3 minute read

Four Korea-trained horses left the quarantine area at Seoul Racecourse early on Thursday morning embarking on a long journey to represent the country at the 2019 Dubai World Cup Carnival, which begins on January 3 at Meydan Racecourse.

The four departed Incheon Airport at 8am on a Korean Air Cargo flight to Frankfurt and will arrive in Dubai on Saturday.

2019 will mark the third time in four years that horses trained in Korea have taken their chance at the Carnival. Cheongu and Success Story were the first in 2016, the latter finishing 3rd on two occasions while five horses made the trip in 2017. Diferent Dimension, Triple Nine and Power Blade all placed, the latter in Group company, while Main Stay became the nation’s first Carnival winner.

The 2019 Dubai World Cup Carnival horses from Korea are:

ACE KOREA (USA) [Smiling Tiger – Queen Rolex (Broken Vow)] Horse/2015

Owner: Shin Woo Chul, Trainer: Peter Wolsley

The Busan-based three-year-old ran 5th in the Korea Sprint (1200M) in September and has won both subsequent starts most recently the Listed Kookje News Cup (1400M) by two-and-a-half lengths over 2017 Champion Mare Silver Wolf. Those wins too him to a total of six from thirteen career starts. Tipped for a big year in 2019, Ace Korea is set to tackle Sprint races in Dubai. He is trained by Peter Wolsley, who has previous Carnival experience with Diferent Dimension in 2017.

DOLKONG (USA) [Afleet Alex – Swampoodle (Broken Vow)] Horse/2014

Owner: Lee Tae In, Trainer Simon Foster

A winner of six of eleven lifetime starts, Dolkong showed his ability when running 2nd in the Korea Cup (1800M) in September. He then ran a very good 4th in the season-finale Grand Prix Stakes (2300M) in December, coming home barely two-lengths behind the winner despite having had to race wide the entire time after coming out of gate 16. Trained by Simon Foster at Seoul, in Korea his best distances look to be between a mile and 2000M.

CHOEGO MONEY (USA) [Stephen Got Even – Lady Heroine (Sea Hero)] Horse/2014

Owner: Hamchun, Trainer: Simon Foster

Another Simon Foster trainee, Choego Money’s form may not have shown his true ability in his latest two starts but had previously demonstrated what he’s capable of when winning consecutive class 1 handicaps over 2000M and 2300M in fine style in August and September. Choego Money has six wins from twenty-four lifetime starts with his best performances having come this year.

BUHWARUI BANSEOK (USA) [Tizway – Aim For The Moon (Deputy Minister)] Horse/2013

Owner: Lim Doo Soon, Trainer: Bart Rice

An experienced Class 1 campaigner in Korea, Buhwarui Banseok has won eight of his twenty-eight career outings to date with his most recent success coming in a very good win over 1800M in October, the minimum trip that he usually races at. He has been in solid form this year putting in a number of good performances at the top level. Buhwarui Banseok is trained by Bart Rice, who’ll be having his first runner at the Carnival. Previously training in South Africa, Rice has been based at Busan since 2013.