CC Wong rode his second Listed winner in a week as Chan Famous came from a long way back to stake his claim for a spot in the starting gate when the Triple Crown kicks off in April by winning the Sports Seoul Trophy (1400M KOR-L) on Sunday afternoon. At Busan, Oasis Blue did the same, with a comfortable score in the Gyeongnam Shinmun Trophy (1400M KOR-L), the pair of races the respective main Classic trials of the two tracks.

Having debuted nondescriptly last November, Chan Famous won his next two before kicking off his three-year-old campaign with a 4^th place at class 4 over this distance. That adequate but by no means amazing record led him to be sent off at 38.1 on the local tote as One Punch Dragon, entering the race on a three-race winning streak, jumped as the favourite.

Another outsider, Silver Rain, set the pace along with the fancied Long Run Bulpae, who entered as the only horse to have raced at class 3 level. Silver Rain would fade in the straight leaving Long Run Bulpae and Lee Dong-ha alone out in front and seemingly home and hosed.

That would be to reckon with Chan Famous as having sat towards the rear of midfield, CC launched his mount and he relentlessly eroded a big deficit in the final furlong, reeling in and passing a tiring Long Run Bulpae to win by just under a length. Best Race was 3^rd and Captain P.K., Seoul’s best juvenile of 2024, was 4^th.

Chan Famous is by Hansen and out of Intouchable (by Elusive Quality). Trained by Seo Bum-seok, he was a 94 Million Won purchase as a two-year-old by his owner, Hong Kong based Shum Ho Chun.

It was a first big race win in Korea for the owner while for trainer Seo, generally known as “Kenny”, it was another big price success with a young horse – stablemate Aqua Line, won last November’s G2 Breeders’ Cup Rookie at Busan at 80/1, although has been on the sidelines since. For CC Wong, it was a second Korean Listed win in as many weeks with the jockey having taken out the Segye Ilbo Trophy on Crown Hamseong last Sunday.

At Busan, Oasis Blue crossed the line in front for the second time in Listed company, having previously done so in last Octobers Gimhae Mayor’s Trophy. That day he was deemed to have been at fault for an incident early in the race that resulted in a jockey being unseated and under the local rules of racing, he got thrown out.

Since then, he had registered a 3^rd place and a win at class 4 level over the Korean Derby distance, but Oasis Blue was dropped back to 1400M to scratch that Listed itch on Sunday. Close all the way under jockey Jin Kyum, taking the lead turning into the straight and once he got in front set about his task well, opening up a big lead and taking the line a full three-lengths to the good over Yongbi Paewang, with My Dream Day in 3^rd.

Oasis Blue is by Uncaptured and is out of Saena (by Peace Rules). He is trained by Baik Kwang-yeol and owned by Lee Jong-hun, who has owned the likes of Success Story, Beolmaui Kkum and Beolmaui Star.

The first leg of the 2025 Triple Crown is the KRA Cup Mile (1600M KOR-G2) at Busan on Sunday April 6.