AT SEOUL ON SUNDAY VINCERO CAVALLO WAS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT ONCE MORE BUT ON THE UNDER CARD THE PRINCIPAL HANDICAP WAS RACE 9 AT CLASS 2 GRADE AND IT SAW CHOEGO GAME race away in the closing stages to complete a remarkable weekend for jockey Jo Jae-ro and be one of five winners on the day for trainer Kang Sung-o giving him 50% of the card.

Jo had had two falls across the weekend at Seoul, one on each day, however, was fit to ride Vincero Cavallo to victory in the G3 feature and then followed up on board Choego Game (Frosted) who charged away in the closing stages of the 1800M contest to score by three-lengths on his fourth attempt at Class 2 grade. Eclipse The King, who was 3rd in last year’s Derby, finished 2nd on his first run back since going lame in winter, and led for much of the contest until fitness caught him out late. Wonderful Northern was two-and-a-half lengths away in 3rd after being on-pace throughout. Ace K, who was a 13-length Class 3 winner back in February, was once again well beaten at Class 2 level.

The victory of Choego Game was the fourth of the quintet on the day for Kang Sung-o with one of his earlier winners being ECLIPSE BOSS (Shackleford) who won Race 5 (1200M Class 5) and as he did when winning his only other race he led throughout to score by three-quarters of a length as the 4.8 third pick over the 3.8 second choice Flying Honor. There was action a plenty at the start with 2.5 favourite Rapid Thunder knuckling horribly leaving the gates and leaving Jo Jae-ro with no chance of staying on in the second of his two falls across the weekend.

Kang’s other wins were with NAMSAN ROCK (Known Agenda) who won Race 3 (1400M Class 4) by the shortest possible margin at 24/1 after the 1.7 favourite Samjogo folded tamely for 4th after leading, PRIMERO (Indie Band) led throughout to win Race 4 (1700M Class 6) by one-and-a-quarter lengths as a 3.2 equal favourite, and was a 950th career winner for Choi Bum-hyun, whilst the last of the five was in the concluding 1200M Class 3 with ROYAL SOCKS (Hansen) making it five wins from nine starts defeating Raon The Affirmed by a half-length with Crazy Star a neck away third. All three horses are racing very well at present.

START UP (Medici Glory) was an impressive victor of Race 6 (1400M Class 5) showing good early speed to cross to the fence before racing away for a nine-length victory. He was always travelling strongly and after what was surely a confidence-boosting victory it will be interesting to see how and if he can progress.

Some decent Class 6 winners at the start of the card included debutante VINCENT KATHY (Yorkton) who led for the entirety of the 1200M to win by one-length in Race 1 as a 2.1 favourite whilst YONGBIGYO (Nitrous) also led throughout to win Race 2 by three-lengths recording 1:27.1 for the 1400M.

THERE WERE SIX INTERNATIONAL TROPHY EXCHANGE RACES AT BUSAN ON SUNDAY WITH THE BART RICE PREPARED DEBUTANTE BROWN CHOCO winning the first of them.

Brown Choco (Indie Band) scored by three-quarters of a length in the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Trophy (1300M Class 6) after one trial on March 26 for a fifth and proved too good under Franco da Silva beating the evens favourite Oasis Gijeok by three-quarters of a length.

Franco da Silva and Bart Rice completed an early double after the impressive BUNKER BUSTER (Concord Point) won Race 2 which was the Royal Western Indian Turf Club Trophy (1200M Class 4). Bunker Buster, 1.4 favourite, led for the majority to score by three-lengths and looks destined for more victories.

Race 3 was the Tokyo City Keiba Trophy (1400M Class 4) and BEOLGYO WANGCHO (Paynter) was a comfortable six-length winner as a 10.4 chance over Champ Sonny with Stealth Mode one-length away in third.

ARI DRAGON (Musket Man) was a very impressive winner of Race 4 which was the Hong Kong Jockey Club Trophy (1600M Class 3) despite not being fast to go in what was a messy start.

She was ridden up by Park Jae-i to take a forward role despite her slow beginning, but Park knew what he had under him as she showed plenty of power at the finish with a one-and-a-half length victory. She has now gone rapidly up in class and shows no signs of slowing down.

Race 5 was the China Horse Industry Association Trophy which was won by YEOSU SUPER STAR (Musket Man) who bounced back to form after having to go back to the trials for racing greenly at her last race. She was always on-pace and won by one-and-a-half lengths as the 3.6 favourite.

The main race was the Türkiye Jokey Kulübü Trophy over 1600M and the 1.7 popular pick BEOLGYO MASULSA (Revolutionary) made it a 50% winning strike rate in his career with victory by a half-length over the 4.3 second choice Nice Buddy.

Connections had a big enough opinion of Beolgyo Masulsa to take him up to Seoul for the first leg of the Stayer Series last month and they were rewarded with an admirable 7th behind plenty of the Korean big guns. His biggest victories prior to his latest win were in Class 3 races and the now winner of now seven from 14 starts can win plenty more. Beolgyo Masulsa is prepared by Lim Sung-sil who had a race-to-race training double in the last two races after VICTORIA CHUKJE (Central Banker) won the closing 1400M Class 5 in a race where the first five home were separated by a neck, a nose, a head and a neck.

The KRA Trophy in Hong Kong takes place at Happy Valley on April 29 whilst it is held in Turkey on Turkish Derby Day at Veliefendi Racecourse in Istanbul on June 28.

ON SATURDAY AT SEOUL M G BEST was the winner of the 1600M Class 2 at the end of the program coming from well back in the field to score with a late run under Jo Jae-ro denying Flying Day and the disappointing hot favourite My Empire.

M G Best (Connect) only took the lead 50-metres from home but was coming so quickly he drew clear to score by one-length at his third attempt at Class 2 grade. Flying Day ran another consistent race in 2nd whilst My Empire, one of the country’s top rated three-year-old’s who was trying to bounce back after a last start 21-and-a-half-length defeat, loomed up after a perfect trip but could only manage a three-and-half-length 3rd. Chan Famous came from last for 4th with Mighty Ever 5th. Remember Again, the 4.4 second choice dropped out after leading however didn’t necessarily go too fast in front as the time was slower than standard on what was a fast track. This race saw the first fall of the weekend for jockey Jo Jae-ro but thankfully it was after the finish and there was no harm done.

There were three Class 4 contests on the card and the first of them was won in dashing style by CRAZY MANGO (Revolutionary) who always led by many lengths and even though his margin was reduced towards the finish he was still six-lengths to the good of the 2nd placed Good Cabo with Unju Prince finishing 3^rd. The victory of Crazy Mango completed a double for jockey Kim Tae-hui, trainer Shin Sam-young and owner Seo Chang-sik as they combined to win with CRAZY CHAMP (K Tap) in Race 3 (1300M Class 6), who won by two-and-half lengths as a 2.1 favourite. A la Crazy Mango, Crazy Champ also led throughout.

The victory of Crazy Mango made the form of COMEBACK HOLYMOELY (Thunder Moccasin) look very good indeed in Race 9, which was the second of the Class 4 races, after the former beat the latter by four-lengths when they met on March 7 and Comeback Holymoely duly saluted as a 2.6 favourite after being on-pace throughout.

The other Class 4 winner was DANAEUN KINGDOM (Concord Point) in Race 10 who after three prior close-up performances at the grade narrowly got the prize at the end of the 1700M by a head at odds of 5.3 denying the 2.9 second favourite Concord Blue. Concord Blue was an unlucky loser as the bob of the head in a close finish did not go in his favour and it will be interesting to see if he progresses towards the Derby in three weeks from now, for which he is entered. Another horse entered for the Derby that saw his credentials for the feature classic take a big dent was the 2.2 favourite Pas de Cheval who could only manage a six-and-a-half length 4th. Kim Gil-li, the owner of Pas de Cheval, still had success on the program however as LIGHT WING (Chrysolite) justified 2.2 favouritism to win Race 8 (1800M Class 5) by one-and-a-quarter lengths and in doing so give trainer Park Jee-heon after success with STORM LIGHT (Chrysolite) in Race 2 (1400M Class 6) which led throughout to score by four-lengths.

There was also a double for Kozzi Asano and Tony Castanheira as they combined to win with the impressive POWERFUL IMPACT (Purge), which under a brilliant front-running ride led throughout to win by five-lengths in Race 7 (1800M Class 5), and GOLDEN DIVA (Collected) who scored by a neck in Race 4 (1300M Class 5).

FOREVER GIL (Testa Matta) was a four-length winner of a dramatic 5th race on the card, just like Sunday, (1200M Class 5) as there was interference shortly after the start which saw Cho Han-byeol get dumped from Turbo Socks. Cho was taken to hospital with a suspected fracture after one of his legs was clipped by another horse when falling.

AT BUSAN ON FRIDAY IT WAS PRIMARILY A PROGRAM OF LOW-GRADE RACING WITH THE MAIN RACE BEING THE CLOSING CLASS 4 WON VERY NARROWLY INDEED BY WINNERS ROOKIE who did all the work and hung on by a nose.

Winners Rookie (Musket Man) since winning three runs ago had disappointed twice, in particular at her most recent run when failing to handle kickback at the rear of the field. She was ridden up from the outside gate by Jin Kyum to take a forward role and just held off the challenge of Sun Light, who recorded yet another minor placing. Winners Rookie confirmed form with Sun Light as she had beaten her when carrying 2.5kg more at her last victory in January whilst on Friday they were on level weights

In Race 7 (1800M Class 5) SWORD WING (Afleet Express) was the 8.4 fourth market choice and unlike the three ahead of him in the market brought different form lines to the table and that form proved to be better as he was a one-length winner accounting for those three favourites Doctor Carry, Grand Cru and Rush Wild.

GLOBAL WONDER (Colonel John) was on-pace throughout when winning Race 6 (1300M Class 5) by one-and-three quarter lengths whilst there was deserved victories for a couple of consistent maiden performers earlier in the card with NICE MYEONGGA (Nitrous) breaking through for Park Jae-i and Bart Rice winning as a 2.5 favourite in Race 2 (1400M Class 6) by one-and-a-half lengths whilst 65 minutes later in Race 3 (1600M Class 6) WONDERFUL FASHION (Indie Band) justified short odds of 1.3 to win by one-and-a-half lengths under Franco da Silva.

Another horse that can go into that category is the Thomas Gillespie prepared NINETEEN NINE WON (Beau Liam) who won the opener (1200M Class 6) by three-lengths, also at odds of 1.3, and was the first of two winners on the program for Seo Seung-un who followed up in Race 5 (1300M Class 5) on the 1.6 favourite BORYEONG ULTRA MAN (Power Blade) which led throughout to score by three-lengths.

The YTN Cup (KOR-G3) is the main race in Korea next week, the second leg of the Korean Stayer Series, and with Clean One absent to focus on the main race of the Stayer Series at his home track of Busan on May 24, it should be very competitve with Global Hit, Speed Young, Success Baekpa, Gangpungma and the country’s highest rated three-year-old Geudaemaniidamyeon all expected to take their chance.