Day: August 17, 2018

Seoul Saturday: Race-By-Race Preview (August 18)

The heatwave has finally broken! Temperatures have dropped to the summer normal with highs of “only” 32C expected in Seoul on Saturday. There is a 12-race card in the capital from 14L25 to 21:00. With lots of Seoul jockeys down at Busan for Sunday’s KNN Cup, there is a big chance for some of Seoul’s overseas jockeys to have a very good day. Here are the previews:

Seoul Night

It should be a cool(ish) evening at Seoul on Saturday

Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Allowance / KRW 24 Million

(1) HANIL DALBIT will be hard to beat here. He came very close to getting his maiden win back in April and last time out finished 3rd, well clear of four of his rivals here over 1200M. He’ll be on pace from the gate and should have too much. (9) ISCRA has finished 4th and 3rd in his two starts to date and while he has been extremely well beaten in both of them, looks to have more about him than most here. (7) WANY K’s three consecutive 6th place finishes have been in stiffer company than this and she should improve today. (6) BEST LEVEL is, along with Hanil Dalbit, one of just two to have a 2nd place finish to his name and while he was well back behind the favourite last time, can get closer today. Debut-maker (2) SEOKGWA BULSIK trialed competently enough and may be considered for some minor money first-up.

Selections (1) Hanil Dalbit (7) Wany K (9) Iscra (6) Best Level
Next Best 2, 5
Fast Start 1, 3

Race 2: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 24 Million

Another weak maiden and (5) SOKBO WANGWI could be the one to make the breakthrough. She drops back to the distance at which she secured her solitary 2nd place to date at back in May and comes in off a useful 4th at 1200M a month ago. A similar performance to either of those runs could see her home on top. (8) LUCAS ran encouragingly on debut in June and is probably worth another chance despite flopping on re-appearance four weeks ago while (7) GWANGPOK JUHAENG has shown a couple of glimpses of ability and can improve today. (6) ULTRA MISSILE will likely set the early pace and can hang on for a place while (3) FAPP CAT showed a slight sign of improvement on his latest.

Selections (5) Sokbo Wangwi (8) Lucas (7) Gwangpok Juhaeng (3) Fapp Cat
Next Best 6
Fast Start 6

Race 3: Class 5 (1000M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million

(7) LOVELY NUTE is up in class following an eye-catching seven-length win on her return from seven months off three weeks ago. She drops back kin trip as well but can get on pace early here and win again. (9) YEOWOORI remains a maiden after nine attempts but was only beaten a half-length at this class over 1200M last time and looks a big danger here. (6) KKEULEOJUNEUN SON also came close to getting her maiden win last time, just running out of track as she closed to within half a length of the winner on July 21st. She beat three of these in the process and it’s not impossible she could get that elusive first win. (1) BEST MAID and (4) DAMON ANGEL, the latter up in class, are others in the hunt.

Selections (7) Lovely Nute (6) Kkeuleojuneun Son (4) Damon Angel (9) Yeowoori
Next Best 1, 3
Fast Start 4, 5, 7

Race 4: Class 5 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million

(2) UNDEFEATED, who is now anything but, looks ready to win again. He disappointed in 5th place when favourite at 1300M on July 22nd, finishing 5th but steps back in trip today and can win. Manoel Nunes rode Undefeated in the colt’s latest two outings but he gets on (6) BAEKDUUI JEONGSANG today. He’s got a 2nd and a 3rd in two starts at this level so far and will join Undefeated on the early pace with a solid chance of going all the way. (7) JUMBO CAPTAIN was 4th in that race behind Baekduui Jeongsang and can look to match or better today. (5) BACK TO BACK has been a little underwhelming in his recent efforts but could improve here and along with (4) HANIL MAGIC, looks to be best of the rest. (9) GEUMA GLORY steps up in class following a win on debut at 1000M but will need to improve.

Selections (2) Undefeated (6) Baekduui Jeongsang (5) Back To Back (7) Jumbo Captain
Next Best 4, 9
Fast Start 2, 3, 6, 9

Race 5: Class 4 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million

(6) MIRACLE HANSEN enters off back to back 2nd place finishes, both at class and distance and really should be going one better today. He led until close to home last time and with Lee Chan Ho in the saddle today, can hold on this time. (8) WINNING WIN came from well off the pace to score a class and distance victory on July 21st. He doesn’t carry too much extra weight here and can go very close again for a stable that has come into form. (4) MYEONGPUM BOBAE, a stablemate of Miracle Hansen, was also a class and (more…)

Busan Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (August 17)

It’s KNN Cup weekend at Busan with the 2nd leg of the Queeens’ Tour series being run at the track on Sunday. That means top Seoul jockeys Lim Gi Won and Kim Yong Geun are both in action on the south coast on Friday when there is an 11-race card from 14:30 to 21:00:

RH7_3074

Lim Gi Won will be riding at Busan this Friday

Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 24 Million

Rather weak maiden to begin with to the extent that it might be worth looking to one of the three first-time starters purely on the grounds that they’ve done nothing wrong so far. Of them, (1) URANUS J fits the bill having looked competent and reasonably fast when running 2nd in a June trial. He couldn’t ask for a better race to debut in. Of those who have raced before, (2) TIZ POWER registered back to back 4th place finishes in March. She’s been out since but trialed reasonably well last weekend and go well first-up. (6) PARTY WINNER did ok on debut at this distance and while he didn’t go so well at 1200M on his reappearance, can be better dropped back to the minimum today. (4) YEOWANGUI GWIHWAN and (9) BUGYEONG STORY are others who could improve.

Selections (1) Uranus J (2) Tiz Power (6) Party Winner (4) Yeowangui Gwihwan
Next Best 9, 10
Fast Start 1, 5, 9

Race 2: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 60 Million

A maiden for two-year-olds and just two of the eleven runners have raced before. Of the two, (7) YEONGGWANGUI FIGHT was by some margin the better, running 2nd at this distance on July 13th and that experience can stand him in good stead here. Kim Young Kwan’s debut-makers always attract attention and (3) KING SOCKS will be no exception. He trialed well enough and a top jockey is booked. Slightly preferred at this stage though is (5) TRUE KING. The Hansen colt raced prominently in his trial posting a good time and looks ready to hit the ground running. (2) MIGHTY POWER went through a pair of trials and was quicker in her latest one last week. The stable tends to have plenty of success with juveniles and the champion jockey is aboard. (6) JEONSAUI JULJU is another who showed promise in her trial and can be considered.

Selections (7) Yeonggwangui Fight (5) True King (2) Mighty Power (3) King Socks
Next Best 6, 1
Fast Start 5, 7, 11

Race 3: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 60 Million

More two-year-old maidens, this time with four debut-makers and the rest having raced once each. Beginning with experience, (11) TIARA WINNER beat a couple of the others who go here on the way to 2nd place over this distance on July 20th. Seoul jockey Lim Gi Won, in town to ride in Sunday’s KNN Cup, takes the mount and she has a chance. (3) SINBIHAN YEOIN similarly beat two of today’s rivals on her debut a week earlier. She ran a solid 3rd that day and can build on it here. She too is ridden by a currently Seoul-based jockey as Kim Yong Geun – former Busan champion – returns for the weekend. Of the other experienced ones, (9) ARCADIA did nothing wrong when 5th on July 6th and should be in the hunt. As for the first-time starters, one of them may well begin as favourite. That’s (7) GEUMGANG CHILBO, who looked very sharp when winning a trial on July 21st in a quick time ahead of some experienced horses. While slightly slower, (4) GIDAEHAE went round in the same heat and also acquitted herself well.

Selections (11) Tiara Winner (7) Geumgang Chilbo (3) Sinbihan Yeoin (9) Arcadia
Next Best 4, 5
Fast Start 4, 5, 8

Race 4: Class 6 (1300M) Allowance / KRW 24 Million

Back to regular maidens here and (9) MUJEOK VETERAN, 3rd on debut at 1000M on July 20th, looks very much the one to beat. He ran on well and will likely benefit from the additional distance today. (6) GOLDEN JOY and (1) SMART BANK came home 3rd and 4th when they raced each other over a mile on July 20th and both can look to at least match those finishes today. (3) ROYAL CLUB registered her best finish to date on her only previous try at this distance back in May. She comes in following a solid 4th place at 1200M last time and should be in the hunt. There is just one first-timer starter. (2) TRUE WARRIOR won a trial two weeks ago and must be taken seriously.

Selections (9) Mujeok Veteran (3) Royal Club (2) True Warrior (1) Smart Bank
Next Best 6
Fast Start 3, 5, 9

Race 5: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million

(8) QUEEN OFFICER looked to be making all on her first try at this class on July 13th, only to get overhauled by a long-shot in the closing stages and ending up in 2nd. Nevertheless, it was an encouraging performance and suggests that it won’t be too long before she adds to the maiden win she achieved back in June. (6) JANGHAN JILJU’s 7th last time was perhaps a touch disappointing but was in tougher company than this over 1400M and she can get closer today. It’s similar with (1) SIMON MAGIC, who had a hard time in a (more…)