Day: May 24, 2024

Busan Mayor’s Cup Sunday- Busan & Seoul: Race-By-Race Preview (May 26)

The Stayer Series heads to Busan on Sunday when Global Hit will seek to complete a clean sweep by winning the Busan Mayor’s Cup (1800M KOR-G2). Unusually the big race is race 3 on the card with a post time of 1.35pm, in order to accommodate live TV coverage (SBS N Sports). There are 6 races in Busan on Sunday from 11:25 to 17:00 as well as 10 in Seoul from 10:35 to 18:00. Here are the previews:

Global Hit won the Herald Business Cup (Pic: KRA)

Seoul Race 1: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

Competitive opener. (6) GEUMAK MYEONGJANG enters off his best finish to date at start number five on April 28th when racing handy over this distance and finishing 2nd, well beaten by a good winner, but ahead of a couple of today’s rivals. He can sit behind the speed here and can go one better. (5) NAOL INDY raced once without distinction last summer and then didn’t reappear until this April. Now gelded, he has a 4th and a 2nd in two stars back, most recently leading almost the entire way around over this distance on May 5th. Third-up he can be peaking and can win. (1) SAMAEBEONJJEOK enters off back-to-back 3rd place finishes and comes up to this distance for the first time having drawn well. (3) EURACHACHA and (9) CHROMITE others in the frame.

Selections(6) Geumak Myeongjang (5) Naol Indy (1) Samaebeonjjeok (3) Eurachacha
Next Best9, 7
Fast Start1, 2, 4, 5

Seoul Race 2: Class 6 (1400M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

Fillies only in this maiden, and (7) CROQUIS will be the favourite. She enters off a 3rd and a 4th in her latest two appearances, both over 1300M and both times having sat handy and run on. The slight step up in trip can suit and, in this company, she should be on pace and is the one to beat. (2) P N S GAJA enters off an improved 4th place at start number three on April 21st when ridden on pace for the first time. She draws well for similar tactics to be employed today and she can be competitive. (11) ARNOLD QUEEN does have experience at this distance. She ran 5th behind Croquis at 1300M on March 30th on what was her first start since January and while she has had another eight weeks off, she can get closer here. (8) NEXTLEVEL and (9) CLAIR GOLD are others who can compete for the minors.

Selections(7) Croquis (2) P N S Gaja (11) Arnold Queen (8) Nextlevel
Next Best9, 9
Fast Start2, 4, 7, 10

Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

Maiden fillies in the south coast opener. It’s fair to say that she has mixed her form across her five starts so far but (11) BLISS MARINE has a 3rd and a 2nd to her name at 1400M and 1600M. She likes to race on pace and while she has drawn wide, her pattern so far suggests she can run well today, and she won’t need to improve much on those precious showings to win here. (5) NEOM CITY enters off an improved 4th place over this distance at start number five on April 28th. In doing so, she recorded the fastest time among any of these for the distance and a similar effort will see her in the finish again. (1) JUMBO ROCKET also enters off her best finish to date, which came over 1400M on April 5th. She was ridden much further forward than in previous starts and she is nicely drawn for a repat here. (9) RUN TO QUEEN and (6) WE LIKE MONEY others in the hunt

Selections(11) Bliss Marine (5) Neom City (1) Jumbo Rocket (9) Run To Queen
Next Best6, 8
Fast Start3, 7, 9, 11

Seoul Race 3: Class 6 (1700M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

(4) CAMP DAVID comes in off a much-improved 2nd at start number three on April 20th when handy throughout. He comes up to 1700M for the first time and from a good draw should be on pace, and he can win here. (8) P N S OHOH ran 3rd on debut over 1200M on May 11th, settling just behind the speed and running through the line pleasingly enough. He should have derived benefit from that run and with some natural improvement can challenge a bit closer today. (9) MAGIC PRINCE has a 5th and a 4th from two starts so far, most recently at 1400M. His running style suggests that two turns can suit, and he should be challenging late. (2) MARUBYEOL and (3) MEOTJIN CHOEGANG are others in the placing frame.

Selections(4) Camp David (8) P N S Ohoh (9) Magic Prince (2) Marubyeol
Next Best3, 1
Fast Start3, 4, 8, 9

Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1400M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

Competitive maiden. (1) THUNDER GUY ran 4th on debut in March and followed up with a 2nd place over 1300M on April 21st when on pace throughout and only going down very narrowly to the longest shot on the board. He draws very well here, Seo Seung-un climbs aboard, and he can go one better today. (9) AWESOME SUNRISE enters off a career-best 2nd place at start number nine on April 26th when coming from off the pace over this distance. In doing so, she recorded the fastest time among those here who have tackled the 1400M and she shapes as the main danger. There is one debut maker. (5) OASIS BLUE took two trials to qualify but he certainly caught the eye on the second of them, running 2nd in a quick time. The trainer/jockey combination will not go unnoticed either and he will have backers first-up. (11) WORLD MAID CAT and (4) GLOBAL SPURT are others who can enter the calculations.

Selections(1) Thunder Guy (9) Awesome Sunrise (5) Oasis Blue (11) World Maid Cat
Next Best4, 8
Fast Start1, 3, 5, 6

Seoul Race 4: Class 5 (1700M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million

(1) NARAOLA will be the warm favourite here. He got his win over 1400M three starts back and come sin having run 3rd on his first try at this distance on April 28th when overcoming gate eleven to find a handy position. He enters under a similar weight but draws a much better gate and will take some beating. (5) HEUIMANGUI CHANGA has plenty of experience of this class and distance with a 2nd place on his record over it. He likes to settle back and run on, and he can be a danger. (8) THORUI MANGCHI has placed at this class over 1400M, and he comes up to two turns for the first time. He has shown he can be versatile in his running style and the distance may well suit. (7) FEDERAL KING and (2) ANYANG CHEONDUNG ae the other logical money chances.

Selections(1) Naraola (5) Heuimangui Changa (8) Thorui Mangchi (7) Federal King
Next Best2, 6
Fast Start1, 4, 6, 8

Busan Race 3: Class Open (1800M) Weight for Age / Busan Mayor’s Cup (KOR G2) / KRW 700 Million

The final leg of the Stayer Series sees (11) GLOBAL HIT looking to complete a clean sweep having already taken out the Herald Business and the YTN Cups at Seoul, both over 2000M. He is steadily asserting himself as the best horse in Korea and he will be hot favourite to prevail again. Should he not be at his best then (6) TUHONUI BANSEOK is an ever-present danger. He was 3rd in the Herald and 2nd in the YTN, and he is the defending champion. He draws nicely to be on pace and Global Hit has a furlong less to get past him here than he did in Seoul. (5) NUT PLAY was 2nd in the Herald and 4th in the YTN. If he can take advantage of the favourable draw here to get in front of Global Hit and make the favourite come past him instead of the other way around, he can be firmly in the finish. (1) GALAXY ROAD hasn’t really managed to mix it in with the elite but enters in very good form and Franco staying on gives him a chance from off the pace. (3) SPEED YOUNG is a stablemate of Global Hit and was 5th in the Herald and 3rd in the YTN. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he has a big win in him eventually and from a good draw, it is not impossible it could be today.

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Seoul Saturday: Race-By-Race Preview (May 25)

Saturday’s racing is at Seoul with 11 races from 10:35 to 18:00. Here are the previews:

Seoul Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

Maidens in the opener with three of the eleven racing for the first time. One of those is set to be the favourite in the shape of (11) KING OF DRAGON, who came from off the pace to run 3rd in his trial in a quick time. The wide draw shouldn’t matter and if he brings the trial form to the races, he may be hard to hold out. (4) CRAZY SHAH has shown signs of figuring things out with a 2nd and a 3rd from her latest two at 1200M and 1300M. She draws nicely here and should be in the mix again. (3) TIZ THE FASHION ran a fair 3rd on debut over this distance on May 5th working home well from off the pace. She was well beaten by a good winner, but her time was faster than any of the others here and improvement is possible. (6) BEATRIZ and (2) YEOGEOL BISANG others to consider.

Selections(11) King Of Dragon (4) Crazy Shah (3) Tiz The Fashion (6) Beatriz
Next Best2, 8
Fast Start6, 7, 9, 10

Seoul Race 2: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

(4) JERAQUEEN was a beaten favourite at this distance on April 21st when on pace but failing to see things out. She previously secured a front-running 2nd place, again at this distance, and in this company, she can be given another chance. (7) KNIGHT CHARM returned from five months out to run a close 3rd over 1400M on April 28th, leading for much of the way. He should strip fitter for that run, the drop back in trip can suit, and he should be close here. (5) HANGANG CAPTAIN did nothing in two starts last September and this January. He went through trials in two consecutive weeks in May, improving to win the latter in a quick time. He should be a different prospect this time around. (2) SINUI UNMYEONG and (10) P N S JU other placing chances.

Selections(4) Jeraqueen (7) Knight Charm (5) Hangang Captain (2) Sinui Unmyeong
Next Best10, 8
Fast Start1, 4, 5, 7

Seoul Race 3: Class 5 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million

Fillies and mares only here. Like many in here, (3) HOMYEONG QUEEN can mix her form but going on her last start 3rd over 1300M, she has to be in with a chance. In a race devoid of early speed, she draws well to get to the front and can be in this a long way. (1) TOUCH CHARM returned from almost six months out to run 3rd at this class over 1300M on March 16th. She has had a further ten weeks off since then but comes into a better gate and can be a danger. (2) AL SIMON came from off the pace to run 3rd at class and distance on April 28th at big odds and only up 1kg in the weights, can be close again. (8) BRIGHT WINNER and (5) CHADOL RUN are among others in the frame in a tricky race.

Selections(3) Homyeong Queen (1) Touch Charm (2) Al Simon (8) Bright Winner
Next Best5, 10
Fast Start3, 5, 8, 10

Seoul Race 4:  Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million

(3) RICH GATE is yet to win in eleven attempts but comes in off back-to-back runner-up finishes at this class over 1400M. The slight drop back in trip can suit, he draws well to be on pace and while he is up 2.5kg in the weights, today could be the day. Plenty of others enter with recent form reading well. (7) CHEONGUCHAT is another non-winner but has a 4th and a 3rd from two tries at this class, both over today’s distance. He can sit just behind the early speed and be a danger late on. Continuing the non-winning theme, (2) SMART SOCKS has failed to score in twenty-one, but she too comes in looking well. She ran 2nd at class and distance on Mary 11th settling midfield and running on, and from a nice draw and under a light weight, she should be in this. (9) GREEN FEELSTAR and (1) WONDERFUL SHADOW, who both do have wins to their name, are others to consider.

Selections(3) Rich Gate (7) Cheonguchat (2) Smart Socks (9) Green Feelstar
Next Best1, 8
Fast Start1, 3, 6, 11

Seoul Race 5: Class 5 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million

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