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ROAD TO KOREA CUP: TUHONUI BANSEOK SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDS MAYOR'S CUP BUT GLOBAL HIT SECURES STAYER TITLE

31 May 2024

TUHONUI BANSEOK made almost all the running and held off a late charge from GLOBAL HIT to win the Busan Mayor's Cup (1800M KOR-G2) for the second year running at Busan Racecourse on Sunday May 26. Yet it was Global Hit, last year's Korean Derby winner, who walked away with the overall Stayer Series title, having won both of the previous legs in the three-race series, which acts as a pathway for locally trained horses towards the international Korea Cup in September. 

A six-year-old American import by Verrazano, Tuhonui Banseok finished 6th behind Japan's Crown Pride in last year's Korea Cup. Having run 3rd in the first leg of the Stayer Series, the Herald Business Trophy, in March, he followed up with a 2nd in the YTN Cup. Owned by Lim Byung-hyo, he is trained at Busan by Bart Rice and was ridden by Seo Seung-un.

Global Hit had won the Herald Business by three-quarters of a length but only held off Tuhonui Banseok by a nose in the YTN Cup and while the defending champion had to survive a Stewards' Inquiry, the older horse managed to overturn the form and retain his crown. SPEED YOUNG, a stablemate of Global Hit, was 3rd. 

Overall, GLOBAL HIT won the Stayer Series with 1150 points, ahead of Tuhonui Bansek, who was 2nd with 1050. Speed Young was a distant 3rd on 560 points while Nut Play and Simjangui Godong shared 4th place with 350.


Busan Mayor's Cup (1800M) KOR-G2 - Weight for Age / Sunday May 26

1st TUHONUI BANSEOK (USA) [Verrazano - Sense of Beauty]

2nd GLOBAL HIT (KOR) [To Honor And Serve - Tammy's Victress]

3rd SPEED YOUNG (KOR) [Menifee - Tapestry]

Margins: Neck/2 lengths - Going: Dry - 14 ran

Race Video: https://youtu.be/J0-_ILIonVg?si=e8l4UzMVmMPRX_60