Racing returns from the Lunar New year break with a bumper 12-race Friday meeting at Busan from 11:30 to 18:00. Top jockey Seo Seung-un is back from national service and gets straight into action with ten mounts across the card. There is also an appearance by New Legend, seeking to take his undefeated streak in Korea to four. He’s hot favourite in race 11. Here are the previews:

 

 

Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 40 Million

(2) GOLDEN SHARP will be the pick here. Having hinted at ability across his first four starts he improved to 2^nd last time behind a good-looking winner. He’s well drawn to lead and can make the breakthrough here. (8) B.K. SOUND was ordinary on debut but has since registered a 2^nd and a 3^rd and is sure to be close here. (11) FUNKY ran a good 3^rdlast start and with a top jockey on today can at least match while (10) HAPPY GATE also looks to be figuring things out. There’s just one debut-maker. (4) FINE TRUMPET trialled all the way back in November behind the excellent Seobu Cat and while it’s taken him a while to get to the track, both stable and jockey – he’s the first ride back for Seo Seung-un – make for some appeal.

Selections	(2) Golden Sharp (4) Fine Trumpet (11) Funky (8) B.K. Sound
Next Best	10, 12
Fast Start	2, 3, 8

Race 2: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 40 Million

More three-year-old maidens here with six of them racing for the first time. It’s hard to look too far past (11) HALLA HWANGHU though. She’s shown good progress over her three outings to date and was a front-runner 2^nd on her latest effort six weeks ago. She’s drawn wide here but can overcome that and can win. (4) ACE BOOM on the other hand is drawn nicely – much better than on two previous tries at this distance – and she can improve on the 4^th she registered at 1300M last time out. Neither (5) ECTON SMILE nor (8) MUNHWA SIGNATURE did too much wrong on their respective debuts and both can improve here, as can (9) DOCTOR MIMI, whose 5^th last start was her best so far.

Selections	(11) Halla Hwanghu (4) Ace Boom (8) Munhwa Signature (9) Doctor Mimi
Next Best	5, 3
Fast Start	3, 4, 11

Race 3: Class 5 (1000M) Handicap / KRW 60 Million

(8) SILLAUI MISO is up in class having notched her maiden win by five-lengths on January 18^th and she could well score again in this very competitive all-filly affair. Three others join her in stepping up in level, all following their respective maiden scores and of them (4) FANTASTIC GIRL and (7) LUCKY NUMBER ONE look best equipped to make an immediate impact.  Five of the others faced each other at this class and distance on January 18^th, a race won by promising filly Nakita. (1) S S YOUNG finished the best of them that day in 2^nd and she can go well once more. (10) USEUNG TICKET and (2) MAKGANG YEOGEOL came home 3^rd and 4^th and they too should be competitive.

Selections	(8) Sillaui Miso (7) Lucky Number One (1) S S Young (4) Fantastic Girl
Next Best	10, 2
Fast Start	4, 7, 8, 9

Race 4: Class 6 (1300M) Allowance / KRW 24 Million

(3) NORMAL CLASSIC was a much-improved 2^nd on his second career start on January 18^th, leading for much of the way at this distance before ultimately being beaten. He should have come on for that run and can be on pace once more, this time coming home on top. (8) DAMYANG CHOEGANG also comes in having finished 2^nd on his latest outing. That was in an admittedly weak class and distance affair on January 11^th, however, he did beat (6) DONGBANG WARRIOR and (10) DAEHEUNG SIDAE, who came home within a length of him in 3^rd and 4^th. All three should be competitive here. (7) WONDERFUL SINGS is another who looks to have improvement in him; he came from well off the pace to run 4^th over 1000M last month and looks ready to try this distance again today.

Selections	(3) Normal Classic (8) Damyang Choegang (7) Wonderful Sings (6) Dongbang Warrior
Next Best	10, 2
Fast Start	3, 8

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

This is a strong race for the level. The pick is (7) RACING GALLOPER, who ran a close 2^nd on his first try at this level last time having picked up his maiden win in December. He should be close to the early pace and can win. So too can plenty of others. (2) GHOST RIDER finished 3^rd on his first try at the level last month. This is his first attempt at 1300M, and he should go close. (12) ROCK HARD QUEEN steps up in class after a nice… Read more of this post