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The road to September’s Korea Sprint hots up on Sunday as the domestic Sprint Series reaches its conclusion with the SROA Chairman’s Sprint (1200M KOR-G2), a race that is being run for the first time with international Listed status, at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

Following his gate to wire win in the SBS Sports Sprint (1200M KOR-G3) on April 14th, Beolmaui Star   is the favourite to back up. He ran a huge 2nd to Japanese star Remake in last year's International Korea Sprint but struggled with his start in the Kookje Shinmun Trophy at Busan last November and then in two forgettable efforts in Dubai to begin the year.

Seoul seems to suit Beolmaui Star though and under Seo Seung-un, he was the fastest away in the SBS Sports Sprint and was never headed, scoring by three-quarters of a length. He comes into a much better gate this time around and so long as he gets the start right, he will prove hard to beat again.

Eoma Eoma  was the horse who got closest to Beolmaui Star in the SBS. It was a return to form for the 2022 Korea Sprint winner who had been an underwhelming 5th in the first leg of this year's series, the Busan Ilbo Sprint (1200M KOR-G3) in March 10th. To add to the intrigue, CC Wong gets legged up for his first real live chance in a Korean Group race.

The result of the Busan Ilbo had hinted at a generational shift as the four-year-old pair of Raon The Point  and Something Lost  swept home late to finish 1st and 2nd respectively. The older sprinters struck back in Seoul last month but Something Lost finished a close 3rd and Raon The Point is worth another chance from a better draw.

A newcomer on the Sprint Series trail is VICS GO. In the absence of the top line of sprinters he won the Listed Segye Ilbo Trophy over 1200M in February but instead of persisting into the Busan Ilbo, he was sent back up to two turns and the Stayer Series instead. That didn't go well so he comes back down in trip again and from a good gate, can be in the mix.

Several old-favourites among the sprinting ranks return including last year's winner SSONSAL as well as the venerable MORFHIS, now nine-years-old but a creditable 6th placegetter in the SBS Sports. Among the lesser-known ones, FANTASTIC KINGDOM is a winner of six of nine starts up to class 2 level and while facing the elite at level weights will be a new experience for him, he may just measure up.

The SROA (Seoul Racehorse Owners' Association) Chairman's Sprint is race 8 on the 10-race Sunday card at Seoul with a local post time of 16:30.

VIDEO: SBS Sports Sprint (April 14): https://youtu.be/ciiOQ3n-8kE?si=Y3NHArhTMlE2LdG4

Selections (6) Beolmaui Star (8) Eoma Eoma (2) Raon The Point (13) Something Lost

Next Best 3, 4

Fast Start 2, 5, 11, 13