GANGPUNGMA RULED THE SHOW GAINING GROUP ONE GLORY IN THE PRESIDENT’S CUP IN SEOUL ON SUNDAY BUT ON THE UNDERCARD AN 1800M CLASS 3 FOR DOMESTIC REARED HORSES WAS THE MAIN HANDICAP AND THE EVER-CONSISTENT FLYING HONOR proved he is only getting better and better with an outstanding runaway seven-length victory over two other smart three-year-old’s in Live Star and Concord Codie.
Flying Honor (To Honor And Serve) scored by seven-lengths, and it could have been further if jockey Johan Victoire wanted it to be, as the 4.1 second choice with Live Star who was the 5.8 third favourite finishing one-and-a-half lengths ahead of the 2.4 favourite Concord Codie in 2nd and 3rd places. Johan Victoire is the regular partner of Flying Honor and he was completing a double after a similarly easy victory on GEUPHAENG YEOLCHA (Union Rags) who lived up to her name in Race 7 (1600M Class 4) running away from her rivals like an express train in the home straight to score by six-lengths and in doing so the American bred filly was recording her first win at start twelve following multiple minor placings.
Race 11 (1400M Class 3) was the concluding contest and JJARITHAN HAENGBOK (Maximus Mischief) was another winner for the combination of jockey Kozzi Asano, trainer Choi Yong-geon and owner Woo Tae-yul which have a winning strike of almost 40% across the past couple of months. Jjarithan Haengbok was a winner at odds of 30.6 when ridden for the first time by Asano in August before a 2nd last month, where he attempted to bite the rival that kicked back to beat him as they crossed the line, but made no mistake here scoring by two-and-a-half lengths at odds of 4.6 over the Australian bred three-year-old South Carnival which was the 2.5 favourite. Cheongung Storm, who was the horse that Jjarithan Haengbok went to bite last month, was the 9.0 third choice and finished 6th after leading.
TIGER MANGCHI (Old Fashioned) was stepping right up in trip when running in Race 9 (1700M Class 4) and was also ridden very differently by Kim Yong-geun with front-running tactics applied but that did not stop the three-year-old gelding from bouncing back into the winners list by four-lengths as the 2.1 favourite. He only made his debut in June and is now the winner of three races from four starts.
Ruan Maia rode smart juvenile ROAD TO CHAMPION (Indie Band), 3.0 favourite, to victory from the front in Race 6 (1400M Class 4) and in doing so the colt made it three wins from six starts with Happy Together and Unica doing the chasing in 2nd and 3rd.
DAEDONGYONGMA (Nitrous) had beaten two subsequent winners when winning his maiden at his previous start on August 23 and followed up to make it back-to-back in Race 5 (1400M Class 5) with a front-running success by three-quarters of a length under Kim Tae-hui.
Seo Seung-un was on fire riding an early treble on RUN TO WIN (With Distinction) in Race 1 (1000M Class 6) for the juveniles, MIGHTY MULAN (Army Mule) in Race 2 (1200M Class 6) and SUPER TTANGKONG (Concord Point) in Race 3 (1200M Class 5). Run To Win ran fast time to lead throughout and score by one-and-three-quarter lengths whilst Mighty Mulan also led from beginning to end with her success being by four-lengths in what was her first run outside of juvenile only company. Super Ttangkong in quite opposite fashion came from midfield to get on top in the closing stages in a race which saw 4.0 second favourite Myeongseong Party ran a never nearer 3rd after racing greenly and 2.9 favourite World Of Dream run 7th with both not quite running up to their respective winning debut performances.
THE YEONGCHEON PROGRAM ON SUNDAY WAS DOMINATED BY MASA TANAKA WHO WON HALF OF THE SIX RACES INCLUDING THE MAIN RACE ON UNION CHAMP who scored by one-and-a-quarter lengths.
Union Champ (Champ Line) is a four-year-old filly prepared by Moon Hyeon-cheol and at odds of 10.2 won the concluding 1400M Class 3 beating Beolmaui Yeongung and Wonderful Bidder into 2nd and 3rd places with the favourites in Baram Daero, 2.8, and Daeseong Gold, 2.4, coming home in 4th and 5th. The other victories for Tanaka were at the start of the card where he had front-running success on second market choices in CHOEGANG LOUIS (Hansen) in Race 1 (1300M Class 5), who won by one-length, and the Moon Hyeon-cheol trained KISS THE RAIN (Indie Band) in Race 2 (1400M Class 5), which scored by nine-lengths.
David Breux rode his first winner at Korea’s newest track in Race 5 (1400M Class 4) when WORLD TOP TIER (Federalist) won by two-and-a-half lengths from the front as the 3.8 second favourite over the Tanaka ridden 2.8 favourite Heuimang Gunju whilst DOCTOR CITY (Old Fashioned) was an upset winner of Race 4 (1200M Class 4) as that saw three-year-old filly Infinite Winner, 1.9 favourite, be beaten for the first time at her third start after attempting to lead throughout.
Two-year-old-filly MORNING ARIA (Air Force Blue) followed up her first victory at her second start by making it two wins from three starts with a win from the front as the 2.3 favourite in Race 3 (1200M Class 5).
ON SATURDAY AT SEOUL A COMPETITIVE LOOKING 1800M CLASS 2 WAS THE HIGHLIGHT AND A FAST PACE SET BY THE THREE FAVOURITES IN THE RACE SUITED 35.3 OUTSIDER SAEPARANG who got up right on the line.
Saeparang (Preservationist) scored by a nose over the longtime leader and 3.5 second favourite Haksan Dark Horse whilst the other favourites were 3.3 popular pick Keidragon who came home in 4th with 3.7 third choice Gamsaui Him in 5th. The winning jockey on Saeparang was Jang Chu-youl whilst the winning trainer was Choi Yeong-joo who was completing a race-to-race double after the front-running success of MR.CARA (Uncaptured) as the 3.9 favourite in Race 8 (1800M Class 4) thirty minutes earlier.
Race 7 (1600M Class 3) was a decent quality event and GWANAKSAN SKY (Concord Point) proved too strong as the 3.2 second favourite after sitting on the outside of the leader. Gwanaksan Sky had won his first three starts in fine fashion before taking his chance in The Derby where he was midfield. He did too much work at his next start but had bounced back to winning ways at the end of August and the drop in trip proved no problem for the Johan Victoire ridden classic aged colt. Queen Dia was second a head in advance of the 4.1 third market choice Anyangbitchuisokdo whilst the 2.7 favourite was Munhak Chukje who was looking for four straight wins but under a mammoth weight of 58kg, 4kg more than the second highest weighted runner, was a never threatening 5th.
There were a few impressive two-year-old winners early in the card with MY CITY (Improbable) being one of them under Andre da Silva in Race 2 (1200M Class 4). The American bred colt had led throughout to win two trials prior to his first race and in his first race he did the exact same, leading from start to finish as the 2.3 favourite to win by four-lengths. ECO BOLT (Revolutionary) had bombed the start in his second race and subsequently finished last after running 2nd to Clutch Derby on debut but made no mistake this time in Race 3 (1300M Class 6) bouncing straight to the top and scoring by twelve-lengths.
Race 1 (1000M Class 6) was another two-year-old event however the race was declared void. The race started with Lim Da-bin not being in the saddle on Nareusya Victor as the gates opened and that horse subsequently leaving the stalls without a rider. Under the Korean racing rules individual horses cannot be declared a non-runner after the race if being denied a fair start so therefore the stewards have two options in that scenario, to leave everything stand as it is or to declare the entire race void. The latter option was chosen.
ON THE HANGEUL DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY ON FRIDAY BUSAN HAD THEIR STANDARD MEETING AND A 1200M CLASS 1 CONCLUDED THE CARD AND MIRACLE MARINE bounced back to his best form with an easy seven-length win from the front as the 5.9 third market choice.
The best form of Miracle Marine (Peace Rules) had seen him win a hat-trick of races across the turn of 2024 and 2025 as high as this grade prior to competing in the three legs of last year’s Stayer Series where his best effort was a 5th in the Herald Business when well fancied. After two runs this year for 9th and 5th places he led his rivals a merry dance to beat the 2.1 favourite Gangseo Giant with 5.8 second favourite and 2023 Triple Tiara winner Jeulgeounyeojeong in 3rd. The other fancied runners were Beolgyoui Kkum, 7.2, and Born Dia, 8.5, who came home 5th and 6th in a race that arguably produced more question marks than answers for horses such as Jeulgeounyeojeong and Born Dia, the latter who as recently as May had won the biggest local sprint race of the year but has lost all form since.
There was a decent quality race for the fillies and mares towards the beginning of the card in the shape of Race 3 (1600M Class 4) and P.D SPECIAL (Shackleford) justified 2.4 favouritism under Franco da Silva to score by a neck. She was an impressive on pace winner of two races in a row prior to finishing 5th and 2nd in form line races at her previous two runs, the latter being the first ever race at Yeongcheon, and she got the prize over the consistent Thomas Gillespie trained Daisy Tiara, 4.8, who surely will not remain a maiden for much longer. Rush Wild, 4.9, was 3rd after attempting to lead throughout following a brilliant win at her previous start whilst Brown Falcon was the first of the non-three-year-old’s home finishing 4th. Sun Light remained a maiden from nineteen finishing 5th whilst the disappointment of the race was Pachoui Kkum, 4.6, who folded late to run 6th, perhaps like last start failing to stay, ahead of Lampyojeonggeenie in 7th.
Seo Seung-un had a riding double on a pair of two-year-old’s and that began when DAESEONG SKY (Cowboy Cal) went one better from his debut to lead throughout and win Race 2 (1200M Class 6) as the 2.8 second favourite with one-and-three-quarter-lengths to spare over the 1.5 favourite Pegasus Yeowang in 2nd. HOESAEK JILJU (South Beach) followed up for Seo in Race 5 (1400M Class 6) with a runaway four-length success.
YEONGGWANGUICLASS (Modern Cowboy) was a late pickup ride for David Breux in Race 7 (1800M Class 4) and turned out to be an upset winner at odds of 32.8 and was recording his second victory at start thirty-nine.
HIT THE RUNNING (With Distinction) was a 1.3 favourite to break his maiden in Race 6 (1200M Class 6), after two previous starts for two fourth places, and duly did so by ten-lengths whilst BREATHLESS (With Distinction) was an eleven-length winner of Race 1 (1000M Class 6) for the juveniles as the 3.8 second pick with the 2.5 favourite Indian Catcher being slow to go but eventually getting up to run a never nearer 2nd.
The second stages of the Korean Juvenile Series are next week with the Gimhae Mayor’s Trophy in Busan on Friday and the Chairman’s Trophy taking place in Seoul on Sunday. Both races are over 1200M and are KOR-LR events. For older horses the main race in the Yeongnam region is a 1200M Class 2 on Friday in Busan which sees Clutch Winner, Road To Ace and Vangie entered amongst others whilst in Seoul a 1400M Class 2 on Saturday could feature Concord Blue and a 1400M Class 1 on Sunday sees Yeonggwangui World, Circle A, Nice Force, Hansen Bracing, Super Finish and Ziggurat all entered.
