Day: July 12, 2024

Seoul & Busan Sunday: Race-By-Race Preview (July 14)

Sunday sees 17 races across the country with 9 at Seoul from 11:00 to 18:00 and 8 at Busan from 10:35 to 17:00. Here are the previews:

World Dragon (purple cup) was 2nd in the Derby – he runs Sunday at Busan (Pic: KRA)

Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Special Weight A / KRW 45 Million

It’s juvenile maiden fillies only in the opener. (9) ECHO CHAMP is among six of the nine coming racing for the first time. She was the best of these in trials, racing on pace and running home 4th in a quick time. If she can bring that form to the races, she can win. She is the first by her sire, Champ Line, who was also trained by Thomas Gillespie, to make the track. (4) OWNER CHAMP also impressed in her heat, coming from off the pace to run 2nd in a good time. She draws nicely and can be a danger. The three with prior experience all debuted in the same race on June 21st over this distance and it was (1) DOCTOR MEGA who came out the best of them, racing handy and finishing 5th. (3) FANTASTIC HIT was 7th in that race but had previously shown well in trials and can improve. (2) GREEN SHARPEY the best of the other first-timers.

Selections(9) Echo Champ (4) Owner Champ (1) Doctor Mega (3) Fantastic Hit
Next Best2, 8
Fast Start1, 2, 5, 9

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

Competitive maiden. (1) JEONGSEONG VICE has a runner-up finish to his name and comes in off a close 3rd place over this distance on June 2nd when on pace throughout. He draws well here, Johan remains aboard, and he can make it ninth-time lucky. (2) HANGANG PERFECT was well fancied on debut over 1000M having previously shown well in a trial, but he got quite a long way back and only ran on for 6th. He should have derived benefit from the experience and the step up in trip can be in his favour. (3) CRAZY SHAH completes the top line of favourites with a 2nd and a 3rd from her latest two at 1200M and 1300M. She can be on pace here and in things a long way. The form drops off after those although (11) GROUPER also has a 2nd and a 3rd on his record and along with (10) GOLDEN JACKPOT, who looks the better of the two first-timers, can be considered for the minors.

Selections(1) Jeongseong Vice (2) Hangang Perfect (3) Crazy Shah (11) Grouper
Next Best10, 5
Fast Start1, 3, 4, 11

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

(5) DREAMING BOY ran 3rd on debut over 1200M in May but put in a disappointing effort second up at 1300M on June 7th when awkwardly away and colliding with the adjacent horse and then seemingly getting caught in kickback. We’ll draw a line through that and with Munro climbing on, give him another chance. (7) UNJU GUY was a solid 2nd on debut over 1200M on June 16th, settling right back and working home well. He didn’t get anywhere near the very good-looking winner, but he should have come on for the run and the extended trip should surely suit and he will probably start the betting favourite. (6) PURUEN YEOLJEONG has perked up considerably in her latest two and may be a racehorse after all. She was on pace last time and in this company, should be again. (2) NEOM CITY and (4) SIMON STAR among others in the placing frame.

Selections(5) Dreaming Boy (7) Unju Guy (6) Puruen Yeoljeong (2) Neom City
Next Best4, 3
Fast Start3, 6, 7, 8

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

(1) COING made most of the running on debut over 1200M on June 16th only to be passed late but holding on for 2nd. He should have derived benefit from that experience and from a good draw, he can lead again, and this time go one better. (6) HEUNGHAENG BULPAE has finished no worse than 5th in any of his eight starts so far and beat three of today’s rivals on his way to a best so far runner-up finish over this distance on June 9th when settling midfield and running on. He shapes as the main danger here. Those two will make up everybody’s quinella such does the form drop off after them. (4) HERO CHAMP does have a couple of 3rd places on his record which despite recent form being poor, is enough to make him a money chance here. (2) SCALE KING and (7) GEUMSEONG YEOJE other minor contenders.

Selections(1) Coing (6) Heunghaeng Bulpae (4) Hero Champ (2) Scale King
Next Best7, 8
Fast Start1, 3, 5, 7

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

This is a really nice-looking race for the level. (3) LEMON BULPAE has placed at this class and distance and has finished 4th in two starts back since returning from a four-month layoff. He carries his fair share of weight, but he draws nicely, he has the fastest time among these for the distance, and third-up, he can be peaking fitness-wise. (4) MORPHEUS was slightly disappointing last time out in early May but was later found to be slightly lame and to have cast a plate. He has won at a mile and placed at this class at 1200M and is a big danger. So too is (9) WONDERFUL FEVER. He is yet to win in five attempts but has never finished worse than 5th and placed twice at this distance at class 6 level. (2) QUEEN’S FLETAR and the up in class (6) POMPEII among plenty of others who can be in the mix.

Selections(3) Lemon Bulpae (4) Morpheus (9) Wonderful Fever (2) Queen’s Fletar
Next Best6, 8
Fast Start3, 4, 7, 9

Seoul Race 3: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million

Decent race but it’s hard to go far past (1) BUGANGJILJU. He got his maiden win at start number two in March before stepping up to this class and distance on June 15th and almost leading from gate to wire, ultimately getting passed late on by a good winner. He comes up in the weights but that’s balanced by a good gate, and he can go all the way this time. Neither (5) EUREKA nor (9) DREAM SKY win out of turn, but both are ultra-experienced at this level, and both enter with their recent form reading well. The latter gets a nice weight drop with an apprentice climbing on, putting her back below the mark she won at over 1200M three starts back, and both can be competitive here.  (4) GANGHAN NURI and (7) SMART WORLD among others in the pacing frame.

Selections(1) Bugangjilju (5) Eureka (9) Dream Sky (4) Ganghan Nuri
Next Best7, 11
Fast Start1, 4, 9, 11

Busan Race 4: Class 5 (1800M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million

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Seoul Saturday: Race-By-Race Preview (July 13)

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

Seoul Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Special Weight A / KRW 45 Million

Maiden juvenile fillies with six of the ten racing for the first time. Conveniently, the four with experience all debuted in the same race over this distance on June 22nd and with (4) JOSE coming out the best of them that day, she is hard to oppose here. She led for much of the way around, ultimately coming home in 2nd and shouldn’t need to improve too much to go one better. A couple of the debut-makers showed potential in trials. (7) MISS DORTIE came through two heats, winning the first, but going faster in the second, both times overcoming a wide gate. She should be nice and fit and is a chance first-up. (10) OKCHEON WIN STAR ran 3rd in her trial having shown on pace. Her time was fair, and she offered enough to suggest she can go well first-up. (6) I AM GO was 4th in the June 22nd race and along with (8) FOX TROT, who was 6th, can improve.

Selections(4) Jose (7) Miss Dortie (10) Okcheon Win Star (6) I Am Go
Next Best8, 3
Fast Start4, 5, 6, 10

Seoul Race 2: Class 4 (1000M) Special Weight A / KRW 75 Million

Ten young imports make their racecourse debuts. Based on trials, (5) MIRACLE HANAM is the one to beat. He qualified only at the second time of asking, but he did it well, showing at the front and crossing the line five-lengths in front of the rest in a decent time. That was in early May but presumably he has been kept back for this race, and in that form, he can win. (3) DREAM HONOUR also came through two trials, winning the second of them on June 7th (it was a voluntary trial so may not appear in all racecards). His times have been good, he draws nicely to be on the pace, and he can be in this a long way. (4) CHEONDUNG LION registered a time as fast as any of the others here in his second heat (another voluntary one so be aware; it was on June 13th) and merits consideration. (9) A PURE GOOD WOMAN and (8) GLORY CITY are others who hinted at ability.

Selections(5) Miracle Hanam (3) Dream Honor (4) Cheondung Lion (9) A Pure Good Woman
Next Best8, 6
Fast Start3, 5, 7, 10

Seoul Race 3: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

Having first trialed back in the summer of 2023, it took an look time for (6) PHANTOM DRAGON to get to the races, but it looks to have been worth the wait as the Federalist colt ran 2nd on debut over 1200M on May 18th, showing on pace throughout. That day’s winner has gone on to run 2nd at class 5 and Phantom Dragon can be going one better today. (5) SAEROUN GUY is the only one who has shown enough to suggest he can challenge the favourite having made steady progress across three outings so far, culminating in a 3rd place at this distance on June 16th when handy throughout. Expect similar tactics today and with some more natural improvement, he can be a danger. There are four first-time starters and while none really convince in their trials, (11) SHINING CHARM did show a bit when finally qualifying on June 7th and in this limited company can be given a chance first-up. (10) HERO NARA and (7) TALITHA CUMI are others likely to be in the placing market.

Selections(6) Phantom Dragon (5) Saeroun Guy (11) Shining Charm (10) Hero Nara
Next Best7, 2
Fast Start3, 5, 6, 8

Seoul Race 4: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

Small but competitive field (it’s a split race with Sunday’s race 2). (5) GOOD FIGHTER didn’t do much on debut last November but finally returned to trial twice in good fashion in May and then ran a solid 5th of eleven over 1200M in an all-filly race on June 22nd. She should strip fitter for that run, CC climbs up, and she has as good a chance as any. (3) SHINE BOLT has four top-five finishes from five starts so far with her best being a 3rd place two starts back over 1200M. She comes up slightly in trip today and her running style suggests it can suit. That will mean overturning form on (6) STUNNING SERVE, who finished 4th to Shine Bolt’s 5th when they raced one another at 1200M on June 2nd. That equaled Stunning Serve’s best result to date, but he can get as close or closer this time. (8) MAX PARTY and (4) JILPUNG JAZZ others in the hunt.

Selections(5) Good Fighter (3) Shine Bolt (6) Stunning Serve (8) Max Party
Next Best4, 2
Fast Start2, 3, 5, 8

Seoul Race 5: Class 6 (1400M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

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