IT WAS A STAKELESS SUNDAY IN KOREA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOUR MONTHS BUT THERE WAS A NAMED FEATURE ON THE CARD IN SEOUL AND THE 15TH SPORTS DONG-A CUP WAS WON BY ROYAL SOCKS under apprentice Kwon Jung-seok (writes Luke Humphreys).

However, the main talking point of the race was the late scratching of Di Ne, one of the country’s top three-year-old’s, his subsequent stand down from racing for twelve months. He did not look right on the way down to the start and was eventually withdrawn and a post-race physical examination found him to have a bowed tendon.

Whilst this year’s Korean three-year-old crop has produced some fine performances from the likes of Roshe, Hwang Geum Eo Jang, Funny Wild and Clearly Winner it has lost plenty of spark. Supex Winner sadly had to be put down after suffering a ligament and sesamoid injury in the week leading up to the KRA Cup Mile, whilst Geudaemaniddamyeon fractured a cannon bone whilst preparing for the YTN Cup. Di Ne, like Geudaemaniddamyeon, will no longer be seen in his three-year-old campaign.

This left Royal Socks (Hansen) to run the 2.0 favourite and he led for most of the way to score by four-lengths. He recorded his sixth career victory at start eleven and will now be up to Class 2 grade. Baro Danaeun was the other favourite, 2.7, but just like she did when last seen in the G2 Ttukseom Cup she finished 7th.

Royal Socks completed a riding double for Kwon Jung-seok after landing Race 2 (1700M Class 6) on the 3.8 favourite THE SUN COMING (Cowboy Cal) which after racing on pace won by four-lengths and was breaking through at the eighth time of asking. It also was part of a treble for trainer Kang Sung-o after success with BLACK SIDAE (Chrysolite) who won Race 6 (1800M Class 4) by an extending eight-lengths as the 5.2 second favourite before FEDAYKIN (Audible) proved too strong in Race 10 (1200M Class 4) running away late to score by one-and-a-half lengths as the 3.5 favourite.

Black Sidae was beating the 1.8 odds-on chance Ghost Chrysol into 2nd place in what was a slowly run race. Jockey Jo Jae-ro and Black Sidae put some pace into the race when taking off at the end of the back straight and they were never caught. Fedaykin broke through at the third time of asking after a 6th on debut in April before a 3rd in May.

Race 9 (1600M Class 2) was the highest graded race on the day, and SUPREME SOCKS (Flameaway) got the prize by a neck for Johan Victoire and Luigi Riccardi. The race was primarily dominated by the favourites with Tap Tier, 3.1, coming from a long last to run 2nd over Jeongsang Ace, 8.7, in 3rd with Useung Concord, 4.2, in 4th. Ace K, 5.8, was disappointing for the third consecutive time at Class 2 grade as he ran a long last of the nine runners.

Race 8 (1400M Class 3) was one of the more competitive races on the card and it saw TOHOMARKET (Revolutionary) get up late on to score by a half-length at odds of 29.6 over 15.5 chance Nano Masin with 7.1 fourth choice Cheonmahoryeong at her second 1400M attempt once again just getting caught in the closing stages finishing 3rd after leading. The other favourites were Magic Strong, 7.7, who was 6th, Navy Captain, 6.2, who finished 7th whilst the main two in the market Teukgeup Party, 4.1, and Free The One, 5.2, were 8th and 10th in the eleven strong field. The consistent Teukgeup Party produced the worst run of her career whilst Free The One, whose best form has seen him place behind Roshe at black type level, was disappointing for the second straight start.

Ruan Maia was riding EVERY TIME (Girolamo) for the first time in a race in Race 3 (1200M Class 5) and after three previous 2nd places from three race starts Every Time was able to go one better, scoring by seven-lengths as the 1.5 favourite. Every Time was first-up for eight months but had won a trial under Maia in May.

ON SUNDAY AT BUSAN IT WAS BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR SEO SEUNG-UN AS HE COMPLETED A DOUBLE IN THE CONCLUDING 1600M CLASS 2 ON THE THOMAS GILLESPIE PREPARED AMAZING KHAN, who scored by seven-lengths as the 3.0 favourite.

Amazing Khan (Jimmy Creed) had been knocking on the door for a victory and duly got it over Geuma Gutty who ran his usual honest race in 2nd whilst Wind Winner just like his previous run in the form line race for this contest got through to run 3rd at big odds. Geuma Distinction could be finding some confidence as he followed up his previous 2nd in a weaker Class 2 with a game 4th whilst Magarita, who was taking on the boys after taking on her own sex in the second and third legs of the Spring/Summer Queen’s Tour (G2 Ttukseom Cup and G3 KNN Cup), was 5th.

The earlier victory for Seo Seung-un was on WORLD TREE (To Honor And Serve) in Race 2 (1400M Class 6) which led throughout to win by four-lengths.

Race 6 (1200M Class 4) was won by DRAGON DEVIL (Kitten’s Joy) who after consistently finishing just behind the placegetters in each of his previous eight career starts got on top late to score by a length at odds of 7.5 over Ronald Duck, 8.8, with Lightning Force, 2.7 favourite, four-lengths away in 3rd.

POWERFUL BATTLE (Testa Matta) made it back-to-back wins in Race 5 (1600M Class 5) with a comfortable two-length victory under Jo In-kwon. The Moon Hyeon-cheol prepared three-year-old gelding led for much of the mile trip to land the 2.2 odds over 3.3 second market choice Boryeongui Sinyong who ran a fine race after finishing in the second half of the field in both the Luna Stakes (Korean 1000 Guineas) and Korean Oaks. The two favourites pulled six-lengths clear of the 3rd placed Tohamsan Dragon.

Franco da Silva was on the board in Race 1 (1300M Class 6) as he rode P.D SPECIAL (Shackleford) to an easy six-length success from on-pac. Punters were rewarded for keeping faith in P.D Special, sending her off at 1.6 following her previous race defeat at odds of 1.4. 

P.D Special is prepared by Kang Hyoung-gon who had a double as he prepared HONORED KHAN (Take Charge Indy) to win Race 3 (1800M Class 3). Honored Khan, made it two wins from his last three starts all over Class and distance, and scored by one-and-a-quarter lengths at odds of 8.9 over long-time leader Unju Challenge, 7.8, whilst the 1.8 odds-on favourite Sky Win Win for Masa Tanaka and Bart Rice could only manage 3rd when once again being unable to lead in his second attempt at Class 3.

Lee Sung-jae was the winning rider on Honored Khan and he followed up in the following Race 4 (1200M Class 5) on the consistent three-year-old filly DAEROUI BIT (Gyeongbudaero) who led throughout to score by three-lengths in what was her second career win at start seven. Power Hit worked home hard for 2nd a half-length ahead of the Thomas Gillespie prepared Perfect Point in 3rd whilst the 1.9 favourite Aegis Cheonma for Seo Seung-un and Bart Rice was a never nearer 4th.

SATURDAY AT SEOUL SAW AN EXCELLENT 1200M CLASS 2 CONCLUDE A WET DAY OF ACTION AND 1200M SPECIALIST HANSEN BRACING got back to winning ways after struggling against the best of her sex in the Ttukseom Cup over 1400M at her previous start.

Hansen Bracing (Hansen) came over the top late to score by a half-length at odds of 6.2 over the consistent but non-winning Eldorado Nolbu who again ran a never nearer minor placing. Thunder Dream, who was one of the roughies, was a nose away in 3rd with the 3.5 favourite Raon Florence far from disgraced on his first Class 2 attempt in 4th after a further head. We Go High, 3.7, got swallowed up late in a race dominated by the backmarkers as did Gwanaksan Storm, 9.1.

The victory of Hansen Bracing completed a double for her trainer Jeon Seung-gyu after an earlier victory with the Canadian bred UWA (Candy Ride) in Race 6 (1400M Class 4). That was one of three successes on the card for rider Kim Tae-hun who scored in Race 3 (1400M Class 6) on ENERGY POWER (Power Blade) and Race 8 (1700M Class 4) on PASA SPARK (Gift Box), who came from well back to complete back-to-back victories.

Race 9 (1800M Class 3) was one of the more enthralling races on the day as it saw the return of LIVE STAR (Peace Rules) after dismal failures in both the KRA Cup Mile (Korean 2000 Guineas) and Korean Derby. He was able to get back into the winners list, but it was by far the ugliest of his four career wins to date. He was only ok coming out of the gates and had to use some petrol to get into his preferred forward role and whilst he was under siege in the home straight, he pulled out plenty to justify the 1.7 quote by one-and-a-quarter lengths.

Race 5 (1800M Class 5) saw the running of the “National Hero Sergeant Reckless Commemorative Race” and NAMSAN MINYEO (Shackleford) led throughout for a comfortable three-length success as the 2.6 favourite for trainer Luigi Riccardi.

The race is held to honour Reckless, a pony who worked alongside US Marines during the Korean War and was ultimately taken to the US after the armistice where she was awarded the rank of Sergeant. In the week of the anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, veterans of the conflict were in attendance at Seoul Racecourse, as was American writer Robin Hutton, who authored a book on Reckless which has recently been translated into Korean.

Race 4 (1300M Class 5) saw the consistent DURAY SHOW (Hansen) record her first victory, getting up just in time to defeat the 2.9 favourite Best Secret by a nose. She had been knocking on the door to break through for a win for a long time and with Seo Seung-un on board she did so in the very last stride as the fourth market elect at 9.9. The other favourites were Crazy Champ, 5.8, who dropped out to be 5th whilst Hwansangui Nara, 3.1, proved once again that she is extremely hard to catch.

Jockey Kim Yong-geun, trainer Kang Hwan-min and owner Kim Hyeong-ran had a combined double on the card with debutante TIGER MANGCHI (Old Fashioned) coming from nowhere to win a dramatic Race 2 (1200M Class 6) before 1.7 favourite RED DRAGON (Power Blade) did quite the opposite as she led throughout when recording back-to-back scores in Race 7 (1600M Class 4).

AT BUSAN ON FRIDAY FRONT-RUNNING SPECIALIST PACHAMAMA recorded her second Class 3 victory following four third places since her previous win with a comfortable success in Race 4 over 1200M.

Pachamama (Peace Rules) started the 3.4 favourite and scored by five-lengths over the lightly raced Bart Rice prepared American bred three-year-old Baram Daero, 5.3, who lost no admirers in his first run at the grade. Of the other popular picks, Breedo Miracle, 3.8, was 4th, Mr. Prime, 4.7, was a never nearer 5th.

Franco da Silva rode a treble on the card, starting with TIPPING POINT (Gemologist) in Race 1 (1000M Class 6). Of the eleven juveniles, she was the only one that already raced when finishing 2nd in the first two-year-old race of the season three weeks prior. She was the 2.7 second favourite and got the prize by a head over the 2.4 favourite Dubai Heart.

Franco followed up on SPACE GOLD (Air Force Blue) in Race 2 (1600M Class 6) who drew clear to score comfortably by three-lengths before riding POWERFUL DEVIL (Revolutionary) to success in Race 5 (1400M Class 5) who after second places at her previous two starts got home to score by a neck. That race saw Rush Wild start the 1.3 favourite after competing in the Korean Oaks at her previous run, but she left energy at the start after getting upset in the gate and then after leading was the first horse beaten and she finished a long last.

Moon Hyeon-cheol prepares both Space Gold and Powerful Devil and he completed a treble on the day when INDIE TIGER (Uncaptured) made it three wins from three starts when landing Race 7 (1800M Class 4) by five-lengths as the 2.0 favourite. The three-year-old colt was ridden by Seo Seung-un for the first time and the step up in both grade and trip did not stop his progression.

SENSATIONAL WIN (Silver State) was a comfortable five-length winner of Race 8 (1600M Class 4) recording his second victory with both having come over the mile.

Japan-bred TOHAMSAN SONIC (Mischevious Alex) came from well back to snatch victory on the line in Race 6 (1800M Class 5) at odds of 44.6. The 2nd and 3rd placed horses were at win odds of 33.6 and 74.3 so any trifecta winners may not be reporting for work on Monday.

Black type racing returns next week with the Owners’ Cup (KOR-G3) at Busan, the principal 1600M all-age race of the year. Unbeaten three-year-old Roshe is set to face the biggest test of his career, perhaps taking on Oasis Blue who is due to finally make his return after winning the first two stages of last year’s Korean Triple Crown before failing in the concluding leg. Seventeen currently stand their ground for the first leg of the 2026 Korean Premier Series.