She won all three jewels in the Triple Tiara last season and now Jeulgeounyeojeong has the opportunity to repeat as having won the first two legs of the Queens’ Tour Spring/Summer, she bids to complete the set with victory in the KNN Cup (1M KOR-G3) at Busan Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.
After her Triple Tiara triumph in the first part of last year, Jeulgeounyeojeong went on to make inroads into the big filly and mare late season races too, culminating in victory in the brand-new Breeders' Cup Queen race at Busan in December.
A welcome three-months of rest before Jeulgeounyeojeong kicked off her four-year-old campaign by tackling the first leg of the Queens's Tour Spring/Summer, the Donga Ilbo Trophy over 1 1/8M in March.
JEULGEOUNYEOJEONG came through that test, but she was pushed hard by Wonderful Slew, who beat her in the Gyeongnam Governors' Cup (1 1/4M KOR-G3) at Busan last October and got within a length of her in the Donga Ilbo.
Wonderful Slew didn't run in the second leg of the series, the Ttukseom Cup (7f KOR-G2), where Jeulgeounyeojeong ran out a routine four-length winner over Gangseo Giant.
WONDERFUL SLEW reappears this time, having run a solid 5th behind Global Hit and Tuhonui Banseok when sent out against the best of the boys in the YTN Cup, the second leg of the Stayer Series.
Luigi Riccardi's filly is still relatively lightly raced – eleven starts to Jeulgeounyeojeong's nineteen – and while she has only won four of them, she always races in top class company.
Moon Se-young, who rode her to that close defeat in the Donga Ilbo, has travelled to Busan to ride Wonderful Slew and it's not impossible that she comes out on top.
Jockey Moon cursed his luck after the Donga Ilbo as having made the decision to go for home early between the 3rd and 4th corner, Wonderful Slew couldn't quite get there.
With Jeulgeounyeojeong likely to be on or close to the pace again, and Wonderful Slew having an excellent finish on her, it will be interesting to see just how long Moon can wait this time.
GANGSEO GIANT is the next best and is a winner at this distance already. YELLOW CAT, whose move Moon claimed forced his hand in the Donga Ilbo is another in the frame while RAON FOREST is another who shouldn't be dismissed.
The KNN Cup is race 7 on an 8-race card at Busan on Sunday with a local post time of 16:05.
Selections (3) Jeulgeounyeojeong (5) Wonderful Slew (1) Gangseo Giant (2) Success Time
Next Best 9, 7
Fast Start 3, 6, 8, 10