IT WAS DERBY DAY AT SEOUL ON SUNDAY AND WHILST THE PRINCIPAL CLASSIC TOOK THE LIMELIGHT THE OPENING RACE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANT WITH MOON SE-YOUNG WINNING ON THE SECOND LAST RIDE OF HIS STORIED CAREER ABOARD PARKA SHINE IN THE CLASS 6 1300M OPENER (writes Luke Humphreys).

Ten-time Champion jockey Moon Se-young hadn’t ridden since a bad fall last December and recently announced his retirement ahead of taking up training duties this coming summer. However, wanting to go out on his own terms, Moon made a comeback for Derby weekend only and was able to get Parka Shine (Old Fashioned) up in the final 50-metres as the 2.2 favourite running down second favourite Hot Fever who led until the closing stages.

The closing Class 2 over 1200M was the main race bar the Derby and KING HONOR (To Honor And Serve) worked home strongly to deny the 1.5 favourite We Go High a front-running victory by one-and-a-three-quarter lengths. King Honor, the oldest horse in the field at the age of seven, had been in the minor placings at each of his two previous starts in similar races and Harry Kasim got him home to land the prize. Lala K, the viral 2023 Rookie Stakes winner, returned to form with a late closing 3rd beaten two-and-a-half lengths.

In Race 9 (1700M Class 5) WILD MAGIC (Triple Nine) was sent straight to the lead by Kim Hyo-jung and the three-year-old filly did not stop as she went on to record a comfortable six-length win in a decent time completing a double for Luigi Riccardi. It was her first win in seven attempts, and it will be interesting to see if she can be as impressive as what she was in her opening victory going forward.

The other victory for Riccardi was MASTER KWAIGON (Dynamic Dash) who was going up in trip by one-furlong and in class by one grade but that did not stop him from winning Race 5 (1400M Class 4) by two-and-a-half lengths under Jeong Jeong-hee. He continues to progress and has now won three races from eight starts.

55 minutes before the Derby three-year-old colt MR. TAEYANG (Race Day) was an impressive winner over the Derby distance in Race 7 (1800M Class 4) by five-lengths making it three wins from five starts. He looks a good stayer in the making and was perhaps unlucky not to be in the Derby.

TANSEONGUI BANSEOK (Good Samaritan) finished like a train from last to win Race 6 (1600M Class 3) by an extending one-and-a-half lengths over Lucky Frank who led everywhere bar the last 50-metres and was a very undeserving loser. The 1.8 favourite Perfect Danaeun could only manage 5th beaten seven-and-a-half lengths. The other favourite White Carla was 9th of the ten runners.

RAON SAPPHIRE (Musket Man) came from midfield to make it two consecutive wins when landing Race 4 (1300M Class 5) as the 2.7 favourite grabbing Reflect in the last 75-metres. Of the other favourites Flying Concord, 3.4, was 4th whilst Amos Star, 5.9, was 8th.

Race 3 (1400M Class 5) was won by ROYAL BEST (Hansen) which scored by two-lengths under Ruan Maia after racing on-pace throughout. Bliss Star, 2.2 favourite, was 2nd whilst Brown Mamma, 2.9 second pick, was 4th.

WHILST IT WAS WET AT SEOUL ON DERBY DAY IT WASN’T HALF AS WET AS IT WAS IN BUSAN. That made things hard going by the time of the longest race on the card, the 2200 Class 2 finale butBIG MUSICAL STAR was a marathon winner completing four wins on the day for outstanding apprentice Nam Jeong-hyeok.

Big Musical Star (Concord Point) was sent straight to the lead by Nam and set a genuine tempo, giving each of his rivals every chance to get past him but they couldn’t do so with the 7.0 fifth market choice winning and breaking the course record by 0.4 seconds in doing so with a time of 2:17.0. Of the favourites Doctor Captain was a one-length 2nd, Geuma Gutty, 4.8 favourite, was 4th, Gray Boss was 5th, Goody was 6th whilst Never Give Up was always towards the rear finishing 10th of the eleven runners.

Nam began the quartet with WORLD LIST CAT (Federalist) who had pulled up lame in the off-fore in each of her three runs prior to competing in Race 3 (1200M Class 3) but she was 100% on song when accounting for eight runners under Nam Jeong-hyeok for trainer Bang Dong-suk. Yulim Sesang was fancied by punters at 3.9 and was an improved 2nd whilst the 2/1 favourite Black Spring, who was a course, distance, and grade winner by seven-lengths from the front at his previous start, missed the start and it was all over, red rover from then on.

The second winner for Nam came in Race 5 (1400M Class 4) when HOLY RUN (Afleet Express) came from last, as he often does, to land the spoils by one-and-a-half lengths. Seobu Captain was 2nd whilst Golden Empire and Strawberry Queen, who were 16th and 15th in the Luna Stakes (Korean 1000 Guineas) respectively, were 3rd and 4th as the 4.9 and 2.1 favourites.

The third winner was with LEMON TREE (Hansen) who was well in at the weights to turn the tables with a few of her rivals and proved too good in Race 6 (1600M Class 4) scoring by five-lengths as the 2.2 favourite.

At the very start of the day POWER TIGER (Power Blade) made up for his defeat on debut with an impressive two-and-a-half length front-running score for Masa Tanaka and Kim Hye-sun. Power Tiger only missed the Class record (1200M Class 6) by 0.1 seconds with his time of 1:19.1 and should continue to progress.

AT SEOUL ON DERBY SATURDAY THERE WERE TWO JOCKEYS WITH RIDING DOUBLES AND ONE OF THOSE WAS LEE HYEOK WHO COMPLETED THE DOUBLE IN THE SECOND OF THE CLASS 3 RACES ON CHEONGRYONGUI CAL who scored as the 2.6 favourite.

Cheongryongui Cal (Cowboy Cal) made it four wins from fifteen starts having one-and-three-quarter lengths to spare at the end of the 1400M over Giant Boss, 5.8 second choice, with Maru Janggun, 6.3 third pick, a half-length away in 3rd. The race saw Moon Se-young begin his three-ride final stand and he rode Palo Alto who dropped out to run a long last with Sinui Yeoje also a major disappointment in the race being the first to be beaten.

Lee Hyeok rode his opening winner on BREEDO AQUA (Shackleford) who led throughout to win Race 5 (1200M Class 5) by a diminishing half-length. The 1.6 favourite was made to work a bit in the closing stages by Cheongsan Dolpung, who surely cannot be far away from a victory himself, and both horses are worth following.

The other Class 3 was Race 9 which saw SAEPARANG (Preservationist) have four-lengths to spare on his rivals at the conclusion of the 1800M affair with Super Thunder finishing 2nd a head in advance of the 2.8 favourite Major Crown who attempted to lead throughout up big in trip.

Johan Victoire was the other jockey to ride a double and he won on two smart three-year-olds in his pair of victories which began with GWANAKSAN RICKEY (Copano Rickey) who landed Race 6 (1200M Class 4) by three-quarters of a length as the 1.8 favourite. He had been knocking on the door for a victory after defeats behind Rooftop and Major Crown and whilst he had been a beaten favourite on his last two starts behind Major Crown punters retained the faith and were duly rewarded.

Victoire completed the double on the Luigi Riccardi prepared CLUTCH MAGIC (Uncaptured) which looked very smart in leading throughout to win Race 8 (1700M Class 4) by four-lengths as the 1.9 favourite and is another horse from Saturday’s program to keep an eye on going forward.

Furkan Yuksel and Harry Kasim were in the winner’s list on the day with Yuksel riding MONEY MOVE (Medici Glory) to win Race 2 (1300M Class 6) by a length-and-a-half as the evens favourite before Kasim landed Race 7 (1600M Class 4) on board TAPDINE (Tapiture) in a blanket finish.

HAKSAN WINNER (South Beach) led throughout to win the opening 1200M Class 6 by three-lengths whilst BEST JOY (Modern Cowboy) was the easiest winner on the card in Race 3 (1400M Class 6) scoring from the front by ten-lengths. CHEONGGANG YEOREUM (Race Day) landed the 2.5 odds in Race 4 (1400M Class 5) by one-and-a-half lengths and in doing so made it back-to-back victories.

AT BUSAN ON MAY DAY BREEDO SOL was perhaps a surprise runner on the program instead of taking his chance up at headquarters on Sunday for the Derby but it is unlikely he would have got such a confidence boosting performance in the principal classic as he would have with his front-running nine-length win in Race 7 on the Friday fixture.

Breedo Sol (Hansen) was sent straight to the lead in the 1800M Class 4 by Seo Seung-un and kept running along at a genuine tempo to roar away and justify his 1.6 price by nine-lengths in a fast time of 1:55.1. Unju Magic, who was the 4.0 second choice, was best of the rest in 2nd.

Breedo Sol completed a double on the program for trainer Moon Hyeon-cheol as he prepared the winner of the opening 1200M Class 6 in POWERFUL MENIFEE (New Legend) who got up late on to win as the 1.5 favourite by a neck.

Nam Jeong-hyeok took riding spoils on the card as he rode a double with SHINING ONE (Mischieviously) bouncing back to his best to win Race 4 (1400M Class 5) by a nose as the 2.6 favourite before FATE (Afleet Express) appreciated the 3kg claim of the talented apprentice to win Race 6 (1600M Class 5) by a half-length.

Masa Tanaka was also on the board at Busan winning Race 5 (1300M Class 5) aboard DOCTOR MATTERS (Musket Man) which came from midfield to win by a half-length.

Speaking of Busan, they take centre stage next week with the principal fillies’ classic, the Korean Oaks (KOR-G2) over the 1800M which is the principal leg of the Korean Triple Tiara.