Cloudstream Flying Shadow's Stakes Race

The field entered the second turn, and the jockeys began adjusting their positions in preparation for the upcoming straight.

Shan Yao chose a wider route. Rather than squeezing Cloudstream Flying Shadow inward, she kept her on the outside of the track. Though it meant covering a little more ground, it avoided the risk of being boxed in by the other horses.

After the first and second turns, which stretched for a total of 370 meters, the field entered the backstretch. This straight was about 330 meters long, a crucial stage for adjusting the pace midway through the race.

The positions began to shift. No. 2 Jade Plume accelerated from the middle of the pack and moved up into third, while No. 5 Flame Rose also began advancing from the outside.

Cloudstream Flying Shadow's position, however, did not change much. Shan Yao still kept her around sixth or seventh, running with remarkable steadiness.

"The race has now covered 800 meters, with a split of forty-seven seconds flat for the first 800. A perfectly normal pace as they prepare to enter the third turn." The commentator's voice did not pause for a moment.

"No. 1 Dawnlight Dancer remains in front, but her lead has narrowed from two lengths to one. No. 8 Island Breeze is close behind, while No. 2 Jade Plume has risen to third."

"The favorite, No. 3 Starlit Fantasy, is currently in fifth. No. 7 Cloudstream Flying Shadow is on the outside, while No. 5 Flame Rose holds the inside."

Zhang Jun watched Cloudstream Flying Shadow through his binoculars. Her movements remained fluid, her breathing steady, and there was no sign that she was struggling.

"Cloudstream Flying Shadow is in excellent condition," Lin Zhi murmured beside him. "Look at her ears. They're constantly turning back and forth, which means she still has the energy to pay attention to her surroundings. A truly tired horse's ears would be drooping."

Only then did Zhang Jun notice that detail.

Sure enough, Cloudstream Flying Shadow's long ears flicked nimbly, sometimes pointing forward and sometimes turning to the sides. She looked exceptionally alert.

The field entered the third turn, and Shan Yao guided Cloudstream Flying Shadow slightly inward, moving from six-wide to four or five-wide.

"No. 3 Starlit Fantasy is starting to accelerate!" The commentator raised his voice. "As expected of the race favorite, she's making her move at the 700-meter mark. Is she planning to take the lead before entering the final turn?"

No. 3 Starlit Fantasy surged from fifth all the way to third, tucked in behind the leading No. 1 Dawnlight Dancer and No. 8 Island Breeze.

After being passed, No. 2 Jade Plume dropped to fourth. No. 5 Flame Rose held fifth, while Cloudstream Flying Shadow remained in sixth.

A commotion broke out in the stands. Many racing fans who had bought betting tickets on Starlit Fantasy at the sports betting booths jointly established at the racetrack by the agriculture and animal husbandry department and the sports department cheered excitedly when they saw her begin to accelerate.

"The field enters the fourth turn! No. 3 Starlit Fantasy passes No. 8 Island Breeze on the bend and takes second, just half a length behind the leading No. 1 Dawnlight Dancer. No. 2 Jade Plume and No. 5 Flame Rose are running side by side in fourth and fifth, while Cloudstream Flying Shadow is gradually closing in!"

"The race enters the final 400 meters!" The commentator's voice grew increasingly excited. "The fourth turn is about to end. Can the leading No. 1 Dawnlight Dancer hold her position? No. 3 Starlit Fantasy is still pressing hard behind her!"

In the chairman's box, Zhang Jun stared intently at the track. Sweat had already soaked his palms, but he did not notice it at all.

The leading No. 1 Dawnlight Dancer was clearly beginning to struggle. Her strides had grown heavy, and the movement of her head had become more pronounced—signs that her stamina was fading.

No. 3 Starlit Fantasy seized the opportunity. Her jockey began driving her hard, and she suddenly accelerated, passing Dawnlight Dancer on the turn to take the lead!

"No. 3 Starlit Fantasy takes the lead! She is now in first!" the commentator shouted. "The race enters the final straight, and the first horse onto it is the top favorite, Starlit Fantasy!"

Almost at the exact moment they entered the final straight, No. 2 Jade Plume and No. 5 Flame Rose began their sprints as well. The two horses accelerated side by side, attempting to battle for third.

"Now!"

Shan Yao keenly caught the moment—the horses ahead had started accelerating, opening a gap in the field, and Cloudstream Flying Shadow was directly behind that gap. It was the perfect chance to make her move.

She took a deep breath and leaned forward. Holding the whip in her right hand, she flicked it several times in front of Cloudstream Flying Shadow's eyes as a signal, then struck her once on the right hindquarter and began driving powerfully with both hands.

The command traveled through the whip and reins to Cloudstream Flying Shadow. The reddish-brown bay filly instantly understood what her jockey wanted.

Her hind legs exploded with force, her stride frequency abruptly quickening as she pushed her speed to its maximum in an instant.

"Cloudstream Flying Shadow is accelerating!" the commentator cried out. "What incredible speed! In an instant, she's drawn level with the two horses half a length ahead! No deadlock here—Cloudstream Flying Shadow is gradually passing them and moves into third!"

The stands erupted in an uproar. Many had not even noticed this ninth favorite until she suddenly emerged from the pack.

Zhang Jun rose from his seat, gripping his binoculars as his eyes locked onto that reddish-brown figure to the front right.

"On the outside! Cloudstream Flying Shadow is coming up on the outside!" The commentator's voice was filled with shock. "She's so fast! She's already passed No. 1 Dawnlight Dancer and is rapidly closing on the leading Starlit Fantasy!"

Like a reddish-brown bolt of lightning, she traced an arc five-wide. In two strides, she had drawn level with Dawnlight Dancer on the inside in the two-wide path; two more strides, and she was half a length ahead.

The stands exploded with gasps. Racing fans rose to their feet, craning their necks toward the track.

"Only the final 200 meters remain! No. 3 Starlit Fantasy and No. 7 Cloudstream Flying Shadow are level in front!" The commentator's voice reached its peak. "Dawnlight Dancer is two lengths behind, Jade Plume is in fourth and has lost any chance at the title! In these final 200 meters, who will win the Jian'an Fillies' Championship?"

Shan Yao lowered herself over Cloudstream Flying Shadow's neck, nearly pressed against it, putting every ounce of her strength into each drive.

Cloudstream Flying Shadow's ears flattened back, her stride rate climbed again, and every stride stretched to its maximum length.

Beside her, Starlit Fantasy was also accelerating desperately. Her rider was Du Wei, Jian'an Racetrack's top jockey. Thirty-four years old, he had ranked first among Jian'an's jockeys since seven years ago, alternating with two capable local jockeys from other prefecture-level cities in Min Province to dominate the peak of Min Province's local jockey circuit.

At that moment, Du Wei stared in shock at Cloudstream Flying Shadow and Shan Yao on the outside. He had never expected a three-year-old filly who had won only a single Central race, and a young girl who had spent years riding the mounts others passed over, to unleash such astonishing speed.

He could not help gritting his teeth. His windmill whip lashed Starlit Fantasy's rump repeatedly as his body rose and fell with her stride, his right hand pushing against her neck with all his strength.

The two horses ran level for fifty meters, then a hundred. Bit by bit, Cloudstream Flying Shadow pulled away—from a nose to a head, then to a neck.

With only 100 meters left, Starlit Fantasy's stamina was spent. The gap began to widen, from a neck to half a length, then to a full length.

"Cloudstream Flying Shadow takes the lead!" the commentator roared. "No. 3 Starlit Fantasy is trying to chase her down, but the gap is growing! Starlit Fantasy has no chance left!"

Shan Yao could feel victory within reach. Her breathing grew heavier, and her strength was nearly exhausted, but she drove even harder—until the finish line was crossed, a jockey could never relax.

With 20 meters left, the result was decided.

Shan Yao finally straightened up slightly, and tears suddenly slipped from the corners of her eyes.

It had been four years since she became a jockey at eighteen and made her official debut at nineteen. Because she lacked the strength of other jockeys, even with Lin Zhi helping her contact horse owners, and despite maintaining a win rate above ten percent year after year, the horses she received in Graded Stakes races were mostly the least favored.

In four full years since her debut, Shan Yao had never won a single stakes title. Every time she gave everything she had, she could only bring her mount into the top five, and more often than not, she could only finish near the bottom.

Now that she had finally claimed her first Graded Stakes victory, Shan Yao felt a chaotic mixture of emotions well up in her heart.

They crossed the line!

"The winner is—Cloudstream Flying Shadow!" The commentator's announcement rang across the entire venue alongside the finish-line whistle. "She wins the Jian'an Fillies' Championship by two and a half lengths! The downtrodden Cinderella who came from the Central circuit has captured her first Graded Stakes victory in her very first race on the local circuit!"

"And congratulations to jockey Shan Yao as well, on claiming her first Graded Stakes victory!"

Some in the stands cheered while others despaired. Many tossed their betting slips into the air, but the applause only grew louder and louder.

Everyone loved a story of Cinderella and a hardworking underdog rising to the top. Whether it was Cloudstream Flying Shadow, with two wins from ten Central starts, or Shan Yao, whose four years of effort had finally been rewarded, they both deserved this applause.

On the track, Shan Yao was easing Cloudstream Flying Shadow down. She gently patted Cloudstream Flying Shadow's neck. Tears streamed endlessly down her face, yet a brilliant smile bloomed there.