Month: July 2012

Weekend Preview

Gyeongnam Do-Min Ilbo Stakes could offer Classic Clues

A couple of years ago the Korean Meteorological Administration said there was no point in it trying to predict when it’s going to rain during monsoon season as it’s easier to pick a winner in a maiden pony race on Jeju Island. Or words to that effect. That season began in spectacular fashion last Friday night and we lost a day’s racing at Seoul last Saturday as a result.

It shouldn’t look like this at the weekend but don’t bet against it

We should therefore be cautious about the forecast that predicts a bright and sunny weekend. We can but hope though as Busan Race Park on Sunday plays host to what should be an entertaining renewal of the Gyeongnam Do-Min Ilbo Stakes.

Nine three-year olds join four older horses in the 1800 metre test which serves as a trial for the remaining Classics. Grand Teukgeup (Menifee), Joiner Peace (Menifee) and Over Power (Ft. Stockton) are being run with next month’s Korean Oaks in mind while colts Predict (The Groom Is Red), Nobel Pokpung (Didyme), Dream Tower (Forest Camp) are among those looking towards the Minister’s Cup in three months’ time.

Here’s what’s happening when and where:

Friday July 6

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

Saturday July 7

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 11:00 to 17:20
Jeju Race Park: 8 races from 12:20 to 16:50

Sunday July 8

Seoul Race Park: 10 races from 11:00 to 17:45
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:15 to 16:45

Tough Win, Smarty Moonhak Set For Busan Metro Showdown

Dangdae Bulpae, Yeonseung Daero, Lion Santa, Smoking Gun Also Go In “Summer Grand Prix”

It’s been confirmed that Grand Prix Stakes winner and current top-rated horse in Korea Tough Win (Yonaguska) and the horse considered his closest challenger, Smarty Moonhak (Smarty Jones), will both travel to Busan on July 22nd for the Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Stakes.

The “Troika”: Tough Win (centre) will be up against Smarty Moonhak (left) in the Busan Metropolitan. The late Mister Park (right), who split them in the Grand Prix, is sorely missed

The race, the south coast’s richest is also known as the “Summer Grand Prix” and it will see Tough Win and Smarty Moonhak face each other for the first time since last December when the then two-year-old Smarty Moonhak finished third behind the victorious Tough Win in the nation’s most prestigious race.

Tough Win was a narrow winner of this race as a three-year-old in 2010. However returning to Busan last year and sent off as the heavy favourite, he inexplicably became involved in an early speed duel with Dangdae Bulpae. This left both horses exhausted in the home straight and allowed Yeonseung Daero to come through for the win.

Yeonseung Daero (Creek Cat) will also be back this year as will Dangdae Bulpae (Biwa Shinseiki), now a two-time President’s Cup winner. Aussie-bred Jeonseong Sidae (Stromberg Carlson) will be there as will prolific winner Lion Santa (Lion Heart) and young US import Smoking Gun (Hat Trick).

While this race is the biggest of the year so far and the clash between Smarty Moonhak and Tough Win the most eagerly awaited since Tough Win himself then the upstart, faced Dongbanui Gangja in the same race two years ago, there is nevertheless a touch of sadness surrounding the occasion.

Were it not for the break-down and death of Mister Park during his tune-up race last month, this would have been a three-way rematch from the Grand Prix. We still have a great race but we will also be remembering the record-breaking champion.

Here are the entries:

Busan Metropolitian City Stakes – Busan Race Park – 2000M, July 22, 2012

Jeonseong Sidae (AUS) [Stromberg Carlson-Jessie’s Journey (Crwon Jester)] (13/6/4/3) Busan
Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat-Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] (42/16/8/5) Busan
Sangseung Geotap (USA) [Indian Charlie-Mirta (Theatrical)] (19/7/2/1) Busan
Smoking Gun (USA) [Hat Trick-Desdemona’s Dream (Announce)] (5/4/1/0) Busan
Lion Santa (USA) [Lion Heart-Santa Fe Strip (Phone Trick)] (13/10/1/0) Busan
Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki-Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] (24/15/2/1) Busan
Gamdonguibada (USA) [Werblin-Radyla (Country Pine)] (7/4/2/1) Busan
Smarty Moonhak (USA) [Smarty Jones-Madeira M’Dear (Black Tie Affair)] (10/8/1/1) Seoul
Tough Win (USA) [Yonaguska-Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] (21/17/2/0) Seoul
Adam One (USA) [Sligo Bay-Toddles (Real Courage)] (30/3/3/3) Seoul
Jumong (USA) [Johar-Foreign Aid (Danzig)] (30/9/7/4) Seoul
Cheonjidolpung (USA) [Tactical Cat-Luminate (A.P.Indy)] (34/5/0/4) Seoul

Seoul Trainers Choi Hye Sik, Park Won Deok and Kim Chun Geun Retire

Three of Seoul’s most experienced trainers have saddled their last runners. Choi Hye Sik, Kim Chun Geun and Park Won Deok all retired at the end of June.

From left to right: Retiring Trainers Kim Chun Geun, Choi Hye Sik and Park Won Deok (and their plus ones) at their retirement ceremony last week (Pic: KRA)

Of the three – all former jockeys – Park, who debuted in 1987, was the most successful, sending out two Grand Prix Stakes winners; Tahamkke (Dance Floor) in 2001 and Tempest West (Silent Tempest) in 2003. Tahamkke would win five Stakes races.

Choi, who took out his license in 1984, also won the Grand Prix. He saddled 1995 winner Dae Kyeun (Northern Regent), an Australian bred gelding who won 29 of his 49 starts over a 7 year career.

Longest serving trainer Kim, who sent out his first runner in 1978, recorded the most wins of the three but the fewest Stakes races. His biggest triumph was winning the 2006 Seoul Owners’ Association Trophy with Waromar (Wallenda).

The retirements open up three barns for those who recently passed the trainer license exam and the KRA will announce shortly who will take up the vacant positions. Training is one of the areas where Korea still lags far behind international standards.

New trainers are now sent to gain experience overseas with the UK, Australia and South Africa the most popular destinations at the moment. When the overseas program was started a couple of years ago, the first participants went to the US, however, unlike jockeys who can learn a lot in the States there’s a growing feeling that trainers would benefit more by going to jurisdictions with similar medication rules to Korea.

Whether it pays off – and with the strong Unions still deterring any foreign trainers from trying their hand at Seoul, we’ll only know some years down the line.

Weekend Review: Washouts & Winners

The monsoon season finally arrived in Seoul with a vengeance on Friday evening. The rain was so hard that Gyongmaman struggled to keep his red wine dry. It all proved too much for Seoul Race Park’s drainage system and with no let-up on Saturday morning, the decision was made to call off the day’s racing.

Uh oh: The Seoul track was designed to cope with the monsoon but it couldn’t cope on Saturday (Pic: Ilgan Sports)

The monsoon season happens every year and racing continues even during the most extreme downpours, however, this time the 15 hour deluge was overwhelming and the track was deemed unsafe to race.

The rain stopped mid-afternoon Saturday and Sunday was a glorious day at both Seoul and Busan. The pick of the action was on the South Coast and the foreign jockey contingent was in fine form. South African Gerrit Schlechter got things rolling with a win on Peter Wolsley’s promising filly Sangseungdaecheong (Ft. Stockton) in race 1.

Winners: Yukio Abe

Yukio Abe took race 2 on US import Kellan (Cape Town) before he and fellow Japanese rider Narazaki Kosuke took the honours in the two feature races. Kosuke rode hot favourite Tamna Hwangje (Montbrook) to a comfortable six-length victory in race 5 before Abe and five-year-old Saeroun Taeyang (Volponi) upset KRA Cup Mile winner Gyeongbudaero in the finale.

With Joe Fujii coming in second to Abe twice today, the foreigners continue to do well down in Gyeongnam

* Up at Seoul, the feature race went to favourite Prime Galloper (Strodes Creek), with a dominant 8 length win. It was a fourth straight victory for the four-year old who, if he continues his current form, could find himself competing for some very big prizes later in the season.