Weekend Preview

Racing gets underway at 11:20 at Seoul Race Park on both Saturday and Sunday with twelve races on Saturday and eleven on Sunday.  Highlight of the weekend is the Sports Seoul Cup, one of the year’s biggest races for three year old fillies which is race 9 on Sunday.  Also on Sunday, Ttukseom Cup winner Namchonuijijon makes his first appearance since his surprise defeat at the hands of Baekpa last month.  There’s racing at Busan on Sunday starting at 12:40 and Jeju will be hoping for a better weekend after last week’s cancellation with cards underway on both Saturday and Sunday at 12:20.

Busan Preview

The first card of the second half of 2008 gets underway at Busan Race Park at 13:00 on Friday. Highlight of the nine race card is an 1800 metre handicap for domestic-bred horses with the weights co-headed by Widaehan Bonneung (28 runs/10 wins) and Areumdaun Jilju (12/7), the four year old Areumdaun Jilju being in much better form of late. Busan will also host a six race card of Sunday with the highlight being a similar handicap for foreign-bred runners where Gukje Sinmun Cup winner Angle Slam and six year old Hwanggeumbit Taeya top the weights.

Classic winners to face off at Busan

Weekend Preview: June 27-29
This year’s two classic winners will meet once again in the feature race at Busan Race Park this coming Sunday. KRA Cup winner Rainmaker will have the chance to avenge his Korean Derby defeat at the hands of rank outsider Ebony Storm as the two are the star names in a field of thirteen who will line up for the KRW 42Million handicap which will be off at 16:30. Kim Tae Kyung will ride Rainmaker and Toshio Uchida has been handed the Derby winner. The race heads a card of six races on Sunday with the first off at 12:40. Friday sees the usual nine race card at Busan with the first under orders at 13:00. Hangye Geukbok heads the weights in the feature handicap off at 17:10 which also includes Florida Native and Wonder Love.

As usual, Seoul Race Park holds cards on Saturday and Sunday with the first race off at 11:20 both days. Feature race of the weekend attracts only seven runners as Galsaem and Secret Weapon go head to head over 200 metres in race 10 on Sunday. Both horses have win rates of over 50% despite having run over fifty races between them. Secret Weapon is the horse in form though, and top weight, with Galsaem yet to win in five outings in 2008. There is also a ten race card at Jeju Race Park on Saturday and Sunday with the first off at 12:20 both days.

Weekend Preview

The Seoul Owner’s Cup dominates the weekend with the big race off at Seoul Race Park at 17:00 on Sunday afternoon (see full preview below). It’s the highlight of the usual two day weekend card at Seoul which gets underway on Saturday at 11:20 with the first of twelve races. With no category 1 races on Saturday, the biggest race is a category 2 handicap over 1900 metres featuring the likes of Kkumui Mulgyeol, Challanhabit and Sinbi Wangja. On Sunday, the first of eleven races is also off at 11:20. In addition to the Owner’s Cup, there is a category 1 handicap for domestic bred horses featurning such names as Hongji, Neocheon, Gi Ra Seong and the eight year old Flying Cat.

Monsoon season has started so predicting the weather is a risky business but umbrellas are advised both days. There is also card at Busan Race Park on Sunday with the first at 12:40 and pony racing on Jeju Island, with the first of ten races off at 12:20 on both Saturday and Sunday.

Bally Brae and Subsidy head Seoul Owner’s field

Bally Brae and Subsidy top the weights for this Sunday’s KRW 106Million first prize Seoul Owner’s Cup which will be off at Seoul Race Park at 17:00. The 2000 metre handicap, one of the biggest of the year for foreign-bred horses also features Saerounbisul, who unexpectedly beat an out-of-sorts Bally Brae last time out. Full list of runners and riders:

Seoul Owner’s Cup (G.III), 2000M - Seoul - Sunday June 22, 2008, 17:00 (Race 9)
1. Gamadongja (NZ) (9/5/1/0) - 52.5 - Nozomu Tomizawa
2. Obaek Yechan (Aus) (22/5/4/3) - 53.5 - Jun Duck Young
3. Subsidy (USA) (27/17/4/0) - 58 - Oh Kyung Hoan
4. Baekjeonmupae (NZ) (12/4/4/0) - 53 - Yoo Sang Wan
5. Angus Empire (USA) (19/6/5/0) - 54 - Kim Ok Sung
6. Clever Star (Can) (6/3/1/1) - 51 - Cho Kyoung Ho
7. Saerounbisul (NZ) (16/5/3/1) - 52.5- Park Tae Jong
8. Dongbanui Gangja (USA) (9/5/2/1) - 52.5 - Choi Beom Hyun
9. Bally Brae (USA) (21/13/5/1) - 59 - Shin Hyoung Chul
10. Dirt King (Aus) (10/5/2/1) - 53.5 - Ham Wan Sik
11. Seoul Teukgeup (USA) (10/4/4/0) - 52 - Moon Jung Kyun

Neither Bally Brae or Subsidy will have their usual jockeys - Moon Se Young being suspended over the weekend and Subsidy’s usual partner Cho Kyoung Ho riding Clever Star instead. Shin Hyong Chul rides last year’s Grand Prix winner while Oh Kyung Hoan partners the eight year old son of Mr Prospector. Disappointingly, Shaving Points, possibly the most exciting foreign bred three year old in Korea right now, doesn’t go.

Weekend Preview - Namchonuijijon heads card

Ttukseom Cup winner Namchonuijijon returns to the track for the first time since his April triumph, lining up in Saturday’s feature race at Seoul Race Park. Racing at 2000 metres for only the second time - the first being when running third to J.S. Hold in last year’s Minister’s Cup - Namchonuijijon will face ten competitors including Best Condition and 2007 Oaks winner Baekpa. The KRW 42Million handicap is race 11 and is off at 17:20. The first of twelve races comes under orders at 11:20.

There are no category one races at Seoul on Sunday but there is an eleven race card beginning at 11:20. The main event on Sunday is at Busan Race Park where the KNN Cup is the highlight of six races. The first is at 12:40 with the Cup off at 15:35. As usual there’s pony racing at Jeju Race Park with ten races on both Saturday and Sunday, with the first at 12:20.

The weekend’s racing got underway earlier this afternoon at Busan Race Park where Busanui Byeol (14.9) took the feature race of nine with a two length win over rank outsider Deputized Angel (98.8 ). Favourite Bugyeong Choegang (3.0) finished fourth. FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

KNN Cup field announced

A field of ten will line up for this coming Sunday’s KNN Cup Handicap at Busan Race Park. The weights are headed by Procyon (9 wins/14 runs), the four year old gelding looking for a fifth straight win although if he were to take the KRW 77Million first prize, it would be the biggest win of his career to date. Chae Gyu Jun rides. Second weight is Areumdaun Jilju (7/11), making her first appearance since February, followed by the less prolific Haeil (3/21) and Yeoin Cheonguk (5/26). Former star three year-old Mirae Cheonsa (9/17) also goes but is yet to place in five races in a to date disastrous four year old season whereas Seongsan Daegun (3/19) has never been out of the placings in six outings in 2008. Lower in the weights are two horses who won tidy handicaps last time out in the shape of Distance Runner (5/18 ) and Annika Queen (5/16). Rounding out the field are Hangryong (3/17) and Magic Moment (5/15). The 1400 metre KNN Cup is race 5 on Sunday and comes under orders at 15:35.

Holiday weekend preview

J.S. Hold won’t run / Angle Slam vs Golding at Busan
It’s Memorial Day on Friday and the first of the weekend’s racing gets underway at Busan Race Park at 13:00 for a nine race card. Feature race of the day, and indeed of the weekend, is a KRW 52Million handicap over 2000 metres which will see a rematch of last month’s Gukje Sinmun Cup first and second placings in Angle Slam and Golding. Earlier, Sinjin Gangja will head the weights in another category 1 handicap. Sunday sees a more modest six race card at Busan. Japanese jockey Toshio Uchida will make his Busan debut with four rides.

As usual, there are cards at Seoul Race Park. on both Saturday and Sunday with 11:20 the post time for the first race on both days. J.S. Hold, who had been entered for Sunday’s feature race will not run, with Good Day (14 runs 10 wins) heading the field of the 1900 metre race 10. As usual there is also a card at Jeju Race Park on both Saturday and Sunday, with the first under orders at 12:20.

With Friday being a public holiday, there should be a slightly larger crowd at Busan although it is predicted to be a cloudy, if dry day. Saturday and Sunday are also predicted to be dry with Sunday likely to see the best of the weather.

Weekend Racing Preview

The weekend’s cards get underway at Busan Race Park at 13:00 on Friday afternoon. Feature race on Friday is a 2000 metre handicap for foreign bred horses at 17:10 with Crafty Louis (22 runs/8 wins) the tope weight followed by Hwanggeumbit Taeya (29/6).  There is also a six race card at Busan on Sunday afternoonwith the first race as usual at 12:40. Feature is race 5 where Perfect Champ will be looking to make it three out of the last three and eight from a career of fourteen, taking on  Milliondollar (21/7).

Racing at Seoul begins at 11:20 on both Saturday and Sunday. There are twelve races on Saturday with Galsaem going in the feature handicap at 16:50, the six year old mare still looking for her first win of 2008. She’s up against Nujindo, who won over the distance last time out and perennial handicapper Flying Cat.  Sunday sees eleven more races, with a pair of average handicaps the day’s highlights. As usual there are also cards on Jeju beginning at 12:20 on both Saturday and Sunday. It;s hot and humid in Seoul right now and over the weekend it is expected to be dry and sunny with temperatures reaching 25C on Saturday and 27C on Sunday.

Weekend Racing Preview

Fourteen go in Sports Chosun Cup / Gayasanseong, Hongji & Secret Weapon face-off
Racing gets underway at Busan Race Park at 13:00 on Friday. Nine races are rounded off with a KRW 40Million handicap with Florida Native at joint top-weight. Racing returns to Busan on Sunday at 12:40 with six races. Feature race is the last with Boryeong Bulbit heading the field.

Big race of the weekend is at Seoul Race Park on Sunday afternoon in the Sports Chosun Cup, an 1800 metre race for domestic bred horses aged four and up. An open field includes four year olds Natural Nine, Jeokdaejeok and Nice Champ. The race is off at 17:00. On Saturday, the main event is a 2000 metre handicap. Only seven horses run but there are some big names among them with the weights headed by Secret Weapon (23 runs/11 wins), followed by Hongji (22/7) and Gayasanseong (44/16) who beat Galsaem by a nose last time out. Racing starts at Seoul at 11:20 on both days with twelve races on Saturday and eleven races on Sunday.

There is also a card at Jeju Race Park on both Saturday and Sunday with the first off at 12:20 both days.