Angus Empire in form / Gate Way does it the right way
An unexpected late challenge by outsider Angel Pegasus wasn’t enough to stop Playing Politics claiming his fifth victory in six outings at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. Under Choi Beom Hyun, the JRA Trophy winner hit the front on the first turn and looked to be cruising to a routine victory having seen second in the betting Big Sox fade from contention as they entered the straight. Always well placed, Cho Kyoung Ho brought Angel Pegasus down the outside but just missed out as Playing Politics held on for the win by a neck with K J Khan in third.

Feature event of the day was won by Angus Empire. The four year old is in good winter form and fully justified his favourite’s status, accelerating away from the field in the final furlong with a four length margin on the line from Yodongseong and Dankee’s Pal.

Gate Way made an overdue return to the Winner’s Enclosure putting in an impressive win to land race 8. The filly, third in the Korean Oaks in August, sat behind favourite Gangho Jewang for much of the 1800 metres but once Park Tae Jong went to work coming off the final turn, the result wasn’t in doubt. The win was only Gate Way’s fourth in eighteen starts but the manner of it suggests that her four year old season may be more successful.

The win on Gate Way was Park Tae Jong’s third of the day having earlier secured successes on hot favourite Yongwang in race 3 and the previously unraced Claim Victory in race 5. In other races, Champgippeum secured a battling handicap victory over 1900 metres in race 9 as Kim Hyo Seob stalked pace-setters Taklamakan and Bulkkot Juja befre striking in the final 100 metres to steal victory by half a length.

Racing returns to Seoul at 11am Sunday with twelve more races. Busan’s Sunday card gets underway at 12:20. There is no card at Jeju Island tomorrow.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

Bally Brae second / Another big win for Choi Beom Hyun
At the end of eleven and a half furlongs, Dongbanui Gangja was the strongest in the sprint to win the 27th annual Grand Prix race on a bright winter’s afternoon at Seoul Race Park. The three year old colt overturned last year’s winner Bally Brae in the final furlong and run on to win by four lengths for jockey Choi Beom Hyun.

Punters couldn’t make up their minds and opted for experience as they sent off Bally Brae the slight favourite just ahead of Vicar Love, with Dongbanui Gangja third in the betting. However it was an outsider, Top Point who took the early lead. Drawn in stall 10, Shim Seung Tae brought the filly around the field and into the pace setting position as they passed the grandstand for the first time. Going with her was Secret Weapon with Bally Brae in third.

This was how it stayed until midway through the backstraight when Cho Kyoung Ho asked Myeongmun Gamun to quicken, the seven year old coming around the outside to take a position just behind the now flagging Top Point as they began the long turn for home. Meanwhile Dongbanui Gangja was sitting comfortably in fourth. Now the question was, which horses would stay the distance? Bally Brae was certain to and as Top Point fell away as they began the sprint, Moon Se Young looked likely to guide the six year old to his second consecutive Grand Prix. Down the outside though came Dongbanui Gangja, hitting the front with 150 metres to go. Bally Brae tried to fight back but there was to be no catching him.

Myeongmun Gamun ran on for third, repeating his 2007 performance by being the highest placed Korean bred horse. Fly Queen came home fourth, just edging out Baekpa. Rank outsider Seongpacheonha was sixth followed by Galsaem. Secret Weapon was a disappointing eighth and second favorite Vicar Love never got going, finishing in ninth. Predictably, early pace-setter Top Point was last to finish.

Grand Prix (G1) – Seoul Race Park – 2300M – Dec 21, 2008

1. Dongbanui Gangja (USA) [Broken Vow – Maremaid (Storm Bird)] – Choi Beom Hyun – 4.6
2. Bally Brae (USA) [Yarrow Brae – Political Bluff (Unaccounted For)] – Moon Se Young – 2.9
3. Myeongmun Gamun (KOR) [Future Quest – Guided Dancer (Incinderator)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 11.8
Distances: 4 lengths/1.25 lengths – 10 ran

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

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Busan’s top handicapper, Areumdaun Jilju closed out his 2008 with a stylish performance in this afternoon’s feature at Busan Race Park. The four year old stalked second favourite Procyon throughout the latter half of the 2000 metre race, dismissively coming past at the furlong pole and sprinting away for a six length win. Areumdaun Jilju finishes 2008 with seven wins and two second place finshes from nine starts.

In other races, there was a second win for three year old Khaosan. The Peter Wolsley trained colt was one of the first horses in Korea to wear pacifiers when finishing second last time out. Today he stepped up in both class and distance but soundly defeated his cat 2 opponents by two and a half lengths.

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Saeroun Bulpae wins Min Ilbo Cup / Six in a row for Tu Won
Supernatural, set to be nailed on favourite, was a late scratching at Seoul Race Park this afternoon in a race which saw Shaving Points return to the track. It was outsider Afternoon Dove, however, who took advantage of the four year old’s absence to claim a three length win from Royal Missile and Hero’s Song. On his first outing since being pulled up in early September, Shaving Points showed little interest in racing although Ikuyasu Kurakane managed to battle his way into fifth place on the line.

One race later, Tu Won continued his remarkable run of recent form which has seen the gelding win six times from six starts since breaking his maiden in July. Today’s victory was was a stroll from gate to wire although he did his best to make things difficult for jockey Choi Beom Hyun, veering drastically towards the stands in the home straight. Fortunately there was plenty of daylight between him and Geumbit Gangja and Sinbi Wangja who were battling it out for second and all it meant was that what should have been a ten length win became a two length win.

Seoul’s most valuable race went to form as favourite Dashing Champ led old stager Flying Cat home by three lengths. Earlier in the day, Luxury Jewang took his second win in a row, Boo Min Ho bringing the gelding through from the very back of the field at just the right time to steal vicory in race 6. Meanwhile, jockey Yoo Mi Ra missed out on her very first victory as Natural Guy succumbed to Keuntaeyang in the final strides of race 4. Yoo remains the only member of this year’s intake of jockeys to be without a winner although injury has restricted her to just 22 rides.

At Busan Race Park, it was the GyeongnamDo Min Ilbo Cup, a race which gave overseas bred horses a rare opportunity to compete for a big prize over the short distance of 1400 metres. Japanese filly Jilju Hara made the early running but faded badly as they turned into the straight as Dongbang Geona took over. The gelding wouldn’t stay there for long though as at the furlong pole, 13.4 shot Saeroun Bulpae hit the front and stayed there for a length and a half win from second favourite King Kephalos who just edged out Shane Bob for third. Dongbang Geona held on for fourth but Jilju Hara eventually finished tailed off. Another disappointment was Florida Native, while Metropolitan winner Hard Ride managed fifth. The US bred Saeroun Bulpae moves on to five wins from fourteen starts with all but one of those wins coming at 1400 metres.

In other news from Busan, Japanese jockey Eiki Nishimura was relieved of his riding duties after failing a random alcohol test. Confessing to having had a heavy Saturday night, Nishimura has been suspended until December 28.

Gyeongnam-Do Min Ilbo Cup – Busan Race Park – 1400M – Dec 14, 2008

1. Saeroun Bulpae (USA) [Northern Afleet – Really Appealing (Valid Appeal)] – Chae Gyu Jun – 13.4
2. King Kephalos (JPN) [King Glorious – Western Edge (Woodman)] – Jo Sung Gon – 4.3
3. Shane Bob (USA) [Double Honor – Severeturbulence (Far Out East)] – Toshio Uchida – 16.5
Distances: 1.5 lengths/Neck – 13 ran

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Always in the money but rarely in the Winner’s Circle of late, Seoul Teukgeup took advantage of a weak field to finally land a category 1 contest at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. The three year old colt breezed past second favourite Haengun Daewang in the final furlong to win by a comfortable three lengths. Second in the Owners’ Association Trophy, the American bred Seoul Teukgeup [Safely’s Mark – Bemmalou (Waquoit)] has never finished lower than fourth in fifteen outings and today’s win takes his career total to five.

On a day of what was largely mediocre racing, Seven Card continued his progress through the ranks, stepping up in class to win the 1800 metre race 9, just edging out a strong challenge from Mr. Fortune to make it four wins from seven starts.

Tomorrow’s cards get underway at Seoul at 11:00 with Busan and Jeju both beginning at 12:20.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL