SEOUL – February 9, 2026 – Luke Humphreys & Alastair Middleton

The weekend’s feature race saw potentially big Sprint Series implications while a challenger approaches on the Triple Crown trail and a young filly made an impressive return.

The very final race of the weekend was the only Class 1, and it was billed as a showdown between MAGIC POTION and WONPYEONG STORM, both with aspirations of getting a place in the gate for the Busan Ilbo Sprint, the first leg of the Sprint Series next month.

When that 1200M feature finally took place on a bitterly cold Sunday in the capital city the face off never happened as Wonpyeong Storm missed the kick and Magic Potion hovered but ultimately offered little as WOW WOW (Cowboy Cal) led from gate-to-wire to score by a length from SPEED ONE at odds of 9.1 locally. The Song Jae-chul ridden seven-year-old recorded his seventh career win on his thirty-second start. Also in the race, the 2022 Korea Sprint winner EOMA EOMA, like Wow Wow also sporting the Nasca colours, but like Wonpyeong Storm the now nine-year-old was never a factor.

In earlier races, ACE K (Cupid) tackled the 1800M for the first time at class 3 level having gone no further than1400M before, but the extra quarter mile proved no problem as he raced on the pace throughout and won by an extending 13 lengths over 2.6 favourite Tanseongui Banseok. His co-favourite FLYING CRUISER was the big disappointment, finishing a long last.

GOLD CATCHER (Cowboy Cal) bounced back to winning ways when winning race 8 (1400M Class 4) for Johan Victoire and Luigi Riccardi. The four-year-old filly had never missed the top four placings prior to her previous start and proved way too good with a front-running three-length victory. The previously unbeaten SAMJEONG SPIDER started a 1.4 favourite but was a never nearer 5th after not the best of beginnings.

Also on form was PERFECT DANAEUN (Freedom Child) with a six-length score in race 7 (1600M Class 4). He had taken out four in a row before coming up against Di Ne last month but under Ruan Maia, this time he was untroubled by his rivals to take his overall record to five wins from twelve starts.

MAEUM HANA (Gaon Champ) made it two victories in a row with a front-running victory for jockey CC Wong and trainer Choi Yong-geon in race 5. The three-year-old colt recorded a time of 1:20.1 in the class 5 and looks progressive going on his five-length victory.

AMOS CHEONHA (To Honor And Serve) completed a double for that jockey-trainer combination, and was the first of two winners for owner Hong Ae Ran, when coming from well back to score in the following 1800M Class 5. He missed the break for the second consecutive start and whilst it did his chances no good it didn’t make a difference as he pulled victory from out of the fire by an extending length and a half.

RAON THE PLUMA (Indie Band), GRACE DAY (Race Day) and JAZZ PURPLE (Hansen) could be horses to follow going forward on their respective victories in the opening three races on the card which were all Class 6 contests.

THERE WAS A SEVEN-RACE CARD AT BUSAN ON SUNDAY AND CLEARLY WINNER (Hansen) resumed from five months away from the races with a stress fracture to win impressively in race 6 (1400M Class 4). 

The Park Jae-i ridden Kim Hye-sun prepared three-year-old filly raced on the pace throughout before roaring away in the straight to record a facile five-length success. 

Back on debut last July, Clearly Winner defeated Supex Winner, subsequent champion juvenile and Breeders’ Cup winner, by two and a half lengths year prior to a victory in September. She was then out of work for three months after going lame but looked good in her trial on January 22 and looked even better yesterday the feature classic races get closer.

DOCTOR CHRIS (Uncaptured) made up for his last start odds-on defeat when winning race 5 (1800M Class 4) by a full nine-lengths. Punters retained the faith sending him off the 2.5 favourite and he duly obliged not pulling as hard this time in a faster run race. He reversed form with Flying The Khan whilst Unju Challenge was a further two lengths away finishing 3^rd in a trifecta for the favoured runners.

The biggest surprise of the weekend came in race 3 (1600M Class 5) when HWANHUI BANK (Tiz Wonderful) came from a long last to fly home and snatch victory up the running rail by a half-length as the despised outsider at 76.5, the second outsider of the field started at 40.5! Punters that backed the winner or got the exotics would have been laughing all the way to the queue, but few others would have been as the two favourites in the race in Geuma Panther and Unju Magic trailed home a long second last and last.

A DAY EARLIER AT SEOUL, Three-year-old colt LIVE STAR (Peace Rules) bludgeoned his way into Classic contention with the most facile victories over the Derby distance in race 9 (1800M Class 4). Under Jang Chu-youl, completing a race-to-race double, he had already opened up a big lead as the field entered the back straight and it only kept on getting bigger as he scored by eighteen-lengths in a time that would win plenty of editions of the Korean Derby. Trained by Moon Byeong-ki, he is a stablemate of fellow three-year-olds Mujehan Geup, Chief Star and Myung Dream. 

VET CAPTAIN (Take Charge Indy) was an impressive front-running winner of the principal race on Saturday’s card (1600M Class 2), by eleven-lengths. The 2024 Derby winner Eunpa Sarang chased him home in second whilst Balvenie was a further three lengths away in third whilst 3.5 favourite Jeongsang Ace was fourth.

Elsewhere on Saturday’s Card MORE THAN JOKE (Practical Joke) led most of the way to take out the finale (1400M Class 3) by a length and a half. His cause was helped when 3.1 favourite Yongbi Taeyang missed the break, for the second consecutive start. The victory brought up a riding double for Jo Jae-ro who also won race 5 on the somewhat unkindly named DONKEY PLAY.

GWANAKSAN SKY (Concord Point) could be one to follow going on his impressive win in the opener, a 1200M Class 6, by five lengths for Johan Victoire and Lee Joon Chel.

AT BUSAN ON FRIDAY, Seo Seung-un stole the show with a riding treble aboard Shackle Town in race 5, Wonderful Jones in race 8 and Geuma Adept in the ninth and final race. SHACKLE TOWN (Shackleford) was arguably the most impressive winner of the day, leading throughout to win by seven lengths in a 1400M Class 5.

DOCTOR CARRY (Cupid) produced a decent performance when winning race 2, a 1300M Class 6, by six lengths. He led throughout and in doing so recorded an impressive time of 1:22.3.

MAENGNYONG (Uncaptured) and WONDERFUL JONES (New Legend) were the winners of the two Class 3 contests on the program, races 7 and 8, over 1400M and 1600M respectively before GEUMA ADEPT (Complexity) justified 2.3 favoritism by leading throughout to win the last, a 1200M Class 4, by three lengths.

Racing in Korea returns to Busan on Friday prior to Seoul on Saturday and then Seoul and Busan on Sunday prior to the Lunar New Year holiday. The Sunday meeting at Seoul will feature the Listed Segye Ilbo Trophy over 1200M for the older sprinters, the first Korean black type race of 2026. Grand Prix Stakes winner Clean One, as well as former champion Global Hit are among the entries for Busan’s Sunday feature as they limber up for the Stayer Series.