3 minute read

Global Hit made his debut as an older horse and last year’s champion three-year-old stepped up to win the Herald Business Cup (2000M KOR-G3), the first leg of the 2024 Stayer Series at a sunny Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

Sent off as the 1.7 odds-on favourite locally, Global Hit overcame Tuhonui Banseok and then saw off a late challenge from Nut Play to score by three-quarters of a length in the 500 Million Won race. With 4-year-olds coming home in 1st and 2nd, a week after Raon The Point and Something Lost did the same in the Sprint Series, younger horses are coming to the fore at the longer distances too.

It was a fourth Group winner for jockey Kim Hye-sun, and her third on Global Hit. Going into the race, Kim had expressed confidence that Global Hit had trained on over the winter and that belief was shown in the ride, where from a wide draw, she was happy to be patient early (a telling off from stewards for shifting in too soon after the start notwithstanding) before steadily improving and making her move in the home straight, only striking the front in the last half-furlong, running on to win by three-quarters of a length from Nut Play with Tuhonui Banseok in 3rd.

"I was a bit concerned about the draw, but Global Hit's racing habit is that if he exerts too much energy early in the race, he won't run well, so I was able to take him back at the start" Kim explained to in-house broadcaster KRBC.

Global Hit  was racing for the first time in three months and jockey Kim admitted that this had also been a source of anxiety for her. "The owner and the trainer wanted to give him a proper rest after what he did last year but as a jockey I wondered if he might be better (to have a prep race). But looking back now and seeing how some other horses have picked up injuries, I realise that they were absolutely right."

Still lightly raced, Global Hit [To Honour And Serve – Tammy's Victress (by Yankee Victor)] is a winner of six from eleven and 1.8 Billion Korean Won in prize money. He skipped the first leg of the Triple Crown last year but went on to comfortably score in both the Korean Derby and the Minister's Cup before running 2nd to Winner's Man in both the President's Cup and then, by just a nose in the season ending Grand Prix Stakes. He has won six of eleven starts.

The second leg of the Stayer Series is the YTN Cup (2000M KOR-G3) at Seoul on April 21st before the series concludes on May 26th with the Busan Mayor's Cup (1800M KOR-G2) on the south coast. The KRA Cup Classic (2000M KOR-G2) has been moved forward two months to August 4th this year in order to serve as a final stepping stone to the international Korea Cup in early September. As for the two final G1 races of the year, the President's Cup is in October this year with the Grand Prix on the very first day of December.

Owner Kim Joon-hyun confirmed that Global Hit will be pointed to the remaining races in the Stayer Series but didn't mention the Korea Cup, in which he finished a creditable midfield last year, telling KRBC "I am considering letting him rest for a bit and then sending him to the President's Cup and Grand Prix." He then added: "He truly is a great horse."

Race Video: https://youtu.be/xD1XggegOLk?si=1mFyuUAe8OD4BtD_