THE MAIN RACE THIS WEEKEND IN KOREA WAS THE CONCLUDING CONTEST AT SEOUL ON SUNDAY IN THE SHAPE OF A 1200M CLASS 1 HANDICAP AND WITH LESS THAN THREE-LENGTHS COVERING THE FIRST EIGHT HOME IN THE ELEVEN-RUNNER FIELD IT WAS KING HONOR who landed the prize completing a treble on the day for rider Kim Yong-geun (writes Luke Humphreys).

The consistent King Honor (To Honor And Serve) came from midfield to score at his very first attempt at the grade over 2.6 favourite Hansen Bracing with the ever-consistent Ziggurat in 3rd. One of the roughies in the field in Geosen Bangyeok looked the winner for most of the way down the straight before peaking on the run in the final 100M with Daehan Jilju, Mighty Look, Yongam Sesang, and J S Road, 4.0 second favourite, filling the next four places in an outstanding finale to the weekend.

The Oaks winner CATCH RACE (Afleet Express) bounced back to winning ways in Race 9 (1600M Class 3) with an effortless five-length victory as the 1.3 favourite. She had put the writing on the wall in the Luna Stakes (Korean 1000 Guineas) prior to her last gasp Oaks victory before being beaten in similar fashion to the way she defeated Clearly Winner in The Oaks when 2nd to Sunrise in the Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup. She never looked like losing and defeated co-favourites Namsan Belt, 7.7, and longtime leader Baro Danaeun, 9.2.

MUJEOK HAMDAE (Mischieviously) scored for Furkan Yuksel as the 3.1 favourite in Race 7 (1800M Class 4), one of multiple wins across the weekend for trainer Lee Shin-woo. Mujeok Hamdae was first up since the beginning of April when chasing home Gwanaksan Sky and came from midfield to score by one-and-a-quarter lengths.

TIGER BULPAE (Power Blade) broke through at the ninth time of asking in Race 6 (1400M Class 5) and justified punters confidence winning by two-and-a-half lengths as the 1.7 favourite. The three-year-old filly had finished either 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th in each of her eight previous runs but finally was able to better all those results and did it well. Kim Yong-geun was the winning jockey and that was the first of his three wins on the day.

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