With the Jeju Ponies taking the weekend off, it’s a bumper feast of thoroughbred racing across three days at Seoul and Busan – 43 races across the two tracks. The action starts at Busan on Friday with 14 races from 11:00 to 18:00. Here are the previews:
Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Special Weight A / KRW 45 Million
Juvenile maiden fillies with all ten racing for the first time. (1) WINNERS ROOKIE is a “full sister to Korea Cup and Grand Prix Stakes winner Winner’s Man and looked well when 3rd in a June trial, coming from off the pace. She was a long way behind the experienced winner but ran on well and from the inside gate can put in a bold showing first up. (2) UNION CHAMP recorded the fastest trial time among these when handy and running on. She too draws nicely and should be in the mix. (4) DOCTOR HAPPY was much improved on her second trial, showing on pace and running on well. She too has as good a chance as any. (9) GREAT MARU and (6) KYUNGNAM DRAGON are others who hinted at ability, and this could be an interesting race.
| Selections | (1) Winners Rookie (2) Union Champ (4) Doctor Happy (9) Great Maru |
| Next Best | 6, 10 |
| Fast Start | 2, 4, 9, 10 |
Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 45 Million
Juvenile maidens with five of the eight racing for the first time. We’ll side with experience and (2) WINNER CLEAR, who ran a close 3rd in a fair time on debut over this distance on June 28th having come from off the pace. He should have come on for that run and will be favoured to come out on top here. Having won a trial, (5) LIME TREE was sent off as favourite on debut over 1000M on July 5th, but she started slowly and got a bit far back before running on for 5th. She too should be better for that experience, the step up in trip can suit, and Munro climbs on. Among the first timers, (8) SAENAE HUNTER was a long way behind a class 1 winner of his heat but nevertheless, he raced on pace and posted a quick time and can go well. (1) STORM FIGHTER and (7) DIA KNIGHT the others most likely to make an immediate impact.
| Selections | (2) Winner Clear (5) Lime Tree (8) Saenae Hunter (1) Storm Fighter |
| Next Best | 7, 6 |
| Fast Start | 1, 3, 4, 8 |
Busan Race 3: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
Maidens with three of the eight racing for the first time. (1) WONDERFUL GROOM will be a hot favourite, having run 3rd on debut over 1000M on May 31st and then 2nd over the same distance at start number two on July 5th. He raced on pace both times, the extra furlong can suite and he draws well to be on pace again and this time go all the way. After a couple of positive trials, (2) DREAM RACE settled handy on debut before running on for 4th place over this distance in a fair time. She should have derived benefit from the experience and shapes as the main danger here. The pick of the newcomers is (5) CRAZY LEO. He went through two trials, improving in the second of them on July 6th (which was a voluntary trial so may not appear in all racecards) when 2nd, a long way behind the winner but in a decent time. If he brings that form to the races, he has placing chances first-up. (4) BORA CHAMP and (8) THE WIND others in the minor money hunt.
| Selections | (1) Wonderful Groom (2) Dream Race (5) Crazy Leo (4) Bora Champ |
| Next Best | 8, 7 |
| Fast Start | 1, 2, 5, 7 |
Busan Race 4: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
After winning a June trial, (6) WATER DRAGON ran 3rd on debut on July 19th over this distance racing handy throughout. He should have come on for that run, Munro gets on and he won’t need to improve very much at all to win here. (1) SUPER KANEL is a twenty-five- race maiden and can have a line drawn through his lates over a mile. He draws nicely here, and this is the kind of race in which he can find some minor money. (4) MISS CROW has raced three times with her best being a 4th place in June when coming from well off the pace. She has tended to get too far back in her races but in this company, she can be more prominent. (9) GLOBAL SPURT and (3) GUKDAE LEGEND perhaps the best of a limited rest.
| Selections | (6) Water Dragon (1) Super Kanel (4) Miss Crow (9) Global Spurt |
| Next Best | 3, 7 |
| Fast Start | 1, 3, 6, 7 |
Busan Race 5: Class 6 (1400M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
Small but tricky field with none entering in convincing form. (4) GOLDMASK has hinted at ability across her seven starts so far and while she has finished no better than 4th, she has finished off her races well and the slight step up in trip to 1400M may be just what she needs to break through. (8) FLYING ICE enters off a solid 4th place over 1300M on July 12th when settling right back and running on and a similar effort will see him closer in this company today. (1) HI LEGEND returned from four months out on June 21st and while he finished back in the pack, he should strip fitter here and comes into a better gate. (5) PUREUN YEOLJEONG and (3) PRIME JOY look to be the other place chances.
| Selections | (4) Goldmask (8) Flying Ice (1) Hi Legend (5) Pureun Yeoljeong |
| Next Best | 3, 6 |
| Fast Start | 1, 3, 5, 7 |
Busan Race 6: Class 5 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
It’s hard to go too far past (1) CHARON TODAY here. It’s been more than a year since her maiden win last July but she returned in June following a nine-month absence and has run 5th and 4th in two starts back at 1200M and 1300M. She draws well here, Munro is aboard, and third-up this preparation, she can be peaking fitness-wise. (4) UNJU JILJU was a class and distance winner on July 7th when leading all the way to score at big odds. She comes up 3kg in the weighs and has finished behind a couple of these in recent outings, but she draws well to lead again and can be in this a long way. (7) YONGBI KHAN came from off the pace to score at this class over 1300M on July 5th. She is only up 1.5kg in weight and can be in the mix. (2) STORMY DAY comes down in trip following recent efforts at a mile and further and may make for some appeal at each-way or better odds. (10) HEUIMANG GARAM another in the frame.
| Selections | (1) Charon Today (4) Unju Jilju (7) Yongbi Khan (2) Stormy Day |
| Next Best | 10, 9 |
| Fast Start | 1, 4, 8, 10 |
Busan Race 7: Class 5 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
(1) DAEJIUIYEOJEONSA is yet to win in nine starts but has never finished any worse than 4th. In her latest two she has been a touch slow away before running on for 4h on both occasions but the margins have been tight. She draws well here, the returning You Hyun-myung gets on for the first time, and today can final be her day. If she does manage to find one too quick again, it could be (5) TROUBLEMAKER. She took a couple of goes to get to grips with this level, but she enters off a 2nd and a 3rd place over 1300M and 1400M, beating a couple of these along the way. She is fairly weighted, she draws well, and she should be in the finish. (7) SEVEN QUEEN and (6) WONDERFUL CUTIE, the latter 4th behind Troublemaker last time out, come in with recent form reading well and warrant consideration. (3) MACH MAN another in the hunt.
| Selections | (1) Daejiuiyeojeonsa (5) Troublemaker (7) Seven Queen (6) Wonderful Cutie |
| Next Best | 3, 11 |
| Fast Start | 3, 4, 6, 11 |
Busan Race 8: Class 5 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
(1) SANGIM BOLT was a class and distance winner in June and while he struggled from a wide draw on his return in June, he came back into form with a 2nd place, again at class and distance, on July 7th when settling behind the speed and running on. In this company, he can lead, and he will start a short-price favourite. Like Sangim Bolt, (2) TRICKSTER can mix her form. She used up plenty getting forward from a wide draw last time out and then tired over 1300M. From a better gate and back down slightly in trip, she can be given another chance today. (11) PAN STAR is done no favours by the draw but carries a light weight and with a bit of luck at the start, can be in the finish. (6) VELOCIRAPTOR and (9) CHOEGANG MUJIGAE are the other placing chances.
| Selections | (1) Sangim Bolt (2) Trickster (11) Pan Star (6) Velociraptor |
| Next Best | 9, 8 |
| Fast Start | 1, 2, 8, 11 |
Busan Race 9: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
(2) QUEEN OF DRAGON ran 2nd on debut in April before getting her maiden win over 1200M in an all-filly maiden on July 7th when on pace throughout. She is up in class here, but is down in the weights, she draws well, and she can win again. (8) THUNDER GUY led from gate to wire to get his maiden win at start number four on June 28th. He too comes up in class but already has a 2nd place to his name over this distance and shapes as the main danger here. (3) GEUMA PRECEDE hasn’t raced since getting her maiden win at start three back in January. She looked well when winning a June trial though and can be considered first up here. (6) HANEUL HAETSAL and (4) YONGSAN KEUNBYEUL are the other leading place contenders.
| Selections | (2) Queen Of Dragon (8) Thunder Guy (3) Geuma Precede (6) Haneul Haetsal |
| Next Best | 4, 7 |
| Fast Start | 1, 2, 3, 8 |
Busan Race 10: Class 4 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million
(10) CARDINAL FORCE took a narrow win in a fast time on debut over 1200M on June 23rd showing at the front throughout. He comes up 2.5kg in the weights and has the challenge of a wider gate this time around, but with some natural improvement, he can win again. (6) FLYING ACE has six top-four finishes from eight starts so far and enters off 3rd place in a very quick race over 1200M on June 30th. She continues under a light weight, and she can be dangerous here again. It’s hard to go past those two for the quinella. (11) GOLDEN POINT ran 4th at 1200M last time out. He has a decent finish on him so the wide draw shouldn’t be a problem and his one win did come at this distance. (5) QUALITY QUEEN and (2) OCEAN STORM others in the frame.
| Selections | (10) Cardinal Force (6) Flying Ace (11) Golden Point (5) Quality Queen |
| Next Best | 2, 8 |
| Fast Start | 2, 3, 5, 10 |
Busan Race 11: Class 4 (1800M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million
Anything could win this. We’ll take a chance on (3) DIA GRIT, who got rapidly promoted to this class with back-to-back wins in April and May but measured up with a 2nd place over a mile on June 23rd when coming from off the pace. The slight step up in trip can suit and under a light weight, she has as good a chance as any. (8) SEUNGNIUIYEONGUNG returned from eight months out to run a fair 6th of eleven over a mile on July 14th. Before the layoff he had never finished worse than 3rd and he should strip fitter here. (11) SEOBU VISION enters off back-to-back wins at this distance, most recently at this class on July 5th. He is still fairly weighted and while the widest gate isn’t ideal as he likes to be on pace, a hat-trick can’ t be ruled out. (9) AJANTA and (2) STELL LUNA among plenty of other place chances.
| Selections | (3) Dia Grit (8) Seungniuiyeongung (11) Seobu Vision (9) Ajanta |
| Next Best | 2, 1 |
| Fast Start | 1, 2, 5, 11 |
Busan Race 12: Class 4 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million
Fillies, mares – and one gelding – here. (6) BORN DIA is the one to beat. She was a winner at this class and distance in April and has since run 2nd and 3rd, beating plenty of today’s opposition along the way, in quick times. She likes to race on pace and from a central gate, she should be leading all the way. The solitary gelding is (2) CAPTAIN COMMANDO and he shapes as the main danger, coming in off a class and distance win on June 30th when settling midfield and running on. He comes up 2.5kg in the weights, but that’s balanced by a good draw, and he can be in the finish again. (8) MAGARITA was 5th behind Born Dia on what was her first race for six months in May. She has a hard time after leading over 1400M on June 7th but after eight weeks off and back in trip, she can be given another chance. (9) BLUE SKY and (4) HANEUL JILJU others in the minor money hunt.
| Selections | (6) Born Dia (2) Captain Commando (8) Magarita (9) Blue Sky |
| Next Best | 4, 5 |
| Fast Start | 3, 6, 8, 9 |
Busan Race 13: Class 3 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 75 Million
(9) BREEDO PRINCE got his maiden win two starts back over this distance before running 2nd on his first try at this class on June 21st when he went down narrowly as favourite, beating three of today’s rivals. He doesn’t need to lead so the widest gate should be no problem, and he should have too much for this small field. (5) SOUTHERN JOY led all the way around to win over this distance in a quick time on June 14th. She is up in class here but carries a light weight and can measure up. (4) GREAT MISS took a couple of goes to get accustomed to this level but enters off a 2nd and a 4th from her latest two and should be there or thereabouts again. (2) SPECIAL HERO and the up in class (8) SUCCESSFUL are others to consider.
| Selections | (9) Breedo Prince (5) Southern Joy (4) Great Miss (2) Special Hero |
| Next Best | 8, 1 |
| Fast Start | 3, 4, 5, 6 |
Busan Race 14: Class 3 (1800M) Handicap / KRW 75 Million
(6) FANTASTIC FIELD had a hard time last month in the Minister’s Cup, the final leg of the Triple Crown at Seoul but at the start before, almost managed to hold off the impressive import Sky Wind (who himself struggled in Graded company next up), at this class and distance, leading almost the entire way. He can be expected to be on pace here and this time can go one better. (2) HWANGOO MONEY has only won the once but is up in class after back-to-back runner-up finishes, most recently on his first try at this distance on June 28th when leading for much of the way. He comes down and full 5kg in the weights, he draws very nicely, and he can be competitive. (4) MONGTTANG enters off a 3rd and a 4th from his latest two, both at this class and distance and can be there or thereabouts again. (9) AREUMDAIN INYEON and (3) VEREUDA others in the frame.
| Selections | (6) Fantastic Field (2) Hwangoo Money (4) Mongttang (9) Areumdaun Inyeon |
| Next Best | 3, 5 |
| Fast Start | 2, 5, 6, 7 |
Horse Racing in Korea 