Racing Previews

Seventh International Jockey Challenge Set For This Weekend In Seoul

Riders from Australia, South Africa, Ireland, Turkey, Japan and Malaysia in town to take on home team

It’s that time of year again! The KRA mobilises its fleet of interpreters, punters look on in bemusement, and the local Jockey Union grits its teeth and stamps its feet at those foreigners taking our money! Yes, it’s the 7th International Jockey Invitational Challenge.

The International Jockey Challenge promoted on the Big Screen at Seoul last week

Six overseas riders will take on six Koreans for a $20,000 individual prize plus an overall team prize in four races over the weekend, culminating in Sunday night’s YTN Stakes. Home jockeys have dominated over the past two years, mainly die to luck of the draw for rides. This year’s draw takes place on Thursday and we’ll have a full run-down on respective riders’ chances over the next couple of days. In the meantime, here’s who’s in town:

International

As usual its a mixture of veterans and up and comers. The KRA has close links with all the national racing associations who are sending jockeys, however, for the first time in the event’s seven-year hstory, there will be no competitor from the USA. Here is a rundown of the international team (Name (age) – Country – Experience – Rides/wins/seconds/thirds):

Ahmet Celik (24) – Turkey – 7 years – 4661/510/522/503

Has recent experience in these kinds of challenges being part of the Turkish team that saw off the likes of Johnny Murtagh and Olivier Peslier in a Jockey Challenge at Veliefendi Racecourse in Istanbul last month.

Rory Cleary (24) – Ireland – 7 years – 3012/161/155/186

From a racing family, Cleary has ridden winners in multiple Listed races in ultra-competitive Irish racing, Cleary follows the likes of Wayne Lordan and Pat Shanahan in representing Ireland in Korea. See here for a detailed biography from Horse Racing Ireland.

Aldo Domeyer (24) – South Africa – 4 years – 2288/194/204/193

A Champion apprentice in South Africa, Domeyer is nicknamed “The Candy Kid” after his Champion Jockey father “The Candyman” Andrew Fortune, Here is an interview with TAB Online from last year in which he cites Muzi Yeni, who competed in last year’s challenge, as one of his role-models.

Dwayne Dunn (38) – Australia – 22 years – 6656/876/2-3 1454

Now considered a veteran, Dunn has won many top class races including the Caulfield Cup and four consecutive victories in the Blue Diamond Stakes. Dunn has also ridden in Hong Kong.

Yoshihiro Furakawa (34) – Japan – 15 years – 5093/267/329/351

The experienced Furukawa’s biggest wins in his homeland have come in the 2009 Queen’s Stakes and the 1997 Hanshin Sansai Himba Stakes. Last year’s Japanese entrant, Syu Ishibashi won the final leg of the challenge, the YTN Cup, which again provides the Stakes finale on SUnday evening.

Ronald Woodworth (38) – Malaysia – 17 years – 5266/546/524/528

The only visitor to have ridden in Korea before, Woodworth came to Seoul in 2008 to ride in the Selangor Turf Club Trophy. During his career in Malaysia and Singapore, Woodworth has ridden 24 Stakes winners.

Korea

The home side sends out pretty much its “A-Team”. As usual, Park Tae Jong heads the list of usual suspects. Jo In Kwen, currently enjoying a breakthrough season in fourth place in the title race, joins the team for the first time.

Park Tae Jong (45) – 24 years – 10800/1696/1541/1289
Shin Hyoung Chul (44) – 23 years – 5494/583/602/547
Cho Kyoung Ho (35) – 10 years – 3804/648/534/411
Moon Se Young (30) – 10 years – 3526/608/478/410
Oh Kyoung Hoan (31) – 12 years – 2541/251/235/226
Jo In Kwen (24) – 3 years – 916/115/97/77

The challenge consists of four races – two each on Saturday and Sunday – culminating in the YTN Cup Stakes on Sunday evening. They are:

Saturday August 13: Race 6 – 16:50 – 1400M
Saturday August 13: Race 9 – 19:20 – 1900M
Sunday August 14: Race 6 – 16:35 – 1400M
Sunday August 14: Race 9 – 19:10 – 1900M (YTN Cup Stakes)

Jockerys receive 20 points for a win, 15 for second and then it decreases in increments of three down to sixth place.

* UPDATE (Aug 11) – Race cards have been published for this weekend and, contrary to the original schedule released by the KRA, the international jockeys will only take part in one race on each day – race 9 on both Saturday and Sunday.

Weekend Preview

So many things that could have been done with a blank weekend – it seems last year I had a great time. This year it just rained. And rained and rained. Anyway, after its very short summer vacation, racing returns to the peninsula this weekend with a busy three days of action.

Rain: Looks like we could be seeing more this weekend as a typhoon brushes the peninsula

Hopes were high that the great grey Baekgwang (The Groom Is Red), Minister’s Cup winner in 2006 and at eight years old one of Korea’s most popular horses, would make his return after nearly a year and a half out with injury. He was entered for Saturday’s feature race at Seoul but hasn’t made the final declarations.

Baekgwang misses what is the only class 1 event of the weekend and it is real stick-a-pin-in-it stuff as any one of a number could take it with Real Victor, Taewangseong, Hwangnyongsaji and Khanui Jeguk being the best known names in the field.

Busan’s main events are on Sunday with co-feature races. 2010 Korean Derby winner Cheonnyeon Daero (Creek Cat) takes on foriegn-bred opposition in the first of them while in the second, another four-year old Trade Mark (War Zone) is looking to make a quick double success after winning a similar race two weeks ago. His jockey that day was Toshio Uchida but Mr Pink will have to sit things out this time, having earned himself a two-day ban.

While things seem set fair for Friday at Busan and Jeju, the rain is expected to return by Saturday. Here’s what’s happening when and where:

Friday August 5

Busan Race Park: 10 races from 15:00 to 21:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:30 to 21:00

Saturday August 6

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 14:20 to 20:50
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:20 to 21:10

Sunday August 7

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 14:20 to 21:00
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 16:30 to 20:30

Weekend Preview: The SBS Cup

Wangson Returns To Defend Title

Next weekend is a blank one so as all three Korean tracks take their one weekend of the summer off at the same time. This week, however, sees a full program of action and the SBS Cup is set to send us into the short break as Wangson returns to defend the title he won on a hot night a year ago.

Wangson in the SBS Cup Winner's Circle last year

Six-year old Wangson is lightly raced, with only nineteen starts to his name but he’s won eight of those and will be among the most fancied to take victory on Sunday evening. Baengnyeonbong, second last year, returns for another crack, as does 2010 Ttukseom Cup winner Triple Seven while Cheonun, second in last year’s Oaks, takes her chance against the colts. See below for a full list of runners and riders.

There’s plenty more besides the SBS Cup this weekend. Saturday at Seoul sees three-year old filly Kkakjaengi (Put It Back), winner of two big filly and mare Stakes races this year – The Segye Ilbo Cup and the Owners’ Trophy – take on older males in the feature handicap. The field isn’t too intimidating and the US import could very well record her sixth victory on her ninth start.

Busan meanwhile has a pair of class 1 feature races on Sunday as well as a rare class 1 sprint headlining Friday. The monsoon season has finished and the really hot weather of the past few days is set to abate – Come Racing!

Here’s what’s happening when and where:

Friday July 22

Busan Race Park: 9 races from 15:00 to 21:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:30 to 21:00

Saturday July 23

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 14:20 to 21:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:20 to 21:15

Sunday July 24

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 14:20 to 21:00 (including the SBS Cup at 18:20)
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 16:30 to 20:30

And here is the full list of runners for the SBS Cup with pedigree info, Age, Sex, Race Records and Jockey. Fillies and mares get a 2Kg allowance, all others will carry 59Kg. All are Korean bred:

SBS Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1900M – July 24, 2011 – 18:20

1. High Point [Silent Warrior – Fran’s Express (Expressman)] 5 H (22/6/2/5) – Cho Kyoung Ho
2. Suseong TX (Concept Win – Oktong-I (Kyoei Blossom)] 6 H (24/7/5/4) – Moon Se Young
3. Wangson [Distilled – Eastern Tide (Far Out East)] 6 H (19/8/3/2) – Shin Hyoung Chul
4. Hongji [Concept Win – Oksana Bayou (Regal And Royal)] 8 H (42/12/13/5) – Jung Ki Yong
5. Triple Seven [The Groom Is Red – Impudence (Grand Lodge)] 6 H (36/12/4/8) – Choi Bum Hyun
6. Winner Prince [Fortitude – Happy Flower (Priceless Prince)] 5 H (36/6/5/3) – Park Eul Woon
7. Money Teukgeup [Ft. Stockton – Headwork (Silveyville)] 5 H (26/6/5/3) – Park Tae Jong
8. Baengnyeonbong [Al Naba – Sansovino Art (Mister C.)] 5 G (27/7/2/7) – Kim Dong Kyun
9. Natural Nine [Revere C. Bop (Aly Dark)] 7 H (39/7/6/7) – Oh Kyoung Hoan
10. Cheonun [Ft. Stockton – Restless Patricia (Born Restless)] 4 F (15/5/5/2) – Jang Chu Youl
11. Special Volpony [Volponi – Marc’s Girl (River Special)] 4 F (18/5/6/2) – Jo In Kwen
12. Pop’s Slew [Archer City Slew – Pop’s Glory (Navarone)] 6 G (34/5/4/6) – Kim Ok Sung
13. Cheot Insang [Psychobabble – Soma (Far Out East)] 5 G (24/5/3/4) – Kim Young Jin

* Follow the weekend’s racing through live updates on Twitter

Mister Park Out But Stage Remains Set For Epic Metropolitan

Dangdae Bulpae, Yeonseung Daero Vs Tough Win, Dongbanui Gangja

History won’t be made now that Mister Park has been withdrawn from Sunday’s Busan Metropolitan Cup but we still have a cracking race on our hands as two home-grown Busan boys take on the massed ranks of an invading force of imports from the Capital under the floodlights.

From left: Dongbanui Gangja, Tough Win, the now scratched Mister Park, Dangdae Bulpae, Yeonseung Daero

A collective groan was heard around the Korean racing community on Wednesday when the name of Mister Park (Ecton Park) was missing from the list of declared runners for the Metropolitan. The 2010 Grand Prix champion is just one race away from a record-breaking sixteenth consecutive victory. He’s not injured so did connections get scared of putting his unbeaten record on the line against the best in the country when he only needs one more win?

One will have to take them at their word when they say he took a long time to recover from carrying 60 kilos in his last outing and would not be at his best. Nevertheless, a chance has been missed to go into history in the most glorious way imaginable.

So what are we left with? An exceptional race is what. And we still have the narrative. Only two horses from the home track will take part and they are the only two Korean bred horses in the race. Yeonseung Daero (Creek Cat) second in this race last year, and the remarkable five-time Stakes winner Dangdae Bulpae (Biwa Shinseiki) will be fighting for both local and national pride come post time. Either are capable of doing it but they’ve got a mammoth task on their hands.

From Seoul we have the two Superstars. Tough Win (Yonaguska), last year’s winner and Horse Of The Year and Dongbanui Gangja (Broken Vow), the double Grand Prix winner who finally snapped out of his bad habit of running wide to soundly defeat Tough Win a month ago. These two are game for anything and while Tough Win has the speed, 2000 metres is at the very upper limit of his capability.

Most see it as a straight fight between these four. Tough Win and Dangdae Bulpae are the most talented but Dongbanui Gangja and Yeonseung Daero are arguably the gamer. We could be in for a treat come 7:45pm on Sunday evening. The race will be simulcasted back live to Seoul Race Park where the Munhwa Ilbo Cup will be the major live event at 19:10.

Here’s a full list of runners and riders with pedigree, age, sex and race records:

Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Cup – Busan Race Park – 2000M – Sunday July 17 2011, 19:45

1. Baekjeonmupae (NZ) [Traditionally – Star Sixty Seven (Phone Trick)] 7 G (41/13/7/4) – Jung Ki Yong
2. Tough Win (USA) [Yonaguska – Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] 4 G (14/11/2/0) – Cho Kyoung Ho
3. Dongbanui Gangja (USA) [Broken Vow – Maremaid (Storm Bird)] 6 H (30/18/5/2) – Choi Bum Hyun
4. Yaho TS (USA) [Roar Of The Tiger – Propeller (Lear Fan)] 5 H (28/4/1/1) – Makoto Noda
5. Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] 4 C (17/12/1/1) – Jo Sung Gon
6. Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] 5 H (33/14/6/5) – Choi Si Dae
7. Mr. Loving Life (USA) [Full Mandate – Indeed Yes (Shadeed)] 6 H (46/5/5/5) – Ham Wan Sik
8. Gippeun Sesang (CAN) [Behrens – Bellus (Saint Ballado)] 5 H (35/3/4/3) – Hwang Soon Do
9. Necromancer (JPN) [Air Eminem – I Am The Filly (Symboli Rudolf)] 5 H (30/5/6/4) – Kim Ok Sung
10. Saseong (JPN) [White Muzzle – Rose Garden (Peintre Celebre)] 5 G (21/4/1/2) – Lee Sang Hyeok
11. Cheonjidolpung (USA) [Tactical Cat – Luminate (A.P. Indy)] 6 G (28/5/0/4) – Mai Beppu

Sunday July 17

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 2:20 to 21:00 including the Munhwa Ilbo Cup at 19:10
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 16:30 to 20:35 including the Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Cup at 19:45

Weekend Preview: “Summer Fantasia” Begins

Night Racing Starts as Busan Metropolitan, Munhwa Ilbo Cup Headline Massive Weekend but Mister Park Will Not Be Chasing Record-Breaking Win

This year it’s being called “Summer Fantasia”. Starting this weekend and continuing until mid-August, racing in Korea shifts to a later mid-afternoon start with a night-time finish under the floodlights.

Night falls at Seoul

Of course, given that the lights were on at Seoul just two weeks ago due to it somehow managing to get dark at about 3pm, it’s not that much of a novelty. Nevertheless, racing on a beautiful summer’s evening with a huge crowd, various concerts taking place around the track (albeit with the kind of performers aimed a late middle-age Korean audience) and the lights on, can be quite an experience.

And it seems that monsoon season, which this year has been longer and heavier than most, is finally set to draw to a (temporary – there are typhoons on the horizon) close this Saturday. On the track, there are three big Stakes race – one at each track to get the summer season off to a great start. The biggest is at Busan and the Metropolitan City Mayor’s Cup, commonly known as the “Summer Grand Prix” which brings together the best of horses from both Busan and Seoul.

Lighting up - the lights will be on for the last four races this weekend

Unfortunately Mister Park (Ecton Park) who won the actual Grand Prix in 2010 and who would have been seeking a record-breaking 16th consecutive victory has been withdrawn which leaves just two horses from Busan facing an invasion from the capital. However, those two horses are Dangdae Bulpae (Biwa Shiseiki) and Yeonseung Daero (Creek Cat), both champions in their own right. Coming down to meet them, however, is a veritable army of Seoul’s top imported talent, headed by last year’s winner Tough Win (Yonaguska) and the double Grand Prix champion Dongbanui Gangja (Broken Vow). We’ll have much more on the Metropolitan over the next couple of days.

At Seoul it’s the Munhwa Ilbo Cup on Sunday while Jeju plays host to the KCTV Cup on Saturday. We’ll be taking a look at the Munhwa Ilbo field on Saturday.

Here’s what’s happening when and where.

Friday July 15

Busan Race Park: 9 races from 15:00 to 21:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:30 to 21:00

Saturday July 16

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 14:20 to 20:50
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:20 to 21:20 (including the KCTV Cup at 19:55)

Sunday July 17

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 14:20 tp 21:00 (including the Munhwa Ilbo Cup at 19:10)
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 16:30 to 20:35 (including the Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Cup at 19:45)

Follow live updates from all three days on twitter

Atmospheric: Night-time in the Grandstands

All To Do For Soseuldaemun In Do-Min Ilbo Stakes

Cup Mile Winner Looks To Bounce Back / King Austin Can Give Wolsley First Stakes

After a dreadful performance in the Korean Derby, KRA Cup Mile winner Soseuldaemun returns to Stakes action on Sunday at his home track of Busan as he heads the field in the Gyeongnam Do-Min Ilbo Cup (Busan Race 5, 16:15).

Soseuldamun and Toshio Uchida will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing Derby

So impressive in the Cup Mile, Soseuldamun turned up to Seoul having shed twenty kilos and looked a shadow of his real self as he trailed home with the also-rans behind winner Gwangyajeil. Nevertheless, the word from Busan is that he is back in shape and he’ll be among the favourites in what is set to be an open race.

The Do-Min Ilbo is a handicap and topping the weights is the likely favourite, Dongseo Jeongbeol. He’s won over the distance and last time out recorded a quite ridiculous 18 length win over what seemed a competitive field. Less of a known quantity but also set to be dangerous is Heukdujanggun. The colt is untried at anything over six and a half furlongs but connections are confident he’ll have no trouble getting the nine furlong trip.

Then there is King Austin. Owned and bred by Isidore Farm, could he be the one to give Australian trainer Peter Wolsley a much deserved first Korean Stakes winner? He could. Proven at the distance and with top jockey Jo Sung Gon on board, the small foreign community in Korean racing will be lumping on.

As for outsiders, Gangho Gullim is a proven winner while Enough To Win is an intriguing entry having last raced in October last year. Meanwhile, new Japanese jockey Akane Yamamoto gets her first Korean Stakes ride on what is set to be a very long shot, Choego Yeongung.

Here’s a full list of the runners with pedigrees, age, sex, weight to be carried, race records and riders. All are Korean bred:

Gyeongnam Do-Min Ilbo Stakes – Busan Race Park – 1800M – Sunday July 10, 2011 – 16:15

1. Choego Yeongung [Lost Mountain – Share The Lot (Gaius)] 4-C-53Kg (18/1/3/5) – Akane Yamamoto
2. Gamun Daejangun [Meisei Opera – Wild Triple (Military)] 3-G-53.5Kg (8/2/3/1) – Chae Gyu Jun
3. Yeonsok Yeonseung [Social Charter – Tapas (Sky Classic)] 4-F-51Kg (20/2/3/2) – Kim Tae Kyung
4. Heukdujanggun [Vicar – Glorious Thunder (Thunder Gulch)] 3-C-56Kg (7/4/1/0) – Park Geum Man
5. Black Ruby [War Zone – Valent Hero (Always A Classic)] 4-F-53.5Kg (12/3/5/0) – Jo Chan Hoon
6. Dongseo Jeongbeol [Vicar – Rendezvous Bay (Wonderloaf)] 3-C-56.5 (7/4/1/0) – You Hyun Myung
7. Perfect Made [Creet Cat – Our Ramblin Rose (Demaloot Demashoot)] 4-C-53Kg (23/2/4/3) – Lim Sung Sil
8. King Austin [Yehudi – Sunset Key (Citidancer)] 3-C-54Kg (7/2/2/2) – Jo Sung Gon
9. Gangho Gullim [Mujaaxif – Our Kaapstad (Kaapstad)] 4-C-55Kg (7/5/1/0) – Oh Young Il
10. Soseuldaemun [Meisei Opera – This Ole Way (Vigors)] 3-C-55.5Kg (11/3/3/1) – Toshio Uchida
11. Dongbangmiin [Yehudi – Pyeonghwaroun (Kingsview)] 4-F-52.5Kg (15/4/2/3) – Song Keong Yun
12. Daeseung Yegam [Silent Warrior – Tolp’ung-yegam (Land Rush)] 3-C-53.5Kg (12/3/1/2) – Jo Chang Wook
13. Enough To Win [Creek Cat -Skeemo (Meadowlake)] 4-G-55.5Kg (11/4/1/1) – Choi Si Dae

Sunday July 10

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:10 to 18:10
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:30 to 17:10

Weekend Preview

Do-Min Ilbo Stakes / Akane Debuts

It’s set to be another wet weekend on the peninsula as the Gyeongnam Do-Min Ilbo Stakes headlines the action on the track.

The Do-Min Ilbo Stakes will see KRA Cup Mile winner Soseuldaemun look to get back into form after a disappointing run in the Derby while King Austin gives Aussie trainer Peter Wolsley another shot at a first Korean Stakes winner. We’ll have a full preview of the big race over the next couple of days.

While Busan may have the biggest prize on offer, there is still plenty going on at Seoul with class 1 handicaps headlining both Saturday and Sunday’s cards; Top Point, Jumong and Bulpae Gisang will be among those in action

Akane Yamamoto (Pic: Chulgigi)

On the jockey front, back down at Busan, Japnese rider Akane Yamamoto makes her Korean debut today. Twenty-four year old Yamamoto (who will be referred to in racecards simply as “Akane” has ridden 269 winners from 2459 rides and joins countryman Toshio Uchida as the only two foreign jockeys currently at Busan. Akane has previously ridden with Hitomi Myashita, formerly of Busan and Mai Beppu, who is currently seeking her first winner at Seoul.

Here’s what’s happening when and where:

Friday July 8

Busan Race Park: 9 races from 12:00 to 18:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 13:30 to 17:30

Saturday July 9

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:10 to 17:30
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 12:30 to 17:20

Sunday July 10

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:10 to 18:10
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:30 to 17:10 inclusing the Gyeongnam Do-Min Ilbo Stakes at 16:15

* Follow all three days of racing live on twitter.

Weekend Preview

It’s July! And it’s been wet this week. Things seem to have improved a little over the last couple of days and we may even get some racing in the dry this weekend.

Derby winner Gwangyajeil reappears at Seoul this Sunday

Things get underway at Busan imminently although the pick of the action both there and in the capital is on Sunday. Korean Derby winner Gwangyajeil makes his first appearance since his victory in the big one as he heads the field for a class 2 event at Seoul on Sunday afternoon.

Here’s what’s happening when and where:

Friday July 1

Busan Race Park: 9 races from 12:00 to 18:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 13:30 to 17:30

Saturday July 2

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:10 to 17:30
Jeju Race Park: 10 races from 12:30 to 17:30

Sunday July 3

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:10 to 18:00
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:30 to 17:00

Follow all three days live on twitter. Normal blogging will resume shortly.

Saturday Round-Up – Sunday Sports Seoul Line-up

Kim Hae Sun’s Lucky Day / Seungniuihamseong Favourite To Claim Sports Seoul

Saturday at Seoul saw Kim Hae Sun add to her reputation as one of Korea’s most promising young jockeys as she rode a pair of winners in the monsoon rain. Having partnered favourite Nice Active to victory in race 7, she then scored in the first of co-feature races on three-year old colt I’d Rather B Lucky (Gibson County).

Double: Kim Hae Sun

Kim, who debuted two years ago, has now ridden 26 winners from 450 rides. There was also a rare winner for Kim’s fellow female rider Lee Ae Li, who claimed the last on 9/1 shot Victory Camp.

In other races, there were victories for last year’s Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup winner Magic Party (Artie Schiller) and also for Sun Best (Woke Up Dreamin), who saw off Derby also rans Yeongung Icheon and Geuma Champ in race 9. Meanwhile, much earlier in the day, New Zealand bred two-year old Mister Captain (Captain Rio) recorded his second win in his second outing as he comfrotabel defeated dubut-making Smarty Jones colt Smarty Moonhak in race 4.

Sunday at Seoul sees the Sports Seoul Stakes. It’s one of the biggest trial races for the Korean Oaks which will be run at Busan in August. Ten fillies will line up for the race which will be run over 1700 metres. Here’s a run down of all of them all with race records and jockey – all are Korean bred:

Sports Seoul Stakes – Seoul Race Park – 1700M – Sunday June 26, 16:35

1. Seungniuihamseong [Vicar] (7/3/2/0) – Choi Won Joon
Has won three out of her last four including last time out over the Oaks distance of 1800 metres. She will be the clear favourite.

2. Gieongnal Geunal [Menifee] (4/1/0/1) – Yoon Tae Hyoug
Well beaten behind Event Queen last time out and will be an outsider here.

3. Saebyeokcheonsa [Vicar] (5/2/0/1) – Park Byeong Yun
Another outsider, she won well last time out.

4. Allegrissimo [Bon Vivant] (7/2/3/0) – Moon Se Young
Came close to Seungniuihamseong last time and is likely to be one of her main rivals here.

5. Firenze [Yankee Victor] (10/3/1/0) – Oh Kyoung Hoan
Showed promise earlier this year but struggled over this distance in her last race.

6. Hwaryeohansesang [Perfect Vision II] (2/2/0/0) – Park Tae Jong
The unknown quantity in the race. Her two wins have been at five and six furlongs but if she gets the trip, she could be a factor.

7. Mustang Queen [Concept Win] (6/3/2/0) – Cho Kyoung Ho
Possibly the biggest danger to the favourite. She knows how to win and ran well over 1700 metres in her last race.

8. Sen Girl [Strodes Creek] (10/2/2/3) – Kim Ok Sung
Could the last crop of Strodes Creek include a Stakes winner? He’s got three in this race Sen Girl is the most useful of them and while she is without a win in three, they have been against good horses. Also has no problems getting the distance.

9. Event Queen [Strodes Creek] (7/1/4/0) – Ham Wan Sik
Broke her maiden last time out over six furlongs after repeated second place finishes. While improving, there should be better fillies here.

10. Cheonupilseung (7/2/2/0) – Choi Bum Hyun
Won well last time out but as yet hasn’t beaten a lot. An outside chance of a place.

* And here’s what’s happening when and where:

Sunday June 26

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:10 to 18:05
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:30 to 17:05

Wet Weekend Preview

Sports Seoul Cup Headlines Monsoon Weekend

There are many great things about living in Korea – the people, the food, the natural beauty, the technology, the er..music, to name just a few. The weather is not on that list. The snow of January may now be a distant memory but instead, we have monsoon season!

Expect this to be a frequent sight over the next few weeks

This year’s downpours began on Wednesday and quite spectacular they have been too. The rain is forecast to continue throughout the weekend at all three tracks with perhaps the odd thunderstorm too to liven things up. Racing continues of course with the headline event being the Sports Seoul Cup at Seoul Race Park on Sunday. The race, for Korean bred three-year old fillies, is one of the main trials for the Korean Oaks which will be run at Busan in August.

While the track isn’t necessarily the greatest place to be during a monsoon downpour – home generally is – it’s no reason to stay away. At Seoul, ,there is plenty of non-smoking outside covered seating on the second and third floors of the Happyville Grandstand. Here’s what’s happening when and where.

Friday June 24

Busan Race Park: 9 races from 12:00 to 18:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 13:30 to 17:30

Saturday June 25

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:10 to 17:30
Jeju Race Park: 10 races from 12:30 to 17:30

Sunday June 26

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:10 to 18:05 including the Sports Seoul Cup at 16:35
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:30 to 17:00

* Blogging has been unavoidably light recently but normal service will be resumed shortly and if possible, we’ll aim to have a full run-down of the Sports Seoul line-up on Saturday evening.