 Expert - Alastair Middleton | |
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| Alastair Middleton, a British living in Seoul since 2006. With his passion in horse racing, he started his racing blog in 2007 which immensely popular with fans around the world trying to learn more about Korean racing. Alastair is familiar with Korean racing that providing racing insights for its races on his blog, like racecard, race-preview in English. He is currently appointed by Korea Racing Authority as the English-language racecaller for the races at Seoul and Busan. | |
S1-1 Korea Sprint
A full field of sixteen will line up in what is expected to be a very wet Seoul track to tackle the 1,200m of the KOR G1 Korea Sprint. Hong Kong’s SUPER JOCKEY won the inaugural race in 2016 while the Japanese pair of GRACEFUL LEAP and MOANIN took the honours in 2017 and 2018 respectively. There are no Japanese runners this time around and while Hong Kong does return, this looks the best chance yet for the locals to notch a win.
Six internationals are out to stop them. HOLY LEGAL is the first overseas filly or mare to participate in the race. She’s spent most of her career racing in South America but has more than held her own since relocating to the US. She has a blistering turn of foot and her experience on track surfaces similar to Seoul’s may help her here.
FAST PASS has shipped in looking very well and is a prolific winner. Like HOLY LEGAL, he can come from off the pace, he’s drawn well and they will certainly be going quick up front for him to have run at. HEARTWOOD, on the other hand, will probably need to be on pace early if he is to give his best. US-trained horses have run very well in previous years and tend to have less difficulty adapting to the track than some others, so don’t rule any of them out.
BAKOEL KOFFIE is a very attractive looking animal who has undoubted ability and Antonio Davielson, champion jockey at Seoul in 2018, is a very useful man to have aboard, but he will be an outsider. PASS THE VINO is an up and coming sprinter in Great Britain and while there will be concerns over his ability to handle the surface, he can be respected.
As for UGLY WARRIOR, he may well be better on the sand than his rating suggests. His draw may prove beneficial and is a placing chance.
The local challenge is headed by BLUE CHIPPER. A lightly-raced 4YO, he won the KOR G3 Owners’ Cup by ten-lengths in July and while that was a mile, he can sprint as well. There is a feeling he may be the real deal and if he can get out close to the front early, he’ll be very hard to beat.
GAON CHAMP is the next best of the locals, with buckets of speed, and it will be a surprise if he doesn’t lead into the first turn. The enigma is GLOBAL CAPTAIN, who announced his arrival onto the elite sprinting scene with the fastest time of the year so far at this distance on this track in August and is another for the future. DORAONPOGYEONGSEON has finished third in this race in each of the past two years and while he hasn’t been showing his best form recently, expect him to run into some money late on, especially if they go fast.
ACE KOREA ran fifth last year and while recent form isn’t the best, training signs are encouraging and he can find the minor money at his best. TODAY races for the first time since January and this may be too much too soon. SPRING BACK and DIA SOCKS are both talented but perhaps a step below this level at this stage. FINAL ENERGY and the evergreen WONDER BOLT may be safely held.
This should be an excellent race and the draw has made it even more intriguing but we’ll go with BLUE CHIPPER to score for the home team.
SELECTIONS: 13. BLUE CHIPPER, 6. GAON CHAMP, 5. HOLY LEGAL, 12. UGLY WARRIOR & 4. DORAONPOGYEONGSEON
S1-2 Korea Cup
Japan has won all three previous editions of the race but in their absence, the US has stepped up with two very good contenders, both of whom should be able to cope with the track conditions.
LONE SAILOR is a genuine star and while his win column is rather sparse, that’s only because he has been racing in the very toughest races. He can come from off the pace here and has serious claims.
HARVEY WALLBANGER is another well-known US raider. He was a G2 winner at Gulfstream Park in February and last start ran fourth in the Ellis Park Derby. His trainer knows Seoul well and he will be a danger.
Jane Chapple-Hyam also knows about sending horses to run in Seoul and while her AMBASSADORIAL may be an outsider here, a money finish can’t be ruled out. It looks a hard ask for GLORIOUS ARTIST but he is good at the distance and as with any Hong Kong horse in this kind of race, warrants respect.
The local challenge is headed by DOLKONG. He’s only raced once since returning to Korea from an excellent stint in Dubai. That was in the KOR G2 Busan Mayor’s Cup which he won well over this distance at the end of June and he will be very strong late in the race. He has a winning chance.
MOONHAK CHIEF was within a length of DOLKONG in that KOR G2 Busan Mayor’s Cup and still looks to be improving. This may be a little too much too soon but he’ll be in the frame. He’s drawn wide but that may not be a hindrance. CHEONGDAM DOKKI has not had the best of years mixing in the occasional flash of brilliance with some setbacks. He wasn’t at 100% in his last outing and if it comes right for him, he could go close.
NEW LEGEND began his career in the US, even picking up a win, but after cruising through the lower classes has found things tougher at the elite level. He was third behind DOLKONG and MOONHAK CHIEF in June so he has form to overturn. Stablemate BAENGMUNBAEKDAP ran second to BLUE CHIPPER in the KOR G3 Owners’ Cup over a mile in July and while well beaten, put in a big effort nonetheless. He could be the interesting outsider and will surely be an attractive each-way price.
Trainer Peter Wolsley sends out two in the shape of KING OF ACE and KING OF GLORY. Both are solid competitors but compete here for the minor money at best.
LONE SAILOR and HARVEY WALLBANGER have strong chances but DOLKONG can deny them.
SELECTIONS: 10. DOLKONG, 3. LONE SAILOR, 2. HARVEY WALLBANGER, 11. MOONHAK CHIEF & 8. CHEONGDAM DOKKI
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