LetsRun Park Busan Gyeongnam, KNN Cup Grand Prix Winner 'Wonderful Slew'

Wonderfulslu, "A Victory with Regret"

Joyfulyeojeong, "A Truly Unlucky Race"

Korea Racing Authority's LetsRun Park Busan-Gyeongnam announced on the 7th that "Wonderful Slew" (Korean, 4-year-old mare, bay, owner Ji Daeseop, trainer Riccardi, jockey Moon Seyoung) claimed victory in the 17th KNN Cup (G3), held as the 7th race on the 2nd, with a record time of 1:39.1.

As the gates opened and the race began, "Wonderful Slew" quickly moved up alongside "Joyful Journey," securing a position among the leaders. At the 400-meter mark after the start, "Joyful Journey" faltered and showed signs of instability, allowing "Wonderful Slew" to take over second place. Rounding the final corner and entering the homestretch, "Wonderful Slew" overtook the front-runner "Carpe Babel." Maintaining strong momentum to the finish line, "Wonderful Slew" secured a comfortable victory by a margin of five lengths.

Winning horse Wonderful Slew and jockey Moon Seyoung.

"Joyful Journey," who was considered the overwhelming favorite, failed to take the lead due to an unstable start. Throughout the race, "Joyful Journey" struggled to find a clear path and repeatedly showed signs of unease, losing momentum and failing to accelerate, ultimately dropping back in the final stretch to finish in 9th place.

This year's KNN Cup was a somewhat disappointing race in several respects. While "Wonderful Slew" displayed top form and impressive racing ability, she was unable to properly compete against "Joyful Journey." After the race, both "Joyful Journey" and her jockey Seo Seungun were found to have sustained injuries, adding to the disappointment of the spectators.

Jockey Moon Seyoung, who rode "Wonderful Slew," said in a post-race interview, "As the second-best (Wonderful Slew), I kept narrowing the gap with the top horse (Joyful Journey) little by little, and I always thought about the distance and timing, knowing that if I could overcome that difference once, I could keep winning as the years go by. Although I won this race, it's a shame that 'Joyful Journey' couldn't find her pace in the middle. If there's another chance to compete in a future filly race, I'll prepare thoroughly and aim for an even match."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.