KOR G1 – 1800m – Sand
Horse Racing
Season
Korea Cup - Form Comments
| 1 | Shamrocker | 6 wins from 20 outings and enters here with three course wins (2000m-2300m) and two placed runs from five starts this year. Latest a four-length win over 2000m in July. Generally starts steadily and improves in the back-straight. Has plenty to find if he is going to cause the favourites problems here but could sneak some minor money. |
| 2 | Nimr | Won 3 times on Wolverhampton’s Polytrack (1200m – 1700m) before moving to Chantilly, France and Julien Phelippon earlier this year. He’s raced twice in France since then at Marseille and Deauville, winning the latter over 1900m on Polytrack on 20 August. |
| 3 | Circuit Land | Began his career in France before moving to Hong Kong where he has recorded 4 wins in 25 starts, with top three finishes on a further 11 occasions. Plenty of near misses lately including a 4th place in the G1 Champions Mile in May and 3rd place on his final run of the last Hong Kong season in June. How he adapts to the sand track will be key but if it suits, he has to be taken very seriously indeed. |
| 4 | Papa Shot | Seven-time dirt track winner from 1200m to 1700m. Improved form with three wins in a row through October and November, 2016. Two wins this year include a 13 and a half-length romp around 1700m of Belmont Park in May. Last seen at Saratoga emptying to 3rd of 4 over this distance in stakes company. Generally settles towards the rear. |
| 5 | Champ Line | A winner of 11 of 21 efforts. Will need to be forgiven a lacklustre effort in the KOR G3 Mayor’s Cup (1800m) on Busan’s sand in July. Before that he was flying, with five consecutive Class 1 victories (1800m – 2200m) at Busan, two of them at this distance. Tactically versatile although he has tended to set up camp just behind the early lead and look to hit the front on the final turn. |
| 6 | Triple Nine | Perhaps Korea’s best known horse following his appearances at the Dubai World Cup Carnival this year where he managed a best finish of 2nd to Hunting Ground in a 2000m dirt handicap. Close 2nd both starts since in KOR G3 over 1800m and latterly behind Power Blade in KOR G3 at 1600m, both on Busan’s sand. Not a straightforward ride and can take a while to get going. 3rd in this race last year. If he’s on his game, a similar outcome isn’t impossible. |
| 7 | Bold Kings | Hasn’t recaptured star 3yo form. Won his first seven career starts that year culminating in the Grand Prix Stakes. Didn’t start the following season so well though and then endured lengthy absence due to sesamoid injury. Not the same since returning and yet to win despite some encouraging performances but faded to beat one home on latest start on 27 August. |
| 8 | Dynamic Jilju | Eight wins from 46 career starts but over a year since his most recent. Generally runs in tough company and managed back-to-back 2nd place finishes over 1200m at this course in April. Last seen running 5th of 11, again at this track and 1200m in a Class 1 handicap on 15 July. Lots to find to be competitive here. |
| 9 | Skiperia | Experienced France-trained mare has been a fixture in decent level French Handicaps in recent years. Two wins in 2017 both at a mile on turf at Saint Cloud in June and July. Five-time winner on Polytrack at Deauville and Chantilly, latest in December over 1900m. Fair ninth of 18 on soft turf last start. Improvement needed here. |
| 10 | Chrysolite | The inaugural winner of this race last year and he’s likely to be the favourite. Has won 9 of 35 career starts and has maintained form since his easy win in Seoul 12 months ago. Three starts in 2017 for one JPN G2 win over 2400m in March and a pair of runner-up finishes and was last seen running 2nd of 16 on a sloppy track in Ohi’s JPN G1 Teio Sho (2000m). Took to the sand surface very well last year. |
| 11 | London Town | 6 wins from 19 starts for this Japan-bred and trained 4-year-old. He comes to Korea fresh from victory in Sapporo’s G3 Elm Stakes (1700m, dirt) on 13 August which he won in a track-record time. That was his 4th career Stakes win. Also won JPN G3 over 2000m at Saga in February. The distance looks ideal and he has to be taken very seriously. |
Others
08/09/2017
07/09/2017
