Last year’s triple crown winner J.S. Hold, who hasn’t run since winning the Minister of Agriculture Cup last October, is on his way back to fitness. The horse has been suffering from Tendinitis which caused him to miss the end of year Grand Prix and many have doubted whether he would emerge as a four year old. J.S. Hold reportedly ran at racing speeds in sessions on the track during last week and a return to racing is on the cards. His injury is similar to that suffered by Baekgwang last year – Baekgwang returned to finish second in the Ttukseom Cup in April only to suffer a re-occurence which has sidelined him for another year – so further injuries are a big concern. Also set to return is Ganghomyeongjang, who finished only half a length behind J.S. Hold in the Minister’s Cup. Both horses finished four lengths clear of the star performer of this year so far, Namchonuijijon.
Month: May 2008
Weekend Round-Up
Korean Derby video online / Moon’s lead down to four / Challanhanbit wins / Hannam Daegyo wins at Busan
A video of yesterday’s Korean Derby is now online. The conditions during the race make identification of some of the horses difficult at times.
Cho Kyoung Ho managed to narrow the gap at the top of the Jockey’s table slightly by scoring four wins over the weekend to Moon Se Young’s two. Moon now has 52 with Cho on 48. Shim Seung Tae’s win in the Derby on Ebony Storm was quickly followed by another in race 10 on another outsider, Bernie C (16.6). The third-placed horse in the Derby, Namdo Jijon, was ridden by Kim Ok Sung, a late replacement for Ham Wan Sik who picked up a late injury and had to give up all his weekend rides. Shim moves into joint fourth place. It was a good weekend for Boo Min Ho, who marked his hundredth ride on Saturday with his third winner – and then picked up his fourth on Sunday with a win on Colosseum (7.5) in race 2.
Sunday’s handicap came before the Derby when the track was slightly less wet. It was won by Challanhanbit (2.4) for Cho Kyoung Ho. Sunday’s feature race at Busan, where in stark contrast to Seoul, there was beautiful sunshine for much of the afternoon, was won by second favourite Hannam Daegyo (5.4) a head in front of top-weight and favourite Seongsan Daegun (2.3).
Seoul Jockey’s Championship
1. Moon Se Young 52
2. Cho Kyoung Ho 48
3. Park Tae Jong 24
4. Ikuyasu Kurakane; Shim Seung Tae 18
Rank outsider Ebony Storm wins Derby
Busan sweeps the places but Rainmaker nowhere / Race run in torrential rain
Ebony Storm, ridden by Shim Seung Tae, pulled off a shock win in the Korean Derby at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. On a waterlogged track and in a torrential downpour, the outsider of fourteen Ebony Storm came home at 95.3 to land the biggest race of the year by a neck from Gaeseon Janggun (5.5) with another Busan horse, Namdo Jijon (33.1) half a length back in third. Pre-race favourite Rainmaker (2.5) started slowly under Moon Se Young and had nothing as Moon asked him to accelerate off the final turn finishing a well-beaten eighth with second-favourite Jeolho Chance (5.1) behind him in ninth.
Samsimnyeonsarang (43.4) made the early running with Jeolho Chance. Ebony Storm sat just off the front two round the first two turns dropping back in the back straight. As the field came together rounding the top of the final turn, Shim Seung Tae made his move on Ebony Storm, hitting the front with a furlong to go and just hanging on as Park Tae Jong left himself slightly too much to do on Gaeseon Janggun. Seoul’s highest placed finisher was Cheonnyeonbulpae (7.9) finishing in fourth under Cho Kyoung Ho. Meanwhile, Hammer Punch unseated jockey Choi Jung Seob as they rounded the final treacherous bend. Busan now emphatically leads Seoul, providing all the placed horses in the two triple-crown races run so far. A below avearge crowd for Derby day was there to see it happen, the rain and thunder, which grew heavier as the afternoon wore on keeping many away, despite the free admission.
Korean Derby (G1) 1800 Metres
1. Ebony Storm (Shim, Seung Tae) 95.3
2. Gaeseon Janggun (Park, Tae Jong) 5.5
3. Namdo Jijon (Kim, Ok Sung) 33.1
Distances: Neck/1.5 lengths
It’s wet for Derby Day
Derby day has arrived and it’s raining. There have been showers overnight and it is now forecast to develop into a persistant light rain throughout the afternoon which means that come 17:05 the track may have quite a bit of water in it. The morning tipsheets are mostly backing Rainmaker to take the Derby with some support for two of the other Busan horses Gaesan Janggun and Jeolho Chance. There’s some place support for Magic Victor and Mighty Galloper.
Myeongmun Gamun refuses to go in stalls
Seoul Racing Review
Hot favourite Myeongmun Gamun refused to enter the starting stalls and had to be withdrawn just before the start of the feature race at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. The seven-year-old, who is the highest earning horse in Korea over the past year is well known for his fear of the stalls and took five minutes to be coaxed in before running third in the Grand Prix last December. This time, despite the best efforts of the handlers and jockey Cho, Kyoung Ho, the horse held firm. Myeongmun Gamun had been backed into 1.6 favourite and his absence left the path clear for Gi Ra Seong (3.7) to score a fine victory in a final furlong battle with Speedway (8.1). Sirius (5.3) finished third with Baekpa (2.4), last year’s Oaks winner putting in another disappointing run in fourth place. It was Gi Ra Seong’s eighth win but the first time the Choi Beom Hyun ridden four year old had won a category one race.
Cho Kyoung Ho didn’t take long to recover from his frustrations with Myeongmun Gamun, winning the next, KRW 36Million handicap on Badajebi (5.6) a neck in front of Park Tae Jong on Together, the 3.6 favorite. Overall, it was a good day for Cho, with three wins in total having earlier won on Wild Boy (2.4) in race 4 and Musi Mujong (4.0) in race 5. There were also doubles for An Byung Ki and Oh Kyoung Hoan. Outsider of the day was 33.4 shot Dr. Day who provided jockey Boo Min Ho with his third career victory on his one hundredth career mount in race 3. Dr. Day overhauled the strong favourite True Really (1.2) in the last few strides to win by a nose.
A beautiful sunny day at the track and more of the same is expected for the Derby tomorrow. The first race is at 11:20. There’s also racing at Busan from 12:40 and Jeju from 12:20.
FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL
Seoul Racing Preview – Derby Weekend 2008
It’s the 2008 Korean Derby weekend at Seoul Race Park and while the main event isn’t until late on Sunday afternoon, there’s plenty of other action on both days. We have a full preview of the big race here and the Derby is under orders at 17:05 on Sunday. Racing begins on Saturday at 11:20 with 12 races. Racing gets underway on Saturday at 11:20 with the first of twelve races. Saturday’s feature sees one of the superstars of Korean horse racing make an appearance as Myeongmun Gamun, last year’s President’s Cup winner goes after his fifteenth win. The seven-year-old, to be ridden by Cho Kyoung Ho, will carry 60.5kilos in the 1900 meter race 10 which also features last years Korean Oaks winner Baekpa.
Sunday’s Derby card also gets underway at 11:20 with eleven races. There is also racing on Jeju Island on both Saturday and Sunday with the first race off at 12:20 both days and a six race program at Busan on Sunday.
Busan Racing Review
The favourites were beaten in both feature handicaps at Busan Race Park this afternoon. First up was Taehwa Janggun starting 2.7 favourite in the foreign-bred race but finishing a disappointing eighth out of nine, Annika Queen (6.9) winning going away by four lengths. Admiral Reigart fared slightly better in the domestic-bred handicap which followed. The 2.4 favourite was well placed throughout but failed to make up enough ground on a dominant Geumi Hwanhyang (4.7) who led throughout and won by five lengths, the Admiral eventually finishing third. Racing returns to Busan on Sunday.
Fourteen line-up for Derby
The final fourteen for the Korean Derby which will be run at Seoul Race Park on Sunday has been announced. A sixth horse from Busan has been added, Gaeseon Janggun, second in last month’s KRA Cup Mile will take his place, ridden by Park Tae Jong. Unlike in the Cup Mile, all the visiting challengers will be ridden by Seoul based jockeys, lack of track knowledge being one of the reasons cited for the poor performance of Seoul horses at Busan. Gaeseon Janggun arrived in Seoul earlier this week to join the others who have been at the track for two weeks now. Cup Mile winner Rainmaker heads the field and will be ridden by Moon Se Young. There are two fillies, Busan’s Jeolho Chance and Seoul’s Samsimnyeonsarang. The Korean Derby is race 9 on Sunday with a post time of 17:05. Here’s a full list of runners and riders:
18/5/2008 – Korean Derby (G1) – 1800 metres (17:05)
1. Magic Victor -9/2/2/1- Shin, Hyung Cheol
Finished second to Mighty Galloper last time when favourite over 1700 meters.
2. Cheongnyenuigisang (Busan) -7/3/0/0- Choi, Beom Hyun
After an indifferent year as a juvenile, he’s won three from three this year.
3. Mighty Galloper -8/3/1/1- Yoo, Sang Wan
Has won two in a row including over 1700 metres last time out.
4. Samsimnyeonsarang (f) -7/3/2/0- Lee, Dong Kuk
A disappointing eleventh in the KRA Cup mile but won her last two outings at Seoul over shorter distances.
5. Hammer Punch -8/3/1/0- Choi, Jung Seob
Showed a lot of promise in his early races but finished 13th in the KRA Cup Mile and never figured in his one run since.
6. Gaeseon Janggun (Busan) -6/2/1/1- Park, Tae Jong
Second in the KRA Cup Mile.
7. Jeolho Chance (f) (Busan) -8/4/1/1- Kim, Hyo Seob
Third in the KRA Cup Mile. Finished fourth to Boryeong Bulbit in a handicap over the distance.
8. Ebony Storm (Busan) -10/4/0/3- Shim, Seung Tae
A mixed record but is in form winning a decent handicap last time out.
9. Cheonnyeonbulpae -6/2/3/0- Cho, Kyoung Ho
Only one bad race, otherwise always in the top two. Finished second to Chaser over the distance in April
10. Namdo Jijon (Busan) -7/1/4/0- Ham Wan Sik
Finished fourth in the KRA Cup Mile and second to Rainmaker in his previous outing.
11. Rainmaker (Busan) -6/3/3/0- Moon, Se Young
Never outside the top two finishers and won the KRA Cup Mile last time out.
12. Dunamjae -9/3/2/0- Moon, Jung Kyun
Won his last race and finished second to the impressive Suseong TX before that.
13. Arcane -6/3/0/0- Oh, Kyung Hoan
Won three in a row before stepping up to 1700 metres last time, finishing sixth.
14. Daejanggun -9/4/0/2- Woo, Chang Gu
Finished tenth in the KRA Cup Mile but twice a winner over 1700 metres.
Busan Racing Preview
There are cards at Busan Race Park on Friday and Sunday. Friday sees nine races with the first off at 13:00. There are dual feature races with Admiral Reigart heading the weights in a KRW 42Million handicap for foreign bred horses at 17:10 and Taehwa Janggun top-weight in a similar handicap for domestic bred runners forty minutes earlier. Sunday’s card of six races begins at 12:40 and the Korean Derby from Seoul Race Park will be simulcasted back to Busan. We’ll have a full preview of the Korean Derby tomorrow.
Seoul Race Park re-development underway
Work has begun on remodelling the interior of the “Happyville” grandstand of Seoul Race Park. Over the next 16 months, the entire grandstand will be extensively redeveloped to bring its facilities in-line with the neighbouring “Luckyville” grandstand. The work affected race-goers for the first time over the past weekend with the southern half of the stand being closed. Work on this section will continue until the end of December, when the Northern half will be closed with completion of the whole project scheduled for August 2009. The closure means fewer betting windows open although the KRA will open windows in Luckyville that are not currently in use on major race-days such as next week’s Korean Derby. The outdoor seats remain open along the whole length of the stand.
The start of the work coincided with the KRA opening an exhibition on the 1st floor of Luckyville celebrating “100 years of Korean Horse Racing” (which will come as a surprise to visitors to the history section of the KRA’s website).
Horse Racing in Korea 