The week’s racing gets underway at Busan Race Park on Friday afternoon where the first of the normal nine race card is underway at 13:00. There are also six races at Busan on Sunday.

The action at Seoul Race Park begins on both Saturday and Sunday at 11:20am with twleve races on Saturday and eleven on the Sunday. featire race of the weekend is at Seoul and is a KRW42 Million handicap on Sunday. The 2000 metre race 10 has attracted a number prominent handicappers with the weights headed by Secret Weapon (11 wins from 22) and Good Day (9 from 13).

There is also Saturday and Sunday racing at Jeju Race Park with nine races on each day, the first under orders at 12:20pm.  

Ttukseom Cup weekend at Seoul Race Park

One of the real superstars of Korean horse racing returns to the track at Seoul Race Park on Sunday. The grey, Baekgwang will go in the KRW 132Million Ttukseom Cup in his first outing since last September. In 16 races, Baekgwang has never been unplaced, nine of those starts ending in wins with the highlight being a 2006 hat-trick in the DongA Ilbo Cup, Munhwa Ilbo Cup and Minister’s Cup. The Ttukseom Cup is raced over 1400 metres and Baekgwang will be dropping down to the distance for the first time since his DongA Ilbo victory in September 2006. Also lining up will be the dangerous Namchonuijijon, one of those who had the misfortune of being born in the same year as J.S. Hold but has been in imperious form so far in 2008 and Hongji, who beat Galsaem last time out. Old stagers Totoro, Neocheon, Sinheung Gangho and New Fighter will also be there.

The Ttukseom Cup is under orders at 5pm on Sunday and is race 9 of an eleven race card which gets underway at 11:20. On Saturday they also start at 11:20 for a 12 race card. There is racing at Jeju Race Park on Saturday and Sunday with a 12:20 start on both days and at Busan Race Park on Friday (1pm) and Sunday (12:40pm).

After last weekend’s KRA Cup Mile meeting, it’s back to normal at Busan Race Park this weekend with nine races on Friday and six on Sunday. On both days the feature race is the last which is a KRW 42Million handicap. The first race on Friday is at 1pm and on Sunday at 12:40pm.

Fourteen runners will line up for the KRA Cup Mile at Busan Race Park which will be under orders at 3:45pm on Sunday. It’s an open race with a number of horses likely to be well-fancied; Taeyangcheoreom, Daejanggun, Hammer Punch, Jeolho Chance and Rainmaker all getting strong support in the weekend form books. Here is the complete list of runners and riders:

Horse Name – Runs (1/2/3/4/5) – Jockey

1. Gaya Gongju 7(3/2/1/0/0) Kim Eo Su (VIDEO)

2. Samsinnyeonsarang 6(3/2/0/0/1) Danny Craven (Seoul)

3. Taeyangcheoreom 8(4/0/1/0/1) Nozomu Tomizawa (Seoul)

4. Sammuae 8(1/1/0/2/0) Han Sang Gyu (Seoul)

5. Raon King 4(2/0/1/0/0) Cho Chang Wook

6. Rainmaker 5(2/3/0/0/0) An Sun Ho

7. Bulpae Yeoksa 8(2/0/4/0/0) Soo Khoon Beng

8. Namdo Jijon 6(1/4/0/1/0) Chae Kyu Jun

9. Hammer Punch 6(3/1/0/0/1) Ikuyasu Kurakane (Seoul)

10. Super Goliath 6(2/3/0/1/0) Gu Young Jun

11. Gaeseon Janggun 5(2/0/1/1/1) Cho Sung Gon

12. Jeolho Chance 7(4/1/0/1/0) Cho Chan Hun

13. Gilsan 5(1/3/0/0/0) Lim, Sung Sil

14. Daejanggun 8(4/0/2/1/0) Woo Chang Gu (Seoul)

The card at Seoul Race Park may be overshadowed by that at Busan this weekend but still there are twelve races on Saturday and eleven on Sunday with the first beginning at 11:20 on each day. Feature race of the two days is race 10 on Sunday, a KRW 37Million handicap involving Dirt King (5 wins from 9 starts), Angus Empire (6 from 17) and Haengun Daewang (9 from 20). On Sunday, four of the six races from the KRA Cup Mile meeting at Busan will be simulcasted to Seoul.

It’s KRA Cup Mile weekend at Busan Race Park and horses and jockeys from Seoul will be venturing South for the cards on Friday and Sunday culminating in the KRW228Million won KRA Cup Mile which is off at 3:45pm on Sunday. The three foreign riders, Danny Craven, Ikuyasu Kurakane and Nozomu Tomizawa are joined by Woo Chang Gu to make up the Seoul contingent at Busan. On Friday the first of nine races is under orders at 1pm and on Sunday the first of six begins at 12:40. We’ll take a closer look at the runners in the big race later in the week.

There are 12 races on Saturday at Seoul Race Park with the first underway at 11:20 with the most valuable race being the last, a handicap over 2000 metres involving Galsaem and Best Condition. Sunday sees 11 races, again the first under orders at 11:20. Temperatures are likely to be on the cool side of mild with showers a danger throughout the weekend.

There are also nine races on both Saturday and Sunday at Jeju, with the first starting at 12:20 on both days. Busan’s Friday and Sunday cards are previewed below.

Cards have been published for this weekend’s racing at Busan Race Park. This Friday sees one more race than usual with the first of ten getting underway at 13:00 with races on the half hour until 17:30. Quantity isn’t necessarily matched by quality, however, and several races are thin on entrants with only four events attracting ten or more runners. Indeed, three races will only be paying out on the first two home as they only have seven runners. Feature race will be the last which is an 1800 metre handicap with a KRW42Million first prize. Among those lining up are Sinjin Gangja (7 wins from 15 runs) and Mirae Cheonsa (9 from 15), ranked third and fourth respectively in total money won at Busan, although neither are in winning form so far this year. In better form is Boryeong Bulbit (5 from 13) which has won the past two times out in improving company.

Sunday will see six races with Keep It Quick the best known name in the feature race. Racing starts on Sunday at 12:40.

Weekend Preview
Saturday’s highlight at Seoul Race Park sees rivals Subsidy and Bally Brae go head to head for the first time since the latter’s easy Grand Prix victory in September. The race, a 1900 metre handicap, is off at 17:20. Bally Brae will carry half a kilo more and both will be partnered by their usual jockeys, with Moon Se Young on Bally Brae (12 wins from 19 races) and Cho Kyoung Ho on Subsidy (16 from 25) . There are 12 races on Saturday with the first under orders at 11:20.

They get underway at the same time on Sunday too when the most valuable race out of the 11 being run is a handicap featuring last year’s Korean Oaks winner Baekpa and top money earner Gayasanseong, as well as old stagers Flying Cat and Haengunui Bit.

As previewed below, there’s racing at Busan on Friday and Sunday and down on Jeju there are nine races on both Saturday and Sunday with the first under orders at 12:20 on both days.