Saturday is the eve of the Korea Cup and Korea Sprint and there are six trophy races on the 10-race card which runs from 10:35 to 18:00. Here are the previews:
Seoul Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Special Weight A / KRW 60 Million
Juvenile maidens in the opener, with three of the ten racing for the first time. Among those with experience, the standout is (9) EXCELLENT MATTA. Following a fair trial, he ran a solid 5th of eleven in a decent time over this distance on debut on August 12th when racing handy throughout. He should have come on for the run and with some natural improvement is the one to beat. A couple of the first timers have promise. (5) JERAQUEEN won her trial having led for much of the way. The time wasn’t fast, but she did everything she needed to do and if she brings that form to the races, she’ll go close. (4) MISS CONCORD showed handy in her heat and while a long way back behind the experienced trial winner, she held her own against the rest and can put in a bold first-up showing. Returning to the already tried ones, (6) HAKSAN MACHO and (8) BUNDANG TSUNAMI can improve from their respective debuts.
| Selections | (9) Excellent Matta (5) Jeraqueen (4) Miss Concord (6) Haksan Macho |
| Next Best | 8, 10 |
| Fast Start | 4, 5, 8, 9 |
Seoul Race 2: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 25 Million
(1) BOREUM DALBIT will be a warm favourite here. She’s run 4th and 3rd in two starts so far, most recently over this distance on August 12th when settling back and running on well having had to overcome gate eleven. From the inside gate this time, she should be much closer to the speed, Moon Se-young climbs on, and she will take some beating. (9) FINE DAY looks the only credible danger on form. She comes in off a close 3rd place on August 13th when getting up to sit on pace. In this relatively small field, she should have enough early speed to get to a forward position again and she should be in this a long way. (6) TIZ ROCKET mixes his form but going on his close 4th two starts back and given he gets a 4kg apprentice claim, he makes for a place chance here. (4) FEDERAL PRESS and (5) CHEONGPAUI KKUM others in the hunt.
| Selections | (1) Boreum Dalbit (9) Fine Day (6) Tiz Rocket (4) Federal Press |
| Next Best | 5, 8 |
| Fast Start | 1, 5, 6, 9 |
Seoul Race 3: Class Open (1200M) Special Weight B / HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB TROPHY / KRW 150 Million
(3) RAON GIANT comes in off disappointing runs in first the Korean Derby and then the Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup, the latter the 2000M final of the Triple Tiara. She was 4th in the Luna Stakes over a mile in April and comes back to a sprint trip for the first time in a while. She draws nicely to lead and in this shallower company the three-year-old, who still boasts a 50% win-rate, can return to winning ways. (12) COSMO is the main danger. She too came unstuck when tried in Graded Stakes company two starts back but was a super winner over this distance at class 2 level in April. She carries 5kg more than she did that day, and she has the challenge of the widest gate, but she should be in the frame here. Whenever (7) SOBERANIA gets off to a good start, she goes close, and she looks nicely in here. (1) ACHIM GISANG and (9) RAON THE ARIA, the latter up in class after an eye-catching win at 1400M last start, are among plenty of others with at least a placing chance.
| Selections | (3) Raon Giant (12) Cosmo (7) Soberania (1) Achim Gisang |
| Next Best | 9, 8 |
| Fast Start | 3, 6, 11, 12 |
Seoul Race 4: Class Open (1400M) Special Weight B / MACAU JOCKEY CLUB TROPHY / KRW 150 Million
(3) RAON FOREST is only behind Triple Tiara winner Jeulgeounyeojeong in the three-year-old filly standings, having run 2nd in both the Luna Stakes and Korean Oaks and then 3rd in the Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup. The last time she raced at this distance, she won at it, back in March at class 4 level and down in weights and drawn very nicely, she is very much the one to beat. (7) TROTTING RILEY is ultra consistent and enters off a close 4th at class 2 level over 1200M on August 26th. He’s gone well at this distance too and should be on or close to the pace here and has a big chance of going close. (5) GLOBAL BOBAE has a 3rd and two 2nd place finishes, all over this distance since being promoted to class 2 (which is essentially the level of this race). He likes to settle back and run on, and he should be doing his best work late here. There is plenty of depth in terms of place chances with (2) QUICKLY RUN and (8) SURE WIN among them.
| Selections | (3) Raon Forest (7) Trotting Riley (5) Global Bobae (2) Quickly Run |
| Next Best | 8, 11 |
| Fast Start | 1, 2, 7, 9 |
Seoul Race 5: Class Open (1200M) Special Weight B / GOLD CIRCLE TROPHY / KRW 150 Million
(4) RAON THE POINT is a perfect four for four and hasn’t been behind a horse at any point in his races so far. He has won up to class 1400M and class 4 level; this is the equivalent of class 3, and while he is set to face by far his sternest test so far and carries his fair share of weight, he can continue on his merry way today. (11) S.I. COCO has won four of his latest five, most recently at 1300M in a very quick time on August 5th. He has to contend with a wide draw, but he has overcome that before and he is a more than credible danger to Raon The Point’s record here. (8) SUPER FINISH is another on a streak having won his latest two at class 4 level, both over 1400M. He can race on pace or come from behind and he too can measure up in this company. Plenty more can enter the calculations with (10) SUN DRAGON and (5) YOUNGYOUNG SOCKS chief among those to be considered for at least the minors.
| Selections | (4) Raon The Point (11) S.I. Coco (8) Super Finish (10) Sun Dragon |
| Next Best | 5, 2 |
| Fast Start | 2, 4, 9, 10 |
Seoul Race 6: Class 3 (1400M) Handicap / SINGAPORE POOLS TROPHY / KRW 75 Million
(9) BAEDARI WANGJA shapes as a warm favourite here. He won three in a row between April and June to get rapidly promoted to this class and then ran 3rd in a quick race over a mile on July 23rd. The drop back in trip can suit and he carries a light weight and while he draws a touch wide, he should be able to get to the lead early and win. (6) POWER VICTORY needs a line drawn through his latest when he did a bit much on the speed over 1200M before weakening. He went into that off back-to-back places at this class, including over this distance and with Moon Se-young climbing on today, he can be given another chance. (5) THUNDER TIME comes in off a class and distance win on August 6th when practically making all. He comes up a full 4kg in the weights but shouldn’t be ruled out here. (3) WONDERFUL DEVIL and (8) GUKDAE CLASS among others in the frame.
| Selections | (9) Baedari Wangja (6) Power Victory (5) Thunder Time (3) Wonderful Devil |
| Next Best | 8, 7 |
| Fast Start | 5, 6, 8, 9 |
Seoul Race 7: Class Open (1800M) Special Weight B / JAPAN RACING ASSOCIATION TROPHY / KRW 150 Million
Since running 3rd in the Listed Sports Chosun Trophy in May, (11) CHOEGO BLACK has notched up back-to-back wins at 1900M and 2000M at class 2 level. Under today’s conditions, he doesn’t come up in weight and he can settle just behind the early speed and run on strongly to make it three in a row. Also looking for three in a row is (4) JANGSAN MONSTER. His latest wins also came at class 2 level and were both at this distance and comes down every so slightly in the weights here. He has finished in the top-three on a remarkable sixteen out of twenty-four tries and that should be a minimum aim here. It’s a very deep field. (3) CUPID BABE was a strong winner at class 2 level over 1900M on August 12th, racing handy throughout and the start before, he was 2nd to Jangsan Monster. He comes up 2.5kg in the weights but should be competitive again. (6) NAMSAN SIDAE and (1) DORAON POPEYE among plenty of others who can enter the calculations.
| Selections | (11) Choego Black (4) Jangsan Monster (3) Cupid Babe (6) Namsan Sidae |
| Next Best | 1, 8 |
| Fast Start | 5, 7, 10, 14 |
Seoul Race 8: Class Open (1800M) Special Weight B / SINGAPORE TURF CLUB TROPHY / KRW 150 Million
This is a true class 1. (5) HEUNGHAENG JILJU will be a warm favourite having run 5th behind Tuhonui Banseok and Winner’s Man in the YTN Cup and then 3rd behind Success Macho and Yes Perfect in the Busan Owners’ Cup. He gives weight away here, but he has enough quality about him to overcome it and he is the one to beat. (1) JOY BROTHER comes up in trip after recent spins around shorter. He generally runs well for Franco Da Silva so it’s no surprise to see him entered on a weekend the normally Busan-based jockey is in town, and this looks like the kind of race he can go well in. (9) VICS GO returns to action after almost six months out. He was going very well before the layoff, having just stepped up to class 1 and he looked well in an August trial. He’ll need this but don’t rule him out. (10) JANGSAN BADA and (3) RAON BEAT among others to keep safe.
| Selections | (5) Heunghaeng Jilju (1) Joy Brother (9) Vics Go (10) Jangsan Bada |
| Next Best | 3, 7 |
| Fast Start | 7, 8, 9, 10 |
Seoul Race 9: Class 4 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million
It’s hard to go too far past (9) ARGO SMILE. After struggling on debut, he hasn’t finished any worse than 2nd in five subsequent starts, picking up two wins, including his most recent start on August 6th when he settled handy and ran on strongly to score at a mile. He has raced strongly at this distance too and while he comes up a full 6kg in the weights, he will be expected to win again. (6) EUNPA MOUNTAIN doesn’t exactly win out of turn, but he came up to this class for the first time on August 12th and ran a good 3rd at this distance. He remains lightly weights, he draws well, and he can match or better that here. (1) MIR POINT also enters off a last start 3rd, in his case on August 5th when settling back and running on. He can do similar here. (5) BYEOLBIT MARU and (8) KWAEHYANG among others to consider for the places.
| Selections | (9) Argo Smile (6) Eunpa Mountain (1) Mir Point (5) Byeolbit Maru |
| Next Best | 8, 7 |
| Fast Start | 4, 6, 7, 9 |
Seoul Race 10: Class 4 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million
A competitive finale. We’ll take a chance on the still unexposed (6) KLIMT WORLD. He has only raced twice, both at 1000M, but he significantly improved in the second of them. He carries a light weight here, the step up in trip can suit, and third up he may just be peaking fitness-wise. (2) MEDICI WOLF could only manage 6th on his latest at this distance on August 6th when he settled bac and just couldn’t get past enough. The margins weren’t big though and he was going well enough prior to suggest he should be in the frame here. (10) BAEKDU BOY comes up in class following a good win over 1300M on July 22nd when he made all. He carries a light weight and while he has the challenge of a wide gate, he can measure up. (7) NEMO PRINCE and (11) DOKKAEBE among others to keep safe.
| Selections | (6) Klimt World (2) Medici Wolf (10) Baekdu Boy (7) Nemo Prince |
| Next Best | 11, 5 |
| Fast Start | 5, 6, 8, 11 |
Horse Racing in Korea 