1. WINNER’S MAN – He won this race in 2022 when the Japanese challenge wasn’t as strong and was 3rd last year but he hasn’t raced since successfully defending the Grand Prix Stakes in December due to a fracture requiring surgery. He has been back in work since June and looked well in an August trial. A very hard ask first-up but is of top quality.
2. GLOBAL HIT – In Winner’s Man’s absence earlier, last year’s Korean Derby winner established himself as Korea’s top horse with three Group race wins from four starts so far this campaign, most recently the KRA Cup Classic over 2000M here in early August. Generally sits midfield and runs on, he is the best local hope.
3. VICS GO – Dropped back to a sprint distance and won a Listed race back in February but has been in indifferent form since. Likes to be on or close to the pace and he has won at up to 2000M, but his recent efforts make him hard to have here.
4. LIGHT WARRIOR – A nine-time winner, most recently at Listed level over 2000M at Kawasaki in April. Most recently was 6th in the Teio Sho at Oi in June so he does have form to overturn on Wilso Tesoro He is an on-pace runner so draws very nicely and can be expected to get to the front and can be in this a long way.
5. SUCCESS MACHO – Just like Winner’s Man, Success Macho is racing for the first time since the Grand Prix Stakes last December when he ran 3rd and subsequently sustained a chip fracture. He is a G3 winner, and he looked good in an August trial. He is tactically versatile, having raced well when forward and when closing and while this is hard, he can be in the mix.
6. HEUK JEONSA – Well back in his last Group outing in the Busan Mayor’s Cup in May, he gets his chance here having run a solid 3rd in a class 1 handicap over this distance in August when he led for much of the way. At the risk of stating the obvious, this is a whole lot harder.
7. SIMJANGUI GODONG – He had an unsuccessful trip to Dubai, but he bounced back well with his best in four starts since returning 2nd place in the G3 Busan Owners’ Cup over a mile in June. He has a strong finish, and he will be running on. He was 10th in this race last year.
1. YES PERFECT – He has only raced twice this year and was well beaten in both in G3 and G2 company. This is his first start since May and while he still has a high rating as a result of earlier exploits, he is hard to recommend here, despite the inside gate.
2. KEIAI DORIE – NON-RUNNER.
3. SOMETHING LOST – Beaten a neck by Raon The Point in the Busan Ilbo Sprint over this distance in March, and followed up with a 3rd and a 4th in two subsequent sprint efforts in Group company. Draw a line though his latest at a mile. Likes to settle handy and run on but a minor money chance at best.
4. BLACK MUSK – A Group winner at this distance two years ago, he has struggled to reach those heights again. Returned in August following five months out but had a hard time over 1800M. His form before the layoff wasn’t great either and he will be an outsider here. At this best, he comes from off the pace.
5. MORFHIS – The grand old galloper of Korean racing, he won the SBS Sports Sprint (1200M KOR-G3) in both 2020 and 2022. While he hasn’t tasted victory since the latter of those, he can still mix it with the best on his day as shown with his 3rd place behind Ssonsal and Eoma Eoma in the SROA Chairman’s Sprint (1200M KOR-G2) in May. He settles back and comes off the pace and was most recently 2nd in a class 1 race on August 4th.
6. EOMA EOMA – Won this race in 2022 beating Japan’s Raptus who while good, is no Remake. He has raced four times in 2024, all in Group company and has placed in three of them including last time out when tried at a mile for the first time in the Busan Owners’ Cup. He may not be quite as quick as he once was, but he won’t be far away. Place chance.
7. REMAKE – The defending champion has maintained his form in three starts since triumphing in last year’s race, most notably winning the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint on the Saudi Cup undercard in February, when he came from behind to run the field down, before finishing 4th in the G1 Golden Shaheen on Dubai World Cup night. It’s his first start since March, but the Seoul Racecourse track record holder for the 1200M will take some stopping. Yuga Kawada will be up.
It’s Korea Cup and Sprint Day at Seoul on Sunday – we’ll post the full form comments for both races soon but in the meantime here is the race-by-race for both Seoul (9 races from 10:35 to 18:00) and Busan (7 races from 11:00 to 17:05). There is free entry to both tracks:
Seoul Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Special Weight A / KRW 45 Million
Juvenile maidens with all but two racing for the first time. One of those debut makers will be the short price favourite in the shape of (6) HAKSAN CLEAR. The South Beach filly went through two trials, finishing a fair 3rd in the first of them but then leading all the way to win the second in a quick time on August 1st (that trial was voluntary so may not appear in all racecards). If she brings that form to the races, she will be hard to beat. It isn’t a strong set of rivals. (3) GEOLJAK HAPPY ran 6th on debut over 1000M on August 4th having also performed adequately in a trial. With some natural improvement, she is the clear second pick. We are struggling after that. (7) GEOSEN POKJU and (2) NONSTOP SERVE weren’t horrible in their trials and may make an impact first up. (9) BLUE DRAGON improved in the second of two heats.
Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 45 Million
Juvenile maidens with six of the ten racing for the first time. We’ll side with experience and (5) DOCTOR CURLIN. After a fair trial, she put in a fair debut, coming from the widest gate to sit handy and run on for 5th over 1000M. She should have come on for that run, she draws better, and the additional furlong can suit. The modestly named (2) ALL TIME LEGEND was very quick in a trial, stopping the clock on 61.9 seconds and finishing 5th behind a couple of experienced horses. The track was racing very fast that weekend, but he certainly showed enough to be take seriously first up. (4) BLUE THUNDER won a trial the same day (August 9th) albeit in a slower time. He led all the way and will seek to do the same here. (9) BLACK SPEED and (1) DIA X are other experienced ones who can improve.
Selections
(5) Doctor Curlin (2) All Time Legend (4) Blue Thunder (9) Black Speed
Next Best
1, 3
Fast Start
1, 4, 5, 9
Seoul Race 2: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
Maidens with four of the eleven racing for the first time. (11) MAGIC SOUND has raced eight times previously, with five top five finishes and he comes in off his best when runner-up over 1200M on July 7th racing handy. He has the challenge of the widest gate, but he won’t need to improve much, if at all on that run, and he will be a short price to score. (1) HIGHEST TIME beat a couple of these on his way to his best finish so far on August 4th when 4th over this distance, coming from well off the pace. In this company and from the inside gate, he can be ridden closer to the pace and can get closer than 4th this time. Among the debut makers, (9) PROMISE showed promise in the last of three trials, running 3rd in a decent time. That bodes well here. (3) CANVASEN GO and (5) AMENO other experienced ones who can compete for the minors.
Selections
(11) Magic Sound (1) Highest Time (9) Promise (3) Canvasen Go
Next Best
5, 2
Fast Start
1, 3, 8, 11
Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
(5) CHEONHA GEONGANG took a few goes to work things out but since returning from a five-month absence, she has picked up a 2nd and a 3rd from her two starts back, both at this distance and in quick times. She draws nicely to be on pace, and third up she can be peaking fitness wise. (11) HOLY RUN has finished 4th in both his outings so far, both at this distance. He has done it in contrasting styles, first on pace and then coming from behind so the wide draw shouldn’t be a problem and third-up he too can be getting better. Also third-up is (8) ROAD TO WIN. She was 3rd on debut behind Cheonha Geongang and then ran a fair 5th of nine at 1400M. Coming back in trip today, she can be in the mix. (9) FLYING ICE and (2) MOTHER WONDERFUL other place chances.
Selections
(5) Cheonha Geongang (11) Holy Run (8) Road To Win (9) Flying Ice
Next Best
2, 6
Fast Start
2, 5, 8, 11
Seoul Race 3: Class 6 (1400M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
(3) CHEONGONGUI SEOM has run 5th in both his two starts so far, but both have been in good times over 1000M and 1200M. In this company and from this gate, he can be on pace and third-up, today can be his day. (8) GANGCHEOL DRAGON has two 3rd places and a 4th from his latest three appearances at 1300M and 1400M. He has never finished inside the top two, but Munro gets on and against this set of rivals, he can break that today. (9) PROCEED beat a couple of these on his way to a close 4th at 1300M on August 3rd. He also has a 3rd place on his resume and can sit handy and run into the money again here. (6) LONDON GOLD and (4) SANGIM DAEPYO among other placing hopes.
Busan Race 3: Class 5 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
This is a tricky one. We’ll take a chance on (10) MY DREAM DAY. He comes up in class having run 2nd in both his first two starts at 1000M and 1200M, racing on the pace both times. He draws a touch wider than ideal but is down in the weights and Tom Gillespie’s juvenile looks to have a win in him. (3) CAPTAIN EVERYTHING has good experience at this level with two 2nd places and a 4th from his latest three. Franco knows him well and can settle behind the speed and run on strong here. (4) SEOGWI OREUM has the fastest time of any of these at the distance, recorded when 3rd last time out on August 18th. He may make for some appeal at a probable each-way price. (5) DOCTOR FIGHTER and (11) GRAND DREAM, both up in class following last start maiden wins, are others to keep safe in your wider numbers.
Selections
(10) My Dream Day (3) Captain Everything (4) Seogwi Oreum (5) Doctor Fighter
Next Best
11, 1
Fast Start
5, 6, 10, 11
Seoul Race 4: Class 5 (1700M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
(2) CHOEGANG HYEONMA is yet to win in nine starts but has no fewer than eight top five finishes. He comes in off a solid 3rd place over 1400M on August 4th and while a previous try at two turns didn’t go well, he looks ready for another crack here in what is not a strong race. (6) SINUI UNMYEONG got his maiden win at the thirteenth time of asking over 1400M on August 18th. He comes up in class and up to 1700M for the first time, but in this company, he should be measuring up. (3) SEUNGNI GONGJU does have form at this distance, having finished 4th and 2nd in her latest two – her only attempts at two turns so far. Her times haven’t been special, but they are enough to put her in contention against this lot. The up in class maiden (1) CHROMITE, along with (7) GOLD MUNGCHI, a pickup ride for Edwin Maldonado, are others in the frame.
Horse Racing in Korea 