With just six weeks to go until the international Korea Cup and Korea Sprint, the leading Korean contenders will contest their main prep race, the KRA Cup Classic (2000M KOR-G2) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon and with a Clean One-shaped hole in the field, it’s set to be a showdown between familiar foes. SEE HERE FOR FULL PREVIEW OF ALL 17 SUNDAY RACES ACROSS SEOUL AND BUSAN.

That’s because the main local hope for the first weekend of September, Clean One, is skipping the race and will head straight to the international race. Meanwhile the exciting up-and-comer Roshe isn’t expected to run at all until October as part of a conservative three-year-old campaign.

Moon Hyeon-cheol, trainer of Clean One, confirmed earlier this week that while the KRA Cup Classic had initially been on Clean One’s agenda, the intention was now to take him straight to international weekend. Interestingly, throughout the short interview with KRBC, trainer Moon continually referred to Korea Cup/Sprint rather than just Korea Cup, an indication perhaps they haven’t quite settled on which race to run their stable star in.

That leaves the “troika” of Global Hit, Success Baekpa and Speed Young at the top of the market for the Cup Classic. Global Hit won the race two years ago while Success Baekpa is the defending champion. While Success Baekpa won the YTN Cup, Global Hit was 2^nd in all three legs of the Stayer Series, and his consistency will make him the favourite here.

Gangpungma is back with trainer Kim Dong-chul after a few months of enforced moves and that can be a plus for a horse who is very much the nearly-but-not-quite of racing right now. He scarcely runs a bad race, and he will be finishing strongly but it may well be that there are just one or two too quick again.

Fillies are represented in the shape of Boryeonglightqueen and Satang Sonyeo while the each-way wildcards look set to be Jeongmun Cobit and Pepper X.

The KRA Cup Classic is race 8 on Seoul’s 10-race Sunday card with a local post time of 16:30.

1. GLOBAL HIT – Won this race two years ago and while he did suffer injury and a downturn in form, he looks to be back. After a close 2^nd to Yeonggwanguifirst in February, he was 2^nd to Success Baekpa in the YTN Cup, beaten just three-quarters of a length, then six-lengths 2^nd to Clean One in the Busan Mayor’s. He has a winning chance here.

2. EAST WEST – Joint lowest-rated in the race, he enters off back-to-back placings at class 1 level over 2300M and 2000M both times behind Pepper X and once behind Satang Sonyeo. Only previous try in elite company was 14^th in the Grand Prix, and he has plenty to find.

3. SUCCESS BAEKPA – The defending champion and the winner of the YTN Cup in April when on pace throughout. He was 2^nd in the Herald Business, four-lengths behind Clean One, and 4^th in the Busan Mayor’s. At his best he has every chance of winning again, but inconsistency has also been a feature of his career.

4. G MOTION – A two-time winner at this distance at class 2 level late last year, he has only run once in 2026, finishing 6^th of nine over this distance at class 1 on June 28^th. He should strip fitter here, but this is a very hard ask.

5. SPEED YOUNG – Ran an uncharacteristically ordinary 6^th in the Busan Mayor’s having followed up his February Listed Sprint win with 4^th and 3^rd in the first two legs of the Stayer Series. 3^rd in this race last year, this incredibly versatile competitor can be in the finish again. G1 winner at this distance in the President’s Cup last October.

6. YEONGGWANGUIFIRST – Beat Global Hit by a head at class 1 over 2000M in February when getting 3kg from him, he then went on to record a 6^th and two 5^th places in the three legs of the Stayer Series. That would be a par finish again.

7. JEONGMUN COBIT – Ran a very big 4^th in this race last year but then didn’t appear again until this May. After an ordinary return, he was 2^nd to Prime Secret at class 1 over 1800M on June 14^th. Third-up he can be peaking and while maybe not a winning chance, he can challenge for minor money again.

8. GANGPUNGMA – 2^nd in the President’s Cup and Grand Prix last year, he recorded two 3^rd places and a 4^th in the three legs of the Stayer series. Ultra consistent, he generally does himself no favours at the start but will always stay. Makes his first start since returning to Kim Dong-chul’s stable. Not impossible.

9. BORYEONGLIGHTQUEEN – She comes off the Queens’ Tour Spring/Summer where she recorded two 2^nd places and a 4^th. She’s won two of her three races at Seoul, including over this distance in the final leg of last year’s Triple Tiara. She likes to come from well back and with the 2kg filly allowance, she can challenge for the placings late on.

10. SATANG SONYEO – 5^th behind Pepper X and East West at class 1 over this distance in June, having won over 2300M in May. The further the race, the more she seems to thrive though she did struggle as a rare three-year-old filly tackling the Grand Prix last December. This company may prove too stiff, but she will run on.

11. PEPPER X – A bit of a wildcard, he tackles Graded company for the first time having won well over East West and Satang Sonyeo at class 1 over this distance on June 28^th. A seven-time winner, he likes to be on or close to the pace so the draw is not ideal, but he could offer some each-way appeal.

Selections	(1) Global Hit (3) Success Baekpa (5) Speed Young (8) Gangpungma
Next Best	11, 9
Fast Start	1, 2, 4, 5, 11