Diktaean all set to defend Korea Cup title

Japanese raider Diktaean landed the 2025 Korea Cup (1,800m) when it was held as an International Grade 3 event, and he is back one year later in search of back-to-back glory.

Established in 2016 as an international invitational race, the Korea Racing Authority’s flagship international race will be run as an international Grade 2 contest for the first time, and with a prize purse of 1.6 billion won (S$1.48 million) at Seoul’s LetsRun Park racecourse on Sept 6.

The 1.4 billion won Korea Sprint (1,200m), which will be held on the same day, remains as a Grade 3 event.

Trained by Katsunori Arayama, Diktaean came from behind to beat Hong Kong runner Chancheng Glory, handing Japan their sixth and third consecutive victory in the staying feature.

Following that win, the eight-year-old son of King Kamehameha secured his maiden Group 1 success in Japan in the Tokyo Daishoten (2,000m) on Dec 29, 2025.

After finishing fifth in the Listed Kawasaki Kinen (2,100m) first-up in April, Diktaean went two better in the Listed Teio Sho (2,000m) at his last start on July 1.

Despite the fact there were plenty of options for him after that, Arayama said connections were most keen to have the gelding back in South Korea to defend his crown in the Korea Cup.

“We had several possibilities to consider, but after the race, it became increasingly likely that we’d head to Korea and try to defend his title,” he said to netkeiba.

If things go to plan, the 11-time winner will then run in the Japan Breeding Farms’ Cup (JBC) Classic (2,100m) at Kanazawa on Nov 3, and again bid to go back-to-back in the Tokyo Daishoten at Oi on Dec 29.

Besides Diktaean, the Akishi Higashida-trained Sunday Funday will be the only other foreign raider in the Korea Cup.

The son of Suzuka Causeway has won eight times, including the 2025 Group 2 Procyon Stakes (1,800m) and the 2026 Group 3 March Stakes (1,800m).

He most recently scored at his last start in the Listed Mercury Cup (2,000m) on July 20 before departing for Seoul.

Both Japanese runners have arrived safely in Seoul on Aug 26.

In the Korea Sprint, five foreign contenders will challenge the home team.

Hong Kong will be represented by Beauty Waves, defending champion Self Improvement and Gorgeous Win, while Japan lines up American Stage and Dragon Welds.

The Manfred Man-trained Self Improvement became Hong Kong’s second winner – after Super Jockey in 2016 – in the sprint feature when he won it with Jerry Chau in 2025, but the Deep Field seven-year-old will be ridden by Dylan Mo for the first time this year.

Beauty Waves and Gorgeous Win are at their first overseas ventures.

Trained by Tony Cruz, Beauty Waves was a Group 3 winner in the 2024 National Day Cup (1,000m). He had been disappointing in his last five starts, including three at Group level, but last won in a Class 2 event (1,200m) on Feb 4.

Gorgeous Win is a six-time winner over 1,200m, but only once on the all-weather surface.

The son of Press Statement will look to secure a first success in South Korea for his trainer, Danny Shum, who has won Group 1 events in England, Australia, Japan and the United Arab Emirates.

Shum’s first success outside of Hong Kong came with Little Bridge in the 2012 King’s Stand Stakes (1,000m) at Royal Ascot, before his superstar Romantic Warrior took out the 2023 Cox Plate (2,000m) at Moonee Valley, the 2024 Yasuda Kinen (1,600m) in Tokyo and the 2025 Jebel Hatta (1,800m) at Meydan, all Group 1 events.

Fans would be familiar with American Stage’s trainer Yoshito Yahagi, of Forever Young fame.

The Japanese champion galloper was the first horse to win the world’s richest race, the Group 1 Saudi Cup (1,800m) in 2025 and 2026, twice. He was also the first horse from Japan to win the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic (2,000m) in 2025.

American Stage, a four-year-old son by Into Mischief, may not be in the same bracket as Forever Young, but he has raced four times in the Middle East, with a second in the 2025 Group 3 Mahab Al Shimaal (1,200m) at Meydan as his best showing.

The Hideaki Fujiwara-trained Dragon Welds was a last-start winner in the Listed Tokyo Sprint (1,200m) on April 15.

The winner of the Korea Sprint will quality for a spot in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (1,200m) while the winner of the Korea Cup will gain a berth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (1,600m).

Both races are part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series and will be run at Keeneland on Oct 31.

Held over two days on Korea’s international racing weekend, the Seoul race meetings will also feature the Singapore Pools Trophy on Sept 5.

sharonzhang@sph.com.sg