Baram Queen rules / Eiki nabs a double / Impeccable Derby-bound
Angus Empire, currently ranked fourth best horse at Seoul, produced a fast finish to land the feature race at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. Sent off third favourite behind Seoul Teukgeup and Brilliant Knight, Angus Empire was slow to begin as sprint specialist Gamadongja set the early pace under Nozomu Tomizawa.

As in his last outing, Gamadongja held the lead until the final furlong, but could only manage third as first Angus Empire and then Fly Queen came past with the line in sight. The win was five year old Angus Empire’s [Lion Cavern – Clever Dorothy (Clever Trick)] first of 2009 after three straight placings. Disappointments were Seoul Teukgeup and Pocketful of Money finishing seventh and tenth respectively.

On a day where weather forecasters once more got it gloriously wrong and Seoul basked in sunshine and temperatures in the high seventies, Baram Queen took advantage of the late scratching of likely favourite Siinui Norae to land the day’s second most valuable race. The four year old, who in fourth place was Seoul’s best finisher in the Korean Oaks last year, comfortably held off Saebyeol Achim for a two length win after early pace setter Esteban disappeared in the home straight. Siinui Norae meanwhile, will likely be sidelined for at least six months.

At Busan Race Park, Eiki Nishimura followed up his treble on Friday with a double. The Japanese jockey took race 4 on Champion Rush and race 5 on the improving Kiwi’s Playboy.

And so we are just a week away from the Derby and in Triple Crown news, it has been cofirmed that the filly Love Cat will not run in the big race next week. In her place will be Impeccable, the colt who went into the KRA Cup Mile four for four but finished unplaced. We’ll be starting our week of Derby build-up tomorrow as we gear up for the biggest weekend in Korean racing which will see not only the Derby but also the JRA Cup.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Seven year old retains Cup / Easy for Top Point at Seoul
Angle Slam retained the Gujke Sinmun Cup with a powerful stretch run to overcome Crafty Louis and Miss Ecton in the final furlong of the seven furlong race at Busan Race Park this afternoon.

Last year’s winner was sent off sixth in the betting with Crafty Louis slight favourite in what, as expected, a very open market. Three year old Australian colt Cheonseungmanseung was quickest out of the gate and kept in front until depp in the home straight. He finally ran out of energy, however, as Gu Min Sung guided Angle Slam down the outside to take the victory.

The win is Angle Slam’s first since the corresponding race last year. The seven year old disappointed throughout the latter half of 2008 but ran second last time out and once more, performed when it mattered in the big race. Seond favourite Gunham disappointed, as did filly Mighty Hero. Meanewhile, despite still only having four career wins, Miss Ecton re-confirmed her position as arguably the top foreign bred filly or mare currently in training at Busan. See below for full result.

At Seoul Race Park a bumper crowd was in, possibly enthused by having watched the Kentucky Derby over breakfast and looking for 50/1 shots to come in and remove the need to return to work after the long weekend. There were no surprises in the feature race, however, as Top Point went wire to wire for a routine win ahead of Natural Nine over 1900 metres. The returning Gayasanseong looked comfortable but didn’t have the speed to compete in the home straight and finished sixth.

Also of interest at Seoul was a first win for three year old colt Power of Money. He and the much hyped Symphony Sonata are the only two horses to have been foaled by First Violin during her short time in Korea. Under champion jockey Moon Se Young, Power of Money shot across from gate 12 to the rail (too aggressively according to the stewards, who handed Moon a two day ban for the move) and went on to stretch out for a nine length win.

Gukje Sinmun Cup – Busan Race Park – 1400M – May 3, 2009

1. Angle Slam (USA) [Gold Case – Platinum Code (Lost Code)] – Gu Min Sung – 12.5
2. Crafty Louis (USA) [Louis Quatorze – Crafty Louis (Crafty Prospector)] – Jo Chang Wook – 4.1
3. Miss Ecton (USA) [Ecton Park – Miss Lion King (Lion Cavern)] – Martin Wepner – 6.3
Distances: 2 lengths/1 length
Also ran: 4. Gyeongcheonsa; 5. Hwanggeumbit Taeya; 6. Heukjanggun; 7. Saeroun Bulpae; 8. Cheonseungmanseung; 9. Gunham; 10. Gangsan Jijo; 11. Seneca Light; 12. Mighty Hero; 13. Spruiker; 14. Dahlonega

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Ebony Storm finally wins / Iku bows out blank
Bally Brae emphatically proved that his return to the Winner’s Circle last month was no fluke as he powered to another big race win at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. The seven year old had scarcely a single backer in the build-up to the race with the younger pair of Baekjeonmupae and Vicar Love heavily favoured.

Punters knew better, however, and be it out of sentimentality – and Korean racegoers are not, by and large, a sentimental lot – or a genuine belief that the 2006 Horse of the Year is still at the top of his game, by post time Bally Brae had been backed into favourite.

He didn’t disappoint. Vicar Love set the early pace until Cho Kyoung Ho brought the five year old Dankee’s Pal around the field in the back-straight, stretching out to a lead of over five lengths. He maintained the lead going into the home straight and for a while it looked as though he may hold on. Bally Brae, Baekjeonmupae and Vicar Love entered the home straight together but it was only Bally Brae who had the speed to run down Dankee’s Pal, passing him in sight of the line to enable Moon Se Young to perform his familiar victory celebration on this horse as they crossed it.

Some had pointed out that last time, Bally Brae had not had much to beat. Today the big boys were there and now, Dongbanui Gangja is the only horse to have the beating of Bally Brae on current form. Korean racing needs more horses like Bally Brae and another it needs more like is his great rival from 2006, Subsidy. Today the eight year old showed that while he may have slowed, he still belongs in top class races, running on for a creditable fifth, just a length behind Vicar Love, to record his thirty third money finish from thirty six races.

Earlier, Subsidy’s little sister Soseono was denied a second career victory by the narrowest of margins. The filly was leading in the final furlong of race 8, only to be pipped on the line by favourite New Destination.

Down at Busan Race Park, it was Ikuyasu Kurakane’s final day in the saddle in Korea. The Japanese jockey, who will be sorely missed by punters on the south coast, had an uncharacteristically quiet day troubling the placings just once – a third placed finish on Choedae Geoljakpum just behind Phasmes and Jilju Hara in a three way photo finish to race 5.

Nearly a year after his Derby triumph, Ebony Storm finally made his way back to the Winner’s Circle in Busan’s feature. The four year old has managed plenty of second placed finishes but today was finally able to go one better with a fast finish to come from behind to overhaul Gangjaui Beopchik and long time leader Wellbeing Sidae with just metres to spare.

Class 1 (Foreign bred) – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – Apr 26, 2009

1. Bally Brae (USA) [Yarrow Brae – Political Bluff (Unaccounted For)] – Moon Se Young – 2.3
2. Dankee’s Pal (USA) [Max’s Pal – Dankee (Regal Intention)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 10.0
3. Baekjeonmupae (NZ) [Traditionally – Star Sixty Seven (Phone Trick)] – Moon Jung Kyun – 2.9
Distances: 1.25 lengths/1 length – 12 ran

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN