Month: January 2014

Se Young’s Super Six

Champion jockey Moon Se Young was in imperious form at Seoul on Sunday, riding the winner in 6 or the 10 races on the card.

Moon Se Young

Moon Se Young

As has been mentioned many times on this blog, the standard of riding in Korea has been getting better and better over the past few years.

Seo Seung Un, while not the champion, was undoubtedly the jockey of the year in 2013 by virtue of his outstanding performance with limited firepower.

Lee Chan Ho, a first year apprentice is showing great potential, while Jo In Kwen pushed Moon all the way last year.

However, if there was any doubt as to who is the number one in the weighing room, it was dispelled today. All his mounts had chances and Moon brought them home with ruthless efficiency.

Those wins included both co-feature races, firstly with Brig (Menifee), a 4-year-old who was 4th in the Korean Derby last year and looks set to fulfil his potential this time around.

Then there was Bichui Wangja (Roman Ruler), a 4-year-old American import who held off two long shots to record his 5th career win. Seo Seung Un had ridden Bichui Wangja in all his previous outings before today. With Moon being available though, the ride went to him.

A smile would be nice: Even after Bichui Wangja give s him his 6th winner of the day, Moon Se Young is in no mood for celebration

A smile would be nice: Even after Bichui Wangja give s him his 6th winner of the day, Moon Se Young is in no mood for celebration

Earlier in Moon’s haul was Feel So Good (Ft.Stockton). The only Korean bred horse to win a race in the United States returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in 4 outings, winning race 6 by a nose. He’ll be in class 2 company next time out.

Down at Busan, we have some quality riders too although with Jo Sung Gon off to Macau, most of them are now foreign.

Joe Fujii and Darryll Holland both picked up where they left off from Friday by riding winners. Fujii added to his Friday four-timer by scoring a routine win on hot favourite Not Anymore (Casino Prince) in race 4. It was a 3rd win from 7 starts for the Aussie filly who has never finished worse than 3rd.

Two races later, Holland, who rode a double on Friday, landed the feature race for the 2nd time in as many meetings, guiding Grand Teukgeup (Menifee) to a comfortable win over 7 furlongs.

New Year Begins With Impetus

It’s got one of the most cumbersome names in the calendar but the New Year’s Commemorative Race lived up to its reputation of being a tough punting prospect as 9/1 shot Impetus landed 2014’s first big prize at Seoul Race Park.

Impetus and Park Tae Jong return to scale after winning the New Year's Commemorative race

Impetus and Park Tae Jong return to scale after winning the New Year’s Commemorative race

Now 4-years-old, Impetus (Exploit) came in to the race having won 4 of his previous 13 starts and was 6th most favoured by punters.

Under jockey Park Tae Jong he hit the front coming off the final turn and fought off the determined challenge of favourite Bulkkot Daewang, who finished quickly on the rail, by a neck.

In other news on what was a long 14-race opening day in the Korean capital, we saw our first dead-heat of the year as the judges failed to separate Space Gun and Speed King at the end of race 10.

One race earlier, we also unfortunately saw the first heavy fall of the year as jockey Ahn Hyo Ri was unseated from her mount on the final turn. Ahn required hospital treatment but horse was unhurt and continued without his rider.

New Year Commemorative Race – Seoul Race Park – 1800M – January 4, 2014

1. Impetus (KOR) [Exploit – Miss Stravinsky (Stravinsky)] – Park Tae Jong
2. Bullkot Daewang (KOR) [Pico Central – Hwaju (Joindre)] – Cho Kyoung Ho
3. Daejangjeong (KOR) [Menifee – Ledge (Kris S.)] – Lee Sang Hyeok
Distances: Neck/2.5 lengths – 14 ran

Sunday January 5
Seoul Race Park: 10 races from 11:00 to 18:00
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:50 to 17:30

Four-Timer Fujii Leads Magnificent Seven For Foreign Jocks At Busan

The 2014 Korean racing season got underway at Busan today and the track’s foreign jockeys were on fire as they helped themselves to 7 of the 12 races.

Smiling: Masa Tanaka (left) and Joe Fujii (Pic: Hiromi Kobayashi)

Smiling: Masa Tanaka (left) and Joe Fujii (Pic: Hiromi Kobayashi)

Masa Tanaka kicked things off with victory in race 3 on 6/1 chance Bada Gangja with Darryll Holland getting off the mark for the year in the next with a 2-length win on Thunder Ray. Race 5 saw Joe Fujii get in on the action as he guided US-bred gelding Smart Energy to a 6-length triumph.

Local jockeys Park Sung Kwang and Kim Jeong Woong grabbed the next two before Fujii completed a double with an unexpected win on 19/1 outsider Uribong in race 8.

Winning: Darryll Holland (Pic: Ross Holburt)

Winning: Darryll Holland (Pic: Ross Holburt)

Holland wrapped up a double of his own in race 10, piloting Peter Wolsley’s Vicar Sun home before Fujii took over once more and snatched the final two races of the day on Queen’s Blade and Cheonji Jeonseung to complete a remarkable four-timer.

Fujii, who turned 30 on New Year’s Eve, finished 2nd in the Busan Jockey Championship in 2013, winning both the Korean Derby and Oaks along the way. For Holland, it was a welcome return to the saddle and the winner’s circle after being forced to miss last weekend’s bumper cards through suspension. Meanwhile the ever-reliable Tanaka was continuing the good form he showed last week when he won his first Korean class 1 race.

Saturday sees opening day at Seoul where it’s not likely to quite as successful for the visitors among the capital jockey colony. Ikuyasu Kurakane is suspended leaving Fausto Durso as the only foreign jockey in action. On Sunday there is racing at both Seoul and Busan.

Weekend Preview: 2014 Opening Days at Seoul & Busan

The 2014 racing season gets underway in Korea this weekend, headlined as always by the New Year’s Commemorative Race at Seoul.

The punter can get back down to business this weekend at Seoul and Busan

The punter can get back down to business this weekend at Seoul and Busan

That race is the feature of a lengthy 14-race card at Seoul on Saturday while Sunday sees three class 1 races on the peninsula; two at Seoul and one at Busan.

The New Year race, sponsored as usual by Herald Media, brings together a group of horses who didn’t quite make the class 1 breakthrough last year and gives them an early chance to do so this time around.

It’s notoriously difficult to punt on but Blue Camp, Geumbit Mannam and Last Mudae come into the race with the best recent form while Like The Sun and Bulkkot Daewang are proven winners over the distance.

The pony racing on Jeju Island takes a weekend off after running right through the holiday period. Here’s what’s happening where and when:

Friday January 3
Busan Race Park: 12 races from 12:00 to 18:00

Saturday January 4
Seoul Race Park: 14 races from 11:00 to 18:00

Sunday January 5
Seoul Race Park: 10 races from 11:00 to 18:00
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:50 to 17:30

2014 is the Year of the Horse. Come Racing!

2014 Racing Schedule

Well that was a short break. 2014 racing gets underway at Busan on Friday and the full racing calendar is now online. Be sure to check the blog every Thursday for the preview and any potential changes.

We're back. That was a very short break.

We’re back. That was a very short break.

Click here for the full schedule

As ususal, there is racing at Seoul every Saturday and Sunday, Busan ever Friday and Sunday and Jeju (pony racing) every Friday and Saturday.

The Stakes race schedule will be uploaded very soon.

MBC Gayo Daejun Sees In 2014 At Seoul Racecourse

The MBC network’s “Gayo Daejun” – the annual K-Pop marathon that traditionally sees in the New Year, marked 2014 being the Year of the Horse with a special performance at Seoul Racecourse shown just before midnight last night.

CN Blue at Seoul Racecourse

CN Blue at Seoul Racecourse

The segment, which was pre-recorded, featured “pop rock” group CNBLUE performing under the floodlights on the winning line at a deserted track.

Gayo CNblue2

The 5-hour long live broadcast Gayo Daejun (or “Song Festival”) has been airing in some form on New Year’s Eve since the mid 1960’s.