Racing for March gets underway at Busan on Friday. Just 10 races with the first at 11:30 and the last at 18:00. Here are the previews:
Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 40 Million
Three-year-old maidens to kick things off today. Bart Rice’s (3) SEUNGNI DAEJANG ran a creditable 4th on his racecourse debut a month ago beating (1) BAEDARI SINHWA in the process. He should be prominent early on here and could win. None of the other experienced ones have caught the eye at all with even (4) GIPPEUM DAY’s debut 3rd place being about as unimpressive as a 3rd place debut is possible to be, however, (6) TIZ POWER’s poor debut came at 1300M eight weeks ago and he’s looked much better in two subsequent trials at this distance. We’ll turn to a first-timer starter to find the danger. (5) SINBIHAN BARAM turned in an impressive trial performance last week, winning his heat and so long as he didn’t leave his race there, can go well.
| Selections | (3) Seungni Daejang (5) Sinbihan Baram (6) Tiz Power (4) Gippeum Day |
| Next Best | 8, 7 |
| Fast Start | 3, 5 |
Race 2: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 40 Million
Having trialled very impressively, (4) S S YOUNG was sent off a short-priced favourite on debut three weeks ago. He could only manage 2nd place but showed enough to suggest a first victory won’t be too long in coming and she should get it here. Both (2) JISAN OREUM and (3) SWEET MEMORY showed improvement in their latest outings, both coming home 4th in similar races to this and both can get in the placing frame this time. (9) PERFECT BOSS has been well backed for all three of his starts so far and while he hasn’t really delivered as yet, with a 6th and a pair of 5ths, he hasn’t run badly and could improve this time. There are three debut-makers, but it may be best to take a watching brief with them for now.
| Selections | (4) S S Young (3) Sweet Memory (2) Jisan Oreum (9) Perfect Boss |
| Next Best | 5, 8 |
| Fast Start | 1, 2, 3, 7 |
Race 3: Class 6 (1300M) Allowance / KRW 40 Million
Another maiden for three-year-olds and it involves a few promising ones. (7) CATCH NINE was a very good 2nd on debut on February 2nd having raced prominently throughout. She’ll be winning sooner or later and it could well be here. (2) GEUMSURYEONG was similarly good on his own debut in January, running on well and he should benefit from today’s extended trip. (6) CHIEF LEADER showed some aptitude for the distance when stepped up to it and registering 3rd on what was her second start and she can be in the frame too. (4) USEUNG TEN already has two 3rd place finishes at the distance and while he did ok when stepped up to a mile last time, the drop back in distance is in his favour today.
| Selections | (7) Catch Nine (2) Geumsuryeong (6) Chief Leader (4) Useung Ten |
| Next Best | 3 |
| Fast Start | 6, 7 |
Race 4: Class 6 (1300M) Allowance / KRW 24 Million
More maidens although it is age open this time. (7) JOEUN HAE has been getting closer across four outings so far with all of them being in slightly stiffer company than this. He hasn’t managed to get on the lead in any of those races but he could well do so today and is the one to beat. (6) ACE WOMAN too has hinted at some ability across ten unspectacular efforts and while she’s never finished any better than 4th, she should be putting that right here. She was 5th of 12 last start at this distance, one place ahead of (4) TESTA MAGIC who can also improve here and should join Joeun Hae on the early speed. (2) HWARYEOHAN TAEYANG has two 3rd place finishes to show for twenty-two starts although she does usually beat a few. She’s one paced but should pass plenty of these running on in the closing stages.
| Selections | (7) Joeun Hae (6) Ace Woman (4) Testa Magic (2) Hwaryeohan Taeyang |
| Next Best | 8, 5 |
| Fast Start | 1, 4, 7 |
Race 5: Class 5 (1000M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million
No fewer than seven of these raced each other at class and distance on February 2nd and it was (2) S PARIS who bounded out of the gate that day and went on to win by a full four-lengths. He is well drawn today for a repeat but despite it being a sprint, it has to be noted that he is carrying an additional 5kg today. Among those he beat that day, (3) MAKGANG BOLT and (4) ISIDAE YEONGGWANG perhaps have the best chance of overturning the form while (8) TWO TWO ACE raced very ungenerously throughout and was accordingly sent back to trial. He won his heat last week and could go much better here. (10) RUNNING GIRL hasn’t been far away in both her latest two and while today’s examination is a sterner one, she can compete. (7) ISLE CAT and (9) STORMY MAGIC are two others in the hunt in what is a really competitive contest.
| Selections | (2) S Paris (10) Running Girl (3) Makgang Bolt (8) Two Two Ace |
| Next Best | 4, 9, 11 |
| Fast Start | 2, 4, 8 |
Race 6: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million
Three of these enter off the back of their respective maiden wins and are accordingly up in class here and all three of them have every chance of winning again. (12) YUSEONG SPEED was the most eye-catching of the three, scoring by six-lengths over 1000M at the end of January. Both she and (10) SUCHEOJAKJU, a battling all-the-way winner over that same distance on February 2nd, will have to overcome a wide draw to get on pace here as well as a step up in trip but both look capable. The trip won’t bother (5) BAENGNYEON SIDAE, who overcame a bad start to finish very strongly and get her maiden score at 1000M five weeks ago but already has a 2nd and 3rd to his name at this distance and is a strong contender again. It’s possible though that none of the three will start as favourite. That’s because (4) SUPER TRAIN has recently performed well in stronger company than this including an admittedly well beaten 3rd behind two good horses at class and distance last time.
| Selections | (12) Yuseong Speed (4) Super Train (5) Baengnyeon Sidae (10) Sucheojakju |
| Next Best | 11, 3 |
| Fast Start | 7, 10, 12 |
Race 7: Class 4 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million
(6) BOLD RULES steps up in class following a good front-running win at 1300M at the end of January. Both her wins have been at this distance and she should be on pace early here with every chance of following up. (9) SORICHYEO and (4) DREAM JILJU came home 5th and 6th at class and distance three weeks ago. Both got a bad start that day and Dream Jilju especially was reluctant to race after it. She had entered that race in good form and that she still managed to finish halfway up the field that day suggests she can be given another chance here. (1) FREE CARE returned from almost ten months off to run a creditable 3rd at the distance on February 2nd and she can build on that here while (3) PARK MAN drops ack in trip from a mile for the first time since last March. He may be ridden forward here and can improve.
| Selections | (6) Bold Rules (4) Dream Jilju (1) Free Care (3) Park Man |
| Next Best | 9, 11 |
| Fast Start | 3, 6, 11 |
Race 8: Class 4 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million
Good race this. (7) CUBAUI YEOLJEONG was a class and distance winner on New Year’s Eve before coming 4th in a really good race over 1300M in January having shown the way early. The slight drop back in trip today may be in his favour and he can win. Kim Young Kwan’s (10) BAENGMUNBAEKDAP was indifferent in a couple of starts last summer but returned looking much better a month ago, running 2nd at this distance having finished in front of a number of well-known names in a trial, He has every chance here. (3) I’M YOUR MOTHER overcame some bumping to run a decent enough 4th over 1000M in January. She comes in after seven weeks off and should be looking for a career-best finish here. (11) NAMYANG QUEEN races for the first time since finished 2nd ahead of (6) DAEHOYEOJANGGUN over the minimum distance in early January and may be considered. Daehoyeojanggun himself is on a streak of four consecutive 4th place finishes and could well get another here.
| Selections | (7) Cubaui Yeoljeong (10) Baengmunbaekdap (3) I’m Your Mother (11) Namyang Queen |
| Next Best | 6, 4 |
| Fast Start | 4, 5, 7, 11 |
Race 9: Class 3 (1800M) Handicap / KRW 75 Million
(3) HANEOL NURI has been very good since returning from a six-month layoff, during which he was gelded. In four runs back he has two wins, a 2nd and a 3rd and he steps up in class and up to 1800M for the first time with solid chances to keep his momentum going. (7) DAMYANG TAEYANG enters in good form too. He’s already a winner at this class and will likely join Haneol Nuri in looking to lead from the start. He was 3rd last time but stewards strongly criticised the jockey for failing to prevent him from shifting-in in the home straight, without which they believed he would have finished 2nd. Different rider today. Those two are the standouts but (2) SISEON POCHAK ran a good 3rd at class and distance three weeks ago and a repeat is more than possible while (1) BAY KINGS disappointed when well-supported in the same race but can be given another chance here. (8) GALILEE HO hasn’t been quite the same since a lengthy spell but could improve.
| Selections | (3) Haneol Nuri (7) Damyang Taeyang (2) Siseon Pochak (1) Bay Kings |
| Next Best | 8, 6 |
| Fast Start | 3, 4, 7 |
Race 10: Class 2 (1600M) Handicap / KRW 90 Million
(9) HI SEXY returns after nearly three months off and steps up to a mile for the first time looking the one to beat. She finished off last year in good form, a close 2nd to Daeho Sidae at 1400M in her last race before her break and the trip should suit. (3) QUIET RAPTOR and (1) DERBY ACE came home 3rd and 4th, well ahead of a couple of others who go here, at class and distance in January and both should be competitive again. (10) SPEED MARK steps back in trip today with his recent outings all being at 1800M. He’s also down in weight and can get look to try to lead all the way here. (11) CHOEGANG DREAM beat four of these on his way to 3rd at this class over 1400M five weeks ago and can’t be ruled out.
| Selections | (9) Hi Sexy (11) Choegang Dream (3) Quiet Raptor (10) Speed Mark |
| Next Best | 1, 5 |
| Fast Start | 6, 10 |
Horse Racing in Korea 