Dubai: Need To Know, an eight-year-old trained by former UAE champion handler Ali Rashid Al Raihe, bids to make racing history when he competes in the inaugural Keeneland Korea Cup at Seoul Racecourse in South Korea on Sunday.

The Varsfontein Stud-bred veteran of 36 races, is one of three Dubai-based horses together with Art Wave and Beachy Head, who will compete in a strong international card that also features the Keeneland Korea Sprint. Both races will be run on sand at 11.25am and 12.30pm, UAE time, respectively.

The Korea Cup offers a purse of 1.7 billion won (Dh5.6m), the highest prize in Korea’s horse-racing history while the Korea Sprint is worth 700 million won (Dh2.3m).

Both features are part of an eleven-race card that will mark Korea’s entry into level two of the three categorious created by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) based on the size of a country’s horse-racing industry.

A son of now-deceased stallion Western Winter, a former triple champion sire in South Africa, Need To Know is owned by Shaikh Mansoor Bin Mohammad Al Maktoum whose biggest victory came with Gladiatorus in the 2009 Dubai Turf (former Dubai Duty Free) at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in Dubai.

The mount of Dubai World Cup winning rider Ferenando Jara, Need To Known faces 15 rivals including runners from the UK, France, Singapore, Japan and the hosts.

Need To Know has won four times in the UAE with his victories coming from distances ranging between six furlong to a mile.

Al Raihe also saddles former Godolphin-trained Beachy Head in the 16-runner Korea Sprint. A five-year-old son of top sire Shamardal, Beachy Head has won three of his 11 career starts including two at Jebel Ali Racecourse on dirt.

Emirati handler Musabah Al Muhairi, who was runner-up to Doug Watson during the 2015-2016 UAE racing season, is represented by Jebel Ali specialist, Art Wave.

The five-year-old son of Art Connoisseur has strung together five wins at the Dubai Racecourse including three wins during the 2015-2016 season.

He will be ridden by Al Muhairi’s retained rider and UAE champion Tadhg O’Shea.

The Korean Racing Authority believe that Sunday’s history race meeting will act as a foundation stone for the establishment a world recognised venue by 2022, the centennial of the first horse race in Korea.

“Korea is now categorised with part 2 countries, such Singapore and Sweden, 94 years after its first horse race,” said Park Yang-tae, the KRA’s executive director of racing in the Korea Time.

Park added that hosting the Korea and Sprint Cups will be ‘a leap for the country’s horse-racing industry to move forward to the next level.’

“ We will do our utmost to become a part 1 country by 2022.”

Both feature events are sponsored by the US-based Keeneland Association, the world’s largest thoroughbred sales company, whose President and CEO Bill Thomason said. “For many years, Keeneland has enjoyed a successful partnership with Korea and its horsemen through our premier horse sales.

“We now look forward to supporting the KRA as they prepare to welcome the world to Seoul.”

At A Glance

11:25 (UAE) KEENELAND KOREA SPRINT (Grade 1)

Purse: Winner: £226,103 (3yo+) 1,200m (Sand)

12:30 (UAE) KEENELAND KOREA CUP (Grade 1)

Purse: Winner: £323,005 (3yo+) 1,800m (Sand)