Day: August 23, 2019

Seoul Saturday: Race-By-Race Preview (August 24)

There are 11 races in Seoul on Saturday from 14:00 to 21:00. Quite a few of the year’s top three-year-olds will be in action including Minister’s Cup runner-up Myeongpum Chukje and Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup winner Clear Geom. It’s the penultimate Saturday of night racing for this summer. Here are the previews:

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

(5) CAPTAIN BEST has shown improvement across three starts so far, coming home in 4th place over 1200M last start. He drops back to the minimum trip today and looks to have strong claims to make the breakthrough here. (3) DASHING CANOE and (7) CLEAR STORY finished 2nd and 3rd respectively when they raced each other over 1300M on July 21st. For Dashing Canoe, it was a big uptick in form whereas for Clear Story it was just her second career start. Both can go close today, but Clear Story is the more likely to improve. (6) HANSEN BLADE and (8) SPECTOR QUEEN are others with placing claims.

Selections (5) Captain Best (7) Clear Story (3) Dashing Canoe (6) Hansen Blade
Next Best 8, 10
Fast Start 4, 7

Race 2: Class 6 (1300M) Allowance / KRW 24 Million

(3) RED SUN is the one to beat here. Simon Foster’s gelding only managed 3rd when favourite on a wet track a month ago but showed enough to suggest a win isn’t too far away and it should arrive here. (1) FASTEST has been anything but across eight efforts to date but ran a solid 3rd last time under Alan Munro and the pair can place again today. (8) CARROT SEEKER hasn’t shown much in terms of speed but has a handful of minor money finishes to his name and he can get another one here. (5) CHEONSE MANSE, lame last start, and (6) FIRST THUNDER best of the rest.

Selections (3) Red Sun (1) Fastest (8) Carrot Seeker (6) First Thunder
Next Best 5, 7
Fast Start 1, 3, 8

Race 3: Class 6 (1300M) Allowance / KRW 24 Million

(4) PEACE OF RULES has shown improvement across three starts to date, culminating with 2nd place last time. She’s well drawn to get on pace from the start and she’ll be very hard to beat here. (2) FEDERAL QUEEN looks the main danger. She jumped awkwardly and lost ground last time out but still rallied for an improved 4th and she can build on that today. (5) TRUE RUBY and (6) KOOKA CAT have both hinted at some ability and both should be looking for the respective best starts to date here. (8) BAEKDU GEOPO another one in the frame.

Selections (4) Peace Of Rules (2) Federal Queen (6) Kooka Cat (5) True Ruby
Next Best 8, 1
Fast Start 4, 5, 6, 8

Race 4: Class 4 (1300M) Allowance / KRW 60 Million

Juvenile maidens here with all but two of them having raced before. (6) STRETTO looks the one to beat having run 2nd on a sloppy track over 1200M last time. The additional half furlong today may be just what he needs to get in front. Both (7) LUCKY BEOPJEON’s two starts so far have been at 1000M but he’s run through the line well both times and is another who may appreciate the step up in trip. (1) FEDERAL KING too showed improvement on his second start on July 20th and will be interesting to see over further today. (3) DAEHYEONG HOJAE and (5) MEOTJIN GEUMSEONG both did nothing wrong on debut and can improve here.

Selections (6) Stretto (7) Lucky Beopjeon (1) Federal King (3) Daeheyong Hojae
Next Best 5, 9
Fast Start 1, 6, 7, 9

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

(1) JEONGJOUI KKUM got his maiden win at the fourth attempt in fine fashion on July 14th. He’s up in class here but looks to have little to fear and from the inside gate should be close form the start and potentially lead all the way. He’ll be a warm favourite. (6) AUSPICE beat a couple of these on his way to 4th place on his first try at this level over 1200M last month. He weakened a touch late on and should be better back at the minimum today. Also dropping back in distance is (8) NEUL PUREUN CAT, in his case after a solid 2nd place over 1200M and he too should be a danger. (3) QUEEN FORCE ONE and (7) KAHINAH are others in the frame.

Selections (1) Jeongjoui Kkum (6) Auspice (3) Queen Force One (7) Kahinah
Next Best 8, 2
Fast Start 1, 3, 6

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

Tricky race this comprising unraced imports, maidens locally bred runner with two wins for twenty-six starts. We’re going to go out on a limb and pick a first-time starter. (2) HWANGGEUM LUCKY, a colt by Constitution looked extremely competent when winning a trial at the end of last month. Moon Se Young is booked to ride, and he has every chance of seeing off modest opposition. (1) MUNHAK BOSS ran well for 5th on debut and can build on that today while (12) DOLGYEOK APEURO drops back significantly in trip (more…)

You Hyun Myung Rides 1000th Winner

You Hyun Myung has ridden his 1000th career winner. The two-time Busan Champion Jockey became the third Korean rider to reach the milestone with victory on Grand Jilju in race 3 at Busan on Friday.

The forty-year-old You debuted in 2002 at Seoul before relocating to the then brand-new Busan Racecourse in 2005. He rode his first Group winner in 2006 when he partnered the famous Luna in a winning effort in the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup.

“I’m really happy to have finally done it” the jockey told KRBC on returning to the winner’s circle. “I felt quite a bit of pressure as no-one has done it at Busan before. I really wish that the generation of jockeys who are coming up behind me will do it too and I also hope they can do it faster than I have”.

DIvide Wind 2018

His biggest win to date was in 2010 Grand Prix on Mister Park while he also has two KRA Cup Miles (Rafale in 2015 and Divide Wind in 2018) and a KNN CUp (Haeya in 2018) to his name. His most recent big win came in the G3 Owners’ Cup in July on Blue Chipper, who he may well partner in the Korea Sprint next month.

The only other Korean jockeys to have reached 1000 winners are Park Tae Jong, currently on 2083, and Moon Se Young (1545), both of whom have spent their entire careers at Seoul, which offers more races.