Day: April 8, 2023

Donga Ilbo Trophy Sunday Seoul & Busan: Race-By-Race Preview (April 9)

The first of six Queens’ Tour races across the year will take place at Seoul on Sunday as Raon First heads the field in the Listed Donga Ilbo Trophy. See here for full preview and horse by horse form comments. There are 11 races at Seoul from 10:35 to 18:00 interspersed with 6 at Busan from 11:00 to 15:40. Here are the previews:

Raon First in the clear in last year’s Donga (Pic: KRA)

Seoul Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 40 Million

Three-year-old maidens in the opener. (7) BEST CLONE will be the warm favourite. Since returning from four months out in January, he has run 5th and 4th in two starts back at 1300M and 1200M, racing on pace both times and stopping the clock faster than any of the others here over this distance. He should be on the speed again today and can go all the way. There is one first-time starter and (2) KING GO TAEYANG will have his backers. He went through a couple of trials, first last August and then last month and while his times weren’t fast, he wasn’t asked to do very much. Moon Se-young will attract plenty to him and from a good draw and against limited opposition, he can put in a bold showing first-up. (6) HWANGGEUMKKOT improved to 4ht at start number two over this distance on March 5th, coming from well off the pace. She can continue to improve here. (1) THIS WEEKEND and (3) BIG BLED others with the potential to get better.

Selections(7) Best Clone (2) King Go Taeyang (6) Hwanggeumkkot (1) This Weekend
Next Best3, 5
Fast Start1, 3, 4, 7

Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 40 Million

(9) SPECIALIST has been on an encouraging trajectory, including a very narrow defeat two starts back over 1300M in February when overcoming the widest gate to race handy. He followed up with a fair 4th, again at this trip on March 17th. He comes back slightly in trip, Seo Seung-un climbs aboard, and today can be his day. There is one first-time starter and (10) HWANGU JANGSA is a two-time trial winner in February and March, leading all the way in the most recent and chalking up a quick time. If he can bring that form to the races, he’ll be in this. (7) SUCCESSFUL is optimistically named but has hinted he may be able to live up to it with a 3rd and a 5th in two appearances to date. He can be on pace here and should be going close. (5) HELLO SUNSHINE raced once last October but won a trial last month. Granted there were only four-runners in the heat, but it was a fast one and he draws well here. (6) SEONGSIL CHEONHA, much improved in his latest outing, is another to keep safe.

Selections(9) Specialist (10) Hwangu Jangsa (7) Successful (5) Hello Sunshine
Next Best6, 11
Fast Start5, 7, 9, 10

Seoul Race 2: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 40 Million

Three-year-old maidens. (4) MENI POCKET will start the odds-on favourite locally, based on her last start 2nd at the end of January when on pace throughout.  She’s had a couple of months off since then so comes in fresh and from a good draw will take some beating. (7) CHOEGANG NICE has the fastest time among these for the distance. While that is still not especially quick, it was recorded when she ran 3rd coming from off the pace two starts back and she should be running on strong again. (8) LUCKY HONEY has improved with back-to-back 4th places from her latest two, both over this distance and in fair times. She can also be a danger here. (2) AGAPANTHUS and the first-time starter (9) PURPLE SHINHWA are others who can be considered for the places in what isn’t a very strong race.

Selections(4) Meni Pocket (7) Choegang Nice (8) Lucky Honey (2) Agapanthus
Next Best9, 6
Fast Start2, 3, 4, 8

Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 25 Million

Competitive race but we’ll side with Peter Wolsley’s (2) YEONGGWANGUITOUCH. That’s on the strength of his latest start on March 17th, when th e Tourist colt settled midfield before improving to handy and then running on for 2nd place over 1400M. He carries the same weight, draws well, and can go one better this time. (7) B.K. NUMA has a 2nd and a 3rd from her latest two, both over this distance. She went through a trial last week in which she ran a good 2nd in a good time and so long as she didn’t leaver her race there, she can go close today. (4) DAEHO NARA beat B.K. Numa as the pair ran 2nd and 3rd over this distance in an all-filly race on March 12th. She draws better today and can be a danger. (5) POWER SOUND and (11) WONDERFUL APPEAL among others who can enter the calculations.

Selections(2) Yeonggwanguitouch (7) B.K. Numa (4) Daeho Nara (5) Power Sound
Next Best11, 1
Fast Start2, 5, 9, 11

Seoul Race 3: Class 3 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 40 Million

(4) SARYEONI TYCHE is the one to beat here. She is yet to finish any worse than 4th in three prior appearances and enters off a 2nd place last time out in an all-filly race over 1300M on February 26th. From a good draw, she may well be ridden on the pace here and could well have too much. (6) CHROMITE’s two 3rd places both came over 1000M, but he hasn’t run badly in his two tries at this distance. Moon Se-young climbs aboard this time and he can go close. (5) CUPID CHAMP will need her latest appearance forgiven when she was slowly away from a wide draw, but prior to that was going well with a 2nd and a 3rd among her first three runs.  She can be on the speed here from a better gate and can be in this a long way. (2) CHRYSOL SMILE and (10) STAR K others who can be considered for at least the places.

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Donga Ilbo Trophy Form Comments: Raon First Favourite as Queens’ Tour Kicks Off but Could In-Form Flat Babe Surprise?

This year’s “Queens’ Tour” for fillies and mares is split into two separate three-race series and Raon First headlines the opener leg of the “Spring and Summer” tour in the Donga Ilbo Trophy (Listed – 1800M) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

Raon First won the President’s Cup last November (Pic: KRA)

One of the most versatile horses in training in Korea, Raon First ran 3rd in the International Korea Sprint over 1200M last September before beating a field including Korea Cup winner Winner’s Man to win the Group 1 President’s Cup over 2000M in November.

Raon First is the defending champion in the Donga Ilbo, having scored by a comfortable four-lengths twelve months ago and she will be favourite, but there is no guarantee she will have things all her own way. The big danger is Flat Babe, who proved a revelation towards the end of her four-year-old season, rising from class 3 to class 1 and crowning the achievement by defeating an elite level field containing Winner’s Man in February over today’s distance. 

Flat Babe (Pic: KRA)

It will be unchartered territory for most with 58kg on their backs for the first time. All that is except for the solitary three-year-old in the race. The up and coming Sure Win has won two of her latest three and the Bernardini filly gets a whopping 6kg allowance on the rest of the field.

Twelve go in total in the Donga Ilbo which is race 8 on the 11-race Sunday card at Seoul:

1. SURE WIN – The only three-year-old in the race, she has won two of her latest three including last time out when on pace over this distance. That was at class 4 level so this is a stiff test, but she draws well and has a 6kg weight advantage over all the others.

2. QUEENS TOUR – A strong 4th in the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup last September but well back over 2000M at class 2 level behind Eodigana and Cheonji Yeogeol on her only 2023 outing so far.  Tactically versatile and jockey booking a plus, but while she may be named after the series, others are favoured.

3. FLAT BABE – A revelation recently with 2nd place in the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup followed by a class 1 win over Winner’s Man at this distance on February 26th. She was getting 8kg from the Korea Cup winner, but she stopped the clock in a time faster than any of these have achieved for the distance. Can settle back and run on and is the main danger here.

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