Day: January 24, 2018

Trial Reports (January 19/20)

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Seoul – January 19 (5 trials)

The track was running very slow at Seoul last Friday morning (and for much of the weekend) so times weren’t important but three-year-old gelding Jilpung Gangho (Hongji) looked comptent enough with an untroubled performances in heat 1, finishing on the bridle eight lengths ahead of eight other unraced three-year olds.

Sun Start (Gemologist) ran twice at the tail-end of last year without distinction and was subject to a warning having hung inwards last time out in December. The US import displayed marginally better manners running on to finish 1st in trial 2. Behind him eight unraced horses went around with four of them managing to qualify.

Japanese owner Mizutani Masateru has been the most successful foreign owner so far in Korea and his colt Two M Okay (Sharp Humor) looks like he knows what he’s doing with a very comfortable looking qualification. He’d previously trialled last September but looks a totally different prospect this time around. Leader’s Camp (Limitless Bid), who will be the ninth foal out of NZ bred Oktong-i to run in Korea, stayed with him throughout but was ridden more vigourously.

The latest “Blade” won trial 4. Meni Blade (Menifee) is a half-sister to Winner’s Glory (7 wins from 15) and will likely be well-backed when she debuts having run on pleasingly enough.

In the final trial of the morning, eight-year-old Space Port (Pleasant Tap), who last raced in December 2016, re-qualified. He’s won 5 of his 49 races with a further 10 runner-up finishes to his name. He finished 1st ahead of a number of others of varying experience and ability who were re-qualifying.

Busan – January 20 (3 trials)

Catch Nine (Eurosilver) took trial 1 by five lengths. She’s the first foal out of Easing Along mare Screwey. Eight of the nine entrants qualified from the heat in what was the first of three well-run trials and the only one to contain mostly unraced horses.

Miracle Iji (Parading) is a winner of 3 from 15 and last raced in May 2017. He’s moved to David Miller’s stable and having already re-qualfied in December, kept ticking over winning heat 2.

Baekmunbaekdap (Tapizar) was a $50,000 purchase from OBS last March and having had a few setbacks, the Kim Young Kwan-trained gelding finally trialled in the final heat. He looks good and finished alongside established class 1 winner Tongil Sidae (Munnings) in a fast time. Thunder Dome (Thunder Moccasin), winner of 2 from 8 so far, re-qualified having been sent back to trial following a disappointing showing when favourite at the end of last year.

 

 

 

Weekend Round-Up: Haeya Strikes At Busan But Choinma Stumbles on Season Debut At Seoul

Haeya sprinted her way to success for the 6th time in 12 career starts as the lightly raced five-year-old mare took victory in Sunday’s feature at Busan.

Haeya

Haeya, seen here at the Korea Sprint, was a fine winner on Sunday (Pic: Ross Holburt)

A good field assembled for the 1400M “Road To G1” contest on the South Coast with Haeya joined by big name sprinters such as Perdido Pomeroy and Drop The Beat. King Of Ace made his second start since returning from surgery while Macheon Bolt, 2nd in the Korea Sprint in 2016 also returned for the first time in almost a year. Diferent Dimension also made his first start since moving to the stable of Kang Byung Eun.

Not many of them went well. Neither King Of Ace nor Macheon Bolt looked fully ready while Diferent Dimension showed early but then faded. Perdido Pomeroy as ever set the pace but Haeya was always handy and under You Hyun Myung, she struck the front in the home straight, running on to win by a comfortable two and a half lengths. Outsider Stealth and Thomas Gillespie’s Party Again came home strongly late to take 2nd and 3rd.

Haeya [Flatter – Luxaholic (Macho Uno)] was 2nd in last year’s Ttukseom Cup and 3rd in the KNN Cup, both times behind Silver Wolf and looks set to be a contender in those and other big races up to a mile later in the year.

With victories in the Gyeonggi Governor;s and Gwacheon Mayor’s Cups followed by 2nd place to Ecton Blade in the Breeders’ Cup, Choinma was the biggest earning juvenile in Korea in 2017 and widely expected to play a big role in the Triple Crown series this year. He stepped up to 1700M for his first outing of 2018 at Seoul on Saturday and was sent off the prohibitive favourite in a class 3 handicap. It didn’t quite go to plan as not for the first time recently, a long-shot got on pace early and couldn’t be caught .

This time it was 45/1 Jeongan Kingdom who made all and while Choinam rallied late on, he was still a full two and a half lengths adrift in 2nd place on the line. It wasn’t the most auspicious beginning to his three-year-old career but it’s early days and conditions will likely be very different once we reach the KRA Cup Mile in April.