3 minute read

Seoul Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 60 Million

Juvenile maidens with all but one of the twelve racing for the very first time. Several of the newcomers look competitive but we will side with the one who has experience. (11) RAON THE JET debuted on October 3rd and having settled midfield, ran on to finish 4th in a fair time. Both the runner-up and the 3rd place-getter that day have since gone on to win their next starts and Raon The Jet can frank that race's form here. (4) CUPID VOW was an all the way trial winner in a fair time on October 29th. He draws well to lead again and looks set to be the main danger. (5) GOOD NISEN ran 2nd in that trial having sat handy throughout and he too should be there or thereabouts again. Among the newcomers, (6) EAGLE POINT recorded the fastest time in trials and while it was a slightly wetter track than most faced, that alone is enough to being him into the calculations. (1) THUNDER NURI another who could go well first up.

Seoul Race 2: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 60 Million

Juvenile filly maidens with four of the twelve racing for the first time. We're going to side with experience, though. (11) HWASUBOON has raced twice finishing 2nd on debut and then 3rd, both of them at this distance in good times. The draw is not ideal here but she should be able to overcome that and should have too much. (8) LUCKY INDY ran well on debut but then improved for 3rd place at start number two at this distance on October 24th, leading for much of the way. She should be on pace again and has every chance of going close. (12) BURUI KKOT similarly showed promise on debut when 5th in a decent time at the distance. She can come on for that run and while she draws the worst of all, can run on strong here. Maintaining the theme of the wide gates, (10) GREENBACK won a trial before putting in two creditable performances in the summer. She races for the first time since August and can go well first-up today. The first-timers don't exactly leap out from the trial reports but (2) CUPID JUMBO perhaps has the best chance of making an immediate impact.

Seoul Race 3: Class 6 (1200M) Allowance / KRW 25 Million

Competitive maiden. (14) MIGHTY SUNSHINE beat several of these by a decent margin on his way to 2nd place at this distance in a fair time on October 30th. He draws the car park today but he settled midfield and ran on last time so as long as he doesn't find himself with too much to do, he can win here. (6) APPLE MINT came home in 3rd place that day. He was first-up following five months out and should have come on for that run. He has Perovic aboard and with the better draw could overturn the form on Mighty Sunshine. (2) YESULIYA steps up in trip for the first time following a solid 3rd place over 1000M on October 23rd. That was an uptick in form and from a good gate, he can continue to make progress. (5) PRINCESS DAY ran 4th in the October 30th race and along with (4) FIRST ROAD, is another in the placing frame

Seoul Race 4: Class 6 (1700M) Allowance / KRW 40 Million

Disregard the latest effort by (8) JEONGSEONG DAERO when he returned lame. He has been back in work for more than a month now and his form prior to that setback was good over the shorter distances. He finished off his races well and today's extended trip may suit. Only four of these have raced at the distance before and (10) RUNNING NUMBER ONE probably has the right to be favourite based on his 2nd place at it two starts back when he ran on from midfield. It wasn't a fast time but he should benefit from that experience and has every chance here. (9) HWARYEOHAN MISO has hinted at ability across three starts so far including a 2nd place two starts back at 1200M. He too has finished off races pleasingly enough and can adapt to two-turn racing. (2) MAGIC JOY and (1) SEONBONG GOLD others with minor money hopes.

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

The only filly in the race is (7) JOYFUL K and she comes in having run a close 3rd over class and distance at her latest start on October 30th when she overcame gate ten to sit handy and run on. She was beaten just under a length by (10) BEST TAP but gets the better of the draw today and can overturn that form. Best Tap is a big danger. He ran 2nd in that race continuing his consistent run of form at the distance and registering another good time. He is tactically versatile and won't need to lead here so the draw shouldn't be too much of a disadvantage. (9) YELLOW CAT comes up in class following a good win over 1300M on October 10th when she came from well off the pace to run on very strongly. She carries a nice light weight here and should measure up in this company. (12) BYEOLBIT BOSEOK is yet to win in seven attempts but has five top-four finishes and having overcome wide draws before, can go close again. (3) DAEWANGU another in the hunt in a very competitive affair.

Seoul Race 6: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million

Fillies only here. (4) NAMSAN CHOCOLATE is up in class here but the manner of her all the way victory at her latest start suggests that she can measure up. She draws very nicely as well and looks worth taking a chance on at what will probably be good odds. Probable favourite (12) LUMINOUS QUEEN draws wide, but she has plenty of speed about her. She is perhaps going to need a touch of luck to find a decent position early on, but if she can put herself in the frame at the top of the straight, she may prove hard to hold off. (1) BURUI YEOWANG has been ultra-consistent finishing in the top four in all of her six starts so far. She should at least maintain that record here. (8) GREEN POKJU beat Luminous Queen as the pair came home 3rd and 4th at their respective latest start on October 30th. She come up slightly in the weights and draws slightly worse this time but should be very much in the calculations. (6) BYEOLBIT MARU among many others in the hunt.

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

(1) SARYEONI QUEEN has been a model of consistency and is favoured to return to the winner's circle following a 3rd and a 2nd in her two starts to date at this class, both at today's distance. She has proven capable of running well from close to the pace or coming from the back and from the inside looks likely to sit handy and then run on. She missed the jump a little last time and with a clean break here, should be too strong. (11) MORNING HILL was a super winner at this distance in July at class 6 level. He too has proved he fits in at this class with a 2nd and a 4th in two outings since being promoted. He will be on pace here, despite the wide draw and will surely be in the finish. (9) RUNNING KING will need to be forgiven his latest outing behind Saryeoni Queen last month. He is better than that though and is worth another chance here. (4) GANA PARK, another beaten by Saryeoni Queen last time, and (3) NUNBUSIN HANSEN, are others in the hunt.

Seoul Race 8: Class 3 (1400M) Handicap / KRW 75 Million

(12) MIGHTY GEE keeps on running consistent times and while he comes up in class following his third consecutive runner-up finish on October 17th, he comes down a full 6kg in the weights. He doesn't need to lead so he can overcome the wide draw and he can win here. If he does continue his pattern of finding one too quick, then (5) MONSTER K is likely to be that one. He has won three of his last four, with the latest of them coming at this distance on October 24th. He too is up in class but down in weights, and should be right in this, probably leading from the start. Another one in the up in class but significantly down in weight category is (2) GREEN DARC. She has plenty of experience and is arguably in her best ever form with two wins from last four which see her up to the is level. She was a good winner at the distance last start and a repeat can't be ruled out. (7) FINAL CANGINO and (4) NORTHERN TIME are others in the placing frame.

Seoul Race 9: Class 4 (1700M) Allowance / KRW 60 Million

(1) SPEEDY ROOKIE is the one to beat here. True he is yet to win from nine career starts, but he has six placings among them, including his latest three, all of which have been at this class and distance. He looks ready to go one better here and finally get that breakthrough win. (8) UNICORN ALPHA ran 5th behind Speedy Rookie on what for both of them was their latest start on October 23rd. He too remains a maiden but rarely runs a bad race and can be in the finish here. Continuing on the maiden but consistently close theme, (4) BERRING MAN comes in with recent form reading very nicely. He likes to come from well off the pace and will surely be a danger in the closing stages here. If you prefer those with winning experience, then (3) ANYANG OXEN and (11) UNCLE BELL may be the ones to go for.

Seoul Race 10: Class 1 (1800M) Allowance / KRW 110 Million

It's not often we get to see two heavyweights slugging it out under the lights at Saturday teatime but here's where we find old rivals (5) MOONHAK CHIEF and (8) CHEONGDAM DOKKI. Both come in after somewhat disappointing performances in the KRA Cup Classic over 2000M last month. Moonhak Chief perhaps had more excuses for that. He was racing for the first time since May and after crossing the field from a wide barrier, he led for a long way only to be swept up late on, finishing 7th of 15 in what was a very hard ask first-up. Back at 1800M and with a better draw, as well as more amenable opposition, even though he gives weight away, he can win. As for Cheongdam Dokki, he was out of sorts, succumbing quite early in the race. A few days later he "tied-up" during exercise and had a couple of weeks off before coming back into work. He won at the distance in early October and his quality should see him into the frame here. (1) IRON SOCKS got a lovely introduction to class 1 racing when leading all the way to win at this distance on October 31st. While he carries the same weight and once more draws the inside gate, today will be a much sterner examination of his credentials. Because of the labours of the other two in the Cup Classic, it is highly likely he will start favourite and may well split them. Beyond those three, it's not an intimidating class 1 field with (4) LIL' PATRON and (3) TOSCONOVA CAT perhaps with the best chances of infiltrating the places.