The 9^th editions of both the Korea Cup (1800M) and Korea Sprint (1200M) are set for Sunday at Seoul Racecourse. Japan and Hong Kong are both represented while there is a strong local challenge as well. Both races are local Group 1 contests, with the Korea Sprint holding international Group 3 status while for the first time this year, the Korea Cup will be run at international Group 2 level. SEE HERE FOR FORM COMMENTS FOR KOREA CUP AND KOREA SPRINT AND HERE FOR ALL 16 SUNDAY RACES.

Korea Cup

The Korea Cup has attracted a relatively small field of nine. Hong Kong’s Romantic Thor had to pull out so it leaves seven local-trained horses taking on two visitors from Japan, including the defending champion. DIKTAEAN closed late last year for victory and the NAR superstar is back with solid claims to repeat.

“Winning overseas is difficult, coming form Japan to Korea, then the training process and then winning” reflected Naoki Nishida to KRA broadcaster KRBC. Nishida traveled with Diktaean a year ago and is back in Seoul with the horse again. “He’s turned eight now and at that age sometimes you can see a decline, but trainer (Katsunori) Arayama strongly believes he is as good as ever.”

“Last year there was a big gap from Chancheng Glory and Ramjet, but you saw how he finished. This year, even if there is a bigger gap for him to cross, I am confident he can do it again.”

Takayuki Yano, who dashed back from rising work on Diktaean in Seoul to ride a winner in a Stakes race at Oi on Wednesday evening, will again be in the saddle.

The other Japanese contender is SUNDAY FUNDAY, and trainer Akishi Higashida told KRBC that the Cup has been on his radar for a long time. “I’ve been interested in this race since last year and as we got good results in Japan at G2 and G3 level I decided to apply as early as possible and we got the invite.

Sunday Funday is an eight-time winner in Japan and despite drawing the widest gate, has the speed to get to the front. “The track seems fine and I think he will handle it well” continued Higashida. “It’s our first time traveling so we are learning a bit from what Diktaean did – but my mindset is also that we want to beat Diktaean!”

The local challenge is headed by CLEAN ONE to the extent that other big names such as Global Hit, Success Baekpa and Speed Young haven’t traveled to the race having been soundly defeated by him twice this year as well as going down to him to the tune of nine-lengths in last year’s season-ending Grand Prix. There are hopes locally that Clean One (by Bernardini) could have what it takes to win a Korea Cup over top class visitors and jockey Seo Seung-un was relatively bullish about his chances.

“The stable prepare him so well, I have barely sat on him outside of those two big races.” Seo told KRBC.  “He is a horse who I still think is developing and hasn’t yet reached his full potential, so I think this is a really good test for him. I know Sunday Funday is very quick out of the gate, but as before I will trust Clean One.”

Champion three-year-old FUNNY WILD is the other main local of note while BIG MUSICAL STAR and AMAZING KHAN look capable of having a say in the minors.

Korea Sprint

The Sprint has attracted a full field of sixteen with two from Japan joined by three from Hong Kong, among them last year’s winner SELF IMPROVEMENT who became the longest priced winner in the event’s history when he saw off Japan’s Chikappa in a late duel.

“This is my first time riding Self Improvement, and he feels very good and comfortable in Korea” said jockey Dylan Mo. “I’m very happy in gate nine, being in the middle, I will probably ride him the same way as he has run before, going a bit forward. I think every horse in the race is good so we will just try our best.”

Mo got the call on Self Improvement after last year’s winning rider Jerry Chau was unable to commit until too late and Chau instead gets the ride on BEAUTY WAVES. It’s a story trainer Tony Cruz detailed to KRBC before saying “We have the right jockey on; Jerry Chau, he is an up-and-coming rider with a bright future.”

As for Beauty Waves, who was a winner over 1200M at Sha Tin in February before running down the field behind some very good horses in his next few runs, Tony Cruz explained why he was bringing a horse to the Korea Sprint for the first time.

“Beauty Waves has always been running on grass, but we have an all-weather track in Hong Kong – we call it a dirt track – and he handles it very well, he’s won many barrier trials on it, so coming over here, we suspect he can handle it, we think we can come here to race.”

GORGEOUS WIN is perhaps the least heralded of the three Hong Kong contenders and having drawn gate sixteen, he will be an outsider, but Jay Misbah, traveling with the horse told KRBC that he wonders if the new surroundings may be a benefit to him.

“From my experience, I ride him in Hong Kong but here he is more relaxed, more settled here than in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong he isn’t an easy horse to ride, he needs company he needs someone to follow but here I can ride him alone and he is settled. From the outside draw, honestly, we will need a little bit of luck, he has run home strong from behind before, and hopefully he can do the same thing in Korea.”

Epsom Derby winning jockey Richard Kingscote will fly in to partner Gorgeous Win on the day.

Japan has two strong challenges with the best known being the already well-traveled AMERICAN STAGE from the Yohito Yahagi stable and in gate three, he was probably the big winner from the barrier draw. Ryusei Sakai will ride, and according to Yuto Kamakai, who has been caring for the horse in Seoul, how he takes to the track will be key:

“The sand is different in every country, and you can’t know how it will work out in a race until you run it, but as far as I can tell, he seems fine on it. He is a pure sprinter with a good start and fast speed. I spoke to (trainer) Mr. Yahagi and (jockey) Sakai after the draw and they both seemed very happy with the gate. They will decide on the strategy for the race.”

An up and comer, DRAGON WELDS, who is three for three this year and has impressed many who have seen him in Seoul this week to the extent that the local media have made him the favourite, completes the overseas challengers and assistant trainer Kazuo Fujiwara was very happy with the draw:

“There are lots of fast horses among the Korean and Hong Kong horses so I think gate seven is good and he is fast as well so he can get a good position. He is fast so he can probably avoid (kickback). We’re looking at this as a learning experience, and hopefully we’ll get more opportunities to perform on international stages like the Korea Sprint.”

The local challenge is once again headed by VINCERO CAVALLO who along with Self Improvement, is the only one of the sixteen to be making a repeat appearance in the race. Having missed a prep race a year ago, trainer Seo In-seok believes this time around can be different and that there also may be different tactics with him not wanting to be caught behind horses from gate two:

“We’ve been able to train with more intensity” Seo told KRBC. “We have heavily focused on his start. Last year we took a backseat and waited for the race to develop but given the pace, once he started going it was too late. We won’t be waiting this year.”

FINAL K and WINNER CLEAR are among other locals who will expect to have a say in the finish, while the unexposed three-year-old filly KNICKS GO WON, a stablemate of Clean One, is the wildcard

Alastair Middleton

Cup: (7) Clean One (9) Sunday Funday (8) Diktaean (1) Funny Wild

Sprint: (3) American Stage (13) Beauty Waves (7) Dragon Welds (2) Vincero Cavallo

Luke Humphreys

Cup: (7) Clean One (8) Diktaean (9) Sunday Funday (1) Funny Wild

Sprint: (13) Beauty Waves (3) American Stage (7) Dragon Welds (11) Knicks Go Won