The 2025 Principal Race calendar gets underway at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday with the Segye Ilbo Trophy (1200M KOR-Listed). FULL RACE-BY-RACE PREVIEW OF ALL SUNDAY RACES AT SEOUL & BUSAN HERE.

While restricted to Korean bred runners, the race nevertheless has attracted most of the nation’s top sprinters, including the first three locally trained horses across the line in last September’s international Korea Sprint.

VINCERO CAVALLO was only the 3^rd best local in that Korea Sprint, coming home in 6^th place, but he has kicked on since then with a 4^th place in the Kookje Shinmun Trophy (1400M KOR-Listed) followed by back-to-back wins at today’s distance of 1200M, both at class 1 and in contrasting styles, from the front, and from well off the pace. Versatile and perhaps with his best yet to come, he can get his first Stakes win here.

The Korea-trained horse who got closest to Remake, Jasper Krone and Anarchist in the Korea Sprint, running on late for 4^th, was SPEED YOUNG. He is a two-time local Group race winner, having won the G2 Breeders’ Cup Rookie as a juvenile in 2022 and the 2024 G3 Busan Owners’ Cup at a mile last June.

Speed Young rounded out the year with 3^rd place in the G1 President’s Cup at 2000M and G1 Grand Prix at 2300M, both races won by stablemate Global Hit. Global Hit’s regular jockey Kim Hye-sun rides him on Sunday.

Champion jockey Moon Se-young is rapidly closing in on 2000 career wins and he partners NAOL SNIPER. Runner-up to Global Hit in the 2023 Korean Derby, he moves down to the sprinting ranks for the first time after a strong end to 2024 and is an intriguing entry.

One of just two fillies or mares in the race, CROWN HAMSEONG is a winner of seven from ten most recently on her first try at class 1 in December. This is a stern step up in challenge, but she looks to have plenty of potential and it’s not impossible she could give jockey CC Wong his first Korean Stakes win.

Twelve runners will go around in total:

1. HANGANG CLASS – Champion juvenile in 2023, it didn’t really happen for him as a three-year-old and he missed five months of the season. Showed signs of a return to form with 2^nd at class 2 over 1800M on December 27^th. A two-time winner at this distance (as a juvenile), he will have some backers on a place line.

2. CROWN HAMSEONG – A winner of seven from ten including her latest two, both over a mile and most recently her first go at class 1 on January leading all the way. Moon Se-young rode her in both and while he gets on Naol Sniper, CC Wong is a more than adequate replacement and from a great draw she can be in this a long way.

3. DAEMANGUI GIL – The veteran can occasionally still pull off a good result as evidenced by his 3^rd place at class 1 over this distance two starts back. 1400M has generally been his best though and he may have lost half a yard of pace. Stablemate of Star Matta.

4. VINCERO CAVALLO – 6^th in the Korea Sprint last September, he has won three of his four subsequent starts with the latest two at class 1 level at this distance. Missed the break last time but still had enough about him to come through and win, if he maintains that form, he is a winning chance.

5. NAOL SNIPER – 3^rd in the G2 KRA Cup Classic and G1 President’s Cup, both at 2000M, he has never tackled 1200M before (although he did win at 1000M maiden as a juvenile). Can race on pace if required, Moon Se-young, who has won on him six times, stays on and his class can see him in the mix here.

6. STAR MATTA – Another who usually goes at further, this stablemate of Daemangui Gil gets his chance after a strong 2^nd place at class 1 level over 1400M on January 12^th. He likes to come from off the pace and there will be speed to run at, but this may be too sharp.

7. SOMETHING LOST – He won his first four including the Seoul Classic trial in 2023 but a runner-up in the KRA Cup Mile, the 1^st leg of that year’s Triple Crown was as good as it got until another 2^nd in the G3 Busan Ilbo Sprint last March.  Solid 5^th between Speed Young and Vincero Cavallo in last year’s Korea Sprint, he can run big races although doesn’t shape as a winning chance.

8. YEONGGWANGUI WORLD – Up and comer following wins in his latest three up to class 2 level, most recently by three-lengths on December 21^st. Likes to race on pace and not to be dismissed although this is his first try with the bigger boys.

9. DAEHAN JILJU – A Listed winner, he races for the first time since finishing down the field in the Korea Sprint last September. He did win a January trial, but this is a very hard ask first-up and he will be an outsider.

10. SAENAE QUEEN –Has the fastest time among any of these for the distance, eight tenths of a second outside Remake’s track record. That was last August, and she hasn’t won since then but has a 4^th and two 3rds including last time out behind Vincero Cavallo. She needs to lead so the draw isn’t ideal, but when she gets to the front, she takes some passing.

11. RAON THE POINT – Beat Something Lost to win the G3 Busan Ilbo Sprint last March but just like that one, hasn’t kicked on. An also-ran in the Korea Sprint, he hinted at a return to form with 2^nd behind Crown Hamseong over a mile at class 1 level in December.

12. SPEED YOUNG – A former champion juvenile, he finally got his Group win in the Owners Cup over a mile in Busan last June before being the first Korea-trained horse home when 4^th in the Korea Sprint. 3^rd in the G1 President’s Cup and 4^th in the G1 Grand Prix followed, showing he can run well at any distance. Tactically versatile, he came from off the pace in the Korea Sprint, and he can do so here again. A big threat.