A field of 15 will contest the 17th Korean Derby at Seoul Race Park this coming Sunday.
If we’re going to have a Triple Crown winner this year, it will be Cheongnyong Bisang (KRA)
Cheongnyong Bisang took the first leg of the Triple Crown, the KRA Cup Mile at Busan last month and he returns to his home track to seek to take out the second jewel.
An unprecedented 5 foreign jockeys have rides in the race. Korean racing stalwarts Joe Fujii, Masa Tanaka, Ikuyasu Kurakane and Darryll Holland are joined by newcomer Shinichi Terachi. With trainers Peter Wolsley and Bart Rice both saddling runners, it is set to be the most international running of the Derby to date.
Below is a full run-down of the runners and riders but first here’s what’s happening around Korea this weekend:
Friday May 16
Busan Race Park: 10 races from 13:00 to 19:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 13:25 to 17:40
Saturday May 17
Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 10:50 to 18:00 including the JRA Trophy at 17:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 12:30 to 17:15
Sunday May 18
Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 10:50 to 18:00 including the Korean Derby at 16:40
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:45 to 17:05
The JRA are in town on Saturday for their annual trophy race and there are some good ones going in that. Our main focus though is the Derby and here is a full run down of the runners with [Pedigree} (Starts/1/2/3) (Trainer) – Jockey (Home Track):
The Korean Derby (KOR G1) – Seoul Race Park – 1800M – May 18, 2014
1. Raon Morris [Yankee Victor – Thunder By Night (Thunder Gulch)] (7/3/1/1) (Lee Shin Young) – Moon Se Young (Seoul)
Set the pace for much of the Cup Mile and ran on well to finish 4th at generous odds. He has every chance of improving here and if he gets the lead and others have a bad trip, he just might keep it.
2. Gangchi [Volponi – Regal Heir (Regal Intention)] (10/3/1/1) (Bart Rice) – Masakazu Tanaka (Busan)
Bart Rice is the new star of the Busan trainer colony and he saddles his first Korean Derby runner here. Gangchi made little impact in the Cup Mile and will need to show a lot of improvement to challenge here.
3. Jeongsang Bima [Forest Camp – Smokegetenyoureyes (Smokester)] (9/2/3/2) (Park Hui Cheol) – Ham Wan Sik (Seoul)
A winner over the distance, albeit at class 4, he has a nice turn of foot and likes to come from just behind the leaders. Could be worth a place interest.
4. Jangsan Horangi [Forest Camp – Steal The Show (Cat Thief)] (5/2/2/1) (Kim Jeom Oh) – Oh Kyoung Hoan (Seoul)
Lightly raced and untried at further than 1400M and hasn’t won at higher than class 5. Has plenty of promise and has never finished worse than 3rd but is difficult to recommend here.
5. Wild Rush [Forest Camp – Wisconsin Girl (Smart Strike)] (7/2/3/2) (Kim Young Kwan) – Darryll Holland (Busan)
Won a minor event on Cup Mile day and yet to go further than a mile. Kim Young Kwan doesn’t bring horses to Seoul unless he has high expectations though and with Darryll Holland on board, punters will take note.
6. Gumpo Sky [Vicar – Perfect Storm (Didyme)] (8/3/2/2) (Kwan Seung Joo) – Jeong Dong Cheol (Busan)
Comes into the race in excellent form with two consecutive wins behind him, the most recent of which was just 2 weeks ago over a mile. Expect him to be close to any early pace, he’ll need to show a bit more speed than he has to date in the home straight to challenge.
7. Jungle Jim [Peace Rules – Diamond Stephanie (Lucky Lionel)] (5/2/1/1) (Peter Wolsley) – You Hyun Myung (Busan)
Peter Wosley is searching for his first winner at Seoul and while this colt is not without claims, he will have to improve to win this. Rallied well for 2nd over a mile last start and if he comes on here, he could cause problems at the business end of the race.
8. Queen’s Blade [Menifee – Harboring (Boston Harbor)] (8/4/3/0) (Kim Young Kwan) – Kim Yong Geun (Busan)
Sent off as the odds-on favourite in the Cup Mile, she finished a disappointing 5th having shown briefly at the front with a furlong to run. The half-sister to 2008 Oaks winner Jeolho Chance will have plenty of backers to put things right here. Kim Young Kwan will no doubt have fixed her final furlong but will others have come on more?
9. Royal Impact [Cielo Gold – Skeemo (Meadowlake)] (8/2/3/0) (Kim Byung Hak) – Song Keong Yun (Busan)
The closer never closed in the Cup Mile, staying in 11th position the whole way around. Needs others to run poorly to have a chance.
10. Super Rider [Ft.Stockton – Poyeon (Road Of War)] (9/1/0/1) (Choi Yong Goo) – Shinichi Terachi (Seoul)
Little to recommend this one-time winner who is yet to start at further than 7 furlongs. Japanese jockey Shinichi Terachi gets a first Derby ride in just his 2nd week in Korea.
11. Clean Up Speed [Pico Central – Rich Emotions (Rizzi)] (7/4/1/0) (Seo In Seok) – Ikuyasu Kurakane (Seoul)
The Oaks may be a more realistic target for this filly but she’s a frontrunner with a quick finish who’s beaten colts before. These may be a bit too good though. Was in great form until a disappointing 5th last time out.
12. Namdo Trio [Didyme – Tapas (Sky Classic)] (10/2/4/1) (Baik Kwang Yeol) – Kanichiro Fujii (Busan)
The surprise package of the Cup Mile, he closed very strongly to land third. Joe Fujii rode Speedy First to win this race last year and while he’ll not be favourite to win here, heis not without a chance.
13. Cheongnyong Bisang [Volponi – Miss Alwuhush (Alwuhush)] (8/5/0/0) (Kim Jeom Oh) – Seo Seung Un (Seoul)
The Cup Mile winner and favourite. He was superb in Busan last month and if he repeats that form, he wins. Cheongnyeong Bisang’s defeats have come when he’s had a poor trip and Seo Seung Un is going to have to work very hard to get him into his favoured position from gate 13.
14. Cupid Girl [Vicar – Sheza Hot Dish (Rubiano)] (9/4/0/1) (Park Jae Woo) – Cho Kyoung Ho (Seoul)
A decent filly but another for who the Oaks is a more likely target. A creditable 8th in the Cup Mile, a similar position here seems achievable.
15. Pureun Geotap [Menifee – Charmin Strike (Smart Strike)] (9/2/2/3) (Ji Yong Cheol) – Lee Chan Ho (Seoul)
Had an abortive attempt on the Cup Mile but otherwise has form at this distance, winning a slowly run race here in March. This will be tougher though.
My Derby selection
#1Raonmoris:
Now that he drawn the gold rail position he could save much ground
and race after race shows improving forms.
#3Jeongsangbima
His two times coming in the money in this distance came from slow pace
races
Ive checked hisPPs
date-class-distance-half in-5F-3quarters in-result-final times-track speed
20140223-cl4-9f-53.6-1:08.0-1:21.9-win-2:01.1-tsi6
20140413-cl3-9f-53.8-1:07.5-1:20.9-runner-up-2:00.1-tsi5
As we can see he has raced against slow paces1:08.0,1:07.5…..
Im not sure he also could handle the fast pace too..
But cannot completely ignore him.
#12Namdotrio
As i have already recommended before KRA MILE, this come from behind
and off the pace type deep closer meet more suitable distance race
#13Chungnyongbisan
As a short closer,now he faces so many enemies and supposed to
fiercely fight with them.and also being the closer in this race means
she or he have to rally cut-throatly..
In his last outingKRA MILE race he won by only less than 2lengths
At that time he sat near the rail and could have saved the ground.
Now this time being placed far outside post position might be
negative factor for him,to sit his comfortable zone he have to spend much energy in his early stage in the race,#so cannot quite sure and expect same thing
will happen again in this race.
#15Pureungeotap
Regardless of her far outside post position,she possesses more powerful
late speed just like #1Namdotrio
20140309-cl4-9f-53.3-1:06.9-1:20.7-2:01.1-win-tsi6
compare with #3Jeongsangbima he has raced against a bit faster
pace race.
And other likely to be contenders and pretenders:
Much of them haven’t raced two turn distance races
Probably one or two of them could come in the money…
Horses ridden by Holland or Iku…
This time again I’ll go with #12Namdotrio as a trio key.
Good luck!
If time allowed I’ll post Derby day the track condition and horses current forms.
SAT.RACE 9:JRA RACE 6FURLONGS CL2;
My selection;
#7Yeondu as a trio key over #1,#5,#11
Track seems to be between5-6
Oops key horse scratched…lose..
I think we might get some tasty odds on Raon Morris – 경마문화 has him as a 고액배당마 and only one of their tipsters has him in the top three. That is good news!
horse needs to improve a bit (of course we don’t know how much he has improved since his last run) track favoured the strong closers either behind the pace or further back…..today horses ran better than 13 secs in the last furlong won…although i liked the horse i’m not sure extra distance will suit….Pereun Goetop might ran late strong to grap a placing
I also think Raonmoris has shown much improved form than Queensblade The problem is..Raonmoris and Queensblade… might be in BOUNCE…
Their last outing…they were squeezed….
This race is very tricky..but can’t find likely to be a big price longshot
That’s my problem.
Anyway 9furlong race needs mostly late speed which could handle fast pace and Sat track speed a bit slow.
I have two different trio wager scenrio.
Plan A:
Namdotrio-Raonmoris,Jungsangbima,Chungnyongbisang,Pureungeotap.
Plan B:
Pureungeotap-Raonmoris,Jungsanbima,Chungnyongbisang,Namdotrio
I’ll eleminate one of five horses at the track
Need to check horses current forms,their changing body weights.
All things considered at the track
I’ll decide whether to go plan A or plan B.
Because unlike KRA MILE RACE. I cannot narrow down…
I’ll post again before Derby start.
Guess,in my view, the Derby
There’ll be not only track bias(inside -near the rail) but also pace bias(in early and mid-stage race pace duel)
So in this case always closers and deep closers
take advantage of this situation
Wow…
Queensblade ..favorite?
Queensblade:Chungnyongbisang?
It’s no fun at all….
But I completely ignore her,..
Make or break…
Oops…lose
No excuse…..closer couldn’t get close….
Predicting wrong scenario….