Month: October 2010

Weekend Preview: Baby Time

Gwacheon Mayor’s Cup at Seoul / Gyeongnam Sinmun at Busan

Around most of the racing world, it’s the time of year when the two-year old honours start to be decided and Korea is no exception. Things get underway this weekend with the season’s first big Juvenile races; the Gwacheon Mayor’s Cup at Seoul on Saturday and the Gyeongnam Sinmun Cup at Busan on Sunday.

Although both races are for Korean-bred horses only, don’t expect to get much of an insight into next year’s three-year old Classics. Six of the eight entrants in the Busan race are what is known as “Po-In-Ma” – horses who were born in Korea but whose dams were in foal when they were imported. As such, although they qualify as Korean-bred, they are excluded from the Korean Triple Crown races (KRA Cup Mile, Derby, Oaks and Minister’s Cup). Regardless of this, there are some exciting prospects in both events

Fillies dominate the entrants – five in the Seoul race and six at Busan and there are some exciting prospects. Unbeaten filly Bulkkot Gisang heads the field at Busan while another filly, Smyth, is yet to lose at Seoul. Here are full lists of runners, pedigrees, race records and riders for both races:

Gwacheon Mayor’s Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1200M – October 16, 2010, 16:40

1. Eocheonmansa [Commendable – Prize Top (Concept Win)] F (4/1/0/0) – Kim Young Jin
2. Magic Party [Artie Schiller – Gigi’s Magic (Allen’s Prospect)] F (2/1/1/0) – Park Tae Jong
3. Queen’s Brown [Didyme – Hallaui Bit (Fiercely)] F (3/1/0/0) – Won Jung Il
4. Smyth [Consolidator – Ghostly Gal (Silver Ghost)] F (2/2/0/0) – Park Byeong Yun
5. Sun Hero [Menifee – Strategic Reward (Bold Revenue)] C (3/1/2/0) – Moon Se Young
6. Sahara [Adcat – Pretty Lil Poison (Hansel)] F (2/0/0/0) – Choi Bum Hyun
7. Ugilcheonha [Vicar – Another Princess (Kingmambo)] C (2/1/0/0) – Ham Wan Sik
8. Cheonjibaram [Ingrandire – Christina’s Star (Kissin Kris)] C (2/0/1/1) – Cho Kyoung Ho

Gyeongnam Sinmun Cup – Busan Race Park – 1200M – October 17, 2010, 15:35

1. Bulkkot Gisang [Langfuhr – Attendance (A.P. Indy)] F (3/3/0/0) – Lim Sung Sil
2. Beongae Bolt [Bellamy Road – Silk Stole (Pulpit)] C (4/2/1/0) – Kim Yong Geun
3. Butterfly [Pioneering – Wild Cat Strike (Wild Again)] F (3/1/1/1) 0 – Kim Do Hyun
4. Heukdujanggun [Vicar – Glorious Thunder (Thunder Gulch)] C (3/2/1/0) – Jo Chang Wook
5. Secret Whisper [Seas Of Secrets – Generals Passion (General Meeting)] (F (3/1/0/1) – Park Geum Man
6. Lucky Chief [Chief Pete – Gamdongjeok (Whitney Tower)] F (5/2/1/0) – Lee Sung Jae
7. Here The Lady [Dehere – Rolling Thunder (Thunder Gulch)] F (4/1/0/1) – You Hyun Myung
8. Myeongmun Power [Aptitude – Missile Defence (Unbridled)] F (3/2/0/1) – Jo Sung Gon

And here’s what’s happening where and when:

Friday October 15

Busan Race Park: 9 races from 12:30 to 18:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 13:30 to 17:30

Saturday October 16

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 11:20 to 17:50
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 12:10 to 17:20

Sunday October 17

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:20 to 18:00
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:40 to 16:30

Too Good Dangdae Bulpae Strolls Minister’s Cup

Busan Sweeps Placings In Final Leg of Triple Crown

Last week, Tough Win was crowned King of Seoul. Today, Dangdae Bulpae came up from Busan and put in a performance every bit as impressive to win the Minister’s Cup – the final leg of the 2010 Korean Triple Crown – and take his place as the year’s top Korean bred three-year old.

Dangdae Bulpae & Jo Sung Gon in the Mininter's Cup Winner's Circle

The similarities were striking. Completing the ten-furlongs just half a second slower than Tough Win did in the KRA Cup Classic, Dangdae Bulpae, like his US-bred counterpart last week, won the race with a quick burst of speed as the field entered the home straight, sewing things up with a furlong remaining. Indeed, so confortable was the win that jockey Jo Sung Gon spent the last 100 metres striking posing for the 60,000 racegoers in attendance.

And he had every right to do so. The horse who got closest to him was Cheonnyeon Daero. It was a valiant effort from the Derby winner but at no stage did he look like threatening the winner. Completing a Busan clean-sweep of the placings was Glory Yeonggwang, a further length and a half back in third.

Lost in the haze: Cheonnyeon Daero had to settle for second today

Indeed, Busan’s remaining entrant, Triple Sinhwa took fourth. It’s a remarkable achievement for the Gyeongnam track and one that should have Seoul’s trainers once again asking what they are doing wrong. In the event. Tamnaseontaek was the first of Seoul’s finishers – and in fifth, the only one to gain any prize money.

Those recriminations – and believe me, we’re going to have them here very soon – can wait. Today is about celebration and anticipation. Dangdae Bulpae, now a winner of eight races from eleven starts, has already beaten older horses in the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup and today he only needed to show a fraction of what he might be capable of. Race fans can only hope that his connections prove ambitious and want to test him against foreign horses.

The biggest event on the Korean racing calendar is the season-ending Grand Prix Stakes. It’s open to all and punters vote on horses to receive invitations. Now that Busan horses are also eligible, Dangdae Bulpae’s election should be a formality. Whether the invitation will be accepted or not is quite a different matter. Let’s hope it is as waiting for him back in Seoul in December will surely be none other than Tough Win.

Minister of FAFF Cup (KOR G.III) – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – October 10, 2010

1. Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] – Jo Sung Gon – 1.7, 1.1
2. Cheonnyeon Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Doneitmyway (Northern Flagship)] – Park Geum Man – 1.4
3. Glory Yeonggwang (KOR) [Didyme – Lady Sandido (Sandrigo)] – Mun Jung Won – 6.1

Distances: 6 lengths/1.5 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Triple Sinhwa 5. Tamnaseontaek 6. Gayabobae 7. Forest Wind 8. Best Holls 9. Bonsol 10. Andy’s Runner 11. Hey Dey 12. Medlin Speed 13. Tracker 14. Yerimi

* Thanks to Roar for the upload.

Glorious Gwacheon

Perfect Conditions Greet Minister’s Cup Weekend

Punters have become accustomed to the weather forecast being wrong this year, mostly to their detriment. Today, however, the promised rain never looked like arriving and Seoul Race Park basked in what was possibly the most glorious day of the year.

Choegoro (right) leads on his way to victory at Seoul today

On the track, it was low-key with tomorrow’s Minister’s Cup greatly overshadowing anything today could offer but there was still an entertaining afternoon’s sport for the 40,000 in attendance. Here are the performances of note:

* The feature race ended in victory for Geumgangi. The Munhwa Ilbo Cup winner had disappointed in the Ilgan Sports last month but led wire-to-wire to lead home Yeah Strike and Seon San in the 1900 metre handicap.

* Fourth in the Oaks, Kanui Byeol was expected to get back to winning ways in race 10 today. However, despite being sent off at long odds-on, she was edged out of it on the line as colt Real Victor just got up to claim his third career victory.

* One reputation that was enhanced was that of Choegoro [Exploit – Unzipper (Bio)]. The late starting gelding won in race 7 to take him to two wins from three races. The manner of his victory suggests we’ll be seeing more of him in future.

* Of the imports, US bred filly Lady Hazzy’s [Lightnin ‘N Thunder – Loverofmysoul (Is It True)] was a debut winner in race 6, beating fellow American two-year old filly Our Camp (Forest Camp) into second. Look out for Our Camp though – as soon as she is given an extra furlong, she’ll win.

* Down on Jeju, champion juvenile honours were awarded to Bulbitgunja. The gelding beat out seven fellow two-year old ponies to win Jeju’s most valuable juvenile race.

Sunshine & Shade: In the right places for a perfect day's sport

Racing returns to Seoul tomorrow when it is Minister’s Cup day. Dangdae Bulpae will be favoured to beat Derby winner Cheonnyeon Daero when the field goes to post for the final leg of the 2010 Korean Triple Crown at 5pm. Here’s what’s happening tomorrow:

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:20 to 18:10
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:40 to 16:30

Wolsley’s Winners

Aussie Trainer and Japanese Jockey combine at Busan

It was a cracking Friday at Busan for Peter Wolsley as the Australian trainer saddled a remarkable four winners. To add to the international success, three of those were ridden by Japanese jockey Yoshiyuki Aoki.

Peter Wolsley (left) had 4 winners, 3 of them ridden by Yoshi Aoki

The pair combined for the first time in race 1 where Wolsley’s highly rated two-year old gelding Optimus [Fine N’Majestic – Cat Beluga (Hennesy)] was amking his racecourse debut. Punters were ready for him, backing him into an unbettable 1.1 on the tote and he duly obliged by six lengths. Indeed, Optimus was a triumph all round for Korean racing’s international contingent, his owner being the Peter Hill headed Pegasus Farm.

Improving colt Pnata Rhei (Stormy Atlantic) provided their next success, in race 3 before they paired up again with US bred filly I Am Cruising (Value Plus) to land race 8. In between those, Wolsley had another winner in the shape of the difficult to pronounce but very exciting three-year old colt Gyeongkwaehanjilju (Tapit). It was the grey’s third win from four starts.

It was Wolsley’s most successful day in his nearly three years at Busan. The fact that all four winners were sent off favourite – two of them long-odds on show the kind of quality that is now in his stable. It hasn’t always been like that. Just as new foreign jockeys generally get the no-hopers to ride, so Wolsley wasn’t awash with Grand Prix Stakes contenders. The winners started to come though and today’s quartet takes him to a total of 75 winners from just shy of 450 starters.

In his stable now, apart from today’s two up-and-comers, he has a competitive set of horses. Pegaus has four in training with him while he handles five for Isidore Farm – another foreign headed Jeju outfit. Among those is Ganghan Yeoja, the filly who has won her last three races. Other class 1 horses in Wolsley’s care are 2008 Derby winner Ebony Storm and 2009 contender Impeccable as well as stalwarts Khaosan, Suryeohan and Yeoreumbi who, to cap a magnificent day, managed a third place finish in this afternoon’s feature race.

Both Isidore and Pegasus are among those owners who’ve sent horses to Busan’s newest overseas trainer, American Joe Murphy, who has fifteen horses in training.

* To cap a bad day for the local jockey’s union, Hitomi Miyashita ensured that four of the ten races went to Japanese riders by landing race 9 on High Best.

Cheonnyeon Daero Heads Triple Crown Finale

Weekend Preview: Derby Winner faces Dangdae Bulpae in Minister’s Cup

The 2010 Korean Triple Crown draws to a conclusion at Seoul Race Park this coming Sunday as this year’s top three year olds come together for the last time in the Minister of Agriculture (FAFF) Cup.

Unlike last year there’s no Triple Crown on the line and only one of this year’s three Classic winners will line up. Nevertheless, it looks set to be a great contest.

Cheonnyeon Daero

Derby winner Cheonnyeon Daero heads the field. In his two outings since May he’s recorded a win and a disappointing fourth but he’ll have plenty of backers on Sunday to make it two Classic victories. Joining him on the trip North from Busan is Dangdae Bulpae. Since finishing third in the Derby, he’s unbeaten and is coming off a terrific win in the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup in which he beat Namdo Jeap, the winner of this race last year.

Apart from Cheonnyeon Daero and Dangdae Bulpae, Busan, which has been provided the winner for the past two years sends Glory Yeonggwang – the shock winner of the Gold Circle Trophy three weeks ago – and Triple Sinhwa, who was a money winner in both the KRA Cup Mile (Korean Guineas) and the Derby.

Best Holls - Ilgan Sports winner

For the home team, there’s no Money Car – the KRA Cup Mile winner is on the long-term injured list – and without him, it’s hard to see the Trophy still being in the capital on Sunday evening. Best Holls won the Ilgan Sports last month while Tamnaseontaek was sixth in the Derby. Bonsol and Tracker have always threatened to turn into decent horses while Andy’s Runner provides a first Korean Classic mount for Japanese rider Hirotaka Hamada. With Dongbang Rose not making it, Yerimi is the only filly in the race.

The Minister’s Cup is race 9 on Sunday and comes under orders at 5pm. Here’e a full list of runners, records, home tracks and riders:

FAFF Minister’s Cup (KOR.G.II) – Seoul Race Park – October 10 – 2000M

1. Forest Wind (8/3/0/2) Seoul – Ham Wan Sik
2. Bonsol (14/4/0/3) Seoul – Oh Kyoung Hoan
3. Dangdae Bulpae (10/7/0/1) Busan – Jo Sung Gon
4. Best Holls (10/5/1/2) Seoul – Lee Sang Hyeok
5. Cheonnyeon Daero (13/4/5/2) Busan – Park Geum Man
6. Medlin Speed (10/4/0/0) Seoul – Park Tae Jong
7. Glory Yeonggwang (14/4/2/3) Busan – Mun Jung Won
8. Andy’s Runner (12/3/2/5) Seoul – Hirotaka Hamada
9. Tracker (9/3/1/2) Seoul – Lee Joon Chel
10. Yerimi (8/2/2/1) Seoul (filly) – Ji Ha Ju
11. Triple Shinhwa (9/3/4/0) Busan – Chae Gyu Jun
12. Tamnaseontaek (9/3/1/2) Seoul – Kim Dong Kyun
13. Gayabobae (11/4/2/0) Seoul – Moon Se Young
14. Hey Day (8/2/3/1) Seoul – Shin Hyung Chul

And here is what is going on when and where this weekend:

Friday October 8

Busan Race Park: 10 races from 12:00 to 18:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 13:30 to 17:30

Saturday October 9

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 11:20 to 17:40
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 12:10 to 17:50

Sunday October 10

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:20 to 18:10
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:40 to 16:30

Tough Win Soars To The Top

Three year-old Effortlessly Hands Dongbanui Gangja Second Defeat

The handover is complete. If there were doubts over his first win over Dongbanui Gangja, Tough Win quashed them today by easing to victory in the KRA Cup Classic at Seoul Race Park.

The big question before the race was whether Dongbanui Gangja would run in a straight line. That combined with the 63 kilos he was assigned to carry, meant punters sent him off at 3/1 – the longest price he’s been for over two years. Tough Win was made odds-on favourite, yet the three-year old still had plenty of questions of his own to answer following his less than convincing win in Busan in July.

Answer them he did. As expected, Cho Kyoung Ho sent Tough Win into an early lead while Choi Bum Hyun kept Dongbanui Gangja a few places off the pace-setters. As they rounded the final turn, they hit the critical part of the race as Choi advanced the double-Grand Prix champion around the outside of the field and pointed him towards the finish.

The five-year old resisted for a moment or two but quickly relented and began racing. In times gone by this would have been enough to guarantee victory but today it was far too late. Tough Win, hugging the rail kicked on as they entered the straight and was out of reach. So comfortable was the victory, that Cho Kyoung Ho began easing him with half a furlong still to go and crossed the line at a canter.

Number One: Tough Win

Dongbanui Gangja was within five lengths of him at the finish but the distance meant little. Korean racing has a new King. Larrycat, widely predicted to be the one who could pounce should the favourites fail to fire, stayed on well for third, a further two lengths back.

Tough Win now has nine wins from nine starts. A third contest with Dongbanui Gangja is likely in the season ending Grand Prix in December. Although the weights will not be so much in the younger horse’s favour then, it is hard to see him getting beaten. As of today it is official. Tough Win is the best racehorse in Korea.

KRA Cup Classic (KOR.G.III) – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – October 3, 2010

1. Tough Win (USA) [Yonaguska – Maggie Mae’s Sword (Sword Dance)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 1.6, 1.1
2. Dongbanui Gangja (USA) [Broken Vow – Maremaid (Storm Bird)] – Choi Bum Hyun – 1.4
3. Larrycat (USA) [Fantasticat – Tiger In My Tank (Tiger)] – Park Tae Jong – 1.8

Distances: 5 lengths/2 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Free Hugs 5. Angus Empire 6. Cheonjidolpung 7. Baekjeonmupae 8. Kahnui Jeonseol 9. Serendipper 10. Hwanggeumjandi 11. Emperor Cugat 12. Indian Secret 13. Park’s Pride

* Thanks to Roar for the upload

Triple Threat

A Choi Bum Hyun ridden closer leaves himself too much to do in the home straight and just fails to catch the winner. Twenty-four hours from now we could be writing this about Dongbanui Gangja. Today, however, it was the turn of Ttukseom Cup winner Triple Seven to fail to do enough in the final furlong as Natural Guy strode to victory in the feature race at Seoul Race Park.

Triple Seven: Suffered third straight defeat

On a day which saw unforecasted torrential rain, Triple Seven finished like a train, but it was too late and the five-year old is now without a win in his last three starts.

Class 1 (Handicap) – Seoul Race Park – 1900M – October 2, 2010

1. Natural Guy (KOR) [Social Charter – Rocky Stream (Reprimand)] – Yoon Tae Hyoug – 3.5, 1.6
2. Triple Seven (KOR) [The Groom Is Red – Impudence (Grand Lodge)] – Choi Bum Hyun – 1.1
3. Baengnyeonbong (KOR) [Al Naba – Sonsovino Art (Mister C.)] – Oh Kyoung Hoan – 2.3

Distances: 1 length/Head – 12 ran

* As for Sunday and the KRA Cup Classic showdown between Champion Dongbanui Gangja and upstart Tough Win, it is so hard to make a case to bet on Dongbanui Gangja. He is still, perhaps the best horse in the race but going against him is the weight – he will carry over four kilos more and also the uncertainty as to whether he will even get round. We don’t usually have to worry about this in a flat race but in his last two starts, Dongbanui Gangja has veered crazily off the racing line.

Presumably his trainer has been working on little else in the two months since his last appearance and it would be wonderful if he could pull off the win and set up a final duel at the Grand Prix in December. However, the head must rule the heart. Tough Win will be favourite but look elsewhere on the board for value. Larrycat could surprise both of them.

Sunday October 3

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:20 to 18:10
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:40 to 16:30

Could Be A Classic

Dongbanui Gangja vs Tough Win Part 2

It could be. This Sunday sees the re-match between double Grand Prix champion Dongbanui Gangja and the young pretender to his crown as best horse in Korea, Tough Win as they both line up for the Group 3 KRA Cup Classic at Seoul Race Park. The pair met for the first time down at Busan in July and on that day it was the three-year old Tough Win who came out on top breaking Dongbanui Gangja’s run of twelve straight victories.

However, the pair never really faced off. The notoriously hard to control Dongbanui Gangja veered wildly off course on the final turn squandering any chance of victory. Tough Win took the victory, but it was a close-run thing with Vicar Love and Yeonseung Daero both getting very very close to him. Nevertheless, he won and good horses don’t need to win by much, they just need to win and Tough Win has a perfect eight for eight.

Choi Bum Hyun will return to partner Dongbanui Gangja. Choi missed the Busan Metropolitan due to injuryand it was Moon Se Young in the saddle when the five-year old went wide. However, in his previous run with Choi on board at Seoul in April, Dongbanui Gangja had done exactly the same thing. That day, he got away with it.

Even if Dongbanui Gangja does stay straight, he will still have to contend with a back-breaking 63 kilos to carry. The younger Tough Win carries more than 4 kilos less. They both have eleven other contenders to deal with too. Larrycat and Hwanggeumjandi are young up-and-comers while Angus Empire and Baekjeonmupae have been competing at the top level for nearly three years now. Owners’ Cup winner Serendipper is the only filly or mare in the race.

The KRA Cup Classic is race 9 of an 11 race card at Seoul Race Park on Sunday. Racing gets underway at 11:20am with the big one at 5pm. Here’s a full list of the runners, weights, race records and rider:

KRA Cup Classic (KOR.G.III) – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – October 3, 2010, 5pm

1. Hwanggeumjandi (USA) – 56kg – (11/5/0/2) – Kim Young Jin
2. Baekjeonmupae (NZ) – 57.5kg – (34/10/7/2) – Yoo Sang Wan
3. Emperor Cugat (AUS) – 53kg – (17/4/4/2) – Han Sung Youl
4. Kahnui Jeonseol (NZ) – 51kg – (24/2/5/5) – Jo In Kwen
5. Free Hugs (AUS) – 58kg – (34/5/9/4) – Shin Hyoung Chul
6. Indian Secret (USA) – 53kg – (21/4/1/2) – Won Jung Il
7. Park’s Pride (NZ) – 51kg – (12/3/4/1) – Lee Gi Hweoi
8. Dongbanui Gangja (USA) – 63kg – (25/17/4/2) – Choi Bum Hyun
9. Tough Win (USA) – 58.5kg – (8/8/0/0) – Cho Kyoung Ho
10. Angus Empire (USA) – 59kg – (38/11/8/4) – Moon Se Young
11. Larrycat (USA) – 55kg – 12/5/3/2 – Park Tae Jong
12. Serendipper (AUS) – 54kg – (30/4/7/3) – Lee Sang Hyeok
13. Cheonjidolpung (USA) – 52kg – (24/5/0/4) – Boo Min Ho