"How can this be? Opera O didn't use a Sashi running style—and she was even outpaced in the early stages of the Senko?"
At this moment, in the stands, Tojo Hana, who was watching the Race, immediately reacted to such a start. Her eyes gleamed with disbelief, as if she couldn't comprehend what was happening before her.
Opera O had once again gone against her own thoughts. In this Race, which she should have won easily, she didn't choose the safer Sashi running style, but instead opted for the still-immature Senko!
Although the start seemed good, Tojo Hana didn't know that Opera O's Senko was no longer what it used to be—after all, who could have imagined that an Uma Musume could comprehend the essence of a running style just by dreaming?
If that were enough to succeed, then Uma Musume wouldn't need to train; they could just sleep all day. Perhaps they could even dream of their future Race results, which Race would cause a fracture, and thus avoid it.
Therefore, Tojo Hana didn't think this excellent start came from Opera O's strength, but was simply luck—after all, three Uma Musume in this Race chose the Nigashi tactic, so it was normal that they couldn't hinder the Uma Musume in the Senko group.
But what Tojo Hana couldn't understand the most was how Opera O, who she believed couldn't make any further breakthroughs in physical training in a short period, was outpaced by Meisho Doto within two months?
You have to know, two months ago, Meisho Doto was even still on a diet! It was like going from negative to zero. How could she suddenly surpass Opera O, who was improving every day, within two months?
Unable to comprehend, Tojo Hana couldn't figure out why, so she could only turn her gaze to Wada beside her, hoping he could give her an answer.
"Dieting doesn't mean standing still, Miss Tojo." Wada had long anticipated this. As he watched Doto, whose strength and speed now steadily outpaced Opera O after specialized training, a stone that had been hanging in his heart finally fell, and a smile reappeared on his face.
In that case, the probability of victory was already 30%. The rest depended on how accurate his predictions were, and whether Opera O would unleash power beyond his imagination.
"Mejiro McQueen also dieted with Doto, but why did she get first place in the Friendship Race? Was her weight completely under control at that time? Or does the Mejiro surname mean she can do things other Uma Musume can't, and it's not surprising at all?"
...Tojo Hana was also rendered speechless and finally turned her gaze to the Race on the track.
"Opera O is being held back by Doto." At this moment, Ikezoe, a Trainer with sharp eyes, immediately noticed the key point of this Race: "Wada, is your tactic specifically aimed at Opera O?"
However, Wada did not answer at this time. His expression was as usual; he was only focused on the changes in the Race, like an onlooker.
In fact, he was the person on the track who least wanted to do such a thing. He had experienced the feeling of being targeted by tactics. Although targeting the biggest rival's running style is a common tactic, this tactic has a prerequisite: you must understand that Racehorse and its Jockey very well.
After all, targeted tactics are completely tailored to the opponent's strengths, and the Racecourse is ever-changing; any situation can happen, so targeted tactics often don't work because there are too many surprises.
And a scenario like Opera O's back then... that truly happens once in a hundred years. Firstly, it's rare for someone like Wada to incur public wrath, causing all the Jockeys in Central to target him and Opera O; additionally, it's also rare for a rookie like Wada, who hardly adjusts his tactics and wins Races solely by his Racehorse's autopilot, to attract such collective attention.
No, rather than fearing Wada, it would be more accurate to say they feared Opera O. It wasn't a struggle against Wada; it was a struggle against Opera O.
But now, Wada used the same targeted tactic, aiming at Opera O's situation, to implement a series of suppressive measures, preventing Opera O from unleashing her full strength and keeping her under Doto's rhythm.
And for now, Wada's tactic is very effective! Opera O is indeed temporarily suppressed by Doto!
..."How can this be... I can't break through?"
At this moment, Opera O on the track also noticed that something was wrong. Although she was surprised that Doto could start even faster than her, Opera O didn't pay much attention at first, as physical strength was indeed not Opera O's forte, and she had witnessed Doto's growth during this period of training.
But as she kept running, Opera O began to realize something was off... Was Doto... blocking her path?
Opera O initially didn't believe it and tried to overtake from the outside. But when she moved to the outside, Doto seemed to have eyes on her back and also moved to the outside, firmly blocking Opera O's path and preventing her from attacking.
After adjusting her position several times, Opera O still couldn't find a good breakthrough point. So, it was clear that Doto was deliberately blocking her attack route!
"Opera O, your Last Spurt is very powerful, so I will never let you break through."
Doto clearly knew what Opera O was thinking at this moment. As she ran, she murmured:
"This is the only way my Trainer and I can beat you—you can say I'm despicable, but I have to win!"
Only then could she live up to her Trainer's expectations and win this Race!
"How can this be! Opera O has no chance to break through under Meisho Doto's pressure!" The commentator also noticed the changes on the track at this moment and immediately exclaimed:
"The first turn has already passed! Opera O still hasn't found an opportunity to break through. Will she continue to be suppressed by Meisho Doto like this?"
The first turn had passed, and every turn could be an opportunity for a breakthrough. However, Opera O, under Doto's suppression, couldn't find a point to exert herself, so she had to honestly take the first turn, being suppressed by Doto in the front-midfield area.
In front of Doto, there were three Nigashi Racehorses enduring the greatest wind pressure, meaning the pressure on Doto would be even smaller. Given Doto's slightly stronger physique than Opera O, these influences were unlikely to affect the Race.
"How impressive, to have completely seen through my tactics." Opera O, unable to find a breakthrough point, was not angry at this moment; instead, she thought with some admiration: "Was this also figured out by watching videos? How many times must they have watched them?"
Opera O began to wonder. She had only run two Races in total. The Debut Race was almost negligible. If Wada had truly studied her Debut Race running style, he would probably be panicking by now, as she ran Senko.
But if it was the Yukinayanagi Sho... one Yukinayanagi Sho made them so confident that their tactics wouldn't change at all? You have to know, Opera O's Senko, after a week of self-training, although not comparable to her long-established Sashi, was still first-rate and perfectly fine for a GIII Race.
But this tactical sequence... it was as if it had predicted Opera O's running style. Her techniques learned from dreams seemed to have also passed through Wada's mind; her thoughts and tactics were completely understood.
To be able to target to such an extent, it truly is... not simple.
"But even so, the Overlord's Race has just begun."
At this moment, a confident smile also appeared on Opera O's face, having understood all this—this was her full-effort performance.
She knew that if she didn't go all out now, she wouldn't have any chance of winning. She also clearly realized that her opponent was not just Meisho Doto, but also Wada Ryuji, who stood behind Meisho Doto and formulated this targeted plan!
"Then, let me see how far you can calculate my tactics, Wada."
"The real confrontation begins now. When we reach the turn for the breakthrough, that's when we truly clash!"
Let me see if I, the Overlord, will be defeated by the hero; or if the Overlord will continue to be unstoppable, proudly sitting on the throne and laughing loudly!
Opera O was very much looking forward to Wada's performance, even if she herself didn't know why that feeling of pride, mixed with excitement, welled up in her heart.
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