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Korea Cup runner-up Raon The Fighter made an impressive season debut last weekend at Seoul, crushing a class 1 field by ten-lengths. This Sunday it’s the turn of the horse that beat in the Cup, Winner’s Man, as well as Korea sprint winner Eoma Eoma to make their own seasonal reappearances.
Newly crowned Horse of the Year Winner's Man emphatically had Raon The Fighter's number last season, emerging from off the pace in both the Korea Cup (1800M KOR-G1) and Grand Prix Stakes (2300M KOR-G1) to snatch victory in the final strides. Sandwiched between those Group 1 wins was a slightly disappointing 3rd in the President's Cup, one of only two Korean Group 1 races that he is yet to win.
Kicking off his five-year-old campaign, Winner's Man , who also won the 2021 Korean Derby, will be hot favourite to prevail in Busan's concluding race 6, at class 1 over 1800M. He will carry 60kg and has drawn gate eleven, but he has shown that he can win from anywhere, racing on pace when scoring in the Busan Governor's Cup and then settling back in the Korea Cup before looping the field to join the leaders in the back straight. Whichever tactics are employed here, he should have too much. Seo Seung-un, who rode Winner's Man in both Korea Cup and Grand Prix remains aboard.
Many of his rivals raced one another at class 1 level over 2200M on January 29th. TUHONUI BANSEOK, who was actually gaining ground on Winner's Man and Raon The Fighter when 3rd in the Grand Prix, was sent off as favourite for that race but ultimately finished 3rd as stablemate Jessieui Kkum took the honors with FLAT BABE the best of those who return today in 2nd. Both will be backed to place here, but despite getting 5kg and 8kg respectively from Winner's Man, it will be a big ask to beat him.
Eoma Eoma has raced just once since his rousing Korea Sprint victory when he overhauled Raptus of Japan in the shadow of the post. That came in the Listed Kookje Shinmun Tropy at Busan over 1400M at the end of October, a race in which he finally ground down fellow Seoul raider Daehan Jilju to claim a very narrow win.
Eoma Eoma trialed up positively at the start of this month and while he draws a touch wide, should be winning. Trainer Song Moon-gil has booked 2kg claiming apprentice O Su-cheol to take the edge off the carried weight for the class 1 race 11 over 1200M which is run under handicap conditions.
As for any potential dangers, East Jet gets an unusually light weight to carry and coupled with the excellent draw looks set to be one of the main threats while the venerable galloper MORFHIS can never be ruled out. He'll be finishing strongly as ever. Jangsan Laser will probably start as second-favorite, however. The President's Cup 4th placegetter comes in having run 2nd in the Listed Segye Ilbo Trophy over this distance in January and won't be far away here. With the apprentice getting the nod on the favourite, Eoma Eoma's usual jockey Moon Se-young, is aboard.
In other races, expect NINE EAGLE to be hot favorite in race 1 at Seoul while Saryeoni Tyche in race 3 and Sky Mangchi in race 6 look similar bankers.
There are 11 races at Seoul on Sunday with a local start time of 10:40 and finishing at 18:00 while at Busan there are 6 from 11:05 to 15:40.
