Sunday at Seoul Racecourse sees the 42^nd running of the Grand Prix Stakes (2300M KOR-G1), the final Group 1 race of the season and while with the advent of the Korea Cup, it is no longer the most valuable race on the calendar, in the eyes of many connections, it remains the most prestigious. SEE HERE FOR FULL RACE BY RACE PREVIEW FOR ALL 17 SUNDAY RACES ACROSSS SEOUL AND BUSAN.

This year, all eyes are on GLOBAL HIT, who has assumed the mantle of best horse in Korea. A year ago, he was beaten in this race by a nose following a final furlong duel with the now retired defending champion Winner’s Man, but he has been in imperious form since, going down to defeat just twice in 2024 The first of those was by a nose to TUHONUI BANSEOK in the Busan Mayor’s Cup (1800M KOR-G2) and then behind Crown Pride and Wilson Tesoro in the Korea Cup (1800M G3), preventing a Japanese clean sweep of the places by running 3^rd.

Global Hit comes into the Grand Prix having won the President’s Cup (2000M KOR-G1) by five-lengths in October and he will be a short-price favourite to claim what would be the biggest win of both his and jockey Kim Hye-sun’s respective careers before, all being well, the pair head for an overseas campaign in Dubai.

Can he be beaten? Moon Se-young is an eight-time champion jockey in Korea, but he hasn’t won this race since partnering Bally Brae to victory all the way back in 2007. If Global Hit comes up short, then Moon is well placed on NAOL SNIPER, 3^rd in the KRA Cup Classic (2000M KOR-G2) and 2^nd in the President’s Cup, to take advantage.

TUHONUI BANSEOK is there as well and while he races for the first time since running 2^nd to Global Hit in the KRA Cup Classic in August, his quality is not in doubt. Global Hit’s stablemate SPEED YOUNG is a Group winner and having run 3^rd in the President’s Cup, is not to be dismissed.

The new generation is represented by Classic winning SUCCESS BAEKPA, while fellow three-year-old AMERICA GOLD is an exciting up and comer and one of two in the race for trainer Luigi Riccardi.

The Grand Prix is race 7 on the 11-race Sunday card at Seoul with a local post time of 15:40:

1. MONTAUK CHAT – 6^th of ten in the KRA Cup Classic and then 7^th of eleven in the Korea Cup. Two ordinary class 2 handicap performances since, which is his level. This is very hard.

2. NAOL SNIPER – 3^rd in the KRA Cup Classic and then an excellent 2^nd in the President’s Cup, five-lengths behind Global Hit. Can lead or run on from behind, he steps up to the distance for the first time and there is no reason why it can’t suit. Will be among the favourites.

3. SO MUCH GO – The seven-year-old enters in the form of his life having won his latest three, all at class 1 level and most recently at 2200M. He should relish the additional half furlong, and he will be running on strong. Not impossible he could get close.

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