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.

The victory of Wolfs King Man was one of three victories on the program for Franco da Silva with the first of those wins coming in race 1 (1300M Class 6) on board 3.3 favourite DEMETER (Central Banker) and the last of the treble achieved in race 5 (1800M Class 4) on LIME TREE (Cowboy Cal) who got a deserved victory after being 2^nd in each of her last two over the course, distance and grade and accounted for the even money favourite Janggo Man by a half-length.. Lime Tree competed in each of the three legs of the Triple Tiara last season finishing 4th, 4th and 5th.

AT SEOUL ON SATURDAY THE CHERRY BLOSSOM MEETING BEGAN WITH THE TWO MAIN RACES BEING TWO CLASS THREE EVENTS AND RAON SILENCE was the winner of the second of those, race 11, scoring by three-lengths.

RAON SILENCE (Musket Man) started the 2.8 favourite following a course and distance victory at class 4 level at the start of last month and for the second consecutive start led throughout. That completed a riding double on the program for Lee Dong-ha who earlier landed the afternoon’s other class 3 contest on board YEONGWON BIG MAN (Courageous Cat) who at the end of the 1800M was a half-length to the good of Gwanaksan Leo. The two favourites in the race, Ultra Dragon and Dragon Gate, could only manage 4th and 6th respectively.

The victory of Yeongwon Big Man in race 6 completed a training double for Song Moon-gil who landed the day’s opener (1200M Class 6) with PEGASUS KING (Musket Man) who just like his debut finished hard, but this time went one place better.

The American bred MAJOR CROWN (Tom’s d’Etat) confirmed form with the Japanese bred Gwanaksan Rickey in race 9 (1200M Class 4) as on March 7 he beat him by three-lengths and he once again beat him, and it was by a very similar margin of two-and-a-half lengths.

Major Crown started the 4.0 second favourite and despite being on level weights with Gwanaksan Rickey, after carrying 3kg less when they last met, proved too good for in-form rider Kim Hyo-jung.

EVER GLORY (Concord Point) made it two wins from as many starts following up her maiden victory at the end of February with a one-and-three-quarter length score in race 5 (1200M Class 5). The 1.7 favourite was made to work for it in the straight by the second placed Naol Daewang but eventually drew clear to score comfortably.

Yoo Seung-wan was the winning rider of Ever Glory and completed a double when winning by three-lengths on the very consistent NURI CHEONWANG (Federalist) in race 8 (1600M Class 3).

The victory of Nuri Cheonwang completed the first of the two race-to-race training doubles across the weekend for Lee Joon-chel as 52 minutes earlier GWANAKSAN SKY (Concord Point) landed race 7 (1800M Class 4) by two-and-a-half lengths as a 1.6 favourite.

The domestically bred three-year-old colt has now had three starts for three impressive wins and despite going up big in trip that was no concern for jockey Johan Victoire who sent him straight to the top and that is where he stayed. Gwanaksan Sky does hold an entry for the Korean Derby (KOR-G1) on May 3 and following his Saturday victory now has winning experience over the Derby course and distance.

Seo In-seok was the other trainer on the card to have a double thanks to the wins of two odds-on favourites in DRAGON MIJIN (Cowboy Cal), 1.8, who landed race 2 (1300M Class 6) by five-lengths and LOVE IN SEOUL (Army Mule), 1.3, who won race 4 (1400M Class 5) by one-length.

AT BUSAN ON FRIDAY PRIME SECRET (Upstart) was having his fourth run at class 2 grade in the concluding race of 8 over 1800M and for the fourth consecutive time he was sent off as a fairly short priced favourite. This time he broke through though and made it four wins from nine starts with also three 2nd place finishes and two 4th placings.

It was his first time over the nine furlongs but jockey Masa Tanaka sent Prime Secret towards the lead and that is where he stayed with a two-and-a-half length victory over Amazing Khan, Gray Boss, Flying The Champ and Postman who were home in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respectively. Postman, 4.7 second favourite, wasn’t too bad a run after not getting the rub of the green in the early stages when unable to hold a forward role as he likes to do.

Prime Secret completed a riding double on the program for Tanaka after success in race 5 (1200M Class 5) on 2.6 popular pick LIGHTNING FORCE (Air Force Blue) which led throughout to make it two wins from three starts. 

Seo Seung-un also had a riding double on the card, in his case race-to race, with MAENGNYONG (Uncaptured) justifying 1.4 favouritism from the highest barrier in race 3 (1400M Class 3) by six-lengths and in doing so making it back-to-back victories over the course, distance and grade. 

Next, in a 1300M class 5, Seo completed the double on MOMENTUM (Nitrous) who came from the lowest barrier to win by even further, eight-lengths, obviously appreciating the drop back in trip after the worst run of her career over a mile last time. She started the 3.7 second choice as Road To Number One went off a shade of odds-on after leading throughout to win on debut at the end of February. The same tactics were applied by Lee Hyo-sik but it was a vastly different result for her on her second start as she was one of the first horses beaten, eventually finishing 8th beaten 15-lengths.

KING’S KING (Afleet Express) bounced back to winning ways with the three-year-old colt leading throughout to win race 7 (1600M Class 4) by one-and-a-quarter lengths. Seongsil Dream, 2.8 favourite, was only 5th, beaten four-lengths, after being ridden much more prominent than in his impressive victories in his previous two starts.

Choi Eun-gyeong scored in the opener (1200M Class 6) on POWER HIT (To Honor And Serve). Choi returned to riding a fortnight ago following four months out due to a pelvic injury and was able to walk away from another heavy fall only last Sunday, but bounced back with her second win since returning to race riding on board the Bang Dong-suk prepared three-year-old colt.

The Cherry Blossom meeting at Seoul continues next week and feature racing also returns to headquarters with the SBS Sports Sprint (KOR-G3), second leg of the Korean Sprint Series, the feature race. It will see Korea’s top sprinter Vincero Cavallo start a short-priced favourite following his victory in the first leg where he silenced a lot of doubters.

The following week is the YTN Cup (KOR-G3), second leg of the Korean Stayer Series, and it is important to note that Clean One, winner of the first leg of the series and last year’s Korean Grand Prix, will not be taking his chance. Trainer Moon Hyeon-cheol has elected to rest him and instead target him for the Busan Mayor’s Cup, the third, final and principal leg of the series, on his home track with eyes ultimately on the Korea Cup and Grand Prix. Therefore, the YTN Cup now looks like being an incredibly competitive race.