Month: November 2009

Nice And Easy

Nice Choice beats Baekgwang to win the President’s Cup
Baekgwang gave it his all but ultimately Nice Choice was just too strong in the President’s Cup at a frozen Seoul Race Park this afternoon. The three-year old pounced as the field entered the home straight and while Baekgwang launched his customary late challenge, roared on by a 40,000 strong crowd, the younger horse was a commanding winner.

Natural Guy and Nice Good were early pace-setters and at one point in the back-stretch had nearly six lengths on a strung out field. Nice Choice was at the front of the pursuers while Baekgwang as usual stayed towards the rear.

Once Cho Kyoung Ho had asked Nice Choice for an effort as they turned for home, none could answer. Except for Baekgwang. Park Tae Jong shifted the grey wide around the final turn and let him loose to try to run the youngster down. The chase was valiant and at the furlong pole, Baekgwang’s many fans dared to believe that he might do it.

He couldn’t quite get there and Cho Kyoung Ho on Nice Choice always looked as though he would be able to ask his horse for another effort if need be. Triple Seven was the distant third. Baekgwang was beaten but it took a quality horse to do it.

Nice Choice is exciting. He didn’t excel in the Derby but he now moves on to eight wins from twelve starts. A spot in the season ending Grand Prix race looks his should his connections choose to take it up. Either way, a big season as a four-year old awaits.

The other three-year old in the race, Khanui Jeguk, showed briefly at the front but didnt stay the 10 furlong trip, finishing well down the field. Today though was a day for the grand old survivor of Korean racing and the future. The future showed that he is now very much the present, but the six-year old grey showed he’s not finished yet.

President’s Cup (KOR-GI) – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – Nov 15, 2009

1. Nice Choice (KOR) [Lost Mountain – Betty’s Rhapsody (Don’t Hesitate)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 1.5, 1.0
2. Baekgwang (KOR) [The Groom Is Red – Grey Crest (Gold Crest)] – Park Tae Jong – 1.4
3. Triple Seven (KOR) [The Groom Is Red – Impudence (Grand Lodge)] – Choi Beom Hyun – 1.9
Distances: 1.25 lengths/6 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Lucky Seven; 5. Wontagui Gisa; 6. New Rider; 7. Mighty Runner; 8. Saebyeok Achim; 9. Natural Nine; 10. Huimang Energy; 11 Baengnokjeong; 12. Khanui Jeguk; 13. Natural Guy; 14. Nice Good

Nice Choice Cho Kyoung Ho

Nice Choice & Cho Kyoung Ho in The President's Cup Winner's Circle

Jockey Cho Kyoung Ho has made the President’s Cup his own. He won the 2005 edition on French Dancer before taking consecutive victories on Myeongmun Gamun in 2007 and 2008. This year’s champion-elect has now won four of the six runnings of the race in its present form.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Baekgwang Must Overcome The Odds Again

President’s Cup – Nice Choice strongly fancied to spoil fairytale ending to incredible comeback
As the start of 2009, although it was well-known that Baekgwang, champion three-year old of 2006, had undergone stem-cell treatment, few dared to hope that the much-loved grey would even return to the track, yet alone show something of his old form.

Return he did, however, running fourth in the SBS Cup in August. This was followed by a battling second place to Gi Ra Seong in September and then finally, last month picking off a class 1 handicap to find himself back in the winners’ circle following a characteristic come-from-behind run. On Sunday afternoon the six-year-old will line up against the track’s top Korean bred horses in the President’s Cup -the “Dae-Tong-Lyong-Bae” where the season’s top three-year olds meet the best older horses.

With the “Po-In-Ma Troika” of Secret Weapon, Gi Ra Seong and Top Point all ineligible (having been conceived overseas), Baekgwang has a good shot at landing the biggest prize of his career. However, there are plenty of talented runners out to stop him.

Nice Choice is the track’s top three-year old. After a poor run in the Derby, he finally showed his class by wining August’s Ilgan Sports. Just edged out in the Minister’s Cup by Namdo Jeap – and finishing ahead of Sangseung Ilro – he is the one to beat here. Second in the Ilgan was another three-year old, Khanui Jeguk. He went on to win the Munhwa Ilbo and, like Nice Choice, he’ll have a big weight advantage over the older horses.

Aside from Baekgwang, Natural Nine is one of those older entrants who must be considered as must Ttukseom Cup winner Mighty Runner. Triple Seven, who will have a lot of backers, and Wontagui Gisa have also both shown this year that they know what to do in the final furlong.

At post time tomorrow, however, all eyes will be on stall number 7. If Baekgwang can somehow pull this off, even the most hard-bitten of punter will raise a smile.

Here’s a full list of runners and riders:

Name/Pedigree/Age/Record/Jockey – All are Korean bred.

President’s Cup (KOR. G.I) – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – Nov 15, 2009 – 16:45

1. Natural Guy [Social Charter – Rocky Stream (Reprimand)] 4 (16/4/6/1) – Yoo Sang Wan
2. Nice Choice [Lost Mountain – Betty’s Rhapsody (Don’t Hesitate)] 3 (11/7/3/0) – Cho Kyoung Ho
3. Nice Good [Concept Win – Whenisitmyturn (Never Tabled)] 4 (19/5/4/4) – Shim Seung Tae
4. Wontagui Gisa [Fiercely -Grove Lady (Varick)] 5 (22/6/2/4) – Jung Ki Young
5. Baengnokjeong [Slew O’Green – Lesu Run (Proper Reality)] 6 (26/7/2/3) – Hwang Soon Do
6. Khanui Jeguk [Sunday Well – Lucky Dip (Didyme)] 3 (12/5/2/1) – Shin Hyoung Cheol
7. Baekgwang [The Groom Is Red – Grey Crest (Gold Crest)] 6 (20/10/6/3) – Park Tae Jong
8. Natural Nine [Revere – C. Bop (Aly Dark)] 5 (24/7/5/5) – Moon Jung Kyun
9. Triple Seven [The Groom Is Red – Impudence (Grand Lodge)] 4 (21/5/3/5) – Choi Beom Hyun
10. Saebyeok Achim [Social Charter – Cheongpa (The Rogers Four)] 4 (26/5/6/3) – Park Byoung Yoon
11. Lucky Seven [Didyme – Agent Flirt (Double Agent)] 7 (27/5/7/1) – Lee Sang Hyeok
12. Mighty Runner [Pacificbounty – Roan All Over (Fight Over)] 5 (25/7/3/7) – Yoon Tae Hyuk
13. Huimang Energy[Ft. Stockton – Doneitmyway (Northern Flagship)] 5 (19/7/3/4) – Ham Wan Sik
14. New Rider [Road Of War – Flyin Kristen (Exclusive Gem)] 6 (43/5/5/2) – Yoshiyuki Aoki

Weekend Preview

It’s President’s Cup weekend at Seoul Race Park with the big race off at 16:45 on Sunday. It will be the culmination of an as ever busy weekend of racing on the Korean peninsula which gets under way at Busan on Friday.

We’ll have a full preview of the President’s Cup on the site tomorrow.

Busan Race Park

Friday November 13: 10 races, first post 13:00, last 17:30
Sunday November 15: 6 races, first post 12:30, last 16:15

Seoul Race Park

Saturday November 14: 12 races, first post 11:10, last 17:45
Sunday November 15: 11 races, first post 11:10, last 17:55

Jeju Race Park (Pony racing)

Saturday November 14: 10 races, first post 12:30, last 17:25
Sunday November 15: 10 races, first post 12:30, last 17:25

Baekgwang & Baekpa On For Remarkable Double

This coming Sunday at Seoul Race Park, Baekgwang will seek to complete what was thought to be an impossible comeback when he lines up alongside the track’s top Korean bred horses in the President’s Cup. During his career, the six-year-old has spent a total of two years on the sidelines. He finally returned to the winner’s circle last month in his third race since returning from successful stem-cell treatment.

Now he will take on a strong field including three-year olds Nice Choice and Khanui Jeguk as well as old foe Baengnokjeong. Natural Nine, Triple Seven, Mighty Runner and Wontagui Gisa are also among the proven winners that will contest the Group 1 race over 2000 metres.

A week later another long overdue return will take place. And this time it’s Baekgwang’s little sister Baekpa, back in town following her summer in the United States, who heads the line-up in the Nonghyup Bank Cup. Korean racing fans were pained to see Baekpa in the US, running her heart out but being left behind by fields that could hardly be considered world-beating. How she recovers from that ordeal will become clear on Sunday 22 as she makes her first start back on Korean sand.

Currently thirteen other fillies and mares are entered for the Nonghyup race. An in-form Baekpa should have the beating of them all with the one interesting contender being the three-year old Love Cat.

Is she the same horse she was when she left? Can her brother beat the three-year olds a week earlier? Either way, racing fans here are just delighted to see the grey siblings back home racing where they belong.

Here’s Baekgwang in pre-injury days in 2007:

And Baekpa taking the Korean Oaks in the same year:

“Elmo” Case a Gift to Racing’s Enemies

It’s been two weeks since it was revealed that a Seoul based jockey was under investigation for allegedly passing insider information to illegal betting operations. The case involving the jockey – who, although his identity was initially made public, can now only be identified by his initial “L” or “L-Mo” in Korean, could not have come at a worse time as the KRA battles to portray racing in a positive light in the face of an increasingly puritanical regulator.

Support – or at least indifference – from the majority of lawmakers is essential in resisting the recommendations of the National Gaming Control Commission, an organization that makes little secret of its aim to eliminate any form of gambling and has already succeeded in having the KRA close down its “KNetz” Internet betting service which ceased operations in July.

While the NGCC may not be able to grasp the concept, most lawmakers currently accept that the more restrictions there are placed upon legalized gambling, the more the many illegal ones thrive. To keep this support, however, the KRA has to be able to demonstrate that racing is clean. Bent jockeys will always pop up from time to time, but, however this case proceeds, its timing is terrible and has prompted speculation over the likely success of the next recommendations from the NGCC as outlined over the weekend by Korea Racing Journal editor Kim Mun Young.

The Electronic ID Card scheme raised its head again. Under this scheme, when trying to place a bet, a punter would be asked to produce an ID card that they have previously had to apply for and been issued. The card will have a chip that records all his gambling activity. While punters mutter darkly about essentially being put in the same category as sex-offenders by having to be on a register, it would also eliminate racing as an activity for all but those “on the register”.

On a summer’s day, the Seoul Race Park infield and track apron is packed with picnicking families and dating couples. If, in future they’re going to need to be on the government’s list of registered gamblers if they fancy a stroll to the windows to put 500 won each-way on the favourite, it’s likely they’ll spend their weekends elsewhere.

Of course, there was a very easy way of tracking punters’ expenditure. It was called KNetz and it was closed down this July. The ID card scheme, however, is a real possibility – not least because of the lucrative contracts that would need to be dished out for running it

Less likely is a reduction in the maximum bet amount although this is another NGCC proposal. Instead of the current 100,000 won per bet limit, a daily limit of the same amount be imposed. This would of course essentially close racing down and most observers agree that outside of the NGCC, there is little appetite for that due to the huge revenues it generates in both taxes and in support of agriculture.

Meanwhile, one grocery store chain is currently giving away national lottery tickets with all purchases over 10,000 won and the “Sports Toto” – where players predict the results of European football matches – can be gambled on from almost every convenience store on the peninsula. Racing feels picked upon but “Elmo” hasn’t helped its cause.

Weekend Round-Up

Full Step out of step / Foreign jocks clean up at Busan
Two year old prospect Full Step found things tough as he stepped up a level at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. The colt trailed in four lengths behind Black Man over seven furlongs. Sent off odds-on favourite, Full Step was on the pace for most of the race but couldn’t come close to matching the three-year old Black Man as he accelerated away in the final furlong.

The biggest race of the day was at Busan where in a tight three-way finish, favoruite Haengbok Dream just lost out to Namchee with Seonnyang Yongsa in third. Miss Ecton led the rest of the field home, five lengths back in fourth. For the Australian bred Namchee, it was a successful first crack at top-tier racing. The four-year old had only missed the money twice in fifteen starts prior to today although had only won three of those.

Namchee provided the second winner of the day for Eiki Nishimura. The Japanese rider had earlier taken race 2 on Angel Star and, with Hitomi Miyashita and Martin Wepner also being among the winners, it meant foreign riders accounted for four of the six races on the card. Choi Si Dae and Jo Sung Gon were the sole home riders to score.

Yesterday at Seoul on the first day of a low-key weekend of racing, Pocketful Of Money landed the feaure race, taking a half length win from Yodongseong with outsider Royal Missile a surprise third. Earlier in the day there had been another near-miss for Korearacing favourite Ungbiyeongung. The five-year old scored his sixth second place finish but remains winless in thirty-three starts.

After the sub-zero conditions of earlier in the week, temperatures were remarkably back up in the low-seventies despite overcast skies on Saturday. Those skies erupted in spectacular fashion overnight to saturate the track in time for Sunday’s races although the rain had by and large stopped in time for racing.

Next week, it’s down to the real business of the President’s Cup with Baekgwang up against a slew of the year’s top three-year olds for one of the season’s biggest prizes.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Weekend Preview

There was a brief flirtation with winter across the Korean peninsula this week as temperatures dropped below freezing on Monday and Tuesday. Trackwork on Monday morning can’t have been much fun but it’s warmed up again now and we’re back in the mid twenties as Busan gets the weekend’s racing underway on Friday afternoon.

Seoul ended up racing under floodlights last weekend and brings the first race forward by ten minutes this time. Free Hugs and Pocketful of Money will be in action on what is a reasonably low-key two days of racing in the capital prior to next week’s President’s Cup. One to watch out for is two year old Full Step who goes in race 8 on Sunday.

Busan Race Park

Friday November 6: 10 races, first post 13:00, last 17:30
Sunday November 8: 6 races, first post 12:40, last 16:30

Seoul Race Park

Saturday November 7: 12 races, first post 11:10, last 17:45
Sunday November 8: 11 races, first post 11:10, last 17:45

Jeju Race Park (Pony Racing)

Saturday November 7: 10 races, first post 12:30, last 17:15
Sunday November 8: 10 races, first 12:30, last 17:15

Melbourne Cup to be shown live in Korea

There’s a rare treat for Korea based racing fans on Tuesday as the Australia Network Cable Channel will be broadcasting live coverage of the Melbourne Cup from Flemington.

The programme runs from 11:10am to 2pm Korean time and features three races, including the Cup itself at 1pm. The Australia Network can be found on most Digital Cable platforms across Korea but for those without the right package or for those who will be tied to their office desks, it can also be viewed here.

It will be the first live racing to be shown on television in Korea since coverage of domestic cards was banned in July this year. The ban came in to try to stop illegal gaming houses from moving into the gap in the market created by the outlawing of online betting and enforced shutdown of the KRA’s “KNetz” betting platform.

The YTN News Channel managed to get away with broadcasting their own sponsored race (The “YTN Cup”) live during a news bulletin back in August but racing has been absent from screens since then.

Head over to Foolish Pleasure for a full preview of one of the greatest occasions in world racing.

Setbacks and Sports Days

Reverses for Secret Weapon, Bally Brae / Aoki shines in Jockeys Vs Punters

Secret Weapon is Seoul’s top rated Korean bred horse but he suffered a shock defeat on Saturday as SBS Cup winner Hallyu Star bested him over 1900 metres. Secret Weapon is one of the “Po-In-Ma Troika” – “Po-In-Ma” referring to horses foaled in Korea by mares who were pregnant when imported. They are therefore classed as Korean bred but are ineligible for the Triple Crown races as well as some other big races which are restricted to Korean breds, such as this month’s President’s Cup.

The other two members of the “Troika” are Gi Ra Seong and the mare Top Point, ranked third and fourth respectively in the Korean bred rankings. With all three absent from the President’s Cup, the prospect of the great grey Baekgwang completing a remarkable comeback is a real one. Early entries have been announced and Baekgwang heads them along with Seoul’s top three year old Nice Choice. We’ll start the build-up to the race later this week. The winner of the President’s Cup will almost certainly go on to the Grand Prix in December where the “Troika” will most likely all be present.

Looking increasingly doubtful to be present in the Grand Prix is 2007 winner Bally Brae. The seven year old struggled when returning from a three month lay off in September but came back to be sent off odds-on favourite over the Grand Prix distance of 2300 metres on Sunday with a return to the winners’ circle looking on the cards. It wasn’t to be. Park Tae Jong’s saddle slipped as they rounded the first corner and the former champion jockey was left with little control for the rest of the race. That Bally Brae still finished in touch with the field was testament to both horse and rider. Angus Empire took advantage to land the victory.

Bally Brae still has talent and if he was to get into the Grand Prix, a race where he wouldn’t be handicapped out of contention, anything could happen. However, with Myeongmun Gamun and Subsidy now retired and Bally Brae in the twilight of his career, a new generation are likely to be the ones challenging Dongbanui Gangja in December. Unless of course, Baekgwang can pull off somthing very special.

* It was the ninth annual Jockeys Vs Punters Sports Day in the Seoul Race Park infield last week. No idea who won – although Yoo Mi Ra was given the “MVP” award. In any case, as the “sports” included skipping and dodgeball, it probably doesn’t matter. The Chulgigi blog was there and he has some pictures as well as a video.

Watch out for new Japanese jockey Yoshi Aoki who first introduces himself and then procedes to interrupt an interview with Seoul Jockeys’ Union President Kim Dong Kyun. Sadly Aoki doesn’t ask Kim for his organization’s views on foreign jockeys coming to Seoul. Nevertheless, it seems as though everyone enjoyed themselves. The jury is still out on Aoki but he’s had a good start and he certainly seems an interesting – and English speaking – addition to the ranks.

Late Late Bulpae Gisang Wins Metropolitan

Seoul claims victory in Busan Metropolitan / Golden Rose wins Gyeonggi Governor’s
Bulpae Gisang appeared out of nowhere to score victory in the Busan Metropolitan Mayor’s Cup this afternoon. With impeccable timing, Choi Beom Hyun brought the three year old down the outside to come past Yeonseung Daero and Areumdaun Jilju just metres from the line.

Gamadongja and Yeonseung Daero set the early pace with he latter staying on to battle Areumdaun Jilju for what, until Bulpae Gisang’s late run, looked like the win. Coming with Bulpae Gisang was last year’s champion three year old Gaeseon Janggun but he couldn’t match the speed of the US import, who completed the final furlong a full second faster than any of his rivals.

So Seoul finally wins a head to head against Busan – even though places 2-5 were filled by Busan horses (all of them Korean bred) and the last four finishers were all from Seoul. Bulpae Gisang goes on to seven wins from twelve starts.

Busan Metropolitan Mayor’s Cup (KOR. GIII) – Busan Race Park – 2000M – Nov 1, 2009

1. Bulpae Gisang (USA) [Lightnin N Thunder – Neat Trick (Clever Trick)]- Choi Beom Hyun – 2.9, 1.3
2. Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] – Park Geum Man – 2.4
3. Areumdaun Jilju (KOR) [Didyme – Chills Of Nepal (Nepal)] – Hitomi Miyashita – 1.9
Distances: 1 length/0.5 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Gaseon Janggun; 5. Yeongung Manse; 6. Saerounbisul; 7. Luna; 8. Gamadongja; 9. Angle Slam; 10. Hardride; 11. Saerounachim; 12. Tiffanyuikkum; 13. Vicar Love; 14. Balbora

It wasn’t just Busan that had big race action this afternoon. At Seoul it was the fillies who were in action in the Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup – named for the province in which the Seoul Racecourse is located.

It wasn’t much of a contest as favourite Golden Rose went away quickly as was never caught – the three year old cruising away from the field for a nine length win under Han Sung Yeol. In doing so, she gave new trainer Kim Hyo Seob his first big race win.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN