Korea Racing Busan & Seoul Previews – 16 July

Seoul Race 3: Class 5 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million

Fillies (and one mare) only here. (6) HANGANG HERO enters off a good 2^nd place at class and distance on June 17^th when settling midfield and then running on well. She was sent off at big odds but that was her second runner-up finish in her last three stats and while she is a seventeen-race maiden, today could be her day. (3) ICE CREAM has taken a few goes to get to grips with this level but she seems on the right trajectory, having led for much of the way around in a similar race to this on June 11^th, ultimately finishing 4^th. She draws well to be on pace again and should be in this a long way. (9) SOARA MEME us up in class and marginally in trip following a maiden win at 1200M on June 4^th. She can measure up here. (7) GLOBAL CHANGA and (2) ZIRCON others to consider for the minors.

Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 25 Million

Weak maiden here. (7) SAMBA STEP has picked up across her latest couple of outings with a 5^th place most recently over 1200M on June 16^th when racing handy throughout. She comes up to 1300M for the first time, she should be on pace, and she has as good a chance as any here. (9) MOST RAPID has been anything but rapid in four starts so far but is potentially getting better having beaten a couple of these on his way to 6^th in a better maiden than this back in April. He comes in fresh and with an apprentice taking 3kg off his back. (10) LUCKY BAND has a 3^rd place to his name and while a mile didn’t suit last time, this looks a more suitable assignment. (2) EVERY KING IJI and (5) STORMY DAY other possibles.

Seoul Race 4: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million

Since returning from over five months off, (1) BARAMUI GEOM has a 3^rd and a 4^th, both over 1200M. From the inside gate, Moon Se-young can pick his spot, probably just behind the early speed and third-up this preparation, he can be peaking fitness-wise and can win. The main danger is in the adjoining gate. That’s (2) SMART BYEOL who comes in off back=to-back 3^rd places, both at this class and distance. She continues under a light weight, has a good finish on her, and she can get even closer today. (7) ACE TIARA hasn’t races since winning at this distance at class 6 level in April. She returns up in class for the first time but carries a light eight and looked well in a June trial. (11) SOARA TO TO also comes up in class following her maiden win at start number four over 1200M on June 11^th. She is done no favours by the draw but can be competitive. (10) CHEONDUNGSEJA another in at least the placing frame.

Busan Race 3: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million

Competitive race. We’ll tentatively side with (10) NALA, who comes in off a 3^rd and a 2^nd from her latest two, most recently overcoming the same wide draw she has today to go close on June 23^rd. Her style is to come from off the pace, and she has a strong finish. (4) BLUE CAPTAIN also enters with recent form reading well including a close runner-up finish at class and distance two starts back. He can be expected to be on or close to the speed here and can be a big danger. (6) TTANBONG QUEEN and (7) GIJEOGUI GEUMBIT both come up in class following their maiden wins at 1400M and 1200M respectively. They have followed similar trajectories so far and both should be able to measure up in this company. (2) BUILD UP comes in under a very light weight with an apprentice claim, and from a great draw can be on pace and a big factor.

Seoul Race 5: Class 5 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million

(1) HANGANG POWER comes up in class having finally got his maiden win at the eighth time of asking on June 177^th when settling handy and running on over 1300M. That win had been coming though with him getting progressively closer in the starts leading up to it. The jump in quality is not especially large here and down in weight and from the inside gate, he can make it two in a row. (5) MONEY JANGGUN is yet to score in seven but has proven competitive in three starts at this level with two 3^rd places and a 5^th. He comes into a better gate today and with a strong finish on him, he can be a danger late on.  (4) BLUE INDY does have a win to his name at class 6 level and has been coming back into form recently with a 3^rd and a 5^th from his latest two. Form a better draw, he can be on the speed and should be in this a long way. (2) LUXURY KING and (7) VIENTO are others in the frame.

Busan Race 4: Class 5 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million

Following a quick trial, (4) ACE FIGHTING was a winner on debut over 1200M on June 25^th, stalking the leader throughout and then striking the front at exactly the right time. She comes up in class here but draws very nicely to be on the early speed and she can maintain her 100% record. (7) FOR THE GOODTIME is a juvenile and he too comes in with a 100% record to maintain having won on debut in an all two-year-old affair over 1000M on May 26^th when handy throughout. He should have derived benefit from the run and despite everything else in the race being at least a year older, he looks shrewdly entered here to get some money. The form drops off after those two. (11) TAMNA HANEUL’s 3^rd place two starts back when beating a few of these is enough to put him in the placing frame. (1) AQUA MAGIC, up in the weights after a surprising last start win, is the clear next best, with (5) GOHEUNG CLASS the best of a limited rest.

Seoul Race 6: Class 4 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million

(7) COMPLETE LEVEL returned in April from seven months out to run 2^nd in a super quick race over 1200M which saw him promoted to this class. He then won an even faster race over 1300M on June 11^th on his class 4 debut, racing handy all the way. He comes up a full 5kg in the weights which can be a steadier, but his class could well see him through, and he will be favourite. (1) NANOMETA ran 2^nd in the Breeders’ Cup championship juvenile race last December but his three-year-old campaign hasn’t really got going. He was underwhelming at 1800M at this class in January and then again in the Sports Seoul Classic trial in March. He managed to sneak into the Derby but only beat two home. This is his first race since then and it is a much more suitable assignment. Moon Se-young climbs on, he draws well and can go close. (4) YONGBI SEOUL comes up in class after a somewhat unexpected win over this distance on June 18^th when making all. The same apprentice keeps the weight light, and he can be competitive. (9) TOP CLASS and (8) CONCORDE SPURT others in the placing frame.

Busan Race 5: Class 4 (1800M) Special Weight B / KRW 60 Million

(2) CHANGCHANG DAERO comes out of the KRA Cup Mile where he finished 8^th of sixteen, and the Korean Derby where he finished 16^th of sixteen. He has a 3^rd place at this class and distance to his name and back in shallower waters today and with a good draw and a fair weight, he can win. (9) WIND WINNER beat Changchang Daero on his way to 2^nd place when they raced one another at class and distance in March. He then had a couple of wobbles but returned to form with a 4^th place, again at class and distance, on June 16^th. He should be in the mix here. (7) DARMA beat a couple of these when 3^rd at class and distance last time out when ridden further forward than usual. Expect similar tactics today and he can be a danger. (3) ARCTURUS has struggled a little of late at shorter but has some good performances on is record at 1800M and this can suit. (5) GOBLIN another potential placer.

Seoul Race 7: Class 4 (1200M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million

Good clash here. (2) GLOBAL KANGTA was a beaten favourite last time out at class and distance on June 4^th, but he still ran well, settling forward of midfield and running on, but failing to catch Coljoy. He comes up in the weights here but draws nicely and can go one better this time. The main danger is (5) RAON THE HIGHMAN. A winner of two from his last three, he can race on pace or come from behind, doing the latter on his latest on May 20^th for an easy score. He comes up a full 4kg in the weights, but he must be taken seriously. (8) HANGANG ACE was a winner of two of four starts last year. He hasn’t raced since a 3^rd place at this class on Christmas Eve, but he looked well when leading for most of the way in a trial in mid-June. He’ll obviously need this, but he can go well first-up. (9) TINA and (4) GLOBAL POWER among others to keep safe in a race of plenty of chances.

Busan Race 6: Class 3 (1600M) Handicap / KRW 75 Million

Jockey Shin Yun-seob rode out his apprentice claim on Friday but he still gets the benefit of a 1kg allowance here and (5) B. K. NEW MOON is very nicely weighted. She enters in good form having run 2^nd on what was her first try at this class over 1400M on June 23^rd when handy all the way. She has placed at a mile in the past and she could well win here. (3) WIND HIGH returned from four months off to run a close 2^nd at class and distance on June 11^th. She comes up 3kg in the weights but should strip fitter for that run and is firmly in the hunt here. (7) MAN OF THE MAN tackles the mile for the first time, but it could well suit. He came from off the pace to run 3^rd over 1400M on his first try at this level in May and he can find the additional furlong to his liking. (9) NEU DAT and (6) COME ON FIRST are others to keep safe.

Seoul Race 8: Class 3 (1700M) Special Weight B / KRW 75 Million

(10) MIGHTY GOOD won three races in a row across the turn of the year. After an unsuccessful spin at class 2 level in February he had three months off and returned on May 27^th to run a very close 2^nd at this class over 1800M. He carries his fair share of weight again, but he can go one better today.  (3) THIS CHALLENGE was a beaten favourite over 1400M on June 3^rd. He has won at this class though and while it has been some time since he tackled two turns, he draws nicely here and can be a danger. (2) JEONGSANG Z enters having won at this class over 1800M on June 18^th beating a few of today’s rivals in the process. Today’s set weight scale means she only comes up 1kg for that and a repeat isn’t impossible. (9) YONGAM BOSS and (8) SURE WIN both finished behind Jeongsang Z in that race, and both can aim for improvement this time.

Busan Race 7: Class 1 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 110 Million

(9) DONGTEUJA BOY steps up to class 1 for the first time off the back of two consecutive runner-up finishes over a mile and 1400M. The times that he has run have been close to class 1 standard and he comes down in the weights. This isn’t the most intimidating top-level field, and he has a chance, probably sitting behind the speed and running on. After two lengthy injury setbacks, (5) GOLDEN WINNER, a precocious talent when he first arrived on the scene, is finally getting a string of runs together and he has shown gradual improvement including a good 4^th over 2000M on June 23^rd. He comes back in trip, draws very well, and carries a very light weight. Today could be his day for a first win since June 2021. The wildcard at probably better than an each-way price is (2) HUNCH. He races for the first time in more than a year, but he was developing at one point into an elite competitor. He looked very well when winning a trial in June, he draws nicely here, carries a very light weight with an apprentice claim, and this looks an ideal first-up assignment. (3) GEUMA MYSTIC and (10) DOCTOR CAESAR among plenty of others in the hunt.

Seoul Race 9: Class 4 (1800M) Special Weight B / KRW 60 Million

(2) FIRE POWER wall be a warm favourite here. A winner at 1700M at class 5 level, he comes in having run 2^nd on his latest at this class when racing handy throughout. He carries the same weight but comes into a much better gate so he should get an easier time of things early on, and he is the one to beat. (7) G MOTION arrested an ordinary string of results with a win in a fast race on a wet track over 1400M on May 28^th. He comes up in class here, as well as up to two turns for the first time, but there is little to fear in this company. (5) WALGADAK also comes up in class having come from well off the pace to swoop home convincingly over this distance on June 17^th. She will be flashing home late again here. (4) SUN FO RE and (3) CHALLAN HANNAL other minor money chances.

Seoul Race 10: Class 2 (1600M) Handicap / KRW 90 Million

(1) RANUT comes in having won four in a row most recently in double-quick time over 1200M on May 28^th. She comes up in class here as well as tackling the mile for the first time, but she looks a talent and from the inside gate, she can get on the speed and lead all the way again.  (3) SKY MANGCHI looks the second best. He too comes up in class and in distance, but he has run good times at shorter trips, and he comes down a full 5kg in the weights as well as drawing a gate that can see him measure up. (10) ROYAL ELVIS was a smart winner over 1700M on June 24^th and he too comes up in class. He may need a touch of luck at the start as he goes best when on the speed, but he shouldn’t be dismissed. (8) RAON BEAT and (7) JANGSAN MISSILE others firmly in the placing frame.

Author: Melissa