Day: April 22, 2026

SUCCESS BAEKPA FENDS OFF RESURGENT GLOBAL HIT AND SPEED YOUNG IN YTN CUP

Success Baekpa took the YTN Cup by the scruff of the neck and never let go to hold off a late challenge from two-time defending champion Global Hit to win the 2nd leg of the Stayer Series (2000M KOR-G3) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

Success Baekpa holds off Glocal Hit in the YTN (Pic: KRA)

Under Jin Kyum, Success Baekpa was ridden up from the gate to sit outside pacesetter Vet Captain, taking things up in the home straight and opening up an unassailable advantage. Global Hit loomed up late and got withing a length with Speed Young and pre-race market-elect Gangpungma 3rd and 4th.

“I wanted to avoid kickback, so I was happy to go forward and then just sit outside the leader and then manage the pace” winning jockey Jin Kyum told KRBC. “After consulting with the trainer, we decided to go to the front and while I could see Global Hit coming up into my view, I never thought that we would lose.”

“The horse really showed his best today…I feel that he has grown to the next level now and I really think on this form he can win a President’s Cup.”

Trainer Min Jang-gi was also satisfied that Success Baekpa was back at his best. “As you know, he had a break after the Grand Prix when he didn’t run well – there simply weren’t any suitable races for him. I was happy with his comeback in the Herald Business, and he lifted from that today.”

Min confirmed that he will be targeted solely at the biggest races for the rest of the year. “There is nowhere for him to go in regular (handicap) races because he would have to carry 60kg. So, it will be the Graded races all the way to the Grand Prix.”

Success Baekpa [Purge – Baekpa (by Revere)] is a five-year entire who is out of a Korean oaks winner and who himself won two legs of the Triple Crown in 2024, missing out only in the Derby where he was 3rd. While Sunday’s victory was only his eighth in twenty-two starts but it was his fifth in Group company with those two classics followed up with victory in last year’s Herald Business and KRA Cup Classic.

It has been a long time since Global Hit was sent off as low as fifth in the betting (at least in a Korean race) but while the Global Hit of old would probably have cruised past Success Baekpa, he showed that he is still a top line horse, despite his injury setbacks. Speed Young did what Speed Young does and ran a very solid race for yet another placing.

As for Gangpungma, it may be that it isn’t going to happen for him at Group level He came into the race weighing almost 50kg heavier than any of the others and while he was sent off as favourite, he never looked like winning. Meanwhile Graded level proved too much just yet for Young Skywalker, with the only four-year-old in the race running an anonymous 6th, eight lengths behind the last of the top-five.

The final leg of the Stayer Series is the Busan Mayor’s Cup (1800M KOR-G2) at Busan on May 24th and it won’t be a straightforward task for Success Baekpa to follow-up as Herald Business winner and the reigning Grand Prix champion Clean One, who was kept out of the YTN Cup for workload management reasons, is expected to return.

Next week, focus turns to the filly and mare division with the Ttukseom Cup (1400M KOR-G2), the second leg of the Queens’ Tour Spring/Summer.

Korea Racing Report: April 17-19

AT SEOUL ON SUNDAY SUCCESS BAEKPA WAS THE ONE THAT MADE THE MOST OF NOT HAVING TO COMPETE WITH CLEAN ONE IN THE YTN CUP BUT ON THE UNDERCARD THE CLOSING CLASS 2 WAS THE MAIN HANDICAP AND TRAUM KING completed a treble on the program for jockey Jang Chu-youl .

Traum King (To Honor And Serve) was 5th at LR level in the Ilgan Sports Trophy last year prior to three runs at Class 2 level for a 3rd, 7th and 8th however broke through at attempt four recording his fifth win from nineteen starts with an extending three-length victory. Blue Lemon did the chasing in 2nd whilst the 2.9 favourite Eldorado Nolbu ran his usual honest race but was a never nearer 3rd ahead of Silver Rain in 4th.

RAON FLORENCE (Musket Man) was sent off a short-priced favourite at 2.5 in Race 8 (1200M Class 3) but confirmed his favourite status however only just, with victory in the last couple of strides by an extending half-length. Star Trek was ridden confidently from the front by Johan Victoire but was collared in the dying stages by Raon Florence whilst the 4.3 second choice Cheonmahoryeong was a further half-length away in 3rd. Raon Florence and Cheonmahoryeong have had a good rivalry, and the score is now 3-1 in favour of the former.

WONDERFUL LORD (J P’s Gusto) came from the second half of the field to grab victory late in Race 9 (1400M Class 3) by one-length over Seobu Champ with the 4.6 favourite Gold Catcher being caught late in 3rd after attempting to lead throughout under Johan Victoire.

Trainer Kang Sung-o, on the back of winning half of the program at this meeting seven days ago, had a race-to-race-to-race treble early in the card with DAEHAN COCO’S (Mischieviously) leading throughout to win Race 3 (1400M Class 6) by three-lengths before ECLIPSE THE QUEEN (Shackleford) followed up her course, distance, and grade victory last month with another 1400M Class 5 victory in Race 4 as the 3.1 favourite. The horse to complete the treble for Kang was DAEHAN POWER (Power Blade) who came from well back to storm home and win Race 5 (1300M Class 5) by four-lengths, not quite in the manner of his extraordinary March 21 victory but impressive, nonetheless. That gave his owner Lee Jong-su a double, owner of Daehan Coco’s, as well as being the second of the three victories on the day Jang Chu-youl who started the treble in the opening 1200M Class 6 when scoring on board LAST K (Cowboy Cal).

3kg apprentice Kwon Jung-seok was the winning jockey on the aforementioned Eclipse The Queen and followed up in Race 6 (1800M Class 4) on board THEME TANSAENG (Take Charge Indy) which led throughout to score by one-and-a-half lengths. 7.6 fourth pick Black Sidae was the best of the four horses in single digits in the betting finishing 2n with 5.9 third choice Fashion Star in 3rd. The 2.3 favourite Ghost Chrysol and 4.5 second market choice My Munnings never got warm finishing 5th and 7th.

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