Day: April 8, 2026

CLEARLY WINNER LANDS KIM HYE-SUN FIRST STAKES WIN AS TRAINER – WITH HUSBAND PARK JAE-I ABOARD

Trainer Kim Hye-sun and jockey Park Jae-i became the first wife and husband to win a Korean Stakes race together as CLEARLY WINNER produced a comfortable victory in the Luna Stakes (1600M KOR-Listed) – the “Korean 1000 Guineas” – the first leg of the 2026 Triple Tiara, at Busan Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

Clearly Winner with Park Jae-i and Kim Hye-sun (Pic: KRA)

After a fair start, CLEARLY WINNER travelled easily behind a pace set by CHIEF STAR, who jumped the favourite despite her previous troubles with the barrier. Clearly Winner easily went past a tiring Chief Star and the game SHACKLE SUN in the final furlong to ease away to win by three-lengths. Long-shots FAPPI BABE and CATCH RACE arrived from well off the pace to run 2nd and 3rd.

Clearly Winner won her first two races in fine style at the end of last summer but then suffered a setback and didn’t race again until this February. By that time, her original trainer Kim Hyo-seok had handed back his license and Kim Hye-sun, who had been waiting for boxes since passing the trainer’s exam, had an unexpectedly fast promotion from the riding to the training ranks.

Now under Kim Hye-sun’s care, Clearly Winner returned to action in style, winning at class 4 before finishing 3rd behind Clutch Winner and Hey Brother in the Gyeongnam Shinmun (1400M Listed) at the start of March.

For jockey Park Jae-i, it was a fourth Stakes race win having a G3 and G2 along with another Listed race already to his name. For his trainer – and his wife – Kim Hye-sun, it was a first Stakes race win since getting her training license at the end of last year.

“I think it’s harder to watch than to ride, so from a viewer’s perspective I was very nervous” Kim Hye-sun told KRBC.

“I saw (Clearly Winner) move back a bit on the corner, so for a moment I wondered if she had got tired or maybe there was something we hadn’t thought about, but at the same time, it didn’t look as though the two in front would keep going at that speed.”

“I’m married to the jockey, so we were able to have plenty of opportunities for a somewhat detailed conversation as to the race but today I didn’t say much, and we got a good result.”

As for jockey Park, he admitted to having some pre-race concerns: “She had only raced up to 1400M, and I had a feeling the pace would be strong early so there was a chance of kickback” but, he added “it went well.”

Clearly Winner is by Hansen and out of Pokpung Hero (by Henny Hughes). She was bred by Jang Yong-seok of Yujeong Farm and races in the colours of owner Shin Woo-cheol.

The second leg of the Triple Tiara is the big one, the Korean Oaks (1800M KOR-G2) back at Busan on Sunday May 10th. Next week the Sprint Series resumes with Vincero Cavallo set to head the field as he defends his title in the SBS Sports Sprint (1200M KOR-G3) at Seoul.

KOREA RACING REPORT: APRIL 3-5 “CHERRY BLOSSOM EDITION”

CUPID IT bounced back to his best with an outstanding front-running win over the 1200M in the last race on Sunday and in doing so recorded his first Class 2 victory (writes Luke Humphreys).

Cupid It (Hansen) bounced back from a couple of disappointing efforts since being promoted to this level to trounce a competitive field by four-lengths as a 2.6 favourite. He looks class 1 bound sooner or later.

The victory of Cupid It meant a double on the card for jockey Lee Hyeok who also landed race 2 (1300M Class 6) with the 2.1 favourite QUERENCIA (Concord Point) which in contrast to Cupid It came from back in the field.

In the penultimate race, the Luigi Riccardi prepared WHITE CARLA (Old Fashioned) led throughout to land race 9 (1800M Class 3) holding off the challenge of favourite Blue Nello by a half-length to make it two wins from his last four starts both of them over the Seoul 1800M.

Riccardi prepared a double on the program after earlier success in race 5 (1200M Class 5) with MASTER KWAIGON (Dynamic Dash) who scored by two-lengths as a 2.2 favourite.

THE EXCELLENT (New Legend) was a big winner of race 6 (1300M Class 5) coming from near last to win by an extending two-and-a-half lengths under Yoo Seung-wan. He adopted his usual racing pattern of coming from towards the rear and stormed home to account for the 1.9 favourite Superday.

There was multiple success on the card for Lee Joon-chel who for the second consecutive day had a race-to-race training double thanks to the victories of QUEENS FLYING (Chrysolite) in race 3 (1400M Class 6) and DANAEUN STAR (Afleet Express) in race 4 (1400M Class 5).

Danaeun Star bounced back after being behind three opposing rivals when last seen at the end of February and led throughout to win by two-lengths as a well supported 3.3 favourite over Mighty Beat, the late closing Gwanaksan Champ and Raon Blaide.

BUSAN HAD THE FEATURE RACE OF THE WEEKEND ON SUNDAY WITH CLEARLY WINNER SCORING IN THE LUNA STAKES BUT ON THE UNDERCARD WOLFS KING MAN was a marathon winner of the afternoon’s principal handicap.

Wolfs King Man (Great Success), who started the 3.2 second favourite, sat on the outside of the leader Unju Challenge, 1.8 favourite, and put him to the sword at the top of the straight. He got tired late after doing all the work in the 1800M Class 3 contest but held on just from the late challenge of Tamna Super who failed by a head. The time of 1:52.9 was only just outside of the class record on the fast track.

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