AFTER HAN MAN-DAL MADE HIS BREAKTHROUGH A WEEK AGO, IT WAS THE TURN OF FELLOW TRAINING NEWCOMER CHA WOO-HO, TO CELEBRATE HIS STABLE’S 1ST WINNER. Cha saddled COMPLETE TURBO (by Gemologist) to score by three-lengths in Sunday’s race 3 at Seoul (1300M Class 6) under Lim Gi-won. It had been a long wait for Cha who had sent out forty runners before getting one home on top but has already scored plenty of placings.
Yoo Seung-wan also reached a milestone in the capital on Sunday with the jockey riding his 600th career winner as CHRYSOL STEP (Chrysolite) obliged in race 6 (1700M Class 5). Winner number 601 duly arrived in race 9 (1400M Class 3) as IMRO (Federalist) got the best of Queen Dia and East Gangjeok to record a fifth win at start thirteen. Jockey Yoo debuted in 2007 and is best known for his association with champion mare Silver Wolf – of whom more later.
Johan Victoire registered a Sunday double. After four near-misses, the Luigi Riccardi-trained UNICORN ACE (Race Day) made no mistake in race 7 (1200M Class 5) leading all the way around for a facile five-length victory. Victoire followed up in the last of the day when GWANAKSAN SKY (Concord Point) added to his burgeoning reputation.
Gwanaksan Sky was 9th in the Korean Derby but that’s one of only two defeats so far. His Sunday win was his sixth from eight starts and his second at class 3.
Franco Da Silva was also among the winners at Seoul on Sunday. The Brazilian jockey navigated 13.2 INSPIRE (Uncaptured) to the lead from the widest gate and then comfortably held off his rivals in race 5 (1300M Class 5).
Earlier SAMJEONG RACE (Race Day) was a dominant ten-length winner of race 1 (1000M Class 6), breaking through at start two having run 2nd on debut. Kim Yong-geun was aboard. Race 2 (1300M Class 6) saw RAON THE RIPON (Musket Man) get his first victory at start four under Choi Bum-hyun, similarly racing on the speed throughout.
Jockey Choi would later complete a double as POWER JILJU (Afleet Express) took race 8 (1700M Class 4), getting the better of favourite Beolgyo Aladdin by a length-and-a-quarter.
Other winners on the card were EXCALIBUR (Peace Rules), who pulled out a narrow win in race 4 (1400M Class 5) under Jo Jae-ro, while BYEOKSONG (Revolutionary) was the longest priced winner on the card, returning 21.6 to those who backed her to win the all0filly race 10 (1200M Class 4) with Kim Seong-hyun aboard.
ON SUNDAY AT YEONGCHEON, RACE 3 (2000M Class 4) saw the first use of the 2000M distance at the new track, and it proved an exciting finish as HONORED KHAN (Take Charge Indy) overturned the form on Geuma Gutty to win by half a length. Eowadungdung and Doctor Captain completed a top four comprised of those who finished 2nd to 5th at Yeongcheon over 1800M on October 4th with just the top two reversed. Lee Sung-jae was aboard the winner.
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