Day: November 17, 2016

Busan Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (November 18)

It’s the final leg of the 2016 Queens’ Tour to determine this year’s champion filly or mare at Busan on Sunday, but before that there is a busy day of action on Friday. There are 11 races from 11:30 to 18:00

English race cards can be found here. See below for notes on races 4-11:

Key
Rating: Top five official rated
Fast Starters: Expected to lead the race early
Start-200M: Fastest average time for the first 200M (up to 6 most recent races)
200M-Finish: Fastest average time for the final 200M (up to 6 most recent races)

Race 4: Class 6 / 1300M / Allowance / KRW 20 Million / 13:35 

Two stand-outs here looking to get their maiden wins at what for both of them is the fourth time of asking. (9) NAMBANG JEONSEOL is favoured. He debuted all the way back last year before immediately suffering a setback and didn’t return until September. A 4th and 3rd in two starts since returning in reasonable company suggest he should be favourite to claim this (8) CAPI RUN is the main danger having shown promise in his own three outings and has an apprentice jockey taking a significant amount of weight off. They should account for the quinella with (1) WINNING ALL, (2) PUREUN GANGJA and (6) SONATILLED looking best of the rest.

Selections: (9) Nambang Jeonseol (8) Capi Run (2) Pureun Gangja (1) Winning All
Next Best: 6, 4
Rating: –
Fast Starters: 4, 5
Start-200M: 5, 4, 9, 1, 8
200M-Finish: 6, 7, 9, 5, 2

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Jockey Woes: Lee Chan Ho Struck-Off / Pasquale Borelli Suspended For 12 Months

Lee Chan Ho, one of the most promising young jockeys at Seoul and who guided Choegang Schiller to victory in the 2015 Asia Challenge Cup, has had his license to ride in races cancelled. The sanction, announced last Friday, is due to off-track incidents and is not related to racing or integrity.

Born in 1992, Lee Chan Ho debuted as a 21-year-old in June 2013 and quickly made an impression, riding out his apprentice claim in double-quick time. He partnered Wonder Bolt to 2nd place behind El Padrino in the inaugural Asia Challenge Cup in 2014 and returned to win the race one year later on Choegang Schiller.

That would be his only Group race winner although he also had Listed success in the Herald Business and Nonghyup Chairman’s Cup races in 2015 as well as this year’s Seoul trial for the Jeju Governor’s Cup. In total, he rode 179 winners from 1343 rides.

Like a number of jurisdictions in Asia, Korea has strict policies relating to conduct away from the racecourse as well as on it and unfortunately, it seems Lee Chan Ho fell foul of these one time too many.

Meanwhile Pasquale Borelli’s time at Busan is at an end. The Italian jockey had been under investigation for his ride on Yeonggwanguihunter at Busan on October 28th. The 2-year-old colt was sent off as odds-on favourite but finished a tailed-off last with Borelli adjudged by stewards to have restrained the horse. Borelli maintained that he believed the horse to be feeling an injury but a post-race veterinary exam showed no sign of lameness.

Ultimately, Borelli was handed a 12-month suspension which almost certainly means he has ridden his last race in Korea.  Borelli debuted at Busan in October 2015 and in his year riding at the South Coast track, recorded 38 winners from 319 mounts.

Here’s the race in question, the horse is number 9: