Racing is back at Busan on Friday with 10 races from 11:30 to 18:00. English race cards are here and notes on races to be simulcast overseas are below:
Race 4: Class 6 / 1600M / Allowance / KRW 22 Million
1. JIBONG YEONGUNG – Yet to win in 14 but a 2nd and a 4th among latest four.
2. FOR BART – Debut-maker from, of course, Bart Rice. Few clues from trials but interesting to start a mile. Give him a chance.
3. YOSUL KING – 4th of 7 only creditable performance to date. Outsider.
4. BAY KINGS – Shown little either side of a six-month break between 2nd and 3rd starts.
5. MEISTER GO – Much improved 2nd ahead of two of these on first try at a mile a month (more…)
Grand Prix winner Clean Up Joy, who downed both Triple Nine and Power Blade at Seoul in December, will make his seasonal debut in the capital on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile last year’s Meydan Hero Success Story looks to have winning chances at Busan. 11 races at Seoul from 10:40 to 18:00. There are 6 at Busan from 12:35 to 17:00.
Clean Up Joy won the Grand Prix Stakes in 2016
English race cards are here. Read on for notes on every horse on the cards (except Busan race 1 which is the only race not being simulcast overseas):
Seoul Race 1: Class 6 / 1000M / Allowance / KRW 40 Million
1. TAEHUI NALGAE – 3rd on debut, 2nd last time, should go one better.
2. SUPER FLY – Didn’t do much on debut. Can improve today.
3. URIUI HAENGBOK – Two 3rds and a 4th among four outings. In the frame. (more…)
There used to be a saying among certain Korean punters that at Seoul you bet the jockeys while at Busan you bet the trainers. As we head into this weekend (11 races at Busan on Friday from 11:30 to 18:00), that may not be the case anymore.
Yonekura Satoshi is one of a number of in-form jockeys at Busan right now (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Of course, it’s probably best to bet the numbers (although my own personal strategy used to be to bet whichever one had a funny sounding name) but there was an element of truth in it; the top trainers were at Busan while the top Korean jockeys were at Seoul.
The top trainers are still at Busan in the shape of Kim Young Kwan, Peter Wolsley, Bart Rice and Thomas Gillespie but increasingly the jockeys are too and the news that Moon Se Young is Singapore-bound further drains the Seoul talent-pool which lost Jo In Kwen, Jo Sung Gon and Ham Wan Sik – all capable Korean jockeys – to the south coast at the start of the year. That’s all to Busan’s benefit.
With Yonekura Satoshi in superb form and newcomers Marios Mina and Andrea Mezzatesta getting off the mark last week while Darryll Holland continues to do what Darryll Holland does, the Busan weighing room is as competitive as it has ever been. With the exception of Jo, all will be in action on Friday. English race cards are here, notes on races scheduled for overseas simulcast are below:
Race 4: Class 6 / 1600M / Handicap / KRW 22 Million
1. HAPPY LIGHT – Beaten few in five outings. First time at a mile and needs to show more.
2. VICTORY DAY – Three figure odds for all five starts and a long shot here too.
3. GOLDEN BULLET – Much improved 4th on first try at distance and a contender today. (more…)
Last year’s winner Pinot Noir put up a valiant defence of her Donga Ilbo crown but ultimately was to be denied as Meni Money came home in front in Seoul’s second Listed Race of 2017.
With the well-fancied Touch Flying found lame and declared a non-runner less than an hour before the race, it was Meni Money who was sent off as favourite and she was kept handy by champion jockey Moon Se Young in the early stages. Meanwhile, Park Hyun Woo on Pinot Noir employed the now 7-year-old mare’s familiar tactics of dropping to the rear on leaving the gate before going wide around the field in the back straight to take the lead.
Pinot Noir would lead into the straight but Meni Money came alongside with a furlong to go and ran on to prevail by just under a length and a half. Argo Champ ran on well for 3rd.
Meni Money [Menifee-Pocketful Of Money (Running Stag)] is out of a dam who for a number of years held the track record at today’s distance of 1800M. She won five and was runner-up in five of her first ten career starts, including 2nd place in the Korean Oaks in 2015. However, since then she had only added a further two victories prior to today. Her previous biggest victory came in the 2015 Sports Seoul Cup.
Donga Ilbo Cup (Listed) – Seoul Racecourse – 1800M – Feb 19, 2017
1. Meni Money (KOR) [Menifee – Pocketful Of Money (Running Stag)] – Moon Se Young – 2.3, 1.2 2. Pinot Noir (KOR) [Capital Spending – Neungnyeokchungman (Pacificbounty)] – Park Hyun Woo – 1.6 3. Argo Champ (KOR) [Menifee – Doo Dah Day (Woodman)] – Djordje Perovic – 2.1 Distances: 1.25 lengths / 3 lengths – 9 ran
The win was one of five on the day for defending champion jockey Moon Se Young. Earlier, he won on Lion Rock (Ecton Park), a three year-old “full” brother to reigning Horse of the Year Triple Nine. Lion Rock moved to three from three with a facile victory in the 1700M race 8.
Two unbeaten records came to an end at Busan though. American Power (Ecton Park) didn’t travel especially well on his first try at a mile and gave himself too much to do in race 5, ending up in 2nd place. A race later, US import Drop The Beat (Mad Flatter) also went down to his first defeat.
Those defeats were in contrast to the showing a day earlier by Final Boss (Menifee). The champion juvenile of 2016 barely required second gear to maintain his winning streak over 1800M at Seoul:
Last year in the snow, Pint Noir won the Donga Ilbo Cup just before another blizzard forced racing to be abandoned for the day. There should be no weather issues this time around as she returns to defend her title against nine rivals over 1800M.
Pinot Noir in a snowy Donga Ilbo Cup winner’s circle last year
She probably won’t be favourite, with the likes of Meni Money and Touch Flying among a competitive field in the Donga. There’s plenty going on elsewhere as well with a total of 11 races at Seoul from 10:40 to 18:00 and 6 at Busan from 12:35 to 17:05.
English race cards are here. Notes on the three overseas simulcast races, including the Donga Ilbo Cup are below:
Race 8: Class 5 / 1700M / Handicap / KRW 40 Million
1. LION ROCK – Full brother to Triple Nine who is currently racing at the Dubai World Cup Carnival. Two for two so far and favourite to maintain his 100% record today. (more…)
Temperatures soared to the high teens in Busan this week and while it will have cooled down a little bit by the time horses come under orders, we’re still in for a mild weekend so it’s the ideal time to come racing! Busan gets us underway with 11 Friday races from 11:30 to 18:00.
It’s been a freezing cold weekend so far but there’s plenty of racing to warm us up at both Seoul and Busan on Sunday. In the apital there are 11 races from 10:40 to 18:00 while on the south coast there are 6 from 12:35 to 17:00.
At Busan last year’s Oaks winner Ottug Ottugi faces off with Mayor’s Cup winner Beolmaui Kkum. However, both of them could well be beaten by the respective stars from the stables of Bart Rice and Thomas Gillespie. Buhwarui Banseok and Champ Line are both still on the rise and both have strong claims in the 2000M Championship Series race (see video of Buhwarui Banseok’s New Year’s Eve victory above).
1. FANTASTIC QUEEN – Much to find based on her debut run when she was 10th of 11.
2. MUJEOGUI JEONSA – Debut-maker, nothing special in trials.
3. BAENONGI – 2nd in his trial in an adequate time. Dam won two of 13 in Korea.
4. SUPER CHANCE – Out of a Korean Oaks winner. Trial was average but top jockey booking.
5. EUMAK DAEJANG – 6th of 12 in a slow race at 1200M on Jan 14th. Look for improvement here.
6. HIGH ALYDAR – Led in his trial but weakened late on. Could be considered.
7. JAELONGI – 3rd of 12 at long odds on his second start on Jan 14th and will be much shorter today.
8. RICH YEOJANGGUN – Looked the best of the debut makers in trials.
9. SEUNGRIUI YEOSIN – 2nd on debut on Jan 8th beaten a length having led until a furlong out and is the favourite here.
10. JAEGUN GOCHU – Creditable trial. Dam won on at distance on debut.
11. SERA KHAN – 3rd in his trial, a long way behind the winner.
12. GOLD WINNER – Well beaten in both starts last year. Showed little when re-qualifying last month.
Verdict: It’s probably best to go with experience here and (9) SEUNGRIUI YEOSIN showed enough on debut to suggest he knows what’s he’s doing and should take some beating. (8) RICH YEOJANGGUN looked competent in running 2nd in his trial and if he brings that to the races, can challenge. (7) JAELONGI has to be respected following his vast improvement last time, six months after his debut. Hard to know what to make of the rest with (3) BAENONGI perhaps most likely.
Selections (9) Seungriui Yeosin (8) Rich Yeojanggun (7) Jaelongi (3) Baenongi
Next Best 10, 5, 4, 3
Fast Starters 9, 8 (more…)
It’s turned cold once more across the Korean peninsula but there are plenty of punting opportunities to warm up to this weekend. Busan gets things underway on Friday with an 11 race card from 11:30 to 18:00.
A pair of new overseas jockeys will be in action on the south coast this weekend. Italian Adrea Mezzatesta and Cypriot rider Marios Mina both make their Korean debuts. Meanwhile Darryll Holland is back from suspension and has some live mounts too. English race cards are here. Notes on races to be simulcast overseas are below:
Race 4: Class 6 / 1300M / Allowance / KRW 22 Million / 13:40
1. HWARYEOHAN YONGSA – Improved last time for 6th at long odds. Needs improvement again.
2. URIDEULUI YEONGUNG – Better on 1st try at this distance two weeks ago. Good jockey booking.
3. FOUR NINES – Drops back in distance after 4th over a mile last month. Two 3rds at 1300M already and should win here.
4. YOSUL KING – Only decent performance in four tries was in a similarly small field at this distance. Far behind Four Nines at a mile last up.
5. HOMYEONG DAERO – Slow on debut and sent back to trial. Slow in the trial.
6. JIBONG YEONGUNG – Only 2nd so far at this distance in November. Disappointed last month but worth another chance for the places.
7. NEW HAPPY DAY – Career best 3rd at the distance two weeks ago was a big improvement.
8. ONNURI GANGJA – Well beaten in all six starts, including twice at this distance
Verdict: (3) FOUR NINES really should be winning this against underwhelming opposition. (7) NEW HAPPY DAY looks the only credible danger off the back of that good showing two weeks ago with the top jockey who rode that day keeping the mount. (6) JIBONG YEONGUNG and (2) URIDEULUI YEONGUNG to contest the places
Selections: (3) Four Nines (7) New Happy Day (6) Jibong Yeongung (2) Urideuli Yeongung Next Best: 1, 8 Fast Starters: 2, 3 (more…)
Race 4: Class 6 / 1600M / Allowance / KRW 22 Million / 13:40
(4) WILD COP beat three of these when running 3rd over 1300M on New Year’s Eve and could be the one to beat up at a mile for the first time. We’ll go with (9) I’M ADELE though. He was a much improved 2nd at that same distance the same day and can also benefit from this lengthier task. (5) TIMELESS and (11) MEISTER GO both look to be improvers too while (8) DIVINE KING is likely to set the early pace and could stay on.
Selections: (9) I’m Adele (4) Wild Cop (5) Timeless (11) Meister Go Next Best: 1, 8 Rating: – Fast Starters: 8 Start-200M: 1, 8, 11, 5, 6 200M-Finish: 3, 11, 8, 4, 5 (more…)
Horse Racing in Korea 