NEXT UP

Wow Wow  ran 5th in last year's Korean Derby but hadn't won a race at any higher than class 4 level when he was given his chance in the Segye Ilbo. But under Song Jae-chul, he came home late and wide to score by over a length on the line. Raon The Spurt, who finished up her three-year-old campaign last year by running 2nd in the Jeju Governor's Cup and then winning the Gyeongnam Governor's Cup, the final two legs of the Queens' Tour, led in the Segye Ilbo but weakened to a disappointing 7th.  

That day was hard for on pace runners though with only two out of eleven of the races being won by horses on the early speed. Raon The Spurt and Wow Wow meet again with both carrying the light weight of 114lbs and the filly can overturn the form. They carry such little weight due to the presence of BLACK MUSK. An also-ran in last year's Korea Sprint, he returned from four months out to stun Chief Indy and Simjangui Godong over 1 1⁄4 m in January, proving his versatility. He gives away 15lbs to his rivals but can't be ruled out.

That class 1 handicap is the final race of the weekend and the only class 1 at either Seoul or Busan. Busan's Sunday feature is the class 2 race 6 over 1 1⁄4 m where WARRIOR CLASS will be strongly favoured to make it three wins in a row and continue jockey Seo Seung-un's remarkable start to the year – going into Friday, he was winning at a rate of 36% in 2023 so far.

Those looking for banker favourites on Saturday will be going for JEONGMUN CHOEGANG in race 6 at Seoul. The five-year-old has only won once in twenty-three attempts, but enters in good form having placed in each of his three latest outings and should have too much for an ordinary set of rivals.

In the early part of Saturday's card, Antonio Da Silva may be the jockey to follow with several promising mounts, kicking off with debut-maker KING DIA in the opener and then WONDERFUL TIZZY in race 2, both of whom have fair claims. Saturday's Class 2 feature over 6 f is split into two divisions. SINUI ADEUL and HEUNG DREAM will vie for favourite status in race 9 while DAEMUL is the one to beat in race 10.

On Sunday at Seoul, the hottest favourite will probably be in race 8 where JAY PHOENIX looks too strong in the class 4 handicap over 7 f. LEGEND K in the class 6 race 1 and especially CHOEGANG QUEEN in the class 3 race 9 are the other good things on the card.

Meanwhile the wait for all-time leading jockey Park Tae-jong's 2,200th career winner enters its second tedious month. Since he scored on Money Stone back on February 5th, the PR and broadcast people have dutifully assembled in the unsaddling enclosure twenty-seven times, only for Park to draw a blank.  Park has seven rides across the weekend, two on Saturday and five on Sunday. JOEUN GWANGYE in Sunday's race 10 looks his best chance of finally reaching his latest milestone.