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.

Busan’s top money winner Golding goes in the feature race at Busan Race Park Friday. The 52Million won handicap is off at 17:10 and with a record of 14 wins from 26 previous starts, Golding will carry 7 kilos more than his nearest rival. Last time out, the six year old comfortably won an 1800 metre handicap in early February and steps up to 2000 metres tomorrow where with the weight coming into play, he’ll likely face a threat from Florida Native. The race is by far the weekend’s biggest with relatively low prizes on offer at Seoul on Saturday and Sunday and rounds off a nine race card that as usual, gets underway at 13:00.

Nine go in Busan’s feature race tomorrow afternoon – a 40Million won handicap.  Two prolific winners are among them in the shape of Mirae Cheonsa (9 wins from 14 outings) and the 7 year old Luna (10 from 20).  As usual, there are nine races with the first getting underway at 13:00 and the last at 17:10.

Sunday sees the most valuable race of 2008 so far at Seoul Race Park. The 1400 meter Segye Ilbo Cup is race 9 and is off at 17:00. It’s for foreign bred three-year olds is worth 53Million won to the winner. Just 8 runners will line up (the minimum required number for place bets to be paid on the third placed horse) and include Air Kat and Serendipper. There are 11 races on Sunday and 12 on Saturday. On both days, the first race is under orders at 11:20.

Two handicaps headline Busan Race Park’s nine-race card this Friday, both worth 42.5Million. The first (race 8), over 2000 metres for domestic horses and the second (race 9) over 1800 metres for foreign horses. The domestic race sees prolific winners Sinjin Gangja (14 runs/7 wins) up against Areumdaun Jilju (10/6) with the latter favoured by the handicapper. The foreign race features Keep It Quick (14/6) and also Admiral Reigart, which won a 32 Million won handicap three weeks ago. There are a total of nine races with the first off at 13:00 and the last at 17:10.

There will be racing at Busan again on Sunday while Seoul Race Park and Jeju Race Park will host racing on both Saturday and Sunday.

The weekend’s racing gets underway at Seoul Race Park at 11:20 on Saturday morning, the start of a 12 race card. Highlight is race 11 at 17:20 which sees Galsaem (16 wins from 27 starts) going up against Baekpa and old-stager Flying Cat in a 1900 meter handicap worth 43Million won.

While Saturday looks to be the best of the two days in terms of schedule and quality, Sunday’s card also offers some interesting prospects with 11 races also starting at 11:20 but with two 1 hour breaks in the afternoon. Subsidy runs in race 10 – the former horse of the year wasn’t fit last time out but could be back in form this time. There is also racing at Jeju both days with nine races starting at 12:20 and a six race card on Sunday at Busan starting at 12:40. Weather at all three tracks should be cold but clear and dry.

After taking last weekend off, racing is back this week and we start  on Friday afternoon with a valuable nine race card at Busan Race Park. As usual, the action gets underway at 1pm and culminates in a 42Million won race at 5:10pm where Perfect Champ will bid for his sixth win from eleven starts in an 1800 metre handicap. Busan will put on a further card on Sunday and Seoul and Jeju will, as usual run on both Saturday and Sunday.

Bally Brae, winner of the 2007 Grand Prix race last December, returns to the track in Saturday’s feature race. Moon Se Young will partner the 6 year old in race 11, off at 17:20, over 1900 metres.  Bally Brae has a record of 11 wins from his 18 races and despite dropping down in distance, should be clear favourite here.  There are 12 races at Seoul on Saturday with the first under orders at 11:20 and the last at 17:50.  There are also 9 races at Jeju, getting underway at 12:20.