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.

AT BUSAN ON SUNDAY THE MAIN RACE WAS A 2000M CLASS 1 AND CARDINAL FORCE who was attempting ten-furlongs for the first time proved too good from the front as the 12.9 5th market choice. 

Cardinal Force (Spun To Run) despite going over further than he had ever gone before was ridden confidently from the front by 3kg apprentice Nam Jeong-hyeok and after being around the mark in Class 2 and 1 races after competing in the Korean Sprint and Kookje Shinmun Cup last year proved too good for Despite Win who ran a brave 2nd. The disappointments were the 6.0 second pick Unju Guy who was a four-and-a-half length 5th whilst the 1.8 favourite Oasis Red was a major disappointment being an eight-and-a-half length 6th. He was good enough to be just behind the placegetters in the most recent renewals of the Derby, Minister’s Cup, President’s Cup and Herald Business Cup but was well below his best on the weekend.

AMAZING ONE (To Honor And Serve) bounced back to winning ways when landing Race 6 (1800M Class 4) by a half-length as the 2.6 favourite. He had won up to three-in-a-row prior to taking on the ill-fated Supex Winner in January before being a beaten course, distance, and grade favourite on March 8. He finished in the second half of the field in the KRA Cup Mile (Korean 2000 Guineas) at his previous run but wasn’t too far away and his recent win should have done his confidence no harm.

The American bred EPHPHATHA (Instagrand) made it four wins from as many four starts when leading throughout to win Race 5 (1400M Class 3) by one-and-a-quarter-lengths as the 1.5 favourite. He shows no signs of slowing down and there is no reason at this stage to say why he won’t be a black type performer.

Moon Hyeon-cheol might have elected to not send Clean One up to Seoul for the YTN Cup but he had two very impressive winners at home. The first of those was INDIE TIGER (Uncaptured) who produced an eye-catching debut in the opening 1200M Class 6 scoring by six-lengths as the 2.2 favourite. The other winner was SAESIDAE WON (Gunnevera) who followed up his debut victory over 1200M with an awesome front-running twelve-length victory in Race 4 (1600M Class 4) as a 1.4 favourite. The three-year-old colt is a name to remember as the season progresses. Youngyoung Bravo, who came into the race on a hat-trick, lost no admirers in 2nd being four-lengths clear of the 3rd placed Oasis Winner.

A DAY EARLIER AT HEADQUARTERS FINAL K resumed with an outstanding win in the concluding 1200M Class 1.

Final K (Cairo Prince) was first-up since the Busan Owners’ Cup in June, which he went into on four straight wins, where he was always in the second half of the field and failed. He had had three trials leading up to his return, one in December and two this month, and despite being towards the tail early, potentially being outpaced over a trip shorter than ideal, he rallied hard in the home straight to run down I’m Jjang in the final 50-metres to score by a half-length. 

The 2.3 favourite Best Race did his best work late and was a further two-and-half-lengths away in a never nearer 3rd. Sinui Ereum was 4th whilst Wow Wow outran his odds under a big weight in 5th. Yongam Sesang produced a huge run finishing 6th after blowing the start. One Punch Dragon, over a trip surely shorter than ideal, got to the line nicely in 7th.

There was multiple success for various jockeys and trainers on the card and one of those jockeys with a double was CC Wong who timed his run to perfection in both of his victories swooping home on DAJEONGHAN (Hansen) to win Race 2 by a half-length at odds of 5.5 (1300M Class 6) and GLOBAL CHAMP (Gaon Champ) in Race 10 (1400M Class 4) who scored by one-and-a-quarter lengths as the 2.6 popular pick. The latter looks a smart type and is one to keep watching.

The other two jockeys with doubles on the card were Kozzi Asano, who led throughout in Race 5 (1700M Class 5) on 22.8 chance BREEDO TROPHY (Yeongcheon Ace), which was one of two victories on the card for trainer Jung Haback, prior to winning Race 8 (1600M Class 4) with the Tony Castanheira prepared MAGIC STRONG (Magic Dancer), and Lee Dong-ha, with his scores being on PURPLE KOREA (To Honor And Serve) who won the opener (1200M Class 6) by six-lengths prior to the score of ISIMNYEON SEWOL (Mischieviously) in Race 4 (1400M Class 5) which led throughout.

Luigi Riccardi prepared a double and the first of his victories was with the consistent CHOEGO GOLD (Mischieviously) who justified his 2.5 quote by three-lengths after racing on-pace throughout over the 1200M in Race 6. It was a strong race for a Class 5 with the other favourites Cheongongui Seom, Anyangbitchuisokdo, Panapang Daero and Munhak Fighter all well and truly put in their place by the favourite in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th places.

The second victory for the Italian trainer was with G B VAULT (Rock Your World) who was an incredibly impressive winner of Race 9 (1800M Class 3) leading throughout to score by a very soft nine-lengths. The margin could have potentially been over 10-lengths had Johan Victoire not eased him down with 100-metres remaining. Punters retained confidence in the American bred three-year-old gelding, sending him off as a 2.2 favourite after he was beaten at 1.2 the start prior over a trip that proved shorter than ideal. He looks to be a nice stayer and ran an impressive time of 1:55.4.

Another good winner on the card was THE SUN BULSAJO who completed a double for Jung Haback when winning Race 7 (1200M Class 4) by a diminishing but soft neck as a 2.4 favourite. She appreciated the drop back in trip to the six-furlongs after not running out a strong 1400M when 5th on her previous start. She chased home Chief Star and Wonpyeong Sket at LR level last year and there is no reason why she won’t be up to black type level over sprint trips this season.

JUST LIKE SEOUL ON SATURDAY THERE WAS MULTIPLE SUCCESS ON THE BUSAN FRIDAY PROGRAM FOR PLENTY OF PARTICIPANTS BUT SEO SEUNG-UN TOOK THE OVERALL SPOILS RIDING A TREBLE WITH HIS MAIN VICTORY BEING ON TRIPLE SINHWA in Race 3 which was the principal race on the program at Class 3 grade.

Triple Sinhwa (Triple Nine) had chased home the Derby fancied Doctor Chris and the very progressive Beolgyo Masulsa at his previous two runs and despite carrying at least 5kg more than every other rival he was a one-and-three-quarter length victor as a 1.7 favourite after racing on-pace throughout.

The first of the victories for Seo was in the opening 1300M Class 6 on board the Thomas Gillespie prepared GOLD POCKET (Indie Band) who scored by two-and-a-half lengths as the 1.3 favourite on the back of her debut 2nd.

Seo completed the treble on another Thomas Gillespie runner, giving the Irish trainer a double, when HEY BRO (Mischieviously) won Race 5 (1600M Class 5) after racing on-pace throughout and denying the 2/1 favourite Yongbi Jjang by a half-length.

Choi Si-dae rode a double in the opening half of the card with victories on POWERFUL THUNDER (Gemologist) in Race 2 (1300M Class 6), who in a powerful finish denied Powerful Battle by a head as the 1.5 favourite after being on-pace all of the way, and ONE WAY ROAD (Uncaptured) who came from well back to run away and win Race 4 (1200M Class 5).

Owner Lee Seong-in won 25% of the card as after the victory of Triple Sinhwa in Race 3 he also won Race 6 thanks to the efforts of GEUMSEONG (Musket Man) who as a 21.8 chance accounted for the four favourites who were 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in Success Day, Tiger Monster and the slightly disappointing pair of Gyeongbok Atos and Yeoun.

The closing Class 4 races were won by WORLD BLUE PIN CAT (Blue Pin) who scored by a neck at the end of her 1400M contest whilst OPEN SKY (Cowboy Cal) scored by five-lengths over the 1200M in the final event.

The principal race of the season for older fillies and mares takes place next week in the running of the Ttukseom Cup (1400M KOR-G2) at Seoul.