It’s Grand Prix Eve!! The big race is at Seoul on Sunday afternoon with the likes of Triple Nine, Cheongdam Dokki and Dolkong set to contest the traditional season-finale. We;ll have a full runner-by-runner guide 24 hours from now. In the meantime, it’s turned very cold on the Korean peninsula the past couple days but racing will be taking place on Saturday as usual in the capital with 13 races from 10:45 to 18:00:

Race 1: Class 6 (1300M) Allowance / KRW 24 Million

A weak maiden to begin with and (1) BLUE FIRE has shown enough across four starts to date to suggest he can live with better company than this and should really be making the breakthrough. He should be able to get an easy lead here and go all the way. (6) CHEONJI GISANG was a much-improved 3^rd last time out at this distance and if he continues to progress here, he can better that (8) PUNGMUNEURO too has been getting lately and comes in off the back of consecutive 4^th place finishes. (5) HARD PRINCESS and (7) SPECIAL BIRD look best of the rest.

Selections	(1) Blue Fire (6) Cheonji Gisang (8) Pungmuneuro (7) Special Bird
Next Best	5, 3
Fast Start	1

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

(3) CHEONGDAM QUEENS ran a good 3^rd place at this distance in October and then led part of the ay round over 1300M last start before weakening. Dropped back to the minimum today, she can win. (2) JILPUNG GANGJA raced three times without distinction in spring and early summer. She’s been off since June but has trialled up twice over the past month looking in much better order and is set to be much improved first-up here. (9) SEMYEONG GISANG improved on his second start a month ago and while he’s yet to show much in the way of speed, can continue his development here. (7) WHITE VELVET has offered little in three outings so far but raced very keenly over 1300M last time. He may be better dropped back in trip today. (8) ULTRA MISSILE has got two 3^rd placed to his name and offered a hint of coming back into form with a 5^th place on his most recent start.

Selections	(3) Cheongdam Queens (2) Jilpung Gangja (7) White Velvet (8) Ultra Missile
Next Best	9, 5
Fast Start	2, 3, 9, 10

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

Maiden juvenile fillies with six of the twelve racing for the first time. It’s the experienced ones who will be favoured. (1) SAMAE JILJU ran 2^nd on debut, well-beaten by a good winner, but showing enough to suggest she has plenty of potential. From the inside gate she’ll be on pace early and can win. (3) CHARON BLADE also ran well for a 2^nd place of her own four weeks ago and is the main danger for a bang in-form stable. (5) GREEN SARANG improved to 2^nd on what was her second outing on November 10^th, finishing just over four-lengths in front of (10) HAE SAEM CHAN in 4^th The latter may well overturn the form here. The wonderfully-named (2) HORSE QUEEN looks best of the rest.

Selections	(1) Samae Jilju (3) Charon Blade (10) Hae Saem Chan (5) Green Sarang
Next Best	2, 12
Fast Start	1, 3, 12

Race 4: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 60 Million

More juvenile maidens with six of the ten racing for the first time. The ones with experience haven’t really impressed with only (3) DAE YONGWANG and (4) DASHING CANOE hinting at any ability. That means we’ll turn to the newcomers for top picks with (10) ECO BROTHER looking the best. He looked competent when just being beaten a head in a fast trial last month and if he runs like that in an actual race, he’ll win. (2) DRAGON BOAT similarly caught the eye in his heat as did, to a slightly lesser extent, (7) IL MARE. As ever in these races, the market may end up being the best guide.

Selections	(10) Eco Brother (2) Dragon Boat (4) Dashing Canoe (3) Dae Yongwang
Next Best	7, 9
Fast Start	7, 10

Race 5: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 60 Million

More juvenile maidens and this time seven of the ten have raced before. (3) RAON PATRICK is one of those and he raced abysmally, standing flat-footed in the gates and losing a lot of ground. Accordingly, he was banned for two months and ordered to do two trials. He did them and moreover, he made all in both of those trials. We should see a very different horse today than the one we saw in September and he’s the one to beat. Luigi Riccardi’s (2) MAMMA ROMA has hinted at ability across two starts so far and drops back in trip after a useful 4^th last time out. She’ll be a threat as will (7) BLADE STORM, who raced greenyl on debut in October but still managed to finish 3^rd. Among the first-timers, (6) GREEN CINDY caught the eye in trials.

Selections	(3) Raon Patrick (2) Mamma Roma (7) Blade Storm (6) Green Cindy
Next Best	1, 8
Fast Start	3

Race 6: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million

(6) HANIL DALBIT has run well in two starts at this level since getting his maiden win in August. He’s had eight weeks off since his most recent start, when he was beaten less than a length over 1000M and back up in trip today, he’ll be the one to beat. (8) BEST EVER was a five-length winner on debut in October but ran poorly when favourite on his return last month. There were excuses involving a poor start and the horse resenting the kickback and it’s too soon to write him off. If he runs like he did on debut, he’ll go close. (2) REVELSIMMARD and (3) GLORY VERN both come in off useful latest starts and should be in at least the placing frame while (7) GOD OF SOCKS is up in class after a solid (more…)