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Global Hit  was last year's top three-year-old, winning the Korean Derby and Minister's Cup, before going on to run 2nd to Winner's Man in both the President's Cup and Grand Prix Stakes, duly finishing as runner-up to that same horse in the Horse of the Year standings.

In 2024, Global Hit has raced three times, winning the Herald Business (2000M KOR-G3) and YTN Cup (2000M KOR-G3), before coming unstuck in the final leg of the Stayer Series, the Busan Mayor's Cup (1800M KOR-G2) in June, narrowly losing out in a photo-finish.  Back at Seoul and back up to 1 1⁄4 m, he can return to winning ways. Kim Hye-sun remains aboard as Global Hit seeks his fifth group win.

Getting the best of that photo finish in the Busan Mayor's Cup as well as surviving a Stewards' Inquiry was TUHONUI BANSEOK, who successfully defended the race he also won in 2023 when beating Winner's Man. He had previously run 3rd in the Herald Business and 2nd in the YTN and while he came up short in the Busan Owners' Cup (1600M KOR-G3) on June 30th, Bart Rice's galloper can never be ruled out on the big occasion.

The four-year-old filly pair of Jeulgeounyeojeong  and Wonderful Slew  have built up quite the rivalry over the past year, facing one another six times with the former leading four to two in the head-to-head. Jeulgeounyeojeong swept all three legs of last year's Triple Tiara, but Wonderful Slew, a slightly later developer, has confirmed herself as a worthy contender to the title of top filly or mare with a 5th place in the YTN Cup followed by victory in the KNN Cup (1600M KOR-G3), the final leg of the Queens Tour Spring/Summer.

Jeulgeounyeojeong was back down the field that day but had excuses having been severely hampered in the early stages with Seo Seung-un, who travels up to partner her again, fortunate to stay in the saddle.  She has won seven Group races in total, but none have been against the boys. As for Luigi Riccardi's Wonderful Slew, Moon Se-young, who rode her to that KNN Cup victory, stays up and she can be a danger again.

Simjangui Godong  may have not run well in Dubai, but his time spent there avoiding the Korean winter seems to have paid dividends as the eight-year-old has experienced something of a renaissance since returning. He's improved in each start culminating with a runner-up finish behind Speed Young – who doesn't take part this time – in the Busan Owners' Cup last month and he can be a danger again.

Among the others, NAOL SNIPER has come up short in his dealings with the elite so far, but since his 8th of fifteen in the Herald Business in March, he has notched two wins over this distance at class 1 level and may be ready for another try.

The KRA Cup Classic is race 12 on the fourteen-race program at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

The International Korea Cup and Korea Sprint are at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday September 8.