IT WAS DERBY DAY AT SEOUL ON SUNDAY AND WHILST THE PRINCIPAL CLASSIC TOOK THE LIMELIGHT THE OPENING RACE WAS ALSO SIGNIFICANT WITH MOON SE-YOUNG WINNING ON THE SECOND LAST RIDE OF HIS STORIED CAREER ABOARD PARKA SHINE IN THE CLASS 6 1300M OPENER (writes Luke Humphreys).

Ten-time Champion jockey Moon Se-young hadn’t ridden since a bad fall last December and recently announced his retirement ahead of taking up training duties this coming summer. However, wanting to go out on his own terms, Moon made a comeback for Derby weekend only and was able to get Parka Shine (Old Fashioned) up in the final 50-metres as the 2.2 favourite running down second favourite Hot Fever who led until the closing stages.
The closing Class 2 over 1200M was the main race bar the Derby and KING HONOR (To Honor And Serve) worked home strongly to deny the 1.5 favourite We Go High a front-running victory by one-and-a-three-quarter lengths. King Honor, the oldest horse in the field at the age of seven, had been in the minor placings at each of his two previous starts in similar races and Harry Kasim got him home to land the prize. Lala K, the viral 2023 Rookie Stakes winner, returned to form with a late closing 3rd beaten two-and-a-half lengths.
In Race 9 (1700M Class 5) WILD MAGIC (Triple Nine) was sent straight to the lead by Kim Hyo-jung and the three-year-old filly did not stop as she went on to record a comfortable six-length win in a decent time completing a double for Luigi Riccardi. It was her first win in seven attempts, and it will be interesting to see if she can be as impressive as what she was in her opening victory going forward.
The other victory for Riccardi was MASTER KWAIGON (Dynamic Dash) who was going up in trip by one-furlong and in class by one grade but that did not stop him from winning Race 5 (1400M Class 4) by two-and-a-half lengths under Jeong Jeong-hee. He continues to progress and has now won three races from eight starts.
(more…)






