Day: June 2, 2017

Turkey Cup, SLTC, CHIA Trophies Headline Day 1 Of Seoul International Weekend

It’s 60 years since South Korea and Turkey established diplomatic relations and to mark that, the Turkey Cup is one of three big races Day 1 on Saturday of the first of two International weekends at Seoul Racecourse this year (11 races from 10:45 to 18:00). 

Turk

Flags fly at a previous Turkey Cup day

In additional to the Turkey Cup, there are also the annual exchange races with the Selangor Turf Club and China Horse Industry Association. English racecards are here. Here are notes on the four key races:

Race 7: Class 4 (1200M) “Cargill Agri Purina” / Handicap / KRW 60 Million / 15:35

1. CHARISMA QUEEN – Started to get the hang of this level in her latest two. Led last time but did fade to 5th.

2. TOUR ROSE – Since a 7th place on debut, she’s never been any worse than 2nd. Comprehensive class and distance winner last start, she’s very much the one to beat here.

3. SAEJAE SARANG – Surprise class and distance winner in February, he’s not shown many signs of following up in three efforts since.

4. DRAGON VILLAGE – Generally beats a few but generally finishes behind a few more. Outsider.

5. MAMBO CHEONHA – Comes in off three consecutive 6th place finishes and hasn’t achieved any better than that in six attempts at this class.

6. NEONEUN ACE – The main danger to the favourite, he enters off back to back 2nd place finishes. Runs best when on the early speed and another 2nd is more than possible.

7. JAMNYONG – Slightly disappointing 4th when well backed on May 7th. Generally runs on though and is in the placing frame here. (more…)

King Of Ace Makes It Four From Five

King Of Ace is one of the hottest properties in Korean racing right now and after his more than creditable 3rd place in last month’s Busan Ilbo Cup, he got back to winning ways in Friday’s feature at Busan.

King Of Ace [Malibu Moon – Cintarosa (Grand Slam)] was a $50,000 purchase from Fasig Tipton last November and didn’t debut until this February. He won his first three races with considerable ease, impressing to the extent that he was allowed to take his chance against some of the best sprinters in the country in the Busan Ilbo Cup, the first leg of the Sprint Series, on May 7th.

While Success Story and (just about) Seoul Bullet got the better of him that day, he beat a whole host of big names in running 3rd. Instead of going to the second leg of the Series, Sunday’s SBS Sprint in Seoul, King Of Ace was instead bumped up to 1800M for Friday’s class 2 Busan feature.

King Of Ace didn’t have it all his own way but was able to kick clear in the final furlong and hold off Triple Nine’s little sister Black Sapphire, to who he was giving 5kg away, by just under a length. He’s now won four from five.