IT WAS A LONG WAIT FOR THE FEATURE AT SEOUL RACECOURSE ON SUNDAY A class 1 affair over the 1200M for those who didn’t make the privilege of going to the G3 at Busan to get beaten by Vincero Cavallo, was the last on the card, but it didn’t disappoint as MAGIC POTION (Competitive Edge), the winner of last November’s KRA Sprint at Seoul, beat favourite Best Race by a length and a half in a fast time. 

The US-bred five-year-old, who was ridden by Lee Yong-ho, moved on to eight wins from fourteen starts and could be under consideration for a start in the next leg of the Sprint Series on April 12th. 

STUNNING MONEY (Gyeongbudaero) completed a riding treble on the program for Panamanian jockey Luiz Quiroz when winning the preceding ninth race (1800M Class 3) by two lengths.

It was a third victory over the Seoul 1800M for Stunning Money who accounted for Dragon Gate and Ultra Dragon whilst the three favourites in Tanseongui Banseok, BS Storm and Pasa Spurt were the next trio home.

The other victories on the program for Quiroz were ONEMO TIME (Peace Rules) who was the most impressive winner of the three maiden contests at the start of the card when justifying 2.3 favoritism by nine-lengths from the front, and in race 7 with a pick-up ride on STAY BIG (Stay Thirsty) who was the rank outsider at 60/1.

SHINING ROAD (Midshipman) was considered the danger to the 1.4 popular pick Pas de Cheval in race 8 (1700M Class 4) and he duly got first run on the favourite and held him off by a half-length. Pas de Cheval, who had won his previous two starts very softly, didn’t respond when first asked for the effort but eventually picked up in the straight; however, the line came up too quickly for his backers.

RAON FLORENCE (Musket Man) continued his consistent run of form when impressively winning by six lengths at even money under apprentice Woo In-cheol in race 6 (1200M Class 4).

GWANAKSAN SKY (Concord Point) followed up his debut victory with a four-length score in race 4 (1400M Class 5) and looks like potentially a nice type going forward.

GRACE DAY (Race Day) followed up her front-running nine-length maiden victory with another front-running win, this time only by a half-length. It is likely it would have been by a bit further however if she wasn’t so green in the home straight as she hung out with 200 metres to travel before then ducking back in towards the running rail in the final 50 metres. Her victory completed a riding double for Jeong Jeong-hee who rode the opening winner FLASH JUDE (Flashback).

VINCERO CAVALLO WAS THE STAR DOWN AT BUSAN but there was plenty on the undercard too.

UNJU CHALLENGE (Revolutionary) came home two and a half lengths clear in the following 1800M Class 4. He dipped coming out of the gates but balanced up, found the lead and proved too good for Lime Tree whilst the 2.4 favourite Amazing One was a further five lengths away only managing third and never looking like getting near his two co-favourites. Son Gyeong-min was the winning rider and that apprentice completed a double after success in race 3 on board NICE GIRL (Afleet Express).

BLACK VOLT (Thunder Moccasin) was the winner of the other Class 4 contest, which was over 1600M, scoring by a half-length at odds of 9.0 whilst 50 minutes earlier race 5 (1200M Class 5) was won by TRICK SHOT (Hansen) under Franco da Silva.

Jo In-kwon had an early riding double thanks to ARE YOU READY (Doraonhyeonpyo) and REGINA VINCIT (Colors Flying) with the former being impressive coming from last.

THE SEOUL MEETING ON SATURDAY SAW HANSEN BRACING take out the closing contest, which was the main race on the card (1200M Class 2).

Hansen Bracing (Hansen) had the rails run behind the speed before getting a gap and doggedly holding off third market choice Beolgyo Veritas by a half-length in a quick time of 1:12.0.

The other popular picks were Nice Force who was fourth, Cupid It who was home in fifth and the 3.4 favourite Silver Rain who was the major disappointment only beating two home.

The previous race saw DAEHEUNG CLASS (Concord Point) land the odds as 2.8 favourite in a 1200M Class 3 by one and a half lengths over Real Deal with the second pick Star Trek winding up fifth.

MIGHTY FREE (American Pharoah) was a big-priced winner of race 9 (1600M Class 4) getting up in the closing stages to defeat Slam Dragon with the odds-on chance Danaeun Kingdom in third.

A first ride on LADY FOX (Revolutionary) for Ruan Maia proved a winning one as her late burst was good enough to score in race 7 (1800M Class 4) by a half-length in a race which saw the popular pick in Awesome Queen finish last of the 11 runners beaten 17 ¾ lengths.

Other decent winners on the card included FLYING HONOR (To Honor And Serve) in the opener, AMOS STAR (Shackleford) in race 3, COMEBACK HOLYMOELY (Thunder Moccasin) in race 4 and RAPTURE (Nitrous) in race 5 whilst there was multiple success across the program for two trainers in Ham Wan-sik and Lee Shin-woo and two jockeys in Kim Hyo-jung and Kim Tae-hun.

AT BUSAN ON FRIDAY, KING ANYDAY was a 36.7 winner of the main race on the card (1400M Class 2), defying the outside barrier of 11 with a strong late run to score by a length and a half. 

King Anyday (Any Given Saturday) finished in the middle of the pack in the race of reference for this race the start prior but the six-year-old, who took his chance in last year’s Korean Sprint, recorded his first win since June 2024 in good style over the four favourites in the race, Binnaneungil, Amazing Khan, Vangie and Brug Kingman.

The most impressive winner of the day by far came in race 7 (1800M Class 3) when DOCTOR CHRIS (Uncaptured) destroyed his rivals from the front.

The only bad run of his career occurred back in January, when he pulled way too hard in a slowly run race with a small field, but he has bounced back to form since with a nine-length victory prior to Friday’s win which was by eight lengths, his second career victory by that margin. He could be Korean Derby bound. 

The victory of Doctor Chris completed a treble on the program for jockey Jin Kyum whose earlier victories came in race 3 aboard YOUNGYOUNG BRAVO (Malibu Bulpae) and race 6 on top of FLEX ENGINE (Old Fashioned).

Flex Engine’s win in race 6 (1200M Class 4) completed a training double for Min Jang-gi who had success in the opener with SUCCESS QUEEN (Musket Man).

The Kim Hye-sun prepared QUEEN OF DRAGON (Power Blade) was a big winner in race 5 coming from last to win a 1400M Class 4 by a neck.

The principal race of next weekend is in the capital with the first leg of the Korean Stayer Series at Seoul, the Herald Business Trophy (KOR-G3) over 2000M where Clean One and Speed Young amongst others are expected to take their chance.