The weekend’s racing gets underway at Busan on Friday with 8 races from 11.15 to 17.55. Here are the previews:
Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 45 Million
Juvenile maidens with eight of the eleven racing for the first time. (3) OASIS HEUIMANG was a beaten favourite on debut on May 29th leading close to home over 1000M. That day’s runner-up Tipping Point went on to win last week and from a good draw and with a very good apprentice claiming 2kg, it should be his turn today. Tipping Point’s subsequent win was on June 19th. (5) GLOBAL TOP TIER ran 4th in that race on debut and with some natural improvement can go closer today. Among the first timers, (6) HIT THE RUNNING is probably the best coming out of trials where he was handy throughout and 4th in a fair time. (7) JANGGO KING and (1) SUPEXNIKKE trialed together and hinted at ability.
| Selections | (3) Oasis Heuimang (5) Global Top Tier (6) Hit The Running (7) Janggo King |
| Next Best | 1, 10 |
| Fast Start | 3, 6, 7, 8 |
Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
(10) ART TREE debuted all the way back on October of last year when he ran a very solid 3rd over 1000M in a juvenile maiden. After that he had a procession of setbacks, including a chip fracture. He has been back in regular work since the end of April and looked very well when winning a trial on June 25th and he can make a winning return here. (9) WONDERFUL PAS pretty much stopped late on debut over 1300M on May 31st to the extent she was sent back to trial. She came through the same heat as Art Tree and was less than half a length behind and could be a much different prospect. (7) RIVER RUN was an improved 4th over this distance on June 19th when coming from midfield and beating a couple of today’s rivals and he can continue to make progress. (6) NAGAN CHUEOK and debut maker (5) OASIS SHACKLE among others who could go well.
| Selections | (10) Art Tree (9) Wonderful Pas (7) River Run (6) Nagan Chueok |
| Next Best | 5, 1 |
| Fast Start | 4, 5, 6, 9 |
Busan Race 3: Class 5 (1800M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
Good race for the level. (4) GYEONGBOK ATOS was a winner at start two over 1300M in March when leading all the way before running 4th over 1400M on his first try at this level over 1400M in April. He came back into work on June 18th and while up in trip, he can be a big danger first up. (1) MAGIC MIRROR finally broke through at start number nine on June 5th when handy throughout. It came at this class and distance and while he is up a full 4kg in weight, he may well start as the betting favourite again. (8) TAKE RACE was a winner on debut over 1300M in May and then ran a solid 3rd at a mile on June 12th on his first try at this class. The additional furlong shouldn’t pose many problems, and he can be in the finish again. (6) CHAMPUI HEUIMANG and (2) REGINA VINCIT among plenty of others with at least place chances. Nine of the eleven finished in the top four in their respective latest outings.
| Selections | (4) Gyeongbok Atos (1) Magic Mirror (8) Take Race (6) Champui Heuimang |
| Next Best | 2, 3 |
| Fast Start | 4, 5, 9, 10 |
Busan Race 4: Class 5 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
(7) WILD REAL is two for two having won over 1200M on debut in April before scoring at this class and distance on May 31st, leading all the way both times. He comes up 2.5kg in weight but can lead again and can complete his hat-trick. (5) NINETEEN NINE WON broke through at start number three over 1200M on April 10th. She had a couple of months off but came back into work in the first week of June and while up in class and in distance, she is down in weight and has every chance. (10) BUGYEONG TRIPLE got his maiden win at start number eleven over 1300M on June 5th. It was at this class and he previously has a 2nd place to his name over this distance so only coming up 1kg in weight, he has to be in the hunt again. (2) DOLGYEOK SPECIAL is winless and up in class but has rarely been far away and under a light weight and drawn well may offer some each-way appeal. (4) JEONGMUN FELIX another in the frame.
| Selections | (7) Wild Real (5) Nineteen Nine Won (10) Bugyeong Triple (2) Dolgyeok Special |
| Next Best | 3, 11 |
| Fast Start | 4, 5, 6, 7 |
Busan Race 5: Class 5 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
(7) SUCCESS QUEEN was a maiden winner over 1200M in March and two starts later was an also-ran in the Korean Oaks. She returned to shallower waters an ran a very close 2nd in an all-filly race at this class and distance on June 19th, and she can go one better here. (2) NAMHAE MAGIC is a non-winner of twelve, but he has eight top four finishes including a very close 2nd at this class and distance two starts back. He carries a light weight, he draws well, and while he may again find one too quick, he is surely in the finish again. Namhae Magic is though prolific when compared to (9) BEOLGYOUI BOM, He’s never finished in the top two in twenty-seven attempts, but he has six 3rd place finishes, and this is the kind of race he can pick up some prize money in. (8) BURUI SINJEON and (4) CHOEGANG TRIPLE others in the hunt.
| Selections | (7) Succes Queen (2) Namhae Magic (9) Beolgyoui Bom (8) Burui Sinjeon |
| Next Best | 4, 10 |
| Fast Start | 4, 5, 6, 7 |
Busan Race 6: Class 4 (1600M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million
(4) AIR CITY won three of his first five starts and since then has three consecutive 3rd place finishes, including in a valuable Trophy race in April over the mile. He followed it up with another 3rd at this class and distance on May 15th and coming in fresh after nine weeks out, he can defy top weight and can win here. (2) SUCCESS COW had been working towards a second win, and it arrived over 1400M on June 14th when he scored from a handy position. He is up in class, but he is down 3kg in weight, he draws very well, and while he tackles the mile for the first time, he looks an each-way prospect. (1) FLY TO THE MOON and (3) DAISY TIARA have finished 2nd and 3rd and 4th and 5th respectively racing one another in both their latest two and both can be there or thereabouts again. The lightly raced latter may be the more progressive. (6) D’LOVELY KING, up in class having won over this distance on June 12th, another in the frame.
| Selections | (4) Air City (2) Success Cow (1) Fly To The Moon (3) Daisy Tiara |
| Next Best | 6, 9 |
| Fast Start | 1, 5, 9, 11 |
Busan Race 7: Class 2 (1800M) Handicap / KRW 90 Million
(4) DOCTOR CHRIS is a three-time winner over this distance and comes out of the Triple Crown trail where he struggled after using up a lot of energy early in the Derby but was perhaps a touch unfortunate to only finish 4th of sixteen in the final leg, the Minister’s Cup, over 2000M on June 7th when ridden much more patiently. He should return to winning ways here. (3) HONORED KHAN is having a renaissance in his latest four with two wins and two placings, most recently scoring over this distance on June 21st. He is up in class but down a full 5kg in weight and on current form, he is a danger. (7) MAGARITA has placed at this level over a mile and while she tackles 1800M for the first time, she could sneak a place. (8) FLYING THE CHAMP and (1) EOHWADUNGDUNG others in the hunt.
| Selections | (4) Doctor Chris (3) Honored Khan (7) Magarita (8) Flying The Champ |
| Next Best | 1, 9 |
| Fast Start | 1, 4, 5, 9 |
Busan Race 8: Class 3 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 75 Million
Decent finale. (7) GREAT TOP finished in the top two in seven consecutive races between December and May which led him to take his chance in the G3 Owners’ Cup at a mile three weeks ago. Roshe blew that race apart, so we’ll draw a line through it, and going on his back-to-back 2nd places prior to that at this class and distance, he goes on top today. (4) SAENAE HUNTER returned from nine months off in April and has proceeded to win two in a row at 1300M and 1400M, both times leading all the way. That brings him rapidly up two classes, but he is down in weight and he can measure up. (5) MADE HEEMANG returned from nine months off and won over this distance on May 31st, leading all the way. He is up in class but down in weight and stripping fitter for that run, he can be competitive. (3) MR. PRIME and the up in class and down in weight and royally named (11) RONALD DUCK are other place chances.
| Selections | (7) Great Top (4) Saenae Hunter (5) Made Heemang (3) Mr. Prime |
| Next Best | 11, 10 |
| Fast Start | 4, 6, 7, 11 |
Horse Racing in Korea 