Herald Business Cup

Herald Business Cup Sunday Seoul & Busan: Race-By-Race Preview (March 16)

The Stayer Series – and Road to the Korea Cup – gets underway at Seoul on Sunday with a super looking renewal of the Herald Business Cup (2000M KOR-G3). There are 11 races at Seoul from 10:35 to 18:00, and 6 at Busan from 12:05 to 16:30. Here are the previews:

Global Hit won last year’s Herald Business Cup but is currently in quarantine hacing returned from Dubai on Friday (Pic: KRA)

Seoul Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

(5) POWER BAND did nothing on debut but was a significantly improved 3rd at start number two in an all-filly maiden over this distance on February 15th racing handy throughout. She’ll be on pace here and third-up, she can be peaking. (3) CRAZY MANGO similarly got better on his second start, in his case on February 16th at this distance when settling midfield and running on. He too draws well and again, third-up, can be better. (4) BLACK SMILE has hinted at ability across seven starts so far with her best being 5th. Ruan Maia stays on and in this company she can sit behind the speed and be aiming for a much better finish. (11) DIA ROOK and (9) SOMETHING DARK others who can compete for the minors.

Selections(5) Power Band (3) Crazy Mango (4) Black Smile (11) Dia Rook
Next Best9, 8
Fast Start1, 3, 5, 11

Seoul Race 2: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

(6) WORLD JOY has made steady progress across five starts so far, culminating in a runner-up finish over this distance on February 15th when settling midfield and running on with a couple of today’s rivals behind him. Expect similar tactics here and he won’t need to improve much to go one better. (1) PURGE RUBY was 4th behind World Joy in that February 15th race, coming from well off the pace after a slow start. She comes into a better gate here and can be finishing off strong again. (9) JEULGEOUN SANGSANG has a 3rd and two 4th place finishes from three outings. In this company, he may be ridden a bit further forward a bit earlier and he should be in the finish. (2) THUNDER MARVEL and (11) WHITE ROMANCE others to consider.

Selections(6) World Joy (1) Purge Ruby (9) Jeulgeoun Sangsang (2) Thunder Marvel
Next Best11, 10
Fast Start3, 4, 7, 9

Seoul Race 3: Class 6 (1700M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

(4) ECLIPSE BLACK has been through two trials since parting company with his jockey on his latest start back in January. Prior to that, he had recorded his best finish to date when 2nd over 1400M at the end of December. He looked well enough in those trials and the step up to 1700M may allow him to settle into his racing a little better. (7) ILINX beat three of these on his way to 2nd on his first try at this distance on February 22nd, racing on pace throughout. He’ll be on pace again and should be in this a long way. (1) BEST KINGDOM stepped up to this trip for the first time on February 8th and ran a solid 3rd pace from off the pace and can be close once more. (3) CHAMPIONS FIELD and (2) SANBANG BOMNAL are others in at least the placing frame.

Selections(4) Eclipse Black (7) Ilinx (1) Best Kingdom (3) Champions Field
Next Best2, 8
Fast Start4, 7, 8, 10

Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

(7) KKEUTPAN YEOGEOL has made steady progress across three starts with her latest her best when 2nd at 1300M on January 26th. There isn’t much speed here so he may well be ridden on pace, and he can go one better. (4) FLYING RACE has a 2nd and a 3rd from his lates two, most recently when coming from well back on February 21st. He has the fastest time among these for the distance by a considerable margin, and he shapes as the main danger. The rest will need to lift. (8) DOCTOR MATTERS will need a line drawn through her latest but if we go on her 4th place two starts back over this distance, then in this company, she has to have a chance. (1) ZETTA PRINCE and (6) SEOBU DANCING others who can compete for the minors.

Selections(7) Kkeutpan Yeogeol (4) Flying Race (8) Doctor Matters (1) Zetta Prince
Next Best6, 5
Fast Start2, 5, 7, 8

Seoul Race 4: Class 5 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million

Fillies and mares only here. (8) RED DRAGON was a winner on debut in December before running 2nd on her first try at this class over 1300M on January 19th. Both times she settled back before showing strong late speed, and she should have too much for her rivals here. (2) BEOLGYO LAVA is up in class having secured her maiden win at the fourth time of asking at 1200M on February 15th. She is up in trip too but down in weight, she draws well, and with Moon Se-young riding for the first time, she can measure up here. (1) MAX TANGO is yet to win but had three runner-up finishes among six starts including last time out at this class and distance. That was at the end of November so she comes in here fresh, and she can be in the placing mix again. (11) GROW and (7) GRACE ROUTE others firmly in the hunt.

Selections(8) Red Dragon (2) Beolgyo Lava (1) Max Tango (11) Grow
Next Best7, 6
Fast Start1, 3, 6, 10

Busan Race 2: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million

(9) GOOGLE CAR got his maiden win at start three over 1200M last November and while it took him a couple of goes to get accustomed to this level, he stepped up to 1400M and ran an on-pace 2nd on February 14th. He comes up 3kg in weight from that, but he can be on pace again and can go one better. The danger is (11) MR.WOLF.  He is yet to win in eight attempts, but has placed twice at this class, most recently when 3rd over 1200M on February 21st. He can run well from the front or from behind and given the lack of early speed he can defy the wide draw to get forward early. (2) MATONGNYEONG was well back behind Google Car last time out but ran 2nd at this distance in January at class 6 level and drawn well with Munro on, can get closer. (7) JET SUN and (3) SHANGHAI THUNDER other place chances.

Selections(9) Google Car (11) Mr.Wolf (2) Matongnyeong (7) Jet Sun
Next Best3, 5
Fast Start1, 3, 9, 11

Seoul Race 5: Class 5 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million

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Global Hit Takes Stayer Series Opener

Global Hit made his debut as an older horse and last year’s champion three-year-old stepped up to win the Herald Business Cup (2000M KOR-G3), the first leg of the 2024 Stayer Series at a sunny Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

Global Hit makes his decisive move in the Herald Business (Pic: KRA)

Sent off as the 1.7 odds-on favourite locally, Global Hit overcame Tuhonui Banseok and then saw off a late challenge from Nut Play to score by three-quarters of a length in the 500 Million Won race. With 4-year-olds coming home in 1st and 2nd, a week after Raon The Point and Something Lost did the same in the Sprint Series, younger horses are coming to the fore at the longer distances too.

It was a fourth Group winner for jockey Kim Hye-sun, and her third on Global Hit. Going into the race, Kim had expressed confidence that Global Hit had trained on over the winter and that belief was shown in the ride, where from a wide draw, she was happy to be patient early (a telling off from stewards for shifting in too soon after the start notwithstanding) before steadily improving and making her move in the home straight, only striking the front in the last half-furlong, running on to win by three-quarters of a length from Nut Play with Tuhonui Banseok in 3rd.

“I was a bit concerned about the draw, but Global Hit’s racing habit is that if he exerts too much energy early in the race, he won’t run well, so I was able to take him back at the start” Kim explained to in-house broadcaster KRBC.

Global Hit and Kim Hye-sun return to scale (Pic: KRA)

Global Hit was racing for the first time in three months and jockey Kim admitted that this had also been a source of anxiety for her. “The owner and the trainer wanted to give him a proper rest after what he did last year but as a jockey I wondered if he might be better (to have a prep race). But looking back now and seeing how some other horses have picked up injuries, I realise that they were absolutely right.”

Still lightly raced, Global Hit [To Honour And Serve – Tammy’s Victress (by Yankee Victor)] is a winner of six from eleven and 1.8 Billion Korean Won in prize money. He skipped the first leg of the Triple Crown last year but went on to comfortably score in both the Korean Derby and the Minister’s Cup before running 2nd to Winner’s Man in both the President’s Cup and then, by just a nose in the season ending Grand Prix Stakes. He has won six of eleven starts.

Pic: KRA

The second leg of the Stayer Series is the YTN Cup (2000M KOR-G3) at Seoul on April 21st before the series concludes on May 26th with the Busan Mayor’s Cup (1800M KOR-G2) on the south coast. The KRA Cup Classic (2000M KOR-G2) has been moved forward two months to August 4th this year in order to serve as a final stepping stone to the international Korea Cup in early September. As for the two final G1 races of the year, the President’s Cup is in October this year with the Grand Prix on the very first day of December.

Owner Kim Joon-hyun confirmed that Global Hit will be pointed to the remaining races in the Stayer Series but didn’t mention the Korea Cup, in which he finished a creditable midfield last year, telling KRBC “I am considering letting him rest for a bit and then sending him to the President’s Cup and Grand Prix.” He then added: “He truly is a great horse.”

Herald Business Cup – Stayer Series 1st Leg Form Comments

Last weekend the Sprinting division was shaken up by the new generation as Raon The Point and Something Lost came home 1st and 2nd in the Busan Ilbo Sprint with Eoma Eoma trailing home in 5th. This Sunday, the four-year-olds will bid to ascend to the top of the Staying ranks as last year’s Korean Derby winner Global Hit heads the field in the Herald Business Cup (2000M KOR-G3) at Seoul Racecourse, the first leg of the 2024 Stayer Series and first step along the road to September’s international Korea Cup. (SEE HERE FOR PREVIEWS OF ALL 17 SUNDAY RACES ACROSS SEOUL & BUSAN).

Stablemates Global Hit and Speed Young will face off again (Pic: KRA)

The established old guard, for the most part, won’t be there.  Raon The Fighter has been on the long-term injured list since last summer while Winner’s Man joined him after his successful Grand Prix defence, and both are doubtful to appear on a racecourse again. Success Macho underwent arthroscopic surgery for a chip fracture last month while earlier this week, Haengbok Wangja suffered a trackwork injury that has his future career in doubt too.

GLOBAL HIT was the standout three-year-old of last season, skipping the first leg of the Triple Crown, but then running out the dominant winner of both the Korean Derby and the Minister’s Cup, to claim the final two jewels under jockey Kim Hye-sun, who returns to Seoul to ride him again. He then finished an in no way disgraced 8th in the international Korea Cup, before rounding out the year with runner-up finishes to Winner’s Man in both the President’s Cup and the Grand Prix Stakes, in the latter of those, pushing the defending champion all the way to the line, going down by just a nose.

That Grand Prix run was a standout performance by Global Hit and marked out the To Honor And Serve colt, who is slight in stature but full of speed as the heir-apparent to the Raon The Fighter and Winner’s Man generation. While it now transpires that he may not need to actually beat them in order to replace them, the standard of opposition that remains, means he will still need to earn it.

VICS GO comes in off a stand-out performance to win the Listed Segye Ilbro Trophy over 1200M a month ago. He is a class 1 winner over 2000M though and only looks to be getting better with every run. Meanwhile TUHONUI BANSEOK was runner-up in this race last year and went on the win the second leg of the Stayer Series, the YTN Cup, last May.

SPEED YOUNG is a stablemate of Global Hit and was champion Juvenile in 2022. Although an also-ran in the first two legs of the Triple Crown, he ran 2nd to Global Hit in the Minister’s Cup and was then 3rd in the President’s Cup. Although beaten when a short-price favourite at class 1 over 2000M at Busan at the end of January, this race was clearly the target, and he may still have more improvement in him.

NUT PLAY and NAOL SNIPER are other four-year-olds who can still have more upside, while the veteran SIMJANGUI GODONG returns from an unsuccessful trip to the Dubai Carnival and should be much more at home on the Seoul sand.

The Herald Business Cup is race 7 on the 11-race program at Seoul with a local post time of 15:40.

1. THE GUMPU – Well back on only start of 2024 in January but trialled nicely alongside Eoma Eoma last month.

2. CHIEF INDY – Strong class 1 winner over 2300M in February. Tends to come unstuck among the elite though.

3. NAOL SNIPER – Runner-up in last year’s Derby, he has won his latest three up to Class 2 level. Moon Se-young aboard and a big run is not impossible.

4. FANTASTIC MAN – Also-ran in the Grand Prix and 4th behind Crazy Conti over 2000M in January. Trialled well since but outsider here.

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