Gyeonggi Govenor's Cup

FANTASTIC VALUE SET FOR TRIPLE TIARA SWEEP

Next weekend all eyes will be on Oasis Blue’s attempt to become the first three-year-old since Power Blade almost a decade ago to sweep all three-legs of the Triple Crown. This Sunday at Seoul Racecourse, Fantastic Value has the opportunity to become the third filly in four years to claim the Triple Tiara as she starts the hot favourite for the Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup (2000M KOR-G3). SEE HERE FOR FULL PREVIEW OF ALL 17 SUNDAY RACES ACROSS SEOUL AND BUSAN.

Fantastic Value and Oneuldo Smile were 1st and 2nd in the Oaks and meet again (Pic: KRA(

After winning the Luna Stakes and the Korean Oaks in 2022, Golden Power successfully completed the set with victory in the Gyeonggi while a year later Jeulgeounyeojeong did the same. Having pulled off dominant victories in both the Luna and the Oaks, FANTASTIC VALUE should be joining them.

All of the top five in the Oaks return with runner-up ONEULDO SMILE the probable second-favourite. Having skipped the Luna, she entered the Oaks with a perfect four from four record but while she led for much of the way, she was powerless to stop Fantastic Value from sweeping by and was five-lengths in arrears on the line.

CC Wong will be aboard Oneuldo Smile once more and it will be interesting to see whether they employ the same tactics and lead again.

BORYEONGLIGHTQUEEN was 3rd in both the Oaks and the Luna and should be in at least the placing mix again, while a newcomer to the Series is ROCK CANDY. The Bart Rice trainee gets her chance having won two of her last three up to class 5 and a mile and her running style suggests that she could be a filly who can make the step up in trip.

The Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup is race 7 on the 9-race Sunday card at Seoul.

1. FLASH RUN – Only win came in maiden company at 1300M but she was a good 5th in the Oaks as the longest shot on the board and from the widest gate. Further improvement is possible.

2. BORYEONGLIGHTQUEEN – 3rd in both the Luna and Oaks but she has won over 1800M. Hard to see her overturning the form on Fantastic Value but shapes as a place chance and the additional trip can suit.

3. LIME TREE – Class 4 winner over a mile and 4th in both the Luna and the Oaks, eight-lengths behind Fantastic Value in the later. Will race handy and can match or better that 4th.

4. RISING MO – 2nd in the Luna Stakes coming from well off the pace but only beat one him in the Oaks. Has run better when coming from a long way back but too inconsistent to confidently recommend for a place

5. ONEULDO SMILE – Won her first four up to Class 4 and 1200M and then led the Oaks before being passed by Fantastic Value. She has five-lengths to make up but will probably be on pace again and will be 2nd favourite.

6. ECLIPSE THE QUEEN – Enters off her maiden win over 1400M on April 5th when coming from midfield. Fresh after nine weeks off, but big step up here.

7. FANTASTIC VALUE – Comfortable winner of the first two legs of the series and no reason to suggest that the step up in trip, or the new environment at Seoul, will be a problem. She will be the strong favourite.

8. ROCK CANDY – Gets her chance having won two of her last three up to class 5 and a mile, coming from off the pace. Extended trip may suit and may offer some each-way interest.

9. ALPHA FEMALE – The only maiden in the race, she hasn’t even finished in the top three. Seirene won this race as a maiden for the same owners last year but surely lightning does not strike twice.

Selections(7) Fantastic Value (5) Oneuldo Smile (2) Boryeonglightqueen (8) Rock Candy
Next Best3, 1
Fast Start5, 6, 7, 9

Golden Power Sweeps Filly Triple Crown while Raon First Dominates Ttukseom Cup

Raon First asserted her authority atop the filly and mare ranks at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday with a dismissively easy win in the Ttukseom Cup (1400M KOR-G2) and in doing so, moved closer to what seems an inevitable victory in the Queens’ Tour. A potential new foe has appeared, however, as a day earlier on the same track Golden Power completed a clean sweep of the filly Triple Crown with a similarly comprehensive triumph in the Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup (2000M KOR-G3).

Golden Power and Choi Si-dae return to scale (Pic: KRA)

Returned to its early spot on the calendar, the filly Triple Crown – or “Triple Tiara” as it is known locally – was a three-way affair throughout the series between the only fillies who really looked up to the task at this stage; Golden Power, who secured narrow wins in the Luna Stakes (1600M KOR-L) and the Korean Oaks (1800M KOR-G3), and rivals Raon The Spurt and Chamjoeun Chingu, who filled out the placings in both those races.

Mindful of the extended trip, punters couldn’t split Golden Power and Raon The Spurt, the latter having finished off very well in the Oaks and sent them off as practically co-favourites in Saturday afternoon’s Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup.

Outsider Lunar Silver bounded out of the gate and led for most of the way around but as they got down to business in what was unchartered territory distance-wise for the entire field in the home straight, the usual suspects amassed at the front.

Then Golden Power took control. She struck the front just inside the final furlong and eased clear to score by four-lengths on the line from Raon The Spurt in 2nd with the fast finishing Eunseong Winner edging out Chamjoeun Chingu for 3rd.

Golden Power is by Afleet Express and is out of Cherokee Sheikh (by Cherokee Run). Owned and bred by Song Boing-chul, she is trained by Kwon Sung-ju at Busan and was ridden in all three legs of the filly Triple Crown, by Choi Si-dae. She now has five wins from ten starts.

A likely target next year for Golden Power is the Queens’ Tour and potential meeting, with Raon First, who on Sunday all but wrapped up victory in this year’s series with two races to spare by winning the Ttukseom Cup as easy as her triumph in the Segye Ilbo.

Raon First was an easy winner of the Ttukseom Cup (Pic: KRA)

Sent off as an almost un-bettable favourite in the local market, Raon First settled in 2nd place early with jockey Choi Si-dae content to allow second-favourite Wish Me, who was drawn much better, to set the pace. That’s how it remained until the home straight and once Choi asked for an effort, Raon First’s superior acceleration took her to the lead and away from the field.

Wish Me held on for a battling 2nd place four-lengths behind the winner, while Lady Kelly also stayed on well for 3rd.

Raon First is by Musket Man and is out of Pink Candy (by Southern Image). She was bred by her owner Son Chun-soo and is trained by Park Jong-kon at Seoul, who trains the majority of the “Raon” horses. The Ttukseom Cup was Raon First’s eleventh win from eighteen starts.

The third leg of the Queens’ Tour is the KNN Cup (1600M KOR-G3) which will be run at Busan on Sunday July 17th. The series then goes on hiatus for four months before the concluding race, the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup (2000M KOR-G3) on Sunday November 27th, also at Busan. Next weekend the focus returns to the three-year-old colts and the final leg of their Triple Crown, the Minister’s Cup (2000M KOR-G2). The winners of the first two-legs, Captain Yankee (KRA Cup Mile) and Winner Star (Korean Derby) are both expected to be in the starting gate at Seoul Racecourse this coming Sunday.