Day: March 7, 2026

Sprint Series 1st Leg: Busan Ilbo Preview & Form Comments

SEE HERE FOR RACE-BY-RACE PREVIEW OF ALL 17 SUNDAY RACES ACROSS SEOUL AND BUSAN

Not since Success Story in 2017 has a Busan-trained horse provided a home winner for its leg of the Sprint Series as Seoul has dominated the Busan Ilbo Sprint (1200M KOR-G3). In that time visitors such as Silver Wolf, Eoma Eoma, Raon The Fighter and most recently Vincero Cavallo have been the most notable winners.  This year may be different though as the home track provides most of the probable favourites among the twelve-strong field.

Vincero Cavallo swept all three legs of last year’s Sprint Series (Pic: KRA)

The defending champion is back though. VINCERO CAVALLO swept all three legs of the Sprint Series last year, but he didn’t hold his form for the rest of the year, missing a summer prep before running 6th in the Korea Sprint (1200M IG3) but was well back in the Kookje Shinmun Trophy (1400M KOR-G3) in October, and hasn’t raced since. He did though win a February trial.

Busan is dangerous this year. WINNER CLEAR and YEONGGWANGUI WORLD enter as the in-form horses. The former won the KRA Sprint Yeongnam in November and edged out BORN DIA at class 1 level in January. Yeonggwangui World meanwhile looked set to won the Segye Ilbo Trophy (1200M KOR-Listed) at Seoul three weeks ago before Speed Young, who skips this race in order to go to the opening leg of the Stayer Series next week, ran him down late on.

GANGSEO GIANT is another Busan trained horse who will be firmly in the market while FANTASTIC KINGDOM and veteran BLACK MUSK are others who may play a role in the finish. The Busan Ilbo Sprint, kicking off the Sprint Series, gets underway at 16:05 local time on Sunday:

1. BORN DIA – Class 2 winner at this distance in October and then led on January 11th only to be denied by Winner Clear in the final strides by a neck. Good draw and a 2kg mare allowance which brings her right in contention. Chance.

2. GANGSEO GIANT – Won the G3 Kookje Shinmun over 1400M in 2024 and was 3rd in the same race in 2025. Won at class 1 over 1200M in November and hasn’t raced since but looked well in a February trial. Likes to come from off the pace, Seo Seung-un is on, and she will be among the favourites.

3. WINNER CLEAR – Dueled with Clean One as a juvenile but has found his niche at 1200M where all seven of his wins have come. He won the KRA Sprint Yeongnam on Grand Prix weekend in emphatic fashion before just getting up to beat Born Dia on January. Comes from off the pace and has a fiendish turn of foot. He will be favourite.

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Sprint Series Sunday Busan & Seoul: Race-By-Race Preview (March 8)

The Sprint Series gets underway on Sunday with the Busan Ilbo (1200M KOR-G3) on the south coast. There are 7 races at Busan from 11:25 to 16:55 and 10 at Seoul from 10:35 to 17:55. Here are the previews:

Former Busan Ilbo winner Eoma Eoma was recently retired (Pic: KRA)

Seoul Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

(7) YEONGWONHAN SOLEO ran 2nd on debut before following up with 4th at start number two on January 24th both times racing handy. Third-up she should be nice and fit and with Maia climbing on for the first time, he can win. (8) BINNALEEDS improved to 4th on her second appearance, which came at this distance on January 4th when away among the trailers but running on well. She comes in fresh after nine weeks out and should be danger. (11) FLASH JUDE similarly improved at her second start and can challenge late here. (3) STUNNING BOLT and (9) MISS CHRISTIE are others who have hinted at ability and can be in at least the placing frame in a competitive opener.

Selections(7) Yeongwonhan Soleo (8) Binnaleeds (11) Flash Jude (3) Stunning Bolt
Next Best9, 2
Fast Start3, 5, 7, 9

Seoul Race 2: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

(7) ONEMO TIME ran 2nd to Reverence at this distance two starts back before finishing 4th over 1400M on her latest effort at the end of December. She hasn’t raced since then so she comes in fresh, CC gets on, and she can win. (6) BEAT FRESH shapes as the main threat. She has a 3rd and a 4th from her latest two, most recently at this distance on January 24th when on pace. Her times haven’t been quick but that’s been more to do with recent track conditions, and she can be expected to be on pace again and in this a long way. (3) STUNNING POINT has a pair of 5th places from her latest two. She has finished off her races well so may appreciate the step up in trip and she can challenge. (8) BANK LINE and (5) NAEGEROWAJWO others in the hunt.

Selections(7) Onemo Time (6) Beat Fresh (3) Stunning Point (8) Bank Line
Next Best5, 11
Fast Start2, 5, 6, 8

Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

Maidens with five of the twelve racing for the first time. We’ll go with a first timer and (4) SKYNEX. A half-brother to last year’s KRA Cup Mile and Korean Derby winner Oasis Blue, he was an on-pace winner of a trial on February 5th and if he brings that form to the races, he has every chance first-up. (6) SUCCESS PYEONGHWA debuted all the way back last July and ran well for 2nd but later developed a chip fracture. He looked very well when leading all the way in a February trial and he can pick up from where he left off. (12) ARE YOU READY has a 3rd and a 2nd from three starts, sandwiching a lesser effort, and can be in this. Newcomer (8) BABEL FOLGORE, along with (10) WOLF STEP, who needs his latest overlooked, are others to consider on a place line.

Selections(4) Skynex (6) Success Pyeonghwa (12) Are You Ready (8) Babel Folgore
Next Best10, 5
Fast Start4, 6, 10, 11

Seoul Race 3: Class 6 (1400M) Special Weight A / KRW 45 Million

Fillies (and one mare) only here. We’ll go with that mare, (2) RAON PARANOMA but we will need to forgive her latest at the end of December where aside from a very small bump at the start and then racing ungenerously late, she didn’t have many excuses for a poor effort when well backed. Prior to that she was going well and after ten weeks off and in this company, she is worth another chance. (5) BLACK SUN has a 3rd place on her record and enters off back-to-back 5th place finishes over 1400M and 1700M. She tends to leave herself too much to do but should be running on late. (1) GRAY PHANTOM comes back in trip to a distance at which she has recorded the fastest time of any of these and with a 4kg claim can be in this. (8) NUNKKOT and (11) SAENAE RANIA others to consider.

Selections(2) Raon Paranoma (5) Black Sun (1) Gray Phantom (8) Nunkkot
Next Best11, 9
Fast Start2, 7, 9, 11

Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1600M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

(9) KING BLACK was ordinary on debut but has since run 4th on three consecutive occasions most recently racing handy over 1300M. He steps up to a mile for the first time and has as good a chance as any of coming out on top here. He may have more improvement in him than (2) DOROTHY QUEEN. She enters off her best finishes to date having been 2nd in both her latest two over this distance when coming from off the pace. She has the fastest time among these for the mile (though that’s not quick) and will be in the finish. (1) MAGIC MIRROR has beaten a few of these across his latest two when 2nd at 1400M and then 4th at this distance on February 15th. He’ll be on the pace and in this a long way. (10) BIROE SERVE and (6) SMART YULIM others who should be competitive.

Selections(9) King Black (2) Dorothy Queen (1) Magic Mirror (10) Biroe Serve
Next Best6, 5
Fast Start1, 6, 9, 12

Seoul Race 4: Class 5 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million

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