf. The grass at Meydan is a hybrid of Japanese and European turf, so in these fast conditions, it’s a major tailwind for Japanese horse girls.

Additionally, Meydan Racecourse has virtually no elevation changes—less than two meters across the entire course. There aren’t even any noticeable slopes in the final stretch, making it much easier to handle.

European tracks, on the other hand, often have elevation changes of up to 20 meters. If Kaitfla and the other European horse girls aren’t used to such a flat course, the advantage is ours.

"Second, it’s similar to what Trainer Tōjō once said about a certain Arc de Triomphe-winning horse girl—you can set a ludicrously fast pace that would never happen in Europe. With an inside post and most of the competitors being from Europe—plus a few from Australia and South America—there’s hardly anyone here who’d dare chase down a runaway frontrunner like you on first sight. I doubt any of them will even try to rein you in."

European horse girls tend to prioritize margin of victory over raw time. They don’t care if the early pace is slow—if anything, given their usual tough, hilly courses, going all-out early would just burn their stamina.

In Europe, conserving energy for the final stretch is standard strategy.

But this isn’t Europe—it’s Meydan. With its Japan-like turf and flat course, a suicidal, all-out dash like in Japanese races could actually work.

The European horse girls, faced with such an insane pace, would likely be too stunned to react properly. They wouldn’t aggressively chase you down like Japanese runners would. In that sense, maniac frontrunners like me and Suzuka have a slight edge just by racing at Meydan.

"Third... Kaitfla’s in even better shape than expected. That’s spreading out the attention on Apollo—which could be a problem, but if it means less pressure on us, it’s also an opportunity."

For a frontrunner, divided attention is the best-case scenario. Having your rhythm or pace disrupted when you’re leading is brutal.

"The only real concern is not knowing what strategy Kayf Tara will use. With an outside post, she’ll probably come from behind, but..."

"Either way, winning this means clearing one of the Stayers’ Million qualifiers. Let’s give it everything we’ve got!"

"Yeah!"

—The Stayers’ Million. Officially, the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers’ Million. A series where if a horse girl wins one of the designated races held between March and June and then sweeps the British Long-Distance Triple Crown (the Gold Cup, Goodwood Cup, and Lonsdale Cup), she earns a £1,000,000 bonus (~¥150 million).

The G2 Dubai Gold Cup—my race—is one of those qualifiers. But given the rotation schedule, losing here would make completing the Stayers’ Million nearly impossible.

This series was created to revitalize long-distance racing by adding extra prestige and prize money to the once-great (but now diminished) British Triple Crown.

For me, completing the Stayers’ Million isn’t a dream—it’s this year’s goal. That’s why I can’t afford to lose the Dubai Gold Cup.

The Stayers’ Million qualifying races (March–June) are:

—March W5: G2 Dubai Gold Cup (3200m)

—April W4: G3 Vintage Crop Stakes (2800m)

—April W4: G3 Sagaro Stakes (3200m)

—May W2: G3 Ormonde Stakes (2700m)

—May W3: G2 Oleander-Rennen (3200m)

—May W4: G2 Yorkshire Cup (2800m)

—May W4: G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (3000m)

—June W1: G3 Henry II Stakes (3300m)

—June W1: G2 Prix Vicomtesse Vigier (3200m)

Winning any one of these plus the British Triple Crown grants "full completion" and the £1,000,000 prize.

These bonus systems—like Japan’s Spring & Autumn Senior Triple Crown bonuses—exist as incentives. Sure, the achievement itself matters, but the money’s really just bait to draw participants. European stakes races have low purses, so without these, there’d be little reason to compete.

"Alright, let’s go over the broad strategy one more time—"

In the end, what was supposed to be a quick meeting ended up dragging on, and between stretching and checking my horseshoes, before we knew it, the first race of the Dubai World Cup meeting was about to begin.

By the time we made it from the waiting room to the stands, the first race was already over, and the trophy presentation and interviews were taking place in the winner’s circle. It was a shame to miss the first race after all, but we’d made good use of our time. Now, all that was left was to watch the second race and then prepare for the third—the Dubai Gold Cup.

"Next up is the Godolphin Mile?"

"Yeah. A G2 dirt mile."

"The Dubai Golden Shaheen is a G1 dirt sprint, and the Dubai World Cup is a G1 dirt middle-distance race, so why is the Godolphin Mile the only one stuck at G2?"

"Who knows… Maybe since it’s an international race, it’ll get upgraded eventually?"

"Yeah, maybe."

The second race was the G2 Godolphin Mile, followed by the G2 Dubai Gold Cup—my race. Since I don’t get many chances to run on dirt, soaking up the crowd’s excitement and getting pumped up seemed like a good idea, so I decided to watch it properly.

I headed to the officials’ seating area and looked down at the track, still in my training clothes. The dirt course was being prepped for the upcoming race, with people coming and going. No matter the country, it seems everyone puts the same care into maintaining the track.

After a short wait, the horse girls began appearing in the paddock, introduced one by one on the massive turf screen. The presentation was flashier than Japan’s—despite being a G2, they even showcased their racing silks.

Cheers erupted from all directions as each horse girl’s name was called. It didn’t matter if they were from another country—the frenzy of racing was universal.

Sixteen competitors in total, gathered from around the world—masters of the sand—filed onto the track and began their warm-up laps, a ritual shared across nations. The paddock’s energy settled slightly, the stands growing quiet before the storm. The commentator’s voice announced the completion of gate entry. The crowd fell even more silent.

The gates flew open in an instant. Barely ten seconds after the sixteen horse girls had loaded in. The roar of the crowd surged back like a tidal wave, and the few minutes of madness began.

A hot wind whipped through the air as shouts of encouragement—almost like battle cries—rang out. Spurred on by the noise, the horse girls charged forward at full speed in true American style. The American runners never let up, not even for a second—no graceful front-running like Japan’s speed demons, just raw power kicking up the dirt.

Meydan had become a crucible of excitement. The girls dug their shoes into the dirt, killing centrifugal force as they accelerated through the turns. The finish line loomed closer, and the cheers grew louder with every stride. And then—

『GOOOOAL!! Crossing the line in first—it’s #3, Cool Dandy!! The battle for second is too close to call!! She’s done it, Cool Dandy—a triumphant G2 victory on foreign soil, marking her comeback!! Tears flow as she savors the sweet taste of victory for the first time in nearly two years!!』

『She’s struggled for so long in stakes races. Even the fans who came all the way from America are moved to tears seeing her like this.』

Covered in kicked-up dirt, her training clothes filthy, the horse girl wept. Her rivals patted her back, praising her effort. Under the glow of the setting sun, the dirt track seemed to shimmer.

A whistle cut through the air from somewhere in the crowd, followed by a wave of warm cheers for all the competitors. Amid the unending applause, I soaked in the thrill of an overseas race, stoking the fire of my own fighting spirit.