Busan

Busan Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (July 14)

There are 10 races at Busan on Friday with the first at 14:30 and the last at 21:00. UK jockey JP Guillambert will have his first Korean rides. Notes on all simulcast races below:

Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 22 Million

1. BUGYEONG DAEBAK – First time starter. Looked competent in trials and great chance to score first-up.
2. HWANGGEUMBITYEONGU – Ten starts so far with a best finish of 5th. May suit being back to minimum trip today but won’t be favoured.
3. MIR KAN – Yet to go any better than 7th in seven attempts. Tough to support here too.
4. LUCKY ADELE – Debut-maker. First foal out of dam who was undistinguished on the track. Average in trials but top trainer & jockey combination.
5. MAKGANG BOLT – Best of 4th among five slow efforts to date. Will need to improve.
6. SARANG MISO – 8th foal from dam, 5 of the others have won. Trialled up in decent fashion and could go well. First start today.
7. YES QUEEN – 1 7 starts so far. Comes in following three consecutive 5th place finishes and no reason why she can’t repeat.
8. DALKOMHAN INSAENG – One of few in this field who has come close before. Should go close again here. (more…)

Busan Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (July 7)

This Sunday sees one of the year’s highlights; The Busan Mayor’s Cup. In the past it’s brought us clashes between Tough Win and Dongbanui Gangja, Dangdae Bulpae and Smarty Moonhak. This year Clean Up Joy and Triple Nine are set to face each other alongside a host of big names in the “Summer Grand Prix”.

Tough Win Busan Met 2013

Tough Win was a two-time winner of the Busan Mayor’s Cup  (Pic: KRA)

Before that though we have a busy Friday of racing on the South coast as Busan hosts 10 Friday races from 14:30 to 21:00. Notes on simuclast races below:. 

Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 22 Million

1. GOP DDA – 5th in her trial, well behind the winner.
2. YEONGCHEON HERO – 3rd in trial behind Testa Magic. Trainer usually does well with 2-year-olds and he is sure to be backed.
3. TESTA MAGIC – Won her trial very comfortably. Big chance first-up.
4. ADAMARIS – Average time in trials but it was a slow heat anyway so few clues there.
5. EURO GONGJU – The only one of the seven who has raced before. Her 6th of 11 was in no way a disgrace and she may well have come on for it.
6. CHOEGANG SEONBONG – Just scraped through qualifying and will need a big improvement to compete first-up. (more…)

Sunday Seoul & Busan: Race-By-Race Preview (July 2)

The long overdue rain has finally arrived on the Korean peninsula and it looks set to be a wet Sunday at both Seoul and Busan. Seoul has 11 races from 11:45 to 19:00 while at Busan there are 6 from 13:25 to 17:35. English racecards are here, notes on every race are below:

Seoul Race 1: Class 6 (1300M) Allowance / KRW 22 Million

1. HWANGGEUM SURE – Improved slightly on second start but still much to find.

2. GEUMEUN JUOK – 5th of 9 on debut over 1000M on May 27th and can improve here.

3. SPECIAL QUEEN – Two 3rd places among her last three. No reason why she can’t match or better that today.

4. JAKE – 5th last time was her first minor money finish. Would do well to match that today.

5. BOMBI’S KING – Gone off the rails a little since showing promise with a 3rd place finish on his second start back in January.

6. FOREST ROSE – Much improved 2nd last time out running on well. Steps back up to 1300M today and is in the frame.

7. WAWA YEOJANGBU – No worse than fifth in four outings to date. Comes in off a 2nd place over 1000M on May 20th. First try at further than the minimum today and has a chance.

8. SHARP RUBY – Best so far a 4th place. First try at further than the minimum distance. (more…)

Busan Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (June 30)

There are 10 races at Busan on Friday with the first at 14:30 and the last at 21:00. English racecards are here. Notes on races for overseas simulcast are below:

Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 75 Million
1. BAENGNYEON SIDAE – Won his trial beating Wanbong in the process and can go well first up.
2. WORLD SUN – Didn’t impress in his trial but trainer tends to do well with 2-year-olds so will have some backing.
3. WANBONG – Well back behind Baengnyeon Sidae in his trial and hard to back at this stage.
4. TASK FORCE – By far the best in trials, winning comfortably in a fast time and will be strong favourite here.
5. GYEONGJUUI DUREBAK – Took a couple of goes to qualify but looked smart enough doing it at the end of May. 2nd fastest time among these and in the hunt. (more…)

Seoul & Busan Sunday: Race-By-Race Preview (June 25)

Big Sunday of racing coming up in Korea. No Stakes races but full fields and plenty of punting interest. There are 11 races at Seoul from 10:45 to 18:00 and 6 at Busan from 12:40 to 17:05. English racecards are here. Notes on races for overseas simulcast are below:

Seoul Race 5: Class 4 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million

1. OUR CAT – 4th behind Yeol Queen at the distance in April and followed up with a 5th last time. Matching those would be par today.
2. SEONGEUN MARU – Started his career really well but went off the rails at the end of last year. Latest two have been more encouraging.
3. JEONGAN KINGDOM – Disappointed when favourite in May but bounced back with 3rd over 1000M three weeks ago. Trialled up nicely last week and in the hunt here.
4. YEOL QUEEN – Two very solid efforts so far at this level and one of the main contenders here.
5. SOKDO SHINHWA – Comes in after two good showings at 1000M. Should be near the early pace and can place. (more…)

Busan Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (June 23)

The weekend’s racing gets underway at Busan on Friday with 10 races from 14:55 to 21:00. English race cards can be found here. Notes on races for overseas simulcast are below:

Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 75 Million 

1. ECTON BLADE – Bound to be backed as he’s from Kim Young Kwan’s stable. A long way behind Yeonghui Sidae in his trial. Half-brother has won 5 of 11.

2. JOEUN HAE – 2nd in his trial and looked to know what he was doing. Likely away to a fast start and he’s in with a chance.

3. CHONHAUI KKUM – Didn’t impress in his trial, coming home last of 10 who qualified. Top trainer and jockey but probably the outsider of the field.

4. YEONGGWANGUI CHIC – 2nd in his trial albeit 8-lengths behind the winner. Could go well.

5. YEONGHUI SIDAE – Likely favourite, he was, by some margin, the quickest of these in his trial and looks the one to beat. (more…)

Busan Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (June 16)

The weekend’s racing gets underway with the afternoon and evening card at Busan on Friday. 10 races from 14:55 to 21:00. English race cards are here. Notes on races for overseas simulcast below:

Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Special Weight A / KRW 40 Million /

1. GIPPEUM SARANG – First time starter. 2nd in her trial and while others are favoured, she can go well.

2. DANCING VICAR – Won her trial a month ago. Top stable and a chance first-up.

3. YUKWAEHAN JILJU – Offered little on debut. The only way is up.

4. BARONESS – Not built on encouraging debut but did beat a couple of these when running 5th last start and should be in the frame here coming in fresh.

5. HAEUNDAE YEOGEOL – Much improved 3rd last time and can be a danger again. (more…)

Busan Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (June 9)

It’s Korean Oaks weekend. We’ll have a preview of Sunday’s big race for fillies up tomorrow but in the meantime there are 10 Friday races at Busan from 14:55 to 21:00. English racecards can be found here. Notes on races to be simulcast overseas below:

Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 22 Million 

1. HOSEUNGJISIM – Made a semi-encouraging debut in March but offered little in two starts since.

2. STAR LINE – Ran once last year but has a lot of hoof problems keeping him out since. Trialled up ok last month.

3. YES RED – Close in all three so far. 3rd behind two good ones (a long way behind them) last time and in with a big chance here.

4. GOLDEN FAMILY – Shown a bit of improvement in three prior outings. Still a bit to find here. (more…)

Busan Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (June 2)

Evening finishes get underway at Busan this Friday. There are 10 races from 14:55 to 21:00. (Seoul will switch to evening finishes in July and August but will retain its daytime schedule on weekends throughout June). Hot prospect King Of Ace is the top attraction on the day, looking for his 4th win in 5 starts in race 6.

English racecards can be found here. Notes on races for overseas simulcast are below:

Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Allowance / KRW 22 Million 

1. NEW TREND – 8th in both outings so far. Steps up to 1200M for the first time. From the top stable so don’t rule out a big improvement on first start since March.

2. UICHEONGEOM – First-time starter. Didn’t catch the eye in trials.

3. KKEUTPAN TURBO – 7th of 11 in slow race on debut two weeks ago but ran on well and extra furlong may suit.

4. ALECTO – Improved 6th on second start and could improve again.

5. GHOST WARRIOR – Offered few clues in running 9th of 12 on debut. First start since March. (more…)

Seoul & Busan Sunday: Clean Up Joy in YTN Cup: Preview (May 28)

The best horse in Korea will make his third start of 2017 on Sunday afternoon and Clean Up Joy looks odds-on to add the YTN Cup to his ever growing collection of big race wins. There are 11 races at Seoul from 10:45 to 18:00 and 6 at Busan from 12:40 to 17:10. English race cards can be found here.

clean-up-joy

Clean Up Joy will bid to make it 3 out of 3 for 2017 (Pic: KRA)

The 6-year-old son of Purge won the KRA Cup Classic last October and then went on to defeat Triple Nine and Power Blade in the season ending Grand Prix Stakes in December. While the vanquished pair went on to race with distinction at the Dubai World Cup Carnival, Clean Up Joy stayed home.

Clean Up Joy has raced twice so far in 2017 although “raced” is a rather strong word so superior has he been, sauntering to a handicap victory in February before claiming the Herald Business Cup in April and it would be a brave punter who takes him on in the YTN.

After long-time regular jockey Ham Wan Sik relocated to Busan at the start of the year, Djordje Perovic has been the lucky one to replace him on Clean Up Joy. To do that he’s had to get off Shamrocker, who ran 3rd to Clean Up Joy las month – albeit ten lengths behind – and it’s Shamrocker who looks to be the closest thing to a rival to the favourite on Sunday.

It is racing of course and anything can happen but having beaten seven of this field across his last four starts, Clean Up Joy will surely be recording his 14th career win.

Here are notes on races to be simulcast overseas, including the YTN Cup:

Race 9: Class Open “The YTN Cup” (2000M) / Allowance / KRW 200 Million

1. UNBEATABLE – Not unbeatable but he rarely misses by much. 3rd behind Clean Up Joy and Soting Sidae at the distance last time, he carries lots more weight today but can place again.

2. BICHUI JEONGSANG – One of the best mares in Korea. 6th behind Clean Up Joy and Shamrocker last time, she is a strong closer who could get nearer today.

3. HWANGGEUMBIYUL – Last on solitary start of 2017 so far and a big ask here.

4. SHAMROCKER – 3rd behind Clean Up Joy last start and a strong winner of two class 1 races prior. May opt to set the pace here and is the biggest danger to the favourite.

5. WINNER RED – Hasn’t quite pushed on as expected but comes in following two creditable outings since being well back behind Cheonjeok in March. Minor money possible. (more…)