NEWS PREVIEW
Seoul Korea: Sunday June 24 Preview – Sports Chosun Cup
It’s one of the oldest races on the Korean Racing calendar and while it’s not one of the biggest or most prestigious.
There’s plenty of interest in the 26th running of the Sports Chosun Cup at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday.
Restricted to horses with a rating of 80 or less, the 1 1⁄4 m test was last year won by GeombitGangja and the now five-year-old gelding returns for another crack having only run once in the meantime. He’s joined by last year’s Oaks winner JejuiHaneul, the improving Nasca Prince– a winner of five from eight and likely favourite– andfive others making up a field of eight where all have at least some claim and all have some kind of vulnerability.
Nasca Prince enters having won his latest two but they were at class 3 and he hasn’t race at all since March. Last year’s Oaks is more likely to be remembered for Kim Hye Sun becoming the first female Korean jockey to win a Classic than for any equine talent emerging from it but JejuiHaneul has gone on to perform adequately since. She finished ahead of GeombitGangja on the latter’s return from his lengthy absence. Golden Gate and Spero are established operators at class 2 and also have claims.
While there may only be eight runners in the Sports Chosun, fields for most of the other contests on the 11-race card make it into double figures including the concluding class 1 handicap. Winner Gold saw his run of five consecutive victories come to an end of his first outing at the top level in May but he’ll be fancied to return to winning ways in the 7 f race 11 under top jockey Moon Se Young.
Much earlier in the card, Prince of Sun, a half-brother to champion American racehorse Mind Your Biscuits, makes his third racecourse appearance. A strong winner on debut in April, he didn’t go well on his reappearance last month when up to this class for the first time but gets another chance today over 6 1⁄2 f in what’s a nicely competitive race 3.
There are 11 races at Seoul on Sunday from 10:45am to 6pm local Korea time.
There’s plenty of interest in the 26th running of the Sports Chosun Cup at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday. Restricted to horses with a rating of 80 or less, the 1 1⁄4 m test was last year won by GeombitGangja and the now five-year-old gelding returns for another crack having only run once in the meantime. He’s joined by last year’s Oaks winner JejuiHaneul, the improving Nasca Prince– a winner of five from eight and likely favourite– andfive others making up a field of eight where all have at least some claim and all have some kind of vulnerability.
Nasca Prince enters having won his latest two but they were at class 3 and he hasn’t race at all since March. Last year’s Oaks is more likely to be remembered for Kim Hye Sun becoming the first female Korean jockey to win a Classic than for any equine talent emerging from it but JejuiHaneul has gone on to perform adequately since. She finished ahead of GeombitGangja on the latter’s return from his lengthy absence. Golden Gate and Spero are established operators at class 2 and also have claims.
While there may only be eight runners in the Sports Chosun, fields for most of the other contests on the 11-race card make it into double figures including the concluding class 1 handicap. Winner Gold saw his run of five consecutive victories come to an end of his first outing at the top level in May but he’ll be fancied to return to winning ways in the 7 f race 11 under top jockey Moon Se Young.
Much earlier in the card, Prince of Sun, a half-brother to champion American racehorse Mind Your Biscuits, makes his third racecourse appearance. A strong winner on debut in April, he didn’t go well on his reappearance last month when up to this class for the first time but gets another chance today over 6 1⁄2 f in what’s a nicely competitive race 3.
There are 11 races at Seoul on Sunday from 10:45am to 6pm local Korea time.
