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SARGA.CO - On 6 September, eight-year-old gelding Diktaean successfully defended his Korea Cup title at Seoul Racecourse, becoming only the third Japanese horse to win the KRW1.6 billion race in consecutive years. 

Overcoming the deep sand over 1,800 metres, the son of King Kamehameha performed a near-carbon copy of his 2025 triumph. The victory also added a fourth win to Japan’s streak in the Korea Cup, which was elevated to international G2 status this year.

Trained by Katsunori Arayama and ridden by Takayuki Yano, Diktaean slowly settled at the rear of the field as Sunday Funday, ridden by Yamato Tsunoda, immediately established himself as the leader.

As the field moved into the final straight, Yano asked Diktaean to step it up. The veteran responded by moving powerfully from the back into third place behind Clean One, who faded, and Sunday Funday, who was left alone to be chased down. 

Once Diktaean matched him at the 200-metre mark, he cleared him by 6 lengths to win, with Korea’s best runner Amazing Khan finishing 11 lengths behind Sunday Funday. After the race, Yano admitted his satisfaction with the result and the horse’s spurt. 

“I came here to win. I was a little nervous until the first corner, but now I’m relieved,” Yano stated, as quoted by The Straits Times. 

“I was hoping for a sustained run in the end, and he has done it.”

Quoted by The Straits Times, Yano was quick to acknowledge the achievement for local racing fans. 

“I think Japanese fans will love this (result) very much and I thank them for their support,” the jockey said. 

And having already accomplished something few horses have managed, Yano is not ruling out going even further beyond. “If we were to be invited again next year, we would aim for a third consecutive win,” he added.

The Korea Cup result also pairs with Dragon Welds, a Kentucky-bred runner representing Japan, winning the G3 Korea Sprint over 1,200 metres on the same day, thus giving Japan a sweep of both of Korea’s premier international races.

Diktaean’s latest Korea Cup win could prove to be only the beginning of another international campaign. 

It earned him a “Win and You’re In” berth in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland on 31 October. He had also earned it with his win last year, but his connections decided against making the trip to the US in favour of winning the G1 Tokyo Daishoten.

Whether this year will be different remains to be seen, as the eight-year-old’s latest Seoul victory showed that he remains capable of producing a devastating finish against high-level international opposition.

The clean sweep underlined the depth of Japan’s dirt-racing programme. The two winners prevailed in contrasting fashion: Diktaean came from behind in the middle-distance contest, while Dragon Welds proved superior in the sprint. Yet both displayed the same combination of physical readiness, adaptability to Seoul’s deep sand, and precise tactical execution.

For South Korea, Amazing Khan’s third-place finish provided an important benchmark of the gap between its domestic runners and international rivals. The Korea Cup’s new G2 status also enhances its relevance as a regional showcase. Beyond the KRW 1.6 billion purse—approximately Rp21 billion—the race serves as a meaningful test of local quality against international competition.