An aerial view of LetsRun Park Yeongcheon, a horse racing park in North Gyeongsang Province set to officially open in September. [North Gyeongsang Province]
An aerial view of LetsRun Park Yeongcheon, a horse racing park in North Gyeongsang Province set to officially open in September. [North Gyeongsang Province]

North Gyeongsang Province announced Tuesday that LetsRun Park Yeongcheon, a horse racing park scheduled to officially open in September, will hold two trial races on July 18 and July 25 as a final rehearsal before its launch.

The trial races are designed to simulate actual race-day conditions, providing a comprehensive check of horse transport, stable operations, entry management, race execution, visitor safety and overall facility operations.

LetsRun Park Yeongcheon is the first horse racing park in the North Gyeongsang region and the fourth in the country, following those in Gwacheon, Jeju and Busan-Gyeongnam. The park has been in development for 16 years since the project was secured in December 2009, backed by large-scale investment.

Located in Geumho-eup, Yeongcheon, the park features a 3,000-seat grandstand, a nature-friendly waterfront park and an internationally standard racetrack.

The trial races are a key step toward establishing a stable operational framework from the outset, and will be conducted as circuit racing — the same format used in actual race meets.

Horses currently in training at the Busan-Gyeongnam facility will travel to Yeongcheon on race day to compete.

To ensure horse welfare and safety, dedicated transport vehicles equipped with vibration-dampening technology — in line with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities' horse transport welfare guidelines — will be deployed.

North Gyeongsang Province said the trial races represent a final check of the park's operational capabilities and safety standards ahead of its long-awaited opening, with every aspect scrutinized from transport to race execution to deliver what it called "K-racing" service.

North Gyeongsang Province Gov. Lee Cheol-woo said that if the Korea Racing Authority's headquarters relocates to Yeongcheon following a successful September opening, "North Gyeongsang Province will emerge as a world-class hub for the horse industry and establish itself as a key base leading Korea's horse industry."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com