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A year ago, Silver Wolf swept all honours in the Queens’ Tour to become Champion Filly & Mare.

There’s no Silver Wolf or equivalent on the scene this time around and without a standout favourite, Sunday’s Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup (KOR G3 / 2000M), the final leg of this year’s Tour, looks set to be a fascinating contest.

While Haeya, who won the KNN Cup, doesn’t take part – 2000M being beyond her scope – the winner of the 1st leg, the Ttukseom Cup, Cheogsu Yeogeol will be lining up. She ran 2nd in the KNN Cup and a placed finish will assure her of the Crown regardless of who actually wins the race.

Chongsu Yeogeol hasn’t raced at all since just failing by less than a length to reel in a tiring Haeya back in August but her stable has been in top form of late and she could finish off the Tour in a blaze of glory here on what will only be her ninth career start.

There are plenty of other contenders though. Seouri Byeol ran 3rd in the Korean Oaks before returning home to Seoul to win the Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup, essentially a rematch of the fillies’ Classic. She’ll be well-supported to go close back at Busan. 3rd place-getter in the KNN Cup Ice Marine has convinced many that she has a big race win in her and it could be here.

Then there is Black Sapphire. Last week in Seoul, her “full” brother Triple Nine, completed an unprecedented fourth victory in the President’s Cup. No-one’s suggesting she can ever live up to that, but she’s formed a decent career in her own right and enters with her recent from reading very well and she can go close.

In recent years, the Queens’ Tour has seen some very good winners. Secret Whisper won the first series in 2013 before Gamdonguibada, a Grand Prix Stakes winner, crushed all opposition on the way to winning all three legs in 2014. Silver Wolf then dominated in 2017. Whoever wins on Sunday will have some way to go to be up with the likes of those three.

The KNN Cup is race 5 of a 6-race-program at Busan on Sunday which runs from 12:40 to 17:10.