NEWS PREVIEW
Korea: Old Guard Takes On New In Kookje Sprint
Sunday sees the best up and comers among the sprinting ranks face a key litmus-test as old and new meet in the Kookje News Cup over 1400M at Busan Raecourse.
Though only a Listed event, the fie ld is studded with some of the top sprinters on the peninsula.
With the retired Power Blade having won in both 2016 and 2017, there will be a new name on the Trophy this year and Doraonpogyeongseon will be well-backed to cause the engraver overtime. In September, he recorded his second consecutive 3rd place in the Korea Sprint to cement his position as the top horse in the country over one-turn. Having also won the Owners’ Cup at Busan over a mile in July, the distance will be of little concern.
Seven-furlongs is of no concern either for Silver Wolf. The Aussie-bred mare was Champion of the Distaff ranks last year and while she has had a more challenging 2018, the six-year-old by Oratorio remains a very dangerous player. Her last win was in the Busan Ilbo Cup in MApril and she and Doraonpogyeongseon have beaten each other twice in the four times they have met this year.
The presence of the elite pair means the credentials of the pretenders will be under scrutiny. Today is a four-year-old by Drosselmeyer who won ten of his first twelve starts before Doraonpogyeongseon put him in his place in the SBS Sports Sprint in June. He then went to Kranji in Singapore and ran a big 3rd over 6 f but struggled in the Korea Sprint in September. There are no concerns about the distance and it may be that 7 f is what the Kim Young-kwan trainee needs to get a first big-race win.
The other two pretenders are both trained by Peter Wolsley and both could be in line for a trip to the Dubai World Carnival. Ace Korea ran a huge 5th in the Korea Sprint having briefly touched the front in the home straight. 6 f looks his best distance but he also still looks to be getting better. At four, stablemate King Of Ace is a year older but has had an interrupted career. However, the Malibu Moon colt, well back behind Doraonpogyeongseon and Silver Wolf in the Owners’ Cup, has rebounded with back to back class 1 wins and may finally be living up to his huge potential.
In total fifteen runners will contest the Kookje News Sprint which is race 5 of a 6-race program at Busan on Sunday.
Though only a Listed event, the fie ld is studded with some of the top sprinters on the peninsula. With the retired Power Blade having won in both 2016 and 2017, there will be a new name on the Trophy this year and Doraonpogyeongseon will be well-backed to cause the engraver overtime. In September, he recorded his second consecutive 3rd place in the Korea Sprint to cement his position as the top horse in the country over one-turn. Having also won the Owners’ Cup at Busan over a mile in July, the distance will be of little concern.
Seven-furlongs is of no concern either for Silver Wolf. The Aussie-bred mare was Champion of the Distaff ranks last year and while she has had a more challenging 2018, the six-year-old by Oratorio remains a very dangerous player. Her last win was in the Busan Ilbo Cup in MApril and she and Doraonpogyeongseon have beaten each other twice in the four times they have met this year.
The presence of the elite pair means the credentials of the pretenders will be under scrutiny. Today is a four-year-old by Drosselmeyer who won ten of his first twelve starts before Doraonpogyeongseon put him in his place in the SBS Sports Sprint in June. He then went to Kranji in Singapore and ran a big 3rd over 6 f but struggled in the Korea Sprint in September. There are no concerns about the distance and it may be that 7 f is what the Kim Young-kwan trainee needs to get a first big-race win.
The other two pretenders are both trained by Peter Wolsley and both could be in line for a trip to the Dubai World Carnival. Ace Korea ran a huge 5th in the Korea Sprint having briefly touched the front in the home straight. 6 f looks his best distance but he also still looks to be getting better. At four, stablemate King Of Ace is a year older but has had an interrupted career. However, the Malibu Moon colt, well back behind Doraonpogyeongseon and Silver Wolf in the Owners’ Cup, has rebounded with back to back class 1 wins and may finally be living up to his huge potential.
In total fifteen runners will contest the Kookje News Sprint which is race 5 of a 6-race program at Busan on Sunday.
