ON SUNDAY AT SEOUL FANTASTIC VALUE TURNED WHAT LOOKED A COMPETITIVE JEJU GOVERNOR’S CUP INTO ONE OF THE MORE UNCOMPETITIVE BLACK TYPE RACES WITH A FULL FIELD YOU WOULD EVER SEE BUT THE MAIN HANDICAP WAS DEFINITELY COMPETITIVE AND TRAUM KING OBLIGED BY A NARROW MARGIN (writes Luke Humphreys).

TRAUM KING (by To Honor And Serve) was one of four in the market for the nine-runner race 10 (2000M Class 2) and they duly filled out the top four-places with Traum King, who had opened up a sizeable lead in the home straight under Jang Chu-youl, and enough left to hold off Mustang Power by a substantial nose. The other single-digit chances, Super Bluemoon and Storm Breaker, came home in 3^rd and 4^th.

Jang would complete a late race-to-race double as he partnered PHANTOM PRINCE (Cairo Prince) to an eye-catching success in the eleventh and final race on the card (1200M Class 4), the US-bred three-year-old breaking through at start number four. Coming from midfield and lengthening away to score by four-lengths as the 2.5 favourite. Ikkeulim and Mucho Macho Rapido filled out the placings.

JD GANGJA (Power Blade) was the easiest of winners in Race 9 (1800M Class 3) by twelve-lengths justifying punters confidence in making him the 3.0 favourite. It was a fast run race and whilst JD Gangja was not directly involved in the speed battle it was still a strong performance by the three-year-old colt, and much improved compared to his last couple. He was good enough to go around in some of the main juveniles races last year running 4th and 5th so the ability is clearly there. Daehan Power, 7.0, who is a renowned come from behind horse naturally performed well with so much speed in the race and he came home 2nd. Maeum Hana, 4.4, who was coming into the race following a last stride 1200M success at this grade in August suffered the third defeat of his career at start eight and under top weight of 57.5kg come home 5th whilst last start impressive victor Yongbigyo, 4.9, was 9th of the ten runners after paying the price to try and get her favourite position as the pacesetter.

Luis Quiroz and QUERENCIA (Concord Point) followed up their narrow August 23 victory with another in Race 7 (1300M Class 5) by a comfortable two-lengths over the 2.9 favourite Clover One. Querencia was the topweight with 57kg and will now be up to Class 4 grade.

Ruan Maia rode two impressive juveniles to success. The first was ECLIPSE GOLDEN (Gemologist) who was the 2.5 favourite in Race 2 (1400M Class 6) and after finishing third in each of his two previous starts got up right on the line to deny the Johan Victoire ridden Luigi Riccardi trained longtime leader Unicorn Ace who as the 3.8 third favourite looked to have an unassailable lead but stopped to a walk over the concluding stages and was caught very late.

Maia followed up on TAEPYEONG SG (South Beach) in Race 6 (1200M Class 5) who made it two wins from as many starts with a four-length front-running score in smart style. The 1.5 favourite was Gwanaksan Bigstep, following an impressive thirteen-length trial victory and five-length debut success, but he fell asleep in the gates, subsequently missed the start and had to use too much petrol to find a position and weakened for 5th.

Seo In-seok had a race-to-race training double in the shape of POWERFUL ARCTIC (Purge) in Race 4 (1700M Class 6) and NARO MA STAR (American Patriot) in Race 5 (1800M Class 5). The former despite a slow start came from midfield to win by three-lengths as the 2.2 favourite and be one of multiple winners across the weekend for jockey Song Jae-chul and the latter also scored as favourite under Franco da Silva with his price being 2.6. The 2.9 second favourite Anyang Laser was 2nd beaten one-and-a-half lengths by the Japanese bred popular choice.

THE ROAD (Roadster) put the writing on the wall in one of his two trials when only beaten a nose by last year’s Korea Sprint 3rd placegetter Super Finish and he could not have been more impressive in Race 1 (1200M Class 4) for the foreign-bred two-year-old’s roaring away over the final furlong to score by eleven-lengths as the 1.2 favourite. The Lim Gi-won ridden Song Moon-gil prepared American bred colt ran outstanding time too and is one to keep an eye on.

ON SUNDAY THE SECOND EVER MEETING AT YEONGCHEON TOOK PLACE AND A 1200M CLASS 2 WAS THE HIGHLIGHT AND YONGBI PAEWANG snatched victory on the line at odds of 30.7 under Seo Gang-ju over the David Breux ridden Perfect Action which led everywhere bar where it counts.

Yongbi Paewang (Concord Point) had been a 1200M Class 2 winner at Busan in June at odds of 6.3 but after finishing out the back in his next two runs, which included a last place finish in the race of reference most recently, was forgotten about but scored over Perfect Action who at her first run for six months almost pinched the prize at odds of 25.6 following a trial victory in August. The best of the favourites was the Bart Rice trained three-year-old filly Twin Rainbow, 4.6, who came home in 3rd whilst 2.9 co-favourites Clutch Winner and Pachamama were 8th and 9th. Clutch Winner, a Listed winner in March who had won the form-line race for this event, missed the start, as he did two runs ago, and was a never nearer 8th whilst Pachamama, who needs to lead, was always caught wide and could never get closer than 4th.

Masa Tanaka had the ride on Clutch Winner, as Seo Seung-un was at Seoul, but he still had a good day at the office riding a double which began when WIND MIREU (Triple Nine) landed Race 1 (1400M Class 4). The four-year-old gelding, who was the 1.7 favourite, is building up a good record as he has now won on four occasions from seven attempts and scored by a half-length. Tanaka followed up on SAENAE HUNTER (To Honor And Serve) who bounced back to form with a one-and-three-quarter length success as the 1.9 favourite in Race 4 (1400M Class 3). The four-year-old colt had put together a hat-trick of outstanding front-running victories before finishing in last place, when unable to lead, behind Super Aero last start but he was able to find his favourite role as the pacemaker and stayed there.

OASIS HWANHUI (Concord Point) made it three wins from seven starts by leading throughout as the 2.2 favourite in Race 2 (1600M Class 4). He scored by four-lengths and the three-year-old will now be up to Class 3 following consecutive Class 4 scores.

AT SEOUL ON SATURDAY A 1600M CLASS 3 WAS THE MAIN CONTEST AS RACE 9 AND GAMSAUI HIM who was one of the first off the bridle eventually proved too strong and the American bred three-year-old colt scored by two-lengths and in doing so recorded back-to-back victories.

Gamsaui Him (Independence Hall) dropped back as far as sixth in the field of ten after being as close as second in the early stages but got a second wind early in the home straight and the 4.2 third market choice defeated 3.7 second favourite Victory Socks into 2nd. The favourite at 3.3 was Jeongsang Hero who following an impressive front-running win at his previous start when ridden for the first time by Andre da Silva once again went to the lead under the Brazilian rider but folded in the final furlong and finished 4th. Gamsaui Him was ridden as he was at his previous run, which was a victory, by Kozzi Asano. Asano was completing a double after riding two-year-old filly WHITE THUNDER (Hansen) to an easy six-length win from the top as the 1.8 favourite in Race 6 (1300M Class 5). She has now won two of her three starts.

SHINING ROAD (Midshipman) recorded a deserved second career victory in Race 8 (1800M Class 4) with a one-and-a-half length score as the 3.7 favourite from an on-pace role. The four-year-old US-bred gelding had been 3rd at each of his previous three runs, including behind Clutch Magic and Gwanaksan Sky, and will now be up to Class 3 company.

Song Jae-chul rode a double with HANAM LASER (Revolutionary) winning Race 5 (1400M Class 5) from the front by two-lengths whilst BEST JOY (Modern Cowboy) who had failed in her one and only previous effort over eight-and-a-half furlongs when ridden aggressively was ridden cold and came from off a decent pace to score in Race 7 (1700M Class 5) by one-and-three quarter lengths over the 1.9 favourite Cheong Wol.

Three-year-old colt CLUTCH WORLD (Shackleford) won his first race at his second start in Race 4 (1400M Class 6) by a half-length as the 1.3 favourite for jockey Kim Hyo-jung and trainer Luigi Riccardi following a 3rd place on debut where the 2nd horse subsequently came out and won so it could pay to follow the winner of that August 23 race at its next start in Daedongyongma.

Lee Kang-seo had an early training double with SONGDANG FIRST (Thunder Moccasin) following up her August 27 trial victory with a one-and-a-half length success as the 1.7 favourite in Race 1 (1000M Class 6) for the juvenile fillies, over Silver Wave, Night Thunder and Ever Winning who all ran fine races in 2nd, 3rd and 4th, before RAON CHARIS GIRL (Musket Man) landed Race 2 (1200M Class 6) by three-lengths for Seo Seung-un.

AT BUSAN ON FRIDAY AN EXCELLENT CLASS 1 OVER 1800M CONCLUDED THE CARD AND IT WAS AN EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE FROM PRIME SECRET to score decisively under the mega weight of 59kg.

Prime Secret (Upstart) was not sent off favourite as that status went to Cardinal Force but while Seo Seung-un gave Cardinal Force every chance, he was outstayed by Prime Secret, 2.7, who scored by one-and-a-quarter lengths with Mr.Keyman, 13.0, in 2nd ahead of Cardinal Force in 3rd and Jeongmun Cobit, 8.8, in 4th.

Jin Kyum was the winning rider on Prime Secret, and he was completing a double as earlier in Race 6 (1200M Class 5) two-year-old colt MUSKET STORM (Musket Man) was incredibly impressive in winning by eight-lengths following a half-length front-running debut victory in August. Musket Storm, 2.7, sat on the outside of fellow two-year-old and 1.6 favourite Race Nine and put her to the sword at the top of the straight with third market choice Yeoun, 11.1, coming through to take 2nd ahead of the Seo Seung-un ridden and Bart Rice trained filly Race Nine in 3rd.

Franco da Silva also had a double on the card on two smart performers with the first of those being his 600th Korean winner on BROWN CHOCO (Indie Band) in Race 5 (1600M Class 5) for Bart Rice who even though he was a bit slow to go like his previous run proved too good by two-and-a-half lengths as the 3.4 favourite and is worth following.

SHIN STAR ONE (Centralcommand) has been incredibly impressive this year and the Moon Hyeon-cheol trained Healing Farm Union owned three-year-old, who is unbeaten bar one since being gelded, continued his great run of form in Race 8 (1800M Class 4) as the 1.4 popular pick with the hardest of his four consecutive career victories to date but impressive, nonetheless. He had won each of his three previous runs by six-lengths, but the margin was just one-and-a-half this time under a big weight with the Japanese bred two-year-old colt Tohamsan Ninja running an outstanding race from the front at odds of 26.8. There was a gap of nine-lengths to the 3rd placed Tamarkuz King.

David Breux rode his first winner since returning to Korea on NAGAN CHUEOK (To Honor And Serve) in Race 4 (1600M Class 6) who as the 3.3 second favourite led throughout to score by three-lengths. Breux rode 166 winners across six-and-a-half years on his original stint in the country when based in Seoul and moved back to France two years ago but has relocated back to Korea and has wasted no time riding a 2nd placegetter last week prior to this win.

Trainer Son Byeong-chul and owners Moojigae Rentcar had a winning juvenile double early in the card with filly FANTASTIC QUEENS (Old Fashioned) winning Race 1 (1000M Class 6) by one-and-a-half lengths before colt FANTASTIC ROYAL (Hansen) scored by two-lengths in Race 3 (1600M Class 6). The winning rider on the latter was Seo Seung-un whilst Jung Do-yun rode the former and completed an early double when winning on ROYAL PRIDE (Hansen) by nine-lengths in Race 2 (1200M Class 6). That race was marred by two riders being unseated from their mounts at the halfway stage of the event in the shape of Park Jae-i on Million Tree and Kim Seong-hyun aboard Teukbyeolhan. Kim was transferred to hospital with neck pain whilst Park was transferred due to pain in his left arm and ankle. Kim was back riding on Sunday although Park was kept in hospital for observation.

There is no racing in Korea this week due to Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) so racing returns on Friday October 2 which is the first of four days in a row of racing as there will be a meeting at Seoul on Monday October 5 to mark the National Foundation Day Public Holiday, October 5 is a substitute day for October 3. The main race across that weekend will be the Ilgan Sports Trophy (KOR-LR) at Seoul on Sunday October 4 over 1800M for horses with no higher than a local handicap mark of 85 and the smart Luigi Riccardi trained three-year-old colt Clutch Magic will put some spark into the race as the Minister’s Cup 5th placegetter takes on the older horses for the first time at black type level.