Chapter 304: Japanese Umamusume Competing in Dubai
The car slowly approached the magnificent building. Waves rhythmically lapped against the shore, producing a soothing sound.
Before them stood the sail-shaped skyscraper, firmly planted on an artificial island and surrounded by deep blue waters. Under the sunlight, it shimmered with a captivating glow, like a dreamlike castle straight out of a fairy tale.
Kitasan Black and Almond Eye could no longer contain their excitement. Their eyes were wide open, filled with awe and amazement, as they exclaimed nonstop.
"Wow, this is incredible!" Almond Eye shouted excitedly, pressing both hands against the car window, afraid of missing even the slightest detail.
Kitasan Black nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Yeah, I've never seen such a beautiful building before. It's unbelievable!"
Makoto, sitting beside them, was equally moved by the sight. The sail-shaped hotel truly lived up to its price—just its appearance alone was breathtaking.
After getting out of the car, the three were quickly guided into the hotel lobby by the reception staff.
Inside, dazzling crystal chandeliers illuminated the entire space like daylight. The polished marble floors gleamed, and the walls were adorned with exquisite murals rich in Arabian style. Every detail radiated unparalleled luxury.
The staff gave them a detailed introduction to the hotel's facilities—from top-tier restaurants offering delicacies from around the world, to a gym equipped with the most advanced equipment, and even an indoor garden filled with rare plants. Everything was astonishing.
After the introduction, Makoto looked at the two overly excited Umamusume and smiled as he assigned them a "task"—which was essentially to enjoy whatever they wanted.
In reality, it was to help them get familiar with the hotel and relax, while also adjusting to the jet lag from their long flight.
"You two go explore the hotel and enjoy yourselves," Makoto said gently. "Just don't get too carried away. If anything comes up, contact me—or the staff."
Hearing this, Almond Eye and Kitasan Black jumped up in excitement and ran deeper into the hotel with cheers.
Meanwhile, Makoto headed alone to the hotel's business center, where the environment was quiet and well-equipped.
He found a comfortable seat, opened his laptop, and began carefully reviewing information about the participants of this Dubai World Cup.
He studied each competitor's profile in detail—their past race results, preferred track types, recent training conditions—as well as interviews with their trainers.
This trip to Dubai was a rare learning opportunity not only for Almond Eye and Kitasan Black, but for him as well.
As he read, he jotted down key points in his notebook, occasionally pausing to think deeply about how to help the two Umamusume gain as much experience as possible from this event and better prepare for future races.
Completely absorbed in his research, two interview articles soon caught his full attention.
The subjects of these interviews were both familiar and important figures to him—Duramente and REAL STEEL.
Even before arriving in Dubai, he had already gained some understanding of their race schedules here through the association's published information.
Duramente's recent racing journey had been particularly difficult.
During last summer's training camp, she was unfortunately diagnosed with inflammation, forcing her to withdraw from all races in the latter half of the year.
According to Kitasan Black, during that long period, although she could only watch her peers compete, she never gave up—persisting in treatment and rehabilitation training.
By the end of last year, she had finally recovered and immediately began working toward her comeback.
After more than two months of intensive rehabilitation and formal training, she made a strong return at the Nakayama Kinen at the end of last month.
That race was packed with elite competitors, making it extremely competitive.
Among them were veteran Umamusume who had won the Asahi Hai and the Satsuki Sho—experienced and powerful contenders for victory.
There was also the previous Satsuki Sho champion, Meimi Island, whose presence carried significant weight.
REAL STEEL also participated in this G2-level race, further increasing the excitement and unpredictability of the event.
During the race, perhaps due to being away from competition for so long, Duramente experienced a rare slow start.
However, given her outstanding ability, she quickly adjusted on the track. By accelerating decisively, she skillfully secured a position just behind the pace chasers.
As the race entered the final sprint phase, her powerful and astonishing closing kick was fully unleashed once again.
After a fierce stretch of competition, she overtook the then-leading runner, Ambitious Sky. On the final straight, she relied on sheer determination and unwavering willpower to hold onto her lead.
In the end, she crossed the finish line first by an extremely narrow margin, successfully winning the Nakayama Kinen.
As for REAL STEEL, she also performed impressively in that race, ultimately securing a strong third-place finish.
During this period of following Duramente, Makoto had also been keeping in touch with Air Groove.
So he knew that after Duramente's successful comeback, her family and Air Groove, along with others, carefully discussed and decided to once again set her long-term goal as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
To better prepare for this world-renowned top-tier race, she chose to compete in the 2400m turf G1 — Dubai Sheema Classic during this Dubai trip.
This race demands both high endurance and speed. Choosing such an event clearly demonstrated the team's confidence in her abilities and their firm determination toward future goals.
As for REAL STEEL, her choice was clearly well thought out. She opted for the 1800m G1 — Dubai Turf.
In Makoto's view, this race distance and surface conditions likely suited her strengths even better.
Up to this point, her record stood at 8 races, 2 wins.
Out of the 6 races she didn't win, 4 were second-place finishes, 1 was third place, and 1 was fourth place
This is undoubtedly among the strongest records for an active runner, especially considering that all six of those races were G1-level competitions.
Looking at her performance overall, she showed noticeably better results in races around 1800 meters, indicating that her strength lies in middle-distance (mile-range) races.
Thus, choosing the Dubai Turf was clearly the most stable and strategic decision.
Makoto understood very well that whether it was Duramente or REAL STEEL, every race they chose carried careful planning behind it, along with a precise evaluation of their own strengths.
As he carefully read through every detail of the interviews, he continued jotting down key points in his notebook.
At the same time, his mind kept working—thinking about how to draw from the experiences of these elite Umamusume and use them to help Almond Eye and Kitasan Black achieve even greater success in their future races.