Day: September 4, 2026

Seoul Trophy Race Saturday: Race-By-Race Preview (September 5)

It’s the eve of the Korea Cup and Sprint and arguably this Saturday is the best day of racing of the entire year, with no fewere than seven international Trophy races attracting very competitive fields. Those seven are the first on a 10-race card which runs from 12:55 to 19:55. Here are the previews:

Seoul Race 1: Class Open (1200M) Special Weight B / France Galop Trophy / KRW 150 Million

(3) SINGSING MORNING is a colt by Munnings who won his sole trial on July 23 by five-lengths and the second placed horse from that heat subsequently came out and won last week. On that basis, as well as the fact that trainer Bae Hou-jun and owner Jeon Seok-ho have already produced arguably the most impressive juvenile winner of the year so far in the shape of Singsing Nashe, this horse is worth following. (7) HOPE K continues to get better with each run and was a dashing five-length winner of the Rookie Stakes three weeks ago so he could easily score again. Hope K was three-and-a-half lengths behind (6) SOUTH CARNIVAL back at the end of May before vastly turning the tables in the Rookie Stakes. South Carnival is a definitely a chance of bouncing back to winning ways as is (5) KKUMUI YEONSOK who was behind both of those horses in the Rookie Stakes after missing the start and subsequently never getting any closer than second last but this Luigi Riccardi prepared Tale Of Silence colt was incredibly impressive in his debut victory where he scored by seven-lengths. (8) MAHO was behind Kkumui Yeonsok in that race before winning his second start over (2) MIGHTY HUNKY, who is one of two runners for Seo Hong-soo with the other being (4) MIGHTY HIGHT which was a three-length winner of his second race.

Selections(3) Singsing Morning (7) Hope K (6) South Carnival (5) Kkumui Yeonsok
Next Best8, 2
Fast Start1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Seoul Race 2: Class Open (1200M) Special Weight B / Singapore Pools Trophy / KRW 150 Million

(7) EVERY TIME was second in all three runs as a juvenile last season but has more than made amends for those runner-up finishes with two starts for two wins as a three-year-old. Those two wins this year have both been over this distance by margins of seven and three-lengths and he will prove hard to catch under Ruan Maia. (10) LIVE STAR was the boom three-year-old heading into the Triple Crown but came unstuck in the KRA Cup Mile (Korean 2000 Guineas), following a deplorable beginning, and in The Derby. He bounced back to winning ways in an 1800M Class 3 in June before getting rolled last start. His beginnings have not been as fluent since going down to Busan for the Guineas and it will be very interesting to see how he handles the 1200M. (2) BREEDO AQUA was always on the back foot last start but had been impressive from the front in her previous two wins and has ability. (13) FLUTTER has a horror draw to contend with but should not be discounted whilst (3) RAON THE AFFIRMED and impressive last start winner (12) BEST PITCH are definite chances and (11) JAZZ PURPLE and (4) BEST SECRET should not be discounted either in one of the best races of this year’s international meeting.

Selections(7) Every Time (10) Live Star (2) Breedo Aqua (13) Flutter
Next Best3, 12
Fast Start2, 3, 4, 7, 11, 13

Seoul Race 3: Class Open (1700M) Special Weight B / RACE COAST KZN Trophy / KRW 150 Million

(2) SLING STAR has won six races from nine starts and they include each of his last five with the most recent being by six-lengths. This is his toughest test to date but there is every chance he will pass it in flying colours. (9) GLOBAL CHAMP is another smart one who has won five times from eight attempts. He has won three of his last four, two of those wins being by eight and four-lengths respectively, with the other run being a second beaten a head. Seo Seung-un rides for the first time and he will go close. (1) CHRYSOL STONE is a smart filly on her day and whilst she was a beaten odds-on favourite last start, she could bounce back. They are clearly the three key runners with (7) SEGWANG FIGHTER, (6) ECLAIR POWER, (3) JISAN FORCE, (4) YEONHUI HERO and (10) ECLIPSE THE KING best of the rest.

Selections(2) Sling Star (9) Global Champ (1) Chrysol Stone (7) Segwang Fighter
Next Best6, 3
Fast Start1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10

Seoul Race 4: Class Open (1400M) Special Weight B / Selangor Turf Club Trophy / KRW 150 Million

(8) HWANG GEUM EO JANG ran a game second to Funny Wild in the KRA Cup Mile (Korean 2000 Guineas) before turning the tables on him when producing a tough performance to take out The Derby in excellent fashion. He finished third as an evens favourite when resuming at the end of July, but he was only beaten a nose and was not disgraced after copping pressure in front from the eventual winner. That victor was Keidragon who was subsequently second last week to the talented G B Vault whilst Mustang Power, who split Keidragon and Hwang Geum Eo Jang in that three-way photo finish, finished third. The decrease in distance should not pose too many worries and this year’s winner of Korea’s second biggest 1800M race can bounce back to winning ways. However, (2) RAON FLORENCE should more than make his presence felt as he has continued to get better this year. He was only two-thirds of a length behind Hansen Bracing, who competes in this weekend’s Korean Sprint, two runs ago and either side of that effort are multiple victories so he must be respected. (7) REMEMBER AGAIN was a front-running winner in March before working too hard from the front in April. He then raced in June where he came from off the pace to win by five-lengths over two subsequent winners, of which one of those reopposes in this, and is an interesting runner. (6) MORE THAN JOKE, (4) ELDORADO NOLBU and (3) MARU JANGGUN should all be around the mark in another excellent contest.

Selections(8) Hwang Geum Eo Jang (2) Raon Florence (7) Remember Again (6) More Than Joke
Next Best4, 3
Fast Start1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8

Seoul Race 5: Class Open (1800M) Special Weight B / Japan Racing Association Trophy / KRW 150 Million

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