In the backstage of the winner's podium.
The silver-haired maiden, having selected her interview questions, calmly and composedly began handing the question sheet to the official race reporter.
Then... under the eager anticipation of countless fans and viewers both domestically and internationally, the final post-race segment of this globally watched peak competition—the live interview—began.
Undoubtedly, at this moment, both within Japan's Tracen Academy and across Europe's prestigious institutions, there were many "Platinum captives" tuning in to watch Platinum's post-race interview.
After all, this was a Pegasus who had simultaneously dominated two of the four major turf racing categories.
Such an achievement was truly unprecedented and likely never to be repeated—a feat no less monumental than that of Eclipse!
From this day forward, the supreme title of "Legend among Legends," that unparalleled honor, would belong to another name as well.
—[Pegasus · Platinum]!!
"May I ask, Ms. Platinum, which race do you plan to challenge next?"
Without a doubt, this was a standard, formulaic question, yet one that also piqued the interest of fans and viewers.
Platinum's expression remained utterly serene.
Before her eyes, only visible to herself, appeared the system's task race panel.
--+--
[One-on-One Match (Any Distance)]
[Goodwood Cup (Turf, Long Distance)]
[Queen Anne Stakes (Turf, Mile)]
[Pacific Classic Stakes (Dirt, Middle Distance)]
[Breeders' Cup Turf (Turf, Middle Distance)]
[Breeders' Cup Classic (Dirt, Middle Distance)]
[Dream Cup (???)]
--+--
The next race, and the closest one, was a special unrestricted event... a One-on-One Match!
But whether in Australia, Japan, or Europe, the tradition of issuing challenges for one-on-one matches either didn't exist or was quite niche.
Therefore, that challenge undoubtedly belonged to the "other self"—a special trial that the Radiant Knight, Nearl, would face.
So... Platinum's next race would be the long-distance G1 event, the Goodwood Cup! And the one after that would be the mile G1, the Queen Anne Stakes!
"I'm taking my talents to—"
"Europe, the Goodwood Cup."
In a soft, almost delicate voice, yet one that carried an air of mystery and authority, Platinum gave an answer that left the reporter stunned, unable to hold back a sound of surprise.
"Huh??"
"Whoa!!"
The Goodwood Cup?! That 3200-meter G1 event, one of the rare long-distance races in Europe?
In the vast world of European Uma Musume racing, long-distance events were somewhat special—quite well-known, yet few dared to challenge them.
That's because the mainstream in European Uma Musume racing was dominated by mile and middle-distance races as the absolute standard. In comparison, short-distance and long-distance races were much less popular.
Even this Australian-born Uma Musume reporter knew just how niche long-distance racing was in Europe.
That famous Sea the Stars, after achieving the English Double Crown in the classics, didn't challenge the third crown, a long-distance G1, instead choosing to face Platinum in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
She preferred to take on the premier middle-distance race, the Arc, rather than pursue the glory of the English Triple Crown—even though she had immense talent for long distances, she couldn't be bothered to "waste time" on it!
The fact that the English Triple Crown hadn't produced another triple crown Uma Musume in so long, rendering the achievement almost nominal, was largely because this third crown was a long-distance race. Many European Uma Musume would rather challenge other middle-distance G1s.
Not only that, but Europe had countless international G1s for middle-distance and mile races, while the notable international long-distance G1s could be counted on one hand!
And even if you won, it often didn't do much to boost your reputation.
In other words, from an outside perspective, any Uma Musume capable of winning a middle-distance G1 in Europe would be "wasting her time" by running a long-distance G1—even if she won.
Unless... it was for the English Triple Crown. Challenging that final long-distance G1 crown for the first Triple Crown in years might be grudgingly accepted by the outside world.
Even worse, there were historical double crown winners who tried exactly that... and failed. Not only did they miss the Triple Crown, but they also lost a long-distance G1 that nobody really valued...
So, it's fair to say that long-distance G1s were notoriously a tough grind with little reward—extremely high difficulty with minimal recognition!
But it seemed this year's Goodwood Cup was an exception.
Because it had gathered two super monsters: [Stradivarius] and [Kyprios]!
Their status in European turf racing, especially over long distances, was no less than that of the two great empresses, Winx and Black Caviar, in Australia.
This upcoming Goodwood Cup had already attracted significant attention, seen as a potential decider for the [Long-Distance GOAT]!
And was the Pegasus Platinum targeting them?
Even the Australian Uma Musume reporter was filled with surprise and confusion.
And upon realizing it, the reporter immediately understood...
This was huge! A super topic that could send shockwaves around the world?!
Without a doubt, given the absolute heights Platinum now stood upon—the pinnacle of Uma Musume, the question and the answer on turf—whatever race category, whatever event she challenged, would undoubtedly become a focal point for the outside world.
And Platinum had just won The Everest, one of the top short-distance events!
Now, the Pegasus was immediately switching gears to the Goodwood Cup, one of the top long-distance events... to challenge Stradivarius, one of the masterpieces of the Sea family, and the super talent Kyprios?
How familiar this felt?!
Winx and Black Caviar had just been overtaken and... shot down by Platinum!
Now, was Platinum shifting her focus to hunt down another Sea family masterpiece, Stradivarius?
The sharp and professional Uma Musume reporter also realized the situation wasn't that simple.
Because Platinum had already dominated half of the four major race categories! Moving to a third... wasn't just an ordinary signal.
The Uma Musume reporter's eyes now gleamed as she pressed on.
"May I ask, Ms. Platinum, your goal is..."
When Platinum first switched to a new race category, disbelieving fans and outsiders would only wonder why she was doing it.
But now, after Platinum had achieved historic bests in two of the four major categories, announcing her move to a third category...
It probably wouldn't take long—maybe even soon—for everyone to guess that her next target might be... [The Mile]!
Rather than letting the outside world analyze and speculate, why not set it all off right here?
Let's blow it up good!
The silver-haired maiden Platinum casually revealed her ultimate goal.
"[Total Category Domination], that's all."
In an instant, every viewer and Uma Musume watching the post-race interview felt their pupils contract and drew a sharp breath.
So that meant...
The Goodwood Cup, facing the mighty long-distance powerhouses Stradivarius and Kyprios, wasn't even Platinum's ultimate goal?
After that, she would also challenge mile races?!
Even the well-traveled Uma Musume reporter, who had interviewed heavyweights like Winx and Black Caviar many times, found her breath quickening and her heart racing.
She tossed her follow-up questions aside, her mind racing ahead.
The Pegasus Platinum, having dominated two of the four major categories, was already on par with Eclipse.
If she dominated three, or even... truly dominated all categories, what heights would she then reach?
Surpassing Eclipse?
No, that would clearly be...
—[The Path to Godhood]!!
Was Platinum trying to become a god?!
In a flash, within an incredibly short time, from the still-reeling Australian Uma Musume racing scene, to Europe, Japan, and even the United States!
Headlines across major Uma Musume racing news outlets erupted, all centering on Platinum's defeat of Black Caviar or her announcement of future race categories!
--+--
Europe, in the Sea family's living room.
A short while earlier...
Sea the Stars, Frankel, and Stradivarius had already watched the moment Platinum crossed the finish line.
"This monster has gotten even scarier."
Chestnut-haired Sea the Stars, as the most recent among the Sea family Uma Musume to lose to Platinum, understood Pegasus's capabilities best.
From stamina, to adaptability, to power, acceleration... everything was perfected to the extreme.
Simply put, she was just like Frankel beside her—so exceptional that winning any race came as no surprise! There were no weaknesses to be found!
"Who would have thought that after switching to short distance, Platinum would improve even further?"
"And remember, that was Black Caviar, the short-distance empress."
Even if this race didn't seem to satisfy Platinum like her previous middle-distance wins with 20-length or greater super margins, no one could doubt her performance in this Everest.
Because in short-distance races, winning by five or six lengths carries no less weight than a dominant win in conventional middle or long-distance races.
And Platinum, in her first short-distance challenge, against the strongest empress Australia had produced in decades, Black Caviar, won by a full twelve lengths!
Not one bit inferior to those super large margins of 20-30 lengths in middle distance!
"It must be quite a shame for that short-distance empress Black Caviar and Winx, right?"
"Because if they'd closed the gap just a bit more, gotten it to single digits, they might have qualified as Platinum's dance partners!"
But alas, from start to finish, only that Crimson Queen, Daiwa Scarlet, who achieved the Triple Tiara in Japan, had managed it once.
After Sea the Stars sighed, Stradivarius and Frankel beside her nodded slightly in agreement.
Even they, who raced long distance and mile, could feel that immense strength.
Even Frankel, the Mile Emperor, Mile GOAT, acknowledged that in terms of achievements and influence, Platinum stood above her.
It was like the [Japanese Hall of Fame]—Japanese Uma Musume fans always loved debating rankings, arguing over who was the strongest, who made the top three.
And it was the same with legendary Uma Musume. But most legends were almost impossible to rank, like Sea Bird, Dancing Brave, and Ribot—all hard to separate. Dirt legends like Secretariat and Man o' War were the same.
As a fellow legend, and an exceptionally rare mile legend, Frankel had every reason to be proud.
But even she willingly admitted that Platinum was immensely significant in the entire history of Uma Musume, truly a legend among legends.
It was a pity there was no chance to compete against such a remarkable figure, leaving Frankel with some regret.
"Sigh..."
Just as she sighed.
The content on the TV screen before them switched from the ongoing post-race analysis to the interview segment.
The camera immediately cut to a close-up of Platinum being interviewed by the reporter.
Instantly, from Sea the Stars to Frankel and Stradivarius, they all snapped out of their thoughts and turned to look.
The reporter's first, formulaic question made them pause, and then they all pricked up their ears in unison.
"I'm taking my talents—to Europe, the Goodwood Cup."
Upon hearing Platinum's final answer, the several Sea family Uma Musume all turned their gazes toward Stradivarius.
The Goodwood Cup...
That was Stradivarius's home turf!
No, wait—it was more familiar than just "home turf."
It was practically Stradivarius's home, her den!
Among the few long-distance G1s held in Europe each year, the Goodwood Cup was undoubtedly a major one. And because there were so few events, it created a situation similar to Japanese G1s where avoiding competition was nearly impossible.
If you kept avoiding races, you'd soon find you couldn't win even one or two G1s a year—so you had to challenge.
And because all the top long-distance Uma Musume in Europe would gather there, the competition was extremely fierce. Even the most outstanding Uma Musume found it hard to maintain peak condition consistently over such a tough and grueling distance.
It's worth noting that in European history, several super Uma Musume had managed to win five or more middle-distance G1 titles in a single year—from Sea the Stars to Platinum herself.
But in all this time in Europe, the most long-distance G1 wins any Uma Musume had achieved in a single year was... two!
That's right. Just winning two long-distance G1s in a year in Europe would tie you for the most long-distance G1 wins that year.
That's how niche long-distance racing was, and it highlighted the extraordinary difficulty. Even the so-called elite Uma Musume struggled to maintain stable winning streaks in such highly demanding long-distance G1s.
And Stradivarius, as the strongest long-distance Uma Musume, naturally secured long-distance G1 wins year after year, becoming the long-distance champion for several consecutive years.
In her G1 record, her number of wins in the Goodwood Cup was... [three times]! And those three wins were consecutive, undefeated!!
And now, Platinum, having just defeated Black Caviar and Winx in the Everest, was immediately switching to the Goodwood Cup to challenge the long-distance powerhouses Stradivarius and Kyprios?
"How interesting..."
The first to react was actually Frankel.
This perfect, tall maiden chuckled with amusement, crossing her arms over her abundantly full chest.
"Then the race after that will definitely be my turn."
Middle distance, short distance, long distance... so the last one left is the mile, right?
Surely, after challenging Sea the Stars, Black Caviar, and Stradivarius, the Pegasus wouldn't avoid her in mile races and go after Winx instead, would she?
If that were the case, Platinum's appetite would be far too timid—wouldn't that be like skipping the legendary dungeon for a hard-mode one?
Frankel believed that while others might fear her, the undefeated mile champion, Platinum absolutely would not.
That Pegasus only wanted to surpass, surpass, surpass! To pierce her with an arrow!
The Pegasus wouldn't let her off, would she?
"Is Platinum trying to turn our Sea family upside down?"
Sea Bird, on the other hand, patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.
At least it wasn't her turn to suffer.
Compared to the slacking eldest sister Sea Bird, Frankel and Stradivarius were far more motivated.
The next moment, the two girls stood up immediately, ready to start their training.
Stradivarius and Frankel, each holding the title of strongest in their respective domains, had no intention of replicating Black Caviar's defeat and letting the Pegasus steal their glory!
"Platinum, I'll be waiting for you at the Goodwood Cup."
"If you have what it takes, come and take it!!"
--+--
Some time later.
The silver-haired maiden had just finished the Winner's Stage segment.
For a certain Pegasus, this actually felt more like the grueling "main event."
As for the race? That was over in minutes!
As Platinum walked backstage and picked up a tissue to wipe the sweat from her forehead...
"Ms. Platinum, you didn't even seem to sweat after the race."
"But the Winner's Stage seems to have worn you out more?"
It was a calm, melodic female voice. Hearing it, Platinum turned...
What Platinum saw was the homebody foreign Uma Musume Winx, whom she had just overtaken on the track not long ago.
Renowned throughout Australia—even Platinum, having been there only a few days, had heard of her—Winx was regarded by many as an aloof queen, a proud fairy.
Yet here she was, after losing the race?
And without any coldness that kept others at bay, or any apparent resentment toward Platinum for defeating her.
Instead... there was a hint of excitement? Was it just an illusion?
"May I ask... is there something you need?"
A puzzled Platinum spoke up.
Before her, Winx's breath hitched slightly. She bit her lip, slightly embarrassed, and lowered her head as she spoke.
"Ms. Platinum, could we... exchange training jackets?"
"Huh?"
At these words, the usually calm silver-haired Pegasus was taken aback.
Training jackets? What was this? She needed a quick, efficient explanation.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
There should be... around 70+ advanced chapters?
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.