It’s the final Saturday day meeting before Seoul moves onto a summer twilight schedule for July and August and two trainers with exceptional strike-rates in June can round out the month with more winners. There are 11 Saturday races at Seoul from 10:45 to 18:00.
Jeon Seung Gyu has only sent out ten runners so far this month but four of them have returned as winners and just one has missed out on finishing in the top three. He saddles three on Saturday and all have very solid claims. The improving Burui Goda is fancied to get his maiden win in race 2 while Chapel Ace, who has won two of his last three, is one of a number in with a significant chance in the very competitive race 5.
Jeon can round out his day and his month with another winner when he legs up jockey Moon Se Young on The King in race 7. The colt was a beaten favourite last start when sent up to 1700M but should put things right this time at a shorter trip.
Luigi Riccardi has an even better strike-rate for the month than Jeon Seung Gyu. The Italian trainer has visited the winner’s circle four times with just eight starters this month and maintains a placing strike-rate of 44% for his entire time in Korea so far. He has three runners on Saturday and while they will be slightly less fancied than Jeon’s, both Undefeated in race 4 and Choego Money in race 9 have legitimate claims.
The day’s feature race is race 10, a class 1 handicap over 2000M. It’s a competitive affair with Wild Thunder, 5th to Cheongdam Dokki in last month’s YTN Cup, and Yaho Sky Cat, seeking a third straight class 1 victory, look set to head the market.
Here are the previews:
Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 24 Million
(2) ENJOY MY SHOW has been knocking at the door in recent outings and if she can get away to a good start here, the five-year-old – the only one of these to have a 2nd place to her name – may finally be able to get her maiden win. (8) RAON GANGHO has also been getting closer, registering a 3rd place last time over 1300M and has claims here. (3) OFFICER WOMAN returned from ten months off at the end of May to run a decent 3rd and can have come on for that while (1) TWO M OKAY and (11) SHARP WANNABE are others who can go close.
| Selections | (2) Enjoy My Show (8) Raon Gangho (11) Sharp Wannabe (3) Officer Woman |
| Next Best | 1, 9 |
| Fast Start | 1, 2, 5, 11 |
Race 2: Class 6 (1300M) Allowance / KRW 40 Million
(7) BURUI GORI has a 4th and a 2nd from two starts so far, coming from well off the pace both times. He steps up slightly in trip today and should take some beating for a stable that is in red-hot form right now. (3) HADALRAE showed a bit of promise across two starts earlier this year and looked in good touch in a trial earlier this month. He should be on the early pace here and he looks like being the main danger along with (4) ISCRA, who ran a solid 4th on debut on June 2nd and can build on it today. (6) ACE CARLSON, the most experienced runner in the race, and (8) GREEN PARK, 6th on debut last month, are others who can play a role.
| Selections | (7) Burui Gori (3) Hadalrae (4) Iscra (6) Ace Carlson |
| Next Best | 8, 1 |
| Fast Start | 3, 6 |
Race 3: Class 6 (1300M) Allowance / KRW 24 Million
(2) BARAM KING is slowly but surely figuring things out and ran well for 2nd place over the distance on June 3rd. He’s well drawn to get to the front straight from the gate and is favourite to score here. (8) RUBY FALLS also enters off the back of a career-best 2nd place last time. That was a big improvement and she can back it up here. (10) TAEWANG SINHWA looks to be improving too. A couple of starts ago he beat (9) GOODCHOICE, the latter racing for the first time since then and can improve. (1) MAIN EVENT and (11) FLYING HERA also in the placing hunt.
| Selections | (2) Baram King (8) Ruby Falls (10) Taewang Sinhwa (9) Goodchoice |
| Next Best | 1, 11 |
| Fast Start | 2, 8, 11 |
Race 4: Class 5 (1000M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million
(3) WINNER SPIRIT ran out a three-length winner on debut over this distance on June 3rd and while he’s up in class today, he looks to have plenty more in him and can win again. It was always going to be risky naming a horse (9) UNDEFEATED and Luigi Riccardi’s colt duly came unstuck at the second time of asking at the beginning of this month. He didn’t run badly though, beaten just half a length, and has every chance of getting back to winning ways today. (8) GONG SAN remains a maiden but is up in class following some decent efforts and should be competitive. (2) BIG THUNDER was just half a length behind the inner in 3rd place on her first try at this class and returns from a fourteen-week layoff here with a chance of the places again. (5) RAON DOLPUNG was 4th behind Undefeated last time out and can challenge once more.
| Selections | (9) Undefeated (3) Winner Spirit (8) Gong San (2) Big Thunder |
| Next Best | 5, 1 |
| Fast Start | 1, 2, 3, 9 |
Race 5: Class 4 (1000M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million
Interesting contest which pits some locally bred horses who have won their way up to this class against some imports who have had to begin at this level. (12) CHAPEL ACE has won three out of seven and was victorious in a fast race at class and distance on June 3rd. He doesn’t need to lead from the gate, so the wide draw shouldn’t be an issue and he could win again. Also on the local side of things, both (1) MACHA BUCHA and (6) GLOBAL NEWS are up in class following useful wins on their respective latest outings and both can go well here too with Global News the more favoured of the two. (3) RICH MINE is another promising Korean-bred. He was a solid 4th on his first try at this class on May 19th and can aim to at least match that here. Turning to the imports, there are four debut-makers and a couple of them look very promising. (4) CRAZY FACTOR and (8) MUNHAK ARIARI both looked very competent in trials and should run well first-up.
| Selections | (4) Crazy Factor (12) Chapel Ace (6) Global News (1) Macha Bucha |
| Next Best | 3, 8 |
| Fast Start | 1, 4, 6, 8, 9 |
Race 6: Class 5 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million
(9) JEJUI HEUKSEON got her maiden win at the eighth time of asking at this distance on June 2nd, beating Undefeated, who we saw in race 4. It wasn’t a surprise as she had run well in her previous effort too and he can maintain her positive form here. (4) FINAL STORM has been no worse than 3rd in three starts to date. She looked like making all last time out on June 3rd but ultimately weakened to 3rd. She’ll be on pace again and could go close. (1) HIN BYEOL was 4th on her first try at this level on May 27th and can be a factor once more. (3) DALDARI and (5) KKACHILHAN GONGJU are others who should be in at least the placing frame.
| Selections | (4) Final Storm (9) Jejui Heukseon (1) Hin Byeol (3) Daldari |
| Next Best | 5, 2 |
| Fast Start | 4, 5, 7, 9 |
Race 7: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million
(3) THE KING was dethroned when hot favourite when raised up to 1700M at just the second time of asking on May 19th. He’s had six weeks off since then and drops back to one-turn for his re-appearance and this time he should win comfortably. (8) WITH FRIENDSHIP parted company with his jockey exiting the gate last time on May 19th. He was well backed for that having secured three consecutive 3rd place finishes prior to it and he can test the favourite here. So too can (1) BIG AURORA, who is a touch inconsistent but ran a good 3rd place at class and distance last time. (5) COMPLETE HIGH and (6) FINE HEART are others who can be involved at the business end.
| Selections | (3) The King (8) With Friendship (1) Big Aurora (5) Complete High |
| Next Best | 6, 9 |
| Fast Start | 1, 3, 4 |
Race 8: Class 4 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million
(4) PALPAL VICTORY enters two for two having won both by four lengths. He is up slightly in distance but more significantly, once again up in class. There looks to be more to come from him and he can win but this is a considerable step up in difficulty. (10) SIMCHEONG SADAL certainly caught the eye when winning by no fewer than seventeen lengths at this distance on May 20th. He’s up in class but the manner of that win suggests that if he can get in front again, he can repeat. He’s in the outside gate again by request and shoed last time how to overcome it. (9) DAESEUNG BIBEOB comes in after a string of near misses and is likely to join Palpal Victory and Simcheong Sadal on speed early and has every chance. (5) KING MESSENGER and (6) SANGBIGUN are others who can improve here.
| Selections | (10) Simcheong Sadal (4) Palpal Victory (9) Daeseung Bibeob (5) King Messenger |
| Next Best | 6, 2 |
| Fast Start | 4, 9, 10 |
Race 9: Class 2 (2000M) Handicap / KRW 90 Million
(6) EAST PALOS has won three of his last four and while the To Honor And Serve colt is up in both class and distance today, he can continue his good run of form. Expect him to drop in towards the rear early and finish strongly. (3) NANCHOUI GOHYANG was 3rd in a similar strength race at 1800M last month and can get closer today, likely trying to lead from the start. (2) SARYEONI HEALING is better than hi latest couple of efforts suggest and he too can get close. (1) KING’S WARRIOR tries the distance for the first time and given the way he has run on late in his races so far, may take to it. (8) CHOEGO MONEY has run well at up to 1900M in the past and looked sharp when trialling last weekend.
| Selections | (6) East Palos (8) Choego Money (3) Nanchoui Gohyang (1) King’s Warrior |
| Next Best | 2, 4 |
| Fast Start | 3, 4, 5 |
Race 10: Class 1 (2000M) Handicap / KRW 110 Million
A class 2 winner at this distance in April before running 5th behind Cheongdam Dokki in the YTN Cup at the end of May, (6) WILD THUNDER is favoured to emerge from the middle of the pack and win this class 1 contest which is open to horses rated up to 110. That mark just about allows in (10) PLACES TO GO, who won three in a row between February and April. He was 7th in the YTN Cup and gives away a lot of weight to everything else here. That makes the biggest danger (8) YAHO SKY CAT, who has won his latest two, both at this class and one of them at the distance. He prefers to get to the front early and he has every chance of staying there the whole way round. (2) CHANMA is inconsistent but can find the money in this company while (9) GASOKBULPAE returned to winning ways over 1400M last month. This distance is more challenging for him, but he can’t be completely ruled out.
| Selections | (6) Wild Thunder (8) Yaho Sky Cat (2) Chanma (10) Places To Go |
| Next Best | 9, 3 |
| Fast Start | 3, 8, 9 |
Race 11: Class 3 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 75 Million
(5) GANGTOMA has won three of five and is up in class today after a half-length triumph at this distance on May 27th. He’ll be close to the pace here and while this is more challenging than last time, he can win again. (1) HAENGUN MONEY is also up in class following a seven-length score at this distance on a wet track in mid-May and should be competitive at this level. He likes to sit right at the back from the gate and then close strongly. (4) JEONGSANGOREUM drops back in trip after some positive performances around two-turns and the experienced six-year-old can be in contention. (3) WAWA YEOJANGBU and (8) CHEONG UN SIDAE are others who should be in the hunt.
| Selections | (5) Gangtoma (1) Haengun Money (4) Jeongsangoreum (8) Cheong Un Sidae |
| Next Best | 3, 6 |
| Fast Start | 3, 4 |
Horse Racing in Korea 