NEWS PREVIEW

Cheongdam Dokki Bids for third KRA Cup Mile – Horse By Horse Preview

Cheongdam Dokki will bid for an unprecedented third victory in the KRA Cup Mile (KOR G2) over 2000M at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday as the popular chestnut heads the field for the 36th running of the race.

Winner in 2017 and 2018 before running 2nd to Dolkong in 2019 (there was no race in 2020 due to the pandemic), the now seven-year-old Cheongdam Dokki made his first start for trainer Tony Castenheira three weeks ago when successfully holding off the fast-finishing Jjang Kong to return to the winner's circle over 1 1⁄8 m. He faces a star-studded set of rivals on Sunday. 

Korea Cup 2019 winner Moonhak Chief returns to action for the first time since May as does Tiz Plan, who knows a thing or two about lowering Cheongdam Dokki's colours, having defeated him in last year's Busan Mayor's Cup. All three horses will very much appreciate being back running under weight for age conditions after a year of giving away significant weight in handicaps.

The up-and-coming Haengbok Wangja enters off a seven-race winning streak, made even more remarkable by the fact that he failed to win any of his first seven starts. The Daerdevil colt dips his toe into elite waters for the first time, but such has been the manner of his recent rise that he may even start the race as betting favourite.

Five horses have travelled up from Busan and the two best south-coast hopes are both trained by Peter Wolsley. Afleet is a winner of nine from fourteen and while he will have to overcome having drawn the widest gate, he enters in form and will have plenty of backers. So too will his stablemate Hunch, the biggest winner from the barrier draw, and a big winner at this distance in Busan in the summer.

KRA Cup Classic (2000M – KOR – KRW 450 Million

1. BLUE POWER (KOR) [Blue Pin – Bigyeolli (Yankee Victor)] – Good experience of this track having run 4th in the Korean Derby and the 2nd in the Minister's Cup during last year's Triple Crown season. Consistent but he hasn't won at anything higher than class 3 though and at level weights in this company, that's not enough to compete here.

2. BRIGADIER GENERAL (AUS) [Tapit – Amature's Prize (Pure Prize)] – Class 1 winner at this distance on May when he beat Tiz Plan when getting 18lbs from him. He has since run 2nd in both starts since, establishing himself as a solid class 1 horse. Tactically versatile, he will probably settle handy from a good draw but at level weights against the big boys, he is going to need to improve. Minor money not impossible.

3. JJANG KONG (USA) [Tizway – Carietta (Stephen Got Even)] – A class 1 winner at this distance on July with a few of these behind him, including Cheongdam Dokki, who was giving him 18lbs. He then struggled on a wet track behind Brigadier General in August. Last start three weeks ago he pushed Cheongdam Dokki all the way with a 11lbs weight advantage, but couldn't quite get to him. Nice draw to allow to be on or close to the pace.

4. HUNCH (USA) [To Honor And Serve – Sergeant O'Rourke (Forestry)] – A huge class and distance winner at Busan two starts back, making all, he then ran 4th to stablemate Afleet at the same distance on August 29th. This is much harder and he is up in eight too but he comes in race fit with a nice draw and jockey Perovic knows him very well. Could be in the placing hunt.

5. SUPER SOCKS (USA) [Two Step Salsa – Ms Lucille (Orientate)] – Well established class 1 campaigner who was a winner three starts back over 1 1⁄8 m and at his latest start ran 4th behind Haengbok Wangja and Heuk Jeonsa when carrying the same weight as today. Can be competitive but minor money the best hope.

6. LIL' PATRON (USA) [Fiber Sonde – Tequila N' Lime (Limehouse)] – Always competitive but yet to win in nine attempts at class 1 level and that's unlikely to change here. He was 6th behind Jjang Kong on his latest appearance in July. Capable of going back and running he won't be far away but minor money would be an excellent result.

7. SHAMROCKER (USA) [Dublin – Portera (Lemon Drop Kid)] – No distance Group race at Seoul is complete without Shamrocker. The ever popular and ever reliable eight-year-old has spent his career chasing home the likes of Clean Up Joy, Cheongdam Dokki, Moonhak Chief and Tiz Plan, always tackling the best with twenty-five top three finishes but only six of them victories. 4th over this distance at his latest start carrying 130lbs, he will be running on late as usual and minor money is possible. Remarkably, Moon Se-young climbs aboard for the very first time.

8. HEUK JEONSA (USA) [Flat Out – Ballad Of Bertie (Saint Ballado)] – Registered back-to-back wins at class 1 over 1 1⁄8 m earlier this year but is yet to really run the kind of times that would be required to win a race like this. Draws fairly and should sit handy or close to the pace but others favoured.

9. CHEONGDAM DOKKI (USA) [To Honor And Serve – Elusive Gold (Strike The Gold)] – Evergreen champion who goes in search of a third win in the race. He still has a zest for racing as shown by his gutsy victory over 1 1⁄8 m at class 1 level three weeks ago when repelling Jjang Kong, who was getting 11lbs in weight from him. Level weights today and race fit, he has a real chance of completing his hat-trick.

10. SMART PRINCE (JPN) [Smart Falcon – Miracle Princess (Taiki Shuttle)] – In the best form of his career at age six, he was a class 1 winner at this distance at Busan on May and ran 3rd behind Afleet at his latest start. This is of an order of magnitude harder though and while he will be doing his best work late, he is an outsider.

11. BRAVE KINGDOM (USA) [Treasure Beach – Sophisticattin (Tale Of The Cat)] – Yet to finish any better than 4th at class 1 level in eight attempts and hard to see that changing here. Capable of going back and running on but best distance seems to be a mile. Big outsider.

12. TIZ PLAN (USA) [Tiznow – Amusing Plan (Pleasantly Perfect)] – A hugely talented galloper who has beaten Cheongdam Dokki in big races before. He resumes for the first time since May when he ran 2nd to Brigadier General while conceding 18lbs he is another who will very much appreciate the weight for age scale here. Tactically versatile, he can settle midfield and run and he must be respected.

13. HAENGBOK WANGJA (USA) [Daredevil – First Installment (Broken Vow)] – He fired blanks in his first seven starts before proceeding to win his next seven including his first go at class 1 level in September over 1 1⁄8 m. He was on pace throughout so the draw doesn't do him any favours, but he is one of the progressive ones in the race, meeting and surpassing everything that's been thrown at him and he will start as one of the favourites.

14. MOONHAK CHIEF (USA) [Pioneerof The Nile – Talullah Lula (Old Trieste)] – The winner of the 2019 Korea Cup and Grand Prix Stakes, he is a top line horse around two-turns and another who will welcome the return of weight for age races. He resumes for the first time since May when he ran 4th to Heuk Jeonsa and can be take on trust that he is capable of a big run.

15. AFLEET (KOR) [Afleet Express – In Escrow (Vindication)] – An up-and-comer at five who has done nothing wrong at class 1 with three wins and two runner-up finishes. At his last start, he bolted up over 1 1⁄4 m under 123lbs at Busan and while he is up again in terms of the caliber of opposition, he doesn't know that. The main challenge will be getting to a handy position from the outside barrier but if he can get away well, then he is a potential winner.


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