The Korea Cup and Korea Sprint take place at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon. See here for a guide to all 16 races across Seoul and Busan. Here is a horse by horse guide to the two big races:
KOREA CUP
1. SIMJANGUI GODONG – 10th in this race last year, he comes in having run 3rd behind Tuhonui Banseok and Winner’s Man in the Busan Mayor’s Cup (1800M KOR-G2) in July when, as is his style, he raced handy. Reliable but will struggle to beat the best of these.
2. THE GUMPU – Enters in career-best form having won two of his latest three and running 2nd in the other. Tactically versatile, he can go well on pace or settle midfield and run on and while he doesn’t look a winning chance here, a top half finish is more than possible.
3. HAENGBOK WANGJA – Never really kicked on from his 2021 Grand Prix Stakes win, he was 5th in this race last year and spent part of the winter in Dubai where he was well beaten in two starts. Returned to domestic action with 6th place in the SROA Chairman’s Trophy (1200M KOR-G3) in June. Likes to settle back and run on but plenty to find here.
4. GLOBAL HIT – The winner of the Korean Derby and Minister’s Cup, he is this year’s outstanding Korean three-year-old. Likes to settle midfield and has an explosive finish, this is a significantly sterner test, but he does get a weight allowance for his age. Don’t rule out a big run.
5. BRIGADIER GENERAL – Returned from seven months out to finish down the field over 2300M at class 1 in July. He should strip fitter for that, but he hasn’t troubled the scorers in Group company in the past and that probably won’t change here.
6. MOONHAK CHIEF – Won this race in the absence of Japanese competition in 2019, and has performed sporadically since, but he has struggled for form this year and has been beaten by plenty of today’s local rivals in recent starts. Outsider.
7. CRAZY CONTI – 7th in this race last year, he enters off back-to-back class 1 wins, most recently a dead heat with Calm Strong on July 30th. Likes to settle midfield and then run on, he should be finishing strongly and can pass plenty late on.
8. WINNER’S MAN – The defending champion has suffered two reverses to Tuhonui Banseok in his latest two starts although he was found lame after the second of them. He returned to training in mid-August and at his best is a chance, but fitness must be in question. One to watch in the parade ring.
9. TIZ BAROWS – The lowest rated in the field but is lightly raced. He has won his latest two including a very smart win in a valuable trophy race over 2000M in May when racing handy. Looked well in an August trial and could be an interesting outsider.
10. COMPLETE VALUE – NON-RUNNER (Did not pass vet check on the day before the race).
11. SUCCESS MACHO – Won nine out of his first ten races and was 6th in this race last year. Missed eight months between last October and this June but on his second start back, won the Busan Owners’ Cup (1600M KOR-G3) settling right back and running on strongly suggesting he is back in top form. Place chance.
12. TUHONUI BANSEOK – Has made progress with each Group race start over the past year, breaking through when making all to beat Winner’s Man by 11-lengths in the YTN Cup (2000M KOR-G3) in May. He followed it up by rallying to beat the same horse in the Busan Mayor’s Cup (1800M KOR-G2) in July. Will be on pace and could be the best of the local hopes.
13. APACHE PASS – Solid performer on the all-weather at Sha Tin with three placing across the past season. Settles behind the speed or midfield and runs on. Recent efforts have been at 1650 so the 1800M on the heavy Seoul sand will test his stamina but if he takes to the surface, he can aim for a place.
14. CROWN PRIDE – Last year’s UAE Derby winner returned to the Middle East earlier this year and ran 5th in both the Saudi Cup (1800M G1) and Dubai World Cup (2000M G1). Returned to Japan and ran a desperately close 2nd to Meisho Hario in a thrilling Teio Sho (2000M Listed) at Oi in June. Regardless of the wide draw, he will be on or close to the pace here and looks the one to beat.
15. GLORIA MUNDI – Only raced twice in 2023 but won both in fine style most recent the Heian Stakes (1900M G3) at Kyoto in May when handy early before easing away for an easy win. Expect to be on pace or close again and he has a big chance.
SELECTIONS: (14) CROWN PRIDE (15) GLORIA MUNDI (12) TUHONUI BANSEOK (4) GLOBAL HIT (8) WINNER’S MAN
KOREA SPRINT
1. BATHRAT LEON – The 2022 Godolphin Mile winner added another big prize this March in the 1351 Turf Sprint (1351M G3) in Riyadh. Enters off a 3rd place in a Listed race to Igniter at Urawa at the end of May when handy throughout. Excels on both turf and all-weather, he hasn’t raced at 1200M but that isn’t a problem as the Seoul sand favours those who can stay further. Big chance.
2. MORFHIS – A multiple Group winner, he was 6th in this race last year. While no longer at the peak of his powers, he can still hold his own and was 4th in the SBS Sports Sprint (1200M KOR-G3) in May and then 4th in a class 1 handicap in August. Still a powerful closer, expect him to pass plenty late on.
3. SSONSAL – The seven-year-old is in the form of his life and comes in having won the SROA Chairman’s Trophy (1200M KOR-G3) in June, when settling right back from a wide draw and sweeping home with Eoma Eoma 3rd, half a length behind. He has run consistently fast times and he will be finishing strongly. Wider draw preferred but one of the best local hopes.
4. EAST JET – Former Group winner at this distance but hasn’t seen the winner’s circle since 2021. Only beat two in this race last year. Best result this year 2nd in a class 1 handicap at this trip in April. Will be on pace, but his best days seem behind him.
5. EOMA EOMA – The defending champion faces a tougher task then he did twelve months ago when he passed Japan’s Raptus late on. He has only one win from four starts in 2023 and that was in a class 1 handicap in February, with three Group level defeats following, most recently 3rd to Ssonsal in the SROA Chairman’s Trophy (1200M KOR-G3). Still has plenty of quality and speed though, he should be on pace or handy and can be competitive again.
6. REMAKE – 3rd in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint (1200M G3), he was slow away in the Golden Shaheen (1200M G1) at Meydan in March and ran 5th. Ran 2nd to Don Frankie in the Procyon Stakes (1400M G3) at Chukyo in July before overturning that form in the Listed Cluster Cup in August, coming from a seemingly impossible position to score easily. A big chance and probable favourite.
7. YES PERFECT – A winner at this distance in a Korea Sprint standard time at class 1 in March and enters having most recently run 2nd in the Owners Cup (1600M KOR-G3) at Busan in July, beaten a head. He does his best work coming from off the pace and while this is a very tough ask, he will be gaining ground in the closing stages. Minor money chance.
8. DAEHAN JILJU – 4th in this race a year ago and then pushed Eoma Eoma all the way in a Listed race at Busan over 1400M last October. He’s mixed his form in four 2023 appearances with his best being a class 1 win at 1400M. Most recently finished midfield in the Owners’ Cup (1600M KOR-G3) in July. At his best, he is a money chance again but is too inconsistent to confidently recommend. Best when on pace.
9. RAON TAP MAN – Not the best known of the “Raons” the six-year-old is ultra-consistent. He has run 1.11.3 for the 1200M, when winning last December and has finished no worse than 4th in his four 2023 outings. That 4th was in the SROA Chairmans Trophy (1200M KOR-G3) when beaten by Ssonsal and Eoma Eoma. He has form to overturn but like all from his stable, he will be at peak fitness. Likes to be on pace.
10. BLACK MUSK – Local G3 winner at this distance last year, he comes back to the sprinting ranks following recent indifferent efforts at two-turns in Group company. Talented but recent form makes him hard to recommend. Strong finisher.
11. DUKE WAI – A winner at Sha Tin under handicap conditions in early March before a solid 5th in the Al Quoz Sprint (1200M G1) on the Meydan turf straight in March. Struggled in elite company behind Lucky Sweynesse in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize in April. Recent form is on turf, but he has won on the all-weather at Sha Tin although the surface will be a question mark. Place chance.
12. CALM STRONG – The only filly or mare in the line-up she has won back-to-back KNN Cups (1600M KOR-G3) and enters having dead-heated with Crazy Conti for her first class 1 win against males over 1800M in July. Her most recent effort at this distance was 3rd place at class 1 in March but her form is better now, and she likes to be on pace. Others preferred though.
13. BEOLMAUI STAR – He has natural speed in abundance but a habit of making things hard for himself as he did when knuckling at the start of the SROA Chairman’s Trophy in June which, from gate sixteen, ended his chances. He has been back to trial since then and came through it well and if he gets a good draw and then a good start, he should be in this a long way.
14. CLEAN UP HAPPY – Scratched at the gate through lameness before his latest scheduled assignment in June he has since proved his fitness in an August trial Prior form not great though and he will be an outsider.
15. GOOD PILSEUNG – The lowest rated among the domestic entries, he returned in July following seven months out through injury to run a creditable 5th in the Owners’ Cup (1600M KOR-G3) at Busan in July, when he settled right back and ran on strongly. While it would be hoped he strips fitter for that run and he has Moon Se-young up, he will be one of the outsiders.
SELECTIONS: (6) REMAKE (1) BATHRAT LEON (3) SSONSAL (5) EOMA EOMA (9) RAON TAP MAN
Horse Racing in Korea 