It’s been another disappointing year for three year olds at Seoul but one of them may have the chance to step up on Sunday as four of the best of the crop are among the entries for the Munhwa Ilbo Cup.

The Munhwa brings together a group of three year olds and also older horses who haven’t quite made it into the big time yet. However, with winners in recent years including Myeongmun Gamun and Baekgwang, who went on to become two of the track’s biggest stars, there is the potential for a champion to emerge.

Nice Choice is the one many will be looking to. He’s won five of his eight races to date and was last year’s champion two year old. The one race he’s dissappointed in was the Derby. Ahead of him that day, Baengnyeonbong slipped into third place and following a smart win last month, he’s also back. Khanui Jeguk also disappointed in the Derby, but he too won last time out. The final three year old is Event. Kept off the classic trail, the colt has quietly amassed six wins from his ten starts.

Among the older horses, Lhotse Shar has been in good form this year and won at this level last time out. All the others have wins in their history but only Super Jet and Hallasinbi have been in winning form recently.

The race will be run under the lights on Sunday evening with post time at 7:35pm. Click here for past performance information (Korean) and see below for a full list of runners, records and riders:

Munhwa Ilbo Cup – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – July 26, 2009

1. Nanjeongseo [Psychobabble – Caroful (Sportful)] – (22/4/1/3) – Ham Wan Sik
2. Lhotse Shar [Revere – Leave It To Mama (Pappa Riccio)] – (16/5/1/1) – Shim Seung Tae
3. Baengnyeonbong [Al Naba – Sansovino Art (Mister C.)] – (11/5/1/2) – Shin Hyoung Cheol
4. Taegeuk Musa [Walkslikeaduck – Bae Gil Gi Do (Salmon Leap)] – (47/3/2/5) – Yang Hee Jin
5. Super Jet [Archer City Slew – Tae-Eulbong (Road Of War)] – (12/5/0/1) – Kim Young Jin
6. Khanui Jeguk [Sunday Well – Lucky Dip (Didyme)] – (9/4/1/1) – Choi Beom Hyun
7. Hallasinbi [Duality – Gamble On Jill (Spare Card)] – (21/4/4/1) – Lee Gi Hwoi
8. Challanhanbit [Psychobabble – Naha (Silver Buck)] – (21/5/1/1) – Moon Jung Kyun
9. Event [Creek Cat – Forget Me Dot (Citidancer)] – (10/6/0/0) – Moon Se Young
10. Nice Choice [Lost Mountain – Betty’s Rhapsody (Don’t Hesitate)] – (8/5/2/0) – Cho Kyoung Ho
11. Grandzif [Mujaazif – Knight Blues (Knight’s Choice)] – (18/3/5/3) – Park Tae Jong

Former Champion Heads SBS Cup Field
Baekgwang will be the star attraction on Sunday as the SBS Cup crowns this year’s first weekend of night racing at Seoul Race Park. In a week when live televised horse racing was outlawed in Korea, it is perhaps a little ironic that the first big race after the ban is sponsored by one of the country’s three main broadcasters and is the only race of the year to usually be shown on that channel.

And with the presence of Baekgwang, champion three year old of 2006, the race has become one of the most eagerly anticipated of the year. Whether the “White Wave” (see full profile) will be anything like his former self will go a long way to determining the outcome and a tough field of nine rivals will assemble to try to prevent him from achieving the fairytale comeback in winning the race his little sister Baekpa did last year.

Namchonuijijon will be there. Though dreadful last time out, he was second in the Ttukseom Cup and must always be considered. Third in that race back in April was Triple Seven and he returns on Sunday also. Winning last time out, he was a close second to Secret Weapon last month. Stepping up to the top level for the first time will be Wangson. Making his first appearance since winning the Sports Chosun in May, the four year old will be a dangerous contender.

A perennial placer of late has been Natural Nine. One of those who may have won a Classic were it not for J.S. Hold in 2007, he’s been involved at the business end of all of his races over the past year. Daehyo ran third to Top Point last monthand while Lucky Seven, Hallyu Star, Seungni Yongsa and Geumbit Gangja may look to be making up the numbers, all are proven winners.

The race, over nine and a half furlongs, is off at 7:35pm on Sunday. Click here to download past performance info (in Korean) and see below for a full list of runenrs, records and riders:

SBS Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1900M – July 19, 2009

1. Lucky Seven (KOR) [Didyme – Agent Flirt (Double Agent)] – (24/5/5/1) – Lee Sang Hyuk
2. Geumbit Gangja (KOR) [Didyme – Fleein Snow (Snow Chief)] – (25/4/7/1) – Ham Wan Sik
3. Daehyo (KOR) [Happy Jazz Band – Jasmine Douglas (Reference Point)] – (24/5/3/7) – Moon Se Young
4. Triple Seven (KOR) [The Groom Is Red – Impudence (Grand Lodge)] – (18/5/3/5) – Choi Beom Hyun
5. Seungni Yongsa (KOR) [Our Poetic Prince – Jane Lauren (Snow Chief)] – (49/5/4/7) – Won Jung Il
6. Baekgwang (KOR) [The Groom Is Red – Grey Crest (Gold Crest)] – (17/9/5/3) – Park Tae Jong
7. Hallyu Star (KOR) [Sharp Appeal – Angel (Land Rush)] – (36/5/6/3) – Choi Won Joon
8. Natural Nine (KOR) [Revere – C. Bop (Aly Dark)] – (21/7/4/4) – Oh Kyoung Hoan
9. Wangson (KOR) [Distilled – Eastern Tide (Far Out East)] – (11/5/3/0) – Kim Young Jin
10. Namchonuijijon (KOR) [Concept Win – Intriga (Lord At Law)] – (22/6/8/3) – Cho Kyoung Ho

A big weekend for Korean racing is coming up as the first of four weeks of evening racing gets underway. There are co-main events on Sunday with the SBS Cup at Seoul and the Gyeongnam-Do Min Ilbo Cup at Busan. The Min Ilbo is for imported horses and a full field of fourteen will contest the 1800 metre race.

Continuing the theme of recent weeks of locally bred horses running against the imports at Busan, Korean bred Areumdaun Jilju is entered. Last year’s most feared horse, has only run twice this season, but has won both of those and will, as ever, be hard to beat.

Among those trying will be a host of frequent winners such as Crafty Louis, who won over this distance last month. 2008 Busan Owners’ Trophy winner Hardride will be there, as will King Kephalos, winner of two out of his last four. Angle Slam prefers shorter distances but is always likely to be around the front of the field in the home straight while the filly Miss Ecton has been in strong form this year.

The race is off at 19:05 and is race 4 of 6 on Busan’s Sunday card which gets underway at 16:20. Full past performance information can be downloaded here (Korean) and a full list of runners and riders is below:

Gyeongnamdo Min Ilbo Cup – Busan Race Park – 1800M – July 19, 2009

1. Hardride (USA) [Colony Light – Lametta] – (21/6/5/1) – Han Sang Gyu
2. Wonder Love (USA) [Wild Wonder – Love Spanish] – (43/5/9/7) – Kim Tae Kyoung
3. Jewang (USA) [Precise End – Chap Slewy] – (21/1/6/1) – Eiki Nishimura
4. Winter Invitation (USA) [Take Me Out – Winter Crown] – (38/3/7/8) – Kim Dong Young
5. Crafty Louis (USA) [Louis Quatorze – Crafty Atlantic] – (31/11/4/2) – Jo Chang Wook
6. Power Captain (AUS) [King Charlemagne – Green Band] – (25/5/4/2) – Kim Young Min
7. Haengbok Dream (JPN) [Lammtarra – Sister Slew] – (7/3/2/1) – Jo Chan Hoon
8. Miss Ecton (USA) [Ecton Park – Miss Lion King] – (15/5/2/5) – Martin Wepner
9. Phasmes (USA) [Parker’s Storm Cat – Madelaine] – (10/4/1/4) – Jo Sung Gon
10. King Kephalos (JPN) [King Glorious – Western Edge] – (15/7/2/2) – Kim Eu Su
11. Gyeoncheonsa (USA) [Slew Gin Fizz – Jika] – (23/6/2/0) – Park Geum Man
12. Angle Slam (USA) [Gold Case – Platinum Code] – (40/8/7/8) – Gu Min Sung
13. Saeroun Bulpae (USA) [Northern Afleet – Really Appealing] – (17/5/1/4) – Chae Gyu Jun
14. Areumdaun Jilju (KOR) [Didyme – Chills of Nepal] – (19/13/3/0) – Lim Sung Sil

Tomorrow we’ll have a full look at the rest of the weekend’s cards including a run down of the contenders for Seoul’s SBS Cup.

Seoul’s top foreign bred horses will go to post Sunday for one of their biggest events of the year, the Group 3 Seoul Owners’ Association Trophy race. Dongbanui Gangja, winner of last season’s Grand Prix and currently ranked number one horse in Korea, heads the field and will carry the top weight of the thirteen runners.

Apart from last year’s winner Saerounbisul, who has been sidelined since March, the only other big name missing is Bally Brae. The seven year old’s connections opting, as they have in the past, not to subject the former Horse of the Year to the high weight he would likely have been allocated. Bally Brae’s old rival, Subsidy, will line up though. The nine year old may be past his prime but he still finishes in the money more often than not.

Also going and likely to be around at the business end of the race are Vicar Love, Baekjeonmupae and Angus Empire. While Dongbanui Gangja is likely to be favourite, outsiders have won this race in each of the last three years. Here’s a complete look at the runners and riders:

Owners Association Trophy (G.III) – Seoul Race Park – 2000M (Hdcp) – June 21, 2009

1. Seongpacheonha (AUS) [Agnes World – House Of Chimes (Bellotto)] G 4 (24/4/2/5) 52kg – Lee Dong Kuk
A creditable fifth in the Grand Prix last December but unlikely to have more than a place chance.
2. Cash In Your Chips (USA) [Storm Boot – Le Privee (Private Account)] H 5 (17/4/5/2) 52kg – Moon Jung Kyun
Has been beaten by most of this field on various occasions so far this year.
3. Vicar Love (USA) [Vicar – Canberra (Silver Hawk)] C 4 (15/8/1/3) 54kg – Oh Kyoung Hoan
Looked set to be the top imported three year old last year until Dongbanui Gangja intervened. He’s won once this year but has since twice finished behind Baekjeonmupae.
4. Saegisang (AUS) [Commands – Constant in Opal (Lake Coniston)] C 4 (16/5/0/1) 53kg- Ham Wan Sik
His first attempt in the top tier of Korean racing – he has talent but will be hard pushed to feature here.
5. Fly Queen (USA) [Exploit – Fully Approved (With Approval)] M 6 (32/7/6/9) 52kg – Kim Young Jin
Won the KRA Classic and finished fourth in the Grand Prix last year. Second to Angus Empire last time out.
6. Subsidy (USA) [Mr. Prospector – Foreign Aid (Danzig)] G 9 (36/18/5/2) 54kg – Moon Se Young
The legendary Subsidy is reunited with Moon Se Young. It would be a fairytale ending to his career if he could do it but it is unlikely. Nevertheless, expect him to be near a money finish.
7. Angus Empire (USA) [Lion Cavern – Clever Dorothy (Clever Trick)] H 5 (29/9/7/2) 55kg – Yang Hee Jin
Has been in good form lately and will appreciate carrying less weight than usual. A big run will be required to defeat Dongbanui Gangja but he is capable of it.
8. Baekjeonmupae (NZ) [Traditionally – Star Sixty Seven (Phone Trick)] G 4 (22/8/6/1) 55.5kg – Park Tae Jong
Always there or thereabouts, he’s a threat and on a weekend when Park Tae Jong should secure his 1500th winner, he could supply the vetrean jockey with another big race win.
9. Obaek Yechan (AUS) [High Yield – Kanaka Creek (Thunder Gulch)] G 5 (33/5/5/6) 53kg – Kim Ok Sung
Well beaten over the same distance by a number of this field so far this year.
10. Free Hugs (AUS) [Fantastic Light – Woodie (Woodman)] G 4 (22/4/4/3) 53kg – Cho Kyoung Ho
The surprise winner of the JRA Trophy on Derby Day last month, it will be interesting to see how he copes with the big step up in both class and distance.
11. Dongbanui Gangja (USA) [Broken Vow – Maremaid (Storm Bird)] C 4 (18/11/4/2) 58kg – Choi Beom Hyun
The favourite. Unbeaten this year, and usually carried even more weight than this, last year’s Grand Prix winner should be this year’s Owners’ Trophy winner.
12. Seungyu Sinhwa (USA) [Commendable – Backroom Blues (Dixieland Band)] H 7 (35/12/5/2) 53kg – Shim Seung Tae
Winner of a lot of races in his career – but not recently. Ran second to Dongbanui Gangja in April.
13. Afternoon Dove (USA) [Afternoon Deelites – Flying Dove (Dove Hunt)] G 4 (19/4/3/2) 52kg – Yoo Sang Wan
Third in the JRA Trophy last month, he looks to be out of his depth here.