Racing Previews

Fourteen line-up for Derby

The final fourteen for the Korean Derby which will be run at Seoul Race Park on Sunday has been announced.  A sixth horse from Busan has been added, Gaeseon Janggun, second in last month’s KRA Cup Mile will take his place, ridden by Park Tae Jong.  Unlike  in the Cup Mile, all the visiting challengers will be ridden by Seoul based jockeys, lack of track knowledge being one of the reasons cited for the poor performance of Seoul horses at Busan.  Gaeseon Janggun arrived in Seoul earlier this week to join the others who have been at the track for two weeks now.  Cup Mile winner Rainmaker heads the field and will be ridden by Moon Se Young.  There are two fillies, Busan’s Jeolho Chance and Seoul’s Samsimnyeonsarang.  The Korean Derby is race 9 on Sunday with a post time of 17:05. Here’s a full list of runners and riders:

18/5/2008 – Korean Derby (G1) – 1800 metres (17:05)

1. Magic Victor -9/2/2/1- Shin, Hyung Cheol
Finished second to Mighty Galloper last time when favourite over 1700 meters.
2. Cheongnyenuigisang (Busan) -7/3/0/0- Choi, Beom Hyun
After an indifferent year as a juvenile, he’s won three from three this year.
3. Mighty Galloper -8/3/1/1- Yoo, Sang Wan
Has won two in a row including over 1700 metres last time out.
4. Samsimnyeonsarang (f) -7/3/2/0- Lee, Dong Kuk
A disappointing eleventh in the KRA Cup mile but won her last two outings at Seoul over shorter distances.
5. Hammer Punch -8/3/1/0- Choi, Jung Seob
Showed a lot of promise in his early races but finished 13th in the KRA Cup Mile and never figured in his one run since.
6. Gaeseon Janggun (Busan) -6/2/1/1- Park, Tae Jong
Second in the KRA Cup Mile.
7. Jeolho Chance (f) (Busan) -8/4/1/1- Kim, Hyo Seob
Third in the KRA Cup Mile. Finished fourth to Boryeong Bulbit in a handicap over the distance.
8. Ebony Storm (Busan) -10/4/0/3- Shim, Seung Tae
A mixed record but is in form winning a decent handicap last time out.
9. Cheonnyeonbulpae -6/2/3/0- Cho, Kyoung Ho
Only one bad race, otherwise always in the top two. Finished second to Chaser over the distance in April
10. Namdo Jijon (Busan) -7/1/4/0- Ham Wan Sik
Finished fourth in the KRA Cup Mile and second to Rainmaker in his previous outing.
11. Rainmaker (Busan) -6/3/3/0- Moon, Se Young
Never outside the top two finishers and won the KRA Cup Mile last time out.
12. Dunamjae -9/3/2/0- Moon, Jung Kyun
Won his last race and finished second to the impressive Suseong TX before that.
13. Arcane -6/3/0/0- Oh, Kyung Hoan
Won three in a row before stepping up to 1700 metres last time, finishing sixth.
14. Daejanggun -9/4/0/2- Woo, Chang Gu
Finished tenth in the KRA Cup Mile but twice a winner over 1700 metres.

Busan Racing Preview

There are cards at Busan Race Park on Friday and Sunday. Friday sees nine races with the first off at 13:00. There are dual feature races with Admiral Reigart heading the weights in a KRW 42Million handicap for foreign bred horses at 17:10 and Taehwa Janggun top-weight in a similar handicap for domestic bred runners forty minutes earlier. Sunday’s card of six races begins at 12:40 and the Korean Derby from Seoul Race Park will be simulcasted back to Busan. We’ll have a full preview of the Korean Derby tomorrow.

Weekend Racing Preview

It’s almost the weekend already and racing starts at Busan Race Park at 13:00 on Friday with nine races. Feature event tomorrow sees Sinjin Gangja looking to return to winning ways after three consecutive second place finishes, topping the weights with Pick Me Up in a category 1 handicap. Yeongwonhari will also run in the 2000 metre race 9 off at 17:10. There is also racing at Busan on Sunday when the first of six races gets underway at 12:40.

Seoul Race Park has racing on Saturday and Sunday with 11:20 starts on both days. Saturday sees an average looking card enlivened by the presence of Hwangnyonsaji in the day’s most valuable race, the 1900 metre race 10. The three year old has placed in all his eleven races so far, winning five of them including the KRW 52Million New Year’s Race in January beating odds-on favourite Namchonuiijon, winner of last month’s Ttukkseom Cup. Sunday will see three beaten horses from the Ttukseom Cup up against each other again as Seonju Jangsu, Totoro and New Fighter all go in the weekend’s most valuable race.

As usual, there will also be a card on Saturday and Sunday at Jeju Race Park with the first of nine races getting underway at 12:20 both days.

Weekend Racing Preview – Golding, Bally Brae in action

The weekend’s horse racing gets underway at Busan Race Park on Friday afternoon where the first of nine races is under orders at 13:00. There are joint feature races, a KRW 42Million handicap at 17:10 over 1800 metres with the weights headed by Dangdae Star and earlier, at 16:00, a 1400 metre KRW 40 Million race involving Luna, winner of the KRA Cup Mile in 2007 and Perfect Champ. Luna has a record of 10 wins from 21 races but has only run twice since her Cup Mile victory, disappointing both times. there will also be an outing in race 8 for unbeaten The Bee Keeper.

Busan’s main event takes place on Sunday when the feature of six races is the Gukje Sinmun (International Newspaper) Cup, a 1400 metre race for foreign bred horses with a KRW 68Million first prize. The biggest name in the field is Golding, the six year old with 14 wins from 27 outings dropping down to 1400 metres for the first time since April 2005. Golding will be up against a horse that was just three weeks old on that Spring day three years ago, Daejiui Yeosin, runner-up to Miss Ecton when favourite in the Segye Ilbo Cup in March. The three year old has 3 wins and 2 second places from his 5 starts and will be ridden on Sunday by Danny Craven. The first race on Sunday is off at 12:40 with the Cup race at 15:35.

There’s racing at Seoul Race Park on both Saturday (12 races) and Sunday (11 races) with an 11:20 start on both days. 2007 Grand Prix winner Bally Brae (13 wins from 20 starts) makes another appearance on Sunday, going in the feature handicap race 10 carrying 62 kilos, four more than second top-weight Angus Empire. The most valuable race at Seoul over the weekend is Sunday’s race 9, known as “The Netizen’s” race. Fourteen horses will go over 1400 metres for a KRW 53Million prize, the most interesting being the three year old Gangho Jewang with two wins from four runs and Huimang Energy, the horse with two white feet, who has won three of his seven outings. Park Tae Jong returns from his two week ban and Cho Kyoung Ho is also back after a one week lay off. There is also racing at Jeju Race Park on both Saturday and Sunday, race 1 is at 12:20 on both days.

Seoul Racing Preview – Galsaem and Subsidy head cards

Although both were beaten last time out, Galsaem and Subsidy remain the biggest names on show at Seoul Race Park this weekend. With Moon Se Young on board, Galsaem, beaten into fifth in appalling conditions at the end of March goes in race 11 on Saturday over 2000 metres going up against Gayasanseong. On Sunday, Subsidy – who will also be ridden by Moon Se Young in Cho Kyoung Ho’s absence – will carry 61.5 kilos over 1900, giving five kilos to Obaek Yechan and 10 kilos to Pocketful of Money and Eunpamanse.

There are twelve races in Saturday with the first at 11:20 and eleven on Sunday also starting at 11:20. As usual, there is also a card on Jeju Island on both Saturday and Sunday starting at 12:20 both days and, as previewed below, racing at Busan on Friday and Sunday.

Busan Racing Preview

Cards are out for Busan Race Park’s meetings on Friday and Sunday. On Friday, the first of nine races gets underway at 13:00 with the feature handicap being run over 1800 metres at 17:10 with Hangye Geukbok (10 wins from 30 races) heading the weights. Sunday sees a similar main event where the highlight of 6 races is another 1800 metre handicap, this one seeing Procyon taking on Boryeong Bulbit and Mirae Cheonsa. Racing starts on Sunday at 12:40pm.

Weekend Racing Preview

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.  

Seoul Racing Preview – Baekgwang is back

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).

Busan Racing Preview

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.

KRA Cup Mile field

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)