SEE HERE FOR FULL RACE-BY-RACE PREVIEW OF ALL 17 SUNDAY RACES AT BUSAN AND SEOUL
It’s just a week until the Grand Prix Stakes when Yumeno Honoo will likely start as favourite to become the first overseas trained horse to win the traditional final Group One of the Korean racing season. Before that, however, there are some intriguing domestic loose ends to tie up at Busan on Sunday with the Breeders’ Cup Queen (1800M KOR-L) and Breeders’ Cup Rookie (1400M KOR-G2).
The Breeders’ Cup Queens is the final leg of the Queens’ Tour Fall & Winter and defending champion FLYING STAR returns. After scoring in this race as a three-year-old a year ago, she had an indifferent start to her 2025 campaign but has been coming back into form in this series, finishing 3rd in the Jeju Governor’s Cup over 1400M at Seoul in September, before winning the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup at 2000M on October 26th with lots of today’s rivals behind her.
Trained by Seo In-seok and partnered by jockey Jang Chu-youl, who has ridden her in her past two starts, Flying Star is the probable market favourite to prevail but in both editions to date of this relatively new race on the calendar, the Breeders’ Cup Queen has been won by a three-year-old with JEULGEOUNYEOJEONG – who returns again – prevailing in the inaugural running on 2023. There is a smart young filly in the field this time too and she may just keep that trend going.
BORYEONGLIGHTQUEEN was 3rd in the Luna Stakes and Korean Oaks before winning the final leg of the Triple Tiara over 2000M at Seoul in July. She then returned to the capital track and took the first leg of this series, the Jeju Governor’s Cup over 1400M, with a dashing late burst to flash past Jeulgeounyeojeong and GLADIUS. That led her to be sent off as favourite for the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup and although she only managed 5th that day, the Rock Band filly should have a big part to play here.
In winning the final leg of the Tiara, Boryeonglightqueen denied a clean sweep to FANTASTIC VALUE, who won both the Luna and the Oaks. She races for the first time since missing out on the Tiara, but she looked very well in a trial at the beginning of this month. Gladius and Jeulgeounyeojeong are more than capable of having a say, while the ever-reliable RAON FOREST should also be in the mix.
One race later a full field of sixteen will face the starter in the Breeders’ Cup Rookie and as ever it is set to be desperately competitive with the winner likely to be crowned Champion Juvenile. Nine have travelled down from Seoul including two stablemates, one filly and one colt, who enter with three wins from three respective starts and are unable to avoid one another any longer.
The filly from Moon Byeong-ki’s barn is CHIEF STAR, who has been effortless in her wins to date, including the Seoul Rookie Stakes and most recently the Listed NACF Chairman’s Trophy. She won her first two leading all the way, but she was challenged for the speed in the NACF before asserting her dominance late on. Choi Bum-hyun will ride again but the veteran jockey will have the challenge of navigating a route to the lead from gate fifteen.
Johan Victoire, who recently rode his three-hundredth Korean winner, partners Moon Byeong-ki’s other unbeaten charge. MUJEHAN GEUP got his third straight win when coming from well off the pace to charge home in the Listed Munhwa Ilbo Trophy in September. He hasn’t raced since but he looked very good in a trial in late October and if the pace is on, he will be a big danger.
Busan’s challenge is headed by WILD PARK and SUPER AERO. The former got the better of the latter in both the Busan Rookie Stakes and the Gangseo-Gu Mayor’s Trophy before Super Aero returned the favour in the Listed Gimhae Mayor’s Trophy in October. All three times the margins have been tight, and the times have been quick and both horses look set to step up in trip with big chances. It would be no surprise, given home advantage, to see the pair as favourites in the betting market.
A wildcard could be AIRFORCEONE. The Tony Castanheira trained colt has been a bit of an enigma so far but has demonstrated plenty of ability, but he is one of only two horses in the entire field to have previously raced at 1400M, and he has won at it. He has the widest gate of all, but he may be well worth a chance at an each-way price.
Selections:
Breeders’ Cup Queen (R5): Win: (11) BORYEONGLIGHTQUEEN Each-way: (7) GLADIUS
Breeders’ Cup Rookie (R6): Win: (5) MUJEHAN GEUP Each-way: (16) AIRFORCEONE
Horse Racing in Korea 