Tomorrow, eleven three year olds will race in the final leg of the Korean Triple Crown. This afternoon, at Seoul Race Park, Dongbanui Gangja sent out a message that whoever wins will have a long way to go before they have any possibility of being recognised as the best horse in Korea.
Last time he ran, Dongbanui Gangja left it late to come through and claim his eighth straight win. It didn’t matter – the best horses don’t necessarily win by big margins, they just win. Today, however, he won with an awful lot to spare.
Sprint king Gamadongja set his usual early pace while Dongbanui Gangja sat right at the back of the field. Choi Beom Hyun moved the favourite up during the back straight and let him go as they turned for home. The four year old was quickly in front and, with Choi motionless in the saddle, cruised away from the field to record an effortless victory. Free Hugs trailed in eleven lengths back with Gamadongja following in third.
It’s now nine in a row for Dongbanui Gangja. With the Grand Prix now two months away, the only question at the moment seems to be just how far Dongbanui Gangja will win by.
Not a contender this year, but perhaps in future years is Great True. The two year old made his third appearance this afternoon and, like his previous two outings, it ended in victory. Stepping up in both class and distance, Great True [Yes It’s True – Gigi’s Magic (Allen’s Prospect)] led from gate to wire but had to work to hold off the fast finishing Daejayeon.
Daejayeon’s jockey was Lee Sang Hyeok, the apprentice earlier surviving a hard fall when in race 4, the impressive two year old colt Yyongwang Jjang sadly broke down when leading just 150 metres from the line in its debut race.
Horse Racing in Korea 