In Seoul, the Munhwa Ilbo Trophy (1200M Listed) has attracted a full field of fourteen including the first three placegetters from August's Rookie Stakes and that day's winner Giant Punch is the probable favourite. After a couple of very green runs in his opening two races that still managed to yield a place and a win, the Song Moon-gil trained colt put in a much more mature performance in the Rookie and from a very good draw has every chance of continuing his development with another victory.
Rookie runner-up GREEN SPARK is sure to have support too. She raced on the pace having been previously run on well to score on debut over five furlongs. FURIOSA was 3rd in the Rookie but is a winner at this distance already having come from midfield to score well at class 5 level in July. With Moon Se-young suspended, Lim Da-bin climbs aboard the Cowboy Cal filly who must contend with a wide gate.
As ever in these types of races, there are plenty of unknown quantities. Saenae Town , RANUF and HIT POWER are all one for one and could make the step up. One at potentially decent odds may be KWAEHYANG. He is a Hansen colt who has improved in each of his three runs to date and won over this distance last start in a competitive time. Nicely drawn on the inside, he could spring a surprise.
Seoul and Busan each hold their own separate races for the first two legs of the Juvenile Series, before they come together for the finale, the Breeders' Cup (1400M K-G3) at Busan in December.
At Busan nine juveniles take their chance in the Areumdaun Jilju Stakes (1200M Listed) with the South-Coast's Rookie Stakes winner FANTASTIC KINGDOM the favourite. Having run 3rd on debut, he has led every step of the way in his subsequent two appearances and is the only horse who took part in Busan's Rookie Stakes to re-appear for the first leg of the Series proper.
Just like Giant Punch in Seoul, Fantastic Kingdom also has an enforced jockey change. Djordje Perovic partnered him in the Rookie in what was his final ride of his record-breaking time in Korea. Korea Cup winning jockey Seo Seung-un gets the leg-up this time.
ARCTURUS was an all the way winner over 1300M on his second outing in August and from a good draw should be on pace again and challenging Fantastic Kingdom for the lead. RUBY STORM and ATLAS both come in having won their solitary previous starts while there are two who are racing for the very first time, with SPEED YOUNG and SEOBU BIGSTEP both having shown enough in trials to get to take their chances here.
The Munhwa Ilbo Trophy is race 8 on Seoul's 11-race Sunday program at 16:15 local time while the Areumdaun Jilju Stakes is the concluding race 6 at Busan at 16:40.
Munhwa Ilbo Selections: (6) Giant Punch (2) Green Spark (13) Furiosa (1) Kwaehyang
Areumdaun Jilju Selections: (9) Fantastic Kingdom (4) Ruby Storm (2) Arcturus (6) Atlas
