The eve of the international OBS Korea Cup and Korea Sprint (1200m) saw torrential rain showers drench Seoul Racecourse and while the forecast for Sunday is good, the wet track could make for some lightning-fast times on Seoul's big day.
If Remake's 1200M record is to fall in the Korea Sprint (G3 1200M), Chikappa is set to be the favourite to break it, and legendary jockey Yutaka Take is flying in to partner the four-year-old. The Japanese challenger will have to deal with the widest gate, but connections say that's not a problem.
"I think it is better for us" said assistant trainer Ueno Takaya. "It's far better than risking getting stuck inside. He's got a fast start, and he can get himself in a good position and the rest we will leave for Yutaka Take to decide his strategy."
Veteran Tagano Beauty has had a storied career but remarkably has never tackled 1200M before. "He's eight-years-old now, but he has the playfulness of a foal" remarked Assistant trainer Koji Yamamoto.
"Sometimes he thinks he's at a rodeo but at race time with a jockey on his back, he knows his job. We know we're not the favourites but that's ok for us, he has great late speed, and we know he will be strong at the end."
Sunrise Hawk could be well suited to Seoul, according to Assistant Trainer Takuya Saito. "We feel this track is tougher than the ones in Japan but he is a strong horse so this could work to his advantage. He is an intelligent and careful horse, and it is important to follow his rhythm. Yes, Chikappa is fast, but I think Sunrise Hawk is just as good."
Hong Kong's SELF IMPROVEMENT may be the lowest rated international runner in the race by a significant margin, but the team behind him are adamant he is not just there to make up the numbers and according to Assistant Wang Ip, they have a clear strategy for jockey Jerry Chau.
"Gate seven is fine, we will just worry about the three or four horses immediately inside us," said Wang. "His gate speed is good; he can lead or track the pace. We think this race can suit him and that's why he is here."
The top local contender is VINCERO CAVALLO and make no mistake, he is a live chance if he brings his best. He is racing for the first time since sweeping the Sprint Series in May and trainer Seo In-seok says he is ready.
"We were going to race him in the summer but decided not to because it was too hot, so we put him through two trials instead. We have him at 90% and with the intention to be at 100% on race day."
There are thirteen in the Korea Sprint with a local post time of 15:25. The race offers qualification for the Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar.
The Korea Cup (G3 1800M), which offers automatic qualification for the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, is headlined by US-bred Hong Kong Group race mainstay CHANCHENG GLORY.
The "Pride of Iowa" is racing on a surface other than turf for the first time, but Assistant trainer Vincent Sit, representing Francis Lui in Korea, good-naturedly batted away the obvious question for possibly the one-hundredth time this week, insisting that yes, Chancheng Glory can handle the sand.
"He is American bred; he has experienced dirt when he was young. This horse likes a fast pace so he will be happy if the speed is on. I know the racing pattern in Korea, and I think this horse can like it."
Sit knows what he is talking about far more than us asking the questions, as in his jockey days, he completed a short-term license at Busan.
The Japanese challenge in the Cup is formidable and is headed by the well-travelled RAMJET, the 2024 G3 Unicorn Stakes winner, who ran in both the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup earlier this year, before returning to Japan and running in July's Teio Sho where he was beaten by Diktaen, who is also in Seoul.
"He had a rest after (the trip to Saudi and Dubai) but he was fine, he travels well and the trip to Korea is short," said Assistant Katsuki Tataki. "The Teio Show was a tough race and the pace was quick, so it didn't go in Ramjet's favour. We will see what happens (this time)."
As for DIKTAEAN, he finished 4th to Ramjet's 6th in the Teio Sho, with Wilson Tesoro, last year's Korea Cup runner-up, sandwiched between them in 5th.
"In regional (NAR) long distance racing in Japan, he is top class," said Naoki Nigishi, accompanying the horse in Seoul. "He's not a front-runner, so our strategy is to track and then pass. The pace was so hot in the Teio Sho, so it didn't quite work out. He's great, in the best condition, and we are here to win."
The Korean local media have made the other Japanese contender, their top pick though. It's been a long time since DURA EREDE won but he has consistently raced against the best.
"He's strong but also very flexible," said Assistant Masanari Tanaka. "Things didn't go our way in the February Stakes or the Elm Stakes, where he didn't start well. The jockey is happy with gate 6, so I think we'll have a good start and a good result."
SUCCESS BAEKPA heads the local challenge. "He hasn't actually won at 1800M." trainer Min Jang-gi began somewhat pessimistically, "and that bothers me a bit. We're still thinking about the strategy, last year Crown Pride came around and led and won while Wilson Tesoro, who was favourite, tracked and never made up the ground. We want to be close."
Eleven runners will go to post for the Korea Cup with a local post time of 16:45.
