Lyphard's commentary carried a tone of concern, but Kitahara felt she was only doing so deliberately in order to fulfill the duty of a commentator—she clearly understood that the current race situation was not outside expectations.
And this part—this explanation and analysis—was precisely his job.
"Tony Bianca's response is extremely reasonable."
Following Lyphard, Kitahara spoke into the microphone in a deep voice:
"For British racehorse girls, the Epsom track is extremely familiar."
"The 1100-meter straight after the Tattenham Corner is a smooth downhill. On such a section, the horses will run faster than usual, and must also endure far greater inertia."
"This makes switching positions or overtaking from the outside much more difficult—unless they're willing to consume significantly more stamina."
"More importantly, the entire course leans slightly inward. The inner lane becomes crowded, while the outside path becomes longer."
"In the history of the Epsom Derby, there have been almost no victories achieved by overtaking on this straight."
"If we must name an exception…"
His mind quickly flashed through recent years of Epsom Derby history, and Kitahara continued:
"Probably only Dancing Brave from two years ago nearly achieved such a miracle."
"Dancing Brave used a pace chasing strategy during the straight, sprinting from the outside and once closing in on the leader, Shahrastani."
"Her final furlong speed was an unprecedented 10.3 seconds."
"But even with a world-class finishing speed like hers, she still could not overcome the disadvantages of the outside straight at Epsom."
"Therefore, to win here, you must secure a good position before entering the final straight. Otherwise, you have no chance."
"This rule applies equally to European and Japanese racehorse girls. Moonlight Lunacyswitching from closing-run to mid-pack, Tony Bianca's positioning efforts—all of it is aimed toward this goal."
Mentioning the Dancing Brave watching from the VIP gallery below, and the Derby she once ran, Kitahara couldn't help feeling uneasy.
He wasn't worried about her—she had already experienced the Epsom Derby.He worried about Oguri Cap and the others and whether they could adapt next.
He had emphasized positioning during the curve many times.
Most of the past week's training was spent on highland curve tracks.
Whether in training or the race plan, everything revolved around the curve.
Super Creek and Ardan—who excelled at spatial judgment—focused on positioning specifically to secure the best entry into the final straight.
Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, and Inari One stayed behind Tony Bianca not because she was British, but because as a European racer she was expected to tailor her tactics for the European course.
Following her during the latter half would ensure they could react at the right moment.
But Kitahara still worried.
Because three years ago, Dancing Brave failed exactly due to her strategic choice on the final straight.
She stayed near the last three positions almost the entire race.On a different track—like Paris Longchamp—this would not matter at all.
With her world-class finishing burst, she could overtake an entire field from behind.
Before that Derby ended, 99.9% of trainers, racers, and spectators believed she would win.
But exiting Tattenham Corner—switching from the bend to the straight—she was still third from last and over 12 lengths behind the leader.
Even though she unleashed a devastating sprint, overtaking more than a dozen rivals in the next 1100 meters, she still fell short of champion Shahrastani by half a length.
Kitahara's explanation was even conservative—her final 200 meters in 10.3 seconds and 19.4 m/s speed was not only unprecedented but unmatched to this day.
He admitted: their team's finishing bursts were top-tier, yet even the best—Oguri Cap—could not compare with peak Dancing Brave.
And since even that monstrous finishing speed couldn't negate Epsom's positional disadvantage, he had no choice but to fear that they might fail to secure a proper spot before the straight.
If they failed, their fate on the straight would be identical to the commentary from that race:
"Dancing Brave starting to motor, but oh, so much to do!"
Meanwhile, the pack on the track was rapidly approaching Tattenham Corner.
"Brilliant switch, Oguri."
From the outside lane, having accelerated to the front, Tony Bianca heard the heavy footsteps behind her and shifted her gaze slightly, spotting the silver-gray shadow trailing close.
She praised:
"And your trainer arranged a nice plan for you all."
She assumed Oguri's English had recently improved dramatically from their earlier conversation, and instinctively spoke in English.
But Oguri, using all strength to follow, froze for a moment.
"…Huh? What did you say?"
Having spent so much stamina fighting for position, she had no energy left to think. Instinctively responding in Japanese, she replayed what she heard.
"Trainer? Oh—yeah, Kitahara is good."
She answered briefly and fell silent.
With such rushed preparation she could adapt somewhat to the unfamiliar course, but performing as she did in Japan was still impossible.
She knew the slopes, elevation shifts, and bend angles of the track thanks to repetitive practice the past week.
But during Japan training, analysis was supported by simulation machines and wind tunnel data modeling every condition.
Here they lacked all of that, so she used more stamina reacting to unexpected differences.
For example, avoiding uneven ground during training was easy, but in a real race with opponents her choices were limited.
Even the special "European spec running shoes"—as Kaguya said—had incomplete data and plenty of room for improvement.
This version merely reduced softness effects; it couldn't offset foreign terrain disadvantages.
Which meant far more physical effort was required to sustain Japanese-level speed.
Worst of all were the impacts.
Since the start, Oguri had run more than 1200 meters, and aside from the opening 400 and the recent 200 meters, she had collided repeatedly.
Her physique was excellent, but even she could not ignore the impacts. Stumbling affected her pace and form, and recovering required stamina.
The Epsom Derby consumed far more strength than the Japanese Derby.
She had slowed earlier to run with Super Creek and Ardan to conserve strength.
But now she had to risk collisions to fight for position.
Because the next curve was the decisive turning point.
If she failed to secure front position now, not even her finishing burst could win.
She must not lose here.
Clinging to that belief, after another collision due to centrifugal force, Oguri staggered inward, regained posture instantly, and sprinted forward full-power.
The pack transformed again.
From overhead, what was once a densely packed mass split into two extremely tight groups—inner and outer lanes.
The lineup shifted sharply…
Domain—?! ×5
The moment Oguri, Little Bay, Aldan, Tamamo Cross, and Inari One attempted to burst forward, they simultaneously felt an overwhelming aura erupting from both the inner and outer lanes.
A suffocating pressure, freezing blood, an instinctual urge to flee—this was unmistakably a Domain.
But unlike familiar training domains—this one came from neither teammate nor known rival.
It was—
Tony Bianca and Moonlight Lunacy?!
Everyone realized it at once.
"W-wait! Entering Domain at this stage—the rest of the race…"
Inari One panicked loudly.
She clearly remembered her first Domain use—at the Hanshin Daishoten—together with Tamamo Cross.The mid-race acceleration felt amazing, but the stamina cost was massive.
She and Tamamo both collapsed in the final turn and straight.
If their opponents hadn't also accelerated early and exhausted themselves, the ending would have been different.
With that experience and knowing her impulsive temper, she hesitated.
If they're in Domain, we'll never catch them without using our own…
But there's still over 1000 meters after this corner—if stamina runs out here—!
Do we still follow the old man's instructions and stick to Tony Bianca…?
The situation had exceeded every pre-race plan.It was something none of them—except Inari's Hanshin race—had ever faced.
They all instinctively hesitated.
That brief moment of hesitation caused their speed to fall far behind Tony Bianca and Moonlight Lunacy—who had already entered their Domains.
Just moments later, they watched as the two rivals surged forward, overtook the leading horse girls in the blink of an eye, and claimed the front positions instead.
Tony Bianca, who was in a Domain state, sensed Oguri Cap and the others' delayed reaction with perfect clarity.
As one of the strongest European horse girl of her generation—and having participated in many fierce races throughout both the early and mid stages of her maturity—she naturally knew about Domains, and had more or less mastered this ability.
Not only that—she also knew that in world-class races, clashes between Domains were common. Meanwhile in Japan, only one or two of the absolute elite among each generation even had the opportunity to experience it.
With such a gap in experience, their slow reaction didn't surprise her at all.
"Tony… they don't seem like the kind who belong 'on this side'…"
Amid her thoughts, Tony Bianca suddenly heard a doubtful voice carried by the wind beside her.
She knew it was Moonlight Lunacy's.
It had taken Moonlight less than two seconds to overtake the previous leaders—Reference Point, Jupiter Island, and Le Gloriuex—and she had entered her Domain within that same brief span of time.
Now that she was already leading, she had released the Domain—yet the only one still able to keep up and surpass the three veteran runners was the one who had entered the Domain alongside her: Moonlight Lunacy.
And she knew exactly what "this side" referred to.
"This side" meant the Domain. In her worldview—and in the eyes of every elite racehorse who had mastered this level—whether one could wield a Domain drew a sharp line separating two very different tiers.
"Yes. It is odd," she replied flatly.
Casting a sideways glance, Tony Bianca continued calmly:
"I thought that with a legendary senior like Symboli Rudolf, they would at least understand this concept."
"And judging from their performances in the Japan Cup and Tenno Sho (Spring), it seemed like they were brushing up against the Domain."
"But now, it appears I misjudged them."
"If they don't belong 'on this side', they'll never break through the 'barrier' set by Reference Point and the others."
Tony Bianca's gaze wasn't on Oguri Cap and the rest—who were already being blocked.
The one stopping Oguri Cap's group was precisely the veteran she had just mentioned: Reference Point.
This horse girl looked completely carefree.
Not only had she maintained a deliberate one-length gap ahead of the "second pack" since the start—when she felt the eyes of her juniors on her and looked back with a polite smile, she even nodded in acknowledgment.
She very obviously wasn't giving it her all.
"Indeed… the seniors really worked hard for this. Especially Reference Point," Moonlight commented, watching the veterans behind them with her peripheral vision.
"Jupiter Island and Le Gloriuex's Domains are still manageable—they haven't fully mastered them yet. They came this time so we could learn from their Japan Cup experience."
"But Reference Point… to break through the influence of her unique Domain is really something else."
"But fortunately—…"
Just as she spoke halfway, she was suddenly cut off.
"If I didn't feel wrong, you stayed in your Domain about one second longer than I did just now… right, Moonlight?"
Tony Bianca tilted her eyes toward Moonlight, who was momentarily stunned.
"Then for the rest of this stretch—including the steep rise before the finish—do you still have more 'time' left?"
"I'm not the same as I was in the Saint-Cloud Grand Prix."
The Saint-Cloud Grand Prix was a 2400m turf G1 race in France.
In that race, Moonlight Lunacy had defeated Tony Bianca by 1½ lengths.
Moonlight instantly understood the sudden mention of that race—this was an invitation for a one-on-one showdown from here onward.
From her perspective, the Japanese racehorses had not reached the level where they could access the Domain.
Though some segments from the races she had studied hinted they might be close, the current race said otherwise.
She didn't know whether the Japanese side was aware—but she and Tony Bianca both knew that Reference Point, Jupiter Island, and Le Gloriuex were invited by their trainers and by the Epsom Academy staff specifically to serve as sparring partners for preparing the Japan Cup expedition.
There had been much speculation that Reference Point had declined after an injury in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and had significantly weakened.
That would be typical for most racehorses—especially a leg injury would normally end their career.
But Reference Point wasn't like that. Not only had her ability not dropped during retirement recovery—she had improved. She had completely mastered the Domain, a blessing said to come from the Three Goddesses.
She had become stronger. If she raced at full capacity today, there would be zero suspense.
Unfortunately, according to the unspoken rules: once a horse girl truly mastered the Domain, she rarely had the chance to compete anymore. Otherwise, nobody else in the generation would ever rise.
In world-class races—like the Arc—this was acceptable; nearly all champions there were Domain-tier. That's what made those races the most desirable stages for all racehorses.
But in Japan? Races of such level rarely existed—at least that's what Moonlight believed.
So if the opponents remained stuck "on the other side", they would never break through Reference Point's Domain.
Her Domain was unique—not only did it boost her own performance, but it also inhibited those who came within three meters.
This exact Domain was the true focus of both teams in this exchange match—if Tony Bianca and Moonlight could break through it, it would prove that there were few opponents in the world who could truly challenge them—especially in a Japan Cup that was less than ten years old.
And with these training races letting them study Japan's likely entrants—
This year's Japan Cup was already in their grasp.
"If you want a duel—I'll gladly accept," Moonlight replied firmly, racing right beside her.
"Don't think you're the only one who grew stronger after Saint-Cloud."
The pack had already passed "Tattenham Corner".
Tens of thousands of cheers were unifying into one immense wave.
This was Britain, after all—most spectators were locals.
They might have cheered for the Japanese visitors earlier out of novelty—but as the race progressed, they naturally shifted their support back to their familiar European stars.
Now that Tony Bianca and Moonlight had seized first and second place, nearly all the cheers favored them.
Only Special Week's mini cheer squad—and the group watching indoors—remained steadfast in supporting Oguri Cap and the others.
Even the commentary began showing subtle bias.
"We have entered the final stage! The horse girls have passed Tattenham Corner and are charging into the last straight!"
"Everyone must have witnessed that remarkable turn—Tony Bianca and Moonlight Lunacy displayed unbelievable speed—passing three veterans in one go!"
"The Japanese runners trying to keep up seem to be struggling."
"They've managed to pass Jupiter Island and Le Gloriuex, but can only match Reference Point—maintaining a subtle one-length distance."
"Let's confirm the current positions—"
"Leading is Tony Bianca—Moonlight Lunacy right behind!"
"In third—Reference poi— Huh?"
Her voice stopped for a beat.
What she saw on the screen made her freeze.
But duty forced her to continue—even if her voice sounded uncertain:
"…Third is Mejiro Ardan! Right behind—Super Creek!"
"In… incredible! Two Japanese racehorses are now showing speed not inferior to Tony Bianca and Moonlight Lunacy during the corner!"
"Amazing! So this was the source of Chief Kitahara's confidence!"
"There are still such outstanding competitors among his horses!"
Words spilled out in shock.
And when her eyes swept further down the pack—she could no longer hold back her surprise:
"Oh—my goodness!"
"Not only Mejiro Ardan and Super Creek—! They've both overtaken Reference Point into third and fourth!"
"And that's not all!"
She repeated, shouting:
"The Japanese horse girls from the Eisei team—at almost the exact same time—have also completed the pass!"
"Oguri Cap, Tamamo Cross, and Inari One have followed closely behind—breaking past Reference Point one after another!"
"Their speed is astonishing!!"
"After overtaking, they are charging straight toward the leading pair—Tony Bianca and Moonlight Lunacy!"
"They're not only overtaking the European racehorse girls—they're competing among themselves as well!"
"After completing the overtake on the European runners, Oguri Cap's sprint is absolutely outrageous! She continues to overtake her own teammates and has now reached Moonlight Lunacy's side!"
"No—she instantly surpassed Moonlight Lunacy and is now running neck and neck with Tony Bianca!"
"This is—this is exactly like that race three years ago!"
"She's just like Dancing Brave—after passing Tattenham Corner, she unleashed terrifying speed and overtook everyone all at once!"
"No—not just her!"
"Heavens! These Japanese racehorse girls are truly eye-opening! Oguri Cap isn't the only one capable of overtaking with such speed!"
"Oguri Cap charged up from the far outside lane just like Dancing Brave back then, while Tamamo Cross has completed an unbelievable inside-lane overtake!"
"She's closely behind Oguri Cap and has also overtaken Moonlight Lunacy!"
"Behind them is Inari One! Her finishing speed is also terrifying—the only pity is that her start was slightly late, but her speed is equally astonishing!"
"But at the very front it's still Tony Bianca vs. Oguri Cap!"
"Now it has become a head-to-head duel between the two—Tony Bianca showing equally overwhelming speed!"
"Tony Bianca is giving everything to hold the lead—Oguri Cap is desperately chasing!"
"Is this… really just an exhibition race?"
Realizing that the race had completely exceeded her expectations, Lyphard exclaimed through the broadcast—almost speaking her true thoughts—and instinctively turned to the side.
"Are Japanese racehorse girls… always this unpredictable?"
She completely forgot her duty as a commentator, and forgot her microphone was still on."Don't tell me—you planned from the beginning… to win this race?"
This was a thought she had never even considered before.
Win this race?
Hearing that, Kitahara instead froze.
How could that be...
Although Ardan and Creek reacted very quickly and understood his hint, and Oguri Cap and the others chose the same tactic due to their past teamwork—
But still...
Letting out a bitter laugh, Kitahara remembered that they were still inside the commentary box. With a sigh, he picked up the microphone.
"The race situation has changed dramatically. However, using this special method to go full-speed, these runners will likely burn through a tremendous amount of stamina."
"In the end, they might lack the strength to continue sprinting after a certain distance—especially on the final 50-meter uphill. At that point they will likely be overtaken by Reference Point."
"From a racing standpoint, this is not exactly a sound tactical choice."
"But—to respond to Director Lyphard's question—"
Again he sighed, and then chuckled softly.
"This really is just an exchange race."
"Everyone just needs to give their all."