Gangpungma shapes as top President’s Cup prospect

SEOUL – The penultimate local Grade 1 of the South Korean season takes place on Oct 11 with the 1 billion won (S$954,000) President’s Cup (2,000m) in Seoul.

With most of the local racing heavyweights skipping the international 1.6 billion Grade 2 Korea Cup (1,800m) on Sept 6 in order to focus on this, it shapes as a re-match from the Grade 2 KRA Cup Classic over the same distance on July 26.

Gangpungma won that race by three lengths, ridden a little farther forward than usual by jockey Jo Jae-ro and taking things up early in the straight.

If he brings that form, he can win again, even with a new partner in Jang Chu-youl up, but he will again have to contend with the two runners who completed the trifecta.

Success Baekpa ran third in that race and has a length to make up on the runner-up Global Hit. Both should be firmly in the mix again and can take advantage if Gangpungma is not on his game.

If there is a horse who can upset the top three, then it is Funny Wild. The double-Classic winning three-year-old did take his chance in the Korea Cup, running a creditable fourth.

He is only getting better, and this will be a very good test to see where he stands against the older locals who have actually bothered to show up this time.

Last but not least, the defending champion Speed Young, who finally got his overdue Grade 1 win in this race a year ago, cannot be ruled out even if he has been slightly out of sorts in the last couple of races but could bounce back.

The President’s Cup is slated as Race 12 at 2.40pm (Singapore time) on the Singapore Pools Korea 17-race card which also comprises six races from Yeongcheon on Oct 11. KOREA RACING AUTHORITY