Day: October 14, 2026

Busan Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (October 16)

The weekend’s racing gets underway at Busan on Friday with 9-races from 11:15 to 17:55. The juvenile series continues as Lavender Crown heads a full field of fourteen in the Gimhae Mayor’s Trophy, race 6 on the card. Here are the previews:

Lavender Crown will bid to take out the second leg of the Juvenile Series (Pic: KRA)

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

Maiden juvenile fillies with five of the eleven racing for the first time. (2) DUBAI TIME was a trial winner, leading all the way and stopping the clock in a fair time. She draws nicely to lead again and has every chance first up. Among the experienced ones, (1) DANALDA is the only one who has raced twice and she has finished 3rd on both occasions, both at 1200M and both times racing handy to the speed. She should have a fitness edge on her rivals here and can win. (8) WILD MAY was the quickest in trials, running 3rd behind the experienced World Top Tier and if she brings that form to the races, she can be in the finish and that time may make her the betting favourite. (3) GLOBAL LUNA and (10) MIRACLE PACE ran 5th and 7th respectively when facing one another on debut over this distance on September 18th, and both can improve second-up.

Selections(2) Dubai Time (1) Danalda (8) Wild May (3) Global Luna
Next Best10, 5
Fast Start1, 2, 7, 8

Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 45 Million

Juvenile maidens with six of the eleven racing for the first time. (5) SPECIAL FIRST trialed well and was sent off as favourite on debut over 1000M on August 21st when he ran an on-pace 2nd. He should have come on for that run Seo Seung-un gets on, and he will be favourite to go one better here. (11) B.K RICH debuted over this distance on September 18th, showing close to the pace throughout and while beaten a full nine-lengths by winner Royal Pride, showing plenty of promise. He too can have come on for the run and be close despite the challenge of the widest gate. (10) UHANRYUNG and (4) CLUTCH POTTER both caught the eye in their respective trials and can be considered. (2) BUHWARUI SEOMAK was four-lengths behind B.K. Rich on debut on September 18th and can aim to get closer.

Selections(5) Special First (11) B.K Rich (4) Clutch Potter (10) Uhanryung
Next Best2, 1
Fast Start1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11

Busan Race 3: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

Decent maiden. (1) BRAVO YOUNG was 5th on debut in August and then an improved 2nd at start number two over 1200M on September 11th when coming from off the pace. He was well beaten by a good winner, but he was doing his best work late and the slight step up in trip can see him home on top here although there may not be much speed to run at. The modestly named (3) INVINCIBLE debuted in June, finishing 3rd over 1000M in a race where the runner-up subsequently won and the winner has finished 2nd at class 5. He won a trial last week in a quick time and so long as he didn’t leave his race there, he is a chance. (10) COWBOY LOOK returned from ten months off to beat three of today’s rivals over this distance on September 4th, and stripping fitter for that run, he can be a danger. (7) GYEONGBOK ARAMIS and (8) OASIS YEONGCHEON among plenty of others with placing chances.

Selections(1) Bravo Young (3) Invincible (10) Cowboy Look (7) Gyeongbok Aramis
Next Best8, 4
Fast Start1, 3, 6, 10

Busan Race 4: Class 6 (1400M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million

(3) HEAR WE GO was 3rd on debut in August and then 4th at start two over 1300M on September 11th when handy throughout. She draws well and third-up, she can be peaking. So can (5) MISS FALCON. She did nothing on debut over 1200M but came from a long way back to run 3rd over 1000M on August 28th in what was a very quick race. She steps up significantly in trip and it may suit. (7) GEORGE PRINCE seems to be figuring things out with a pair of 5th places from his first two, followed by a 4th over 1300M on September 4th and he can continue to make progress in this company. (2) DOCTOR PRINCE and (10) GEUMBIT SPRING others who may improve in a race were there is quite a big drop off in form after the first couple of favourites.

Selections(3) Hear We Go (5) Miss Falcon (7) George Prince (2) Doctor Prince
Next Best10, 4
Fast Start3, 4, 7, 8

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

(more…)

GANGPUNGMA SOARS TO PRESIDENT’S CUP GLORY

Gangpungma backed up his July KRA Cup Classic victory with an even more commanding performance to win the President’s Cup (2000M KOR-G1) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon. The “Big Four” who all skipped last month’s Korea Cup, filled out the first four positions with 2024 winner Global Hit in 2nd, 2025 winner Speed Young 3rd, and Success Baekpa 4th.

(Pic: KRA)

Ridden for the first time by Jang Chu-youl in the absence of the injured Jo Jae-ro, who had been his jockey in all but one of his previous twenty-nine starts, Gangpungma was sent off as the 2.3 market elect for the season’s penultimate Group 1 test.

Having settled right at the back of the field, Gangpungma eased into contention on the home turn and then cruised away seemingly effortlessly for a six-length win on the line. 

It was a first Group 1 success not only for Gangpungma but also for jockey Jang, trainer Kim Dong-chul and owner Park Nam-sung. At six-years-old, Gangpungma is the oldest President’s Cup winner since Triple Nine won his fourth in 2018.

“I felt very comfortable right from the start” winning jockey Jang told in-house broadcaster KRBC. “Really not a single moment of unease, (Gangpungma) traveled so well that I thought he was going to take off and start flying. The start was good and the pace was perfect so I could afford to take it easy. It was a lot of fun.”

(Pic: KRA)

Three-year-old Funny Wild was well supported as fourth favourite in the market but while the double Classic winner did set the early pace, he was among the first beaten when the established stars started to press, ultimately finishing in 9th place.

For Global Hit it was a 5th runner-up finish in as many starts in 2026, while Speed Young and Success Baekpa ran their usual solid races.

The seven-lengths between Success Baekpa and Giant Step, who led home the rest in 5th, was perhaps indicative of the gulf in quality that exists in the longer distance races at the moment. With no Clean One, there is little reason to believe that any others besides the big four (assuming that up and coming imported star Roshe does not run) have any serious winning chance the Grand Prix (2300M KOR-G1), the final Group 1 race of the season on December 6.

Korea Racing Report: October 9-11

GANGPUNGMA RULED THE SHOW GAINING GROUP ONE GLORY IN THE PRESIDENT’S CUP IN SEOUL ON SUNDAY BUT ON THE UNDERCARD AN 1800M CLASS 3 FOR DOMESTIC REARED HORSES WAS THE MAIN HANDICAP AND THE EVER-CONSISTENT FLYING HONOR proved he is only getting better and better with an outstanding runaway seven-length victory over two other smart three-year-old’s in Live Star and Concord Codie.

Flying Honor (To Honor And Serve) scored by seven-lengths, and it could have been further if jockey Johan Victoire wanted it to be, as the 4.1 second choice with Live Star who was the 5.8 third favourite finishing one-and-a-half lengths ahead of the 2.4 favourite Concord Codie in 2nd and 3rd places. Johan Victoire is the regular partner of Flying Honor and he was completing a double after a similarly easy victory on GEUPHAENG YEOLCHA (Union Rags) who lived up to her name in Race 7 (1600M Class 4) running away from her rivals like an express train in the home straight to score by six-lengths and in doing so the American bred filly was recording her first win at start twelve following multiple minor placings.

Race 11 (1400M Class 3) was the concluding contest and JJARITHAN HAENGBOK (Maximus Mischief) was another winner for the combination of jockey Kozzi Asano, trainer Choi Yong-geon and owner Woo Tae-yul which have a winning strike of almost 40% across the past couple of months. Jjarithan Haengbok was a winner at odds of 30.6 when ridden for the first time by Asano in August before a 2nd last month, where he attempted to bite the rival that kicked back to beat him as they crossed the line, but made no mistake here scoring by two-and-a-half lengths at odds of 4.6 over the Australian bred three-year-old South Carnival which was the 2.5 favourite. Cheongung Storm, who was the horse that Jjarithan Haengbok went to bite last month, was the 9.0 third choice and finished 6th after leading.

TIGER MANGCHI (Old Fashioned) was stepping right up in trip when running in Race 9 (1700M Class 4) and was also ridden very differently by Kim Yong-geun with front-running tactics applied but that did not stop the three-year-old gelding from bouncing back into the winners list by four-lengths as the 2.1 favourite. He only made his debut in June and is now the winner of three races from four starts.

(more…)