News

Jockey Woes: Lee Chan Ho Struck-Off / Pasquale Borelli Suspended For 12 Months

Lee Chan Ho, one of the most promising young jockeys at Seoul and who guided Choegang Schiller to victory in the 2015 Asia Challenge Cup, has had his license to ride in races cancelled. The sanction, announced last Friday, is due to off-track incidents and is not related to racing or integrity.

Born in 1992, Lee Chan Ho debuted as a 21-year-old in June 2013 and quickly made an impression, riding out his apprentice claim in double-quick time. He partnered Wonder Bolt to 2nd place behind El Padrino in the inaugural Asia Challenge Cup in 2014 and returned to win the race one year later on Choegang Schiller.

That would be his only Group race winner although he also had Listed success in the Herald Business and Nonghyup Chairman’s Cup races in 2015 as well as this year’s Seoul trial for the Jeju Governor’s Cup. In total, he rode 179 winners from 1343 rides.

Like a number of jurisdictions in Asia, Korea has strict policies relating to conduct away from the racecourse as well as on it and unfortunately, it seems Lee Chan Ho fell foul of these one time too many.

Meanwhile Pasquale Borelli’s time at Busan is at an end. The Italian jockey had been under investigation for his ride on Yeonggwanguihunter at Busan on October 28th. The 2-year-old colt was sent off as odds-on favourite but finished a tailed-off last with Borelli adjudged by stewards to have restrained the horse. Borelli maintained that he believed the horse to be feeling an injury but a post-race veterinary exam showed no sign of lameness.

Ultimately, Borelli was handed a 12-month suspension which almost certainly means he has ridden his last race in Korea.  Borelli debuted at Busan in October 2015 and in his year riding at the South Coast track, recorded 38 winners from 319 mounts.

Here’s the race in question, the horse is number 9:

Japan-Raced Stallions Biwa Shinseiki & Eagle Cafe Have Died

Biwa Shinseiki, sire of three-time President’s Cup winner Dangdae Bulpae, has died aged 18. The Japanese-bred stallion was standing privately in Korea. Eagle Cafe, winner of the NHK Mile in 2000 and Japan Cup Dirt in 2002, also passed away on Jeju Island in September.

Dangdae Bulpae Jo SUng Gon

Biwa Shinseiki’s best was Dangdae Bulpae, seen here on one of his three visits to the President’s Cup winner’s circle

Bred by Hayata Farms, Biwa Shinseiki [Forty Niner – Oceana (Northern Dancer)] was a very good racehorse in Japan landing 10 wins, 7 places and 8 shows from a total of 33 starts in a career lasting from 2001 until 2004. Those wins included two big Stakes races as well as five consecutive victories between May and December in 2002.

That winning streak came to an end when he was 2nd in that year’s Tokyo Daishoten at Ohi, a race in which he would finish 3rd in 2003. Also in 2003, he was 2nd in the February Stakes, one of the few Grade 1 races in Japan to be run on dirt. Usually run over a mile at Tokyo Racecourse, in 2003 it was held at Nakayama over 1800M.

Due to its dirt and its distance, the February Stakes is a popular race among Korean breeders with past winners Meisei Opera (1999), Admire Don (2004) and most recently Testa Matta (2012) all going on to stand at stud in Korea. Following a racing career in which he earned in excess of 370 Million Japanese  Yen, Biwa Shinseiki was purchased by Korean interests in 2005 to stand at Pureun Farm.

For a privately standing sire, he got plenty of mares but it was in his very first season at Stud, in 2006, when he covered the Alydeed mare Indeed My Dear. She had produced some very average racehorses beforehand but the resulting foal would become one of the best horses Korea has seen.

Dangdae Bulpae would win 19 of his 32 races between 2009 and 2013. He was quite a late-developer as a three-year-old only managing 3rd in the 2010 Korean Derby but he won the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Minister’s Cup, in October and a month later returned to Seoul the following month to claim Korea’s joint-richest race, the President’s Cup, something he would go on to do for the following two years.

Dangdae Bulpae’s exploits helped Biwa Shinseiki to 8th place on the Leading Sire list on 2010, to 10th in 2011 and 12th in 2012. None of his other foals would be anything like as good although he produced many winners even if few made it up to class 1 level. Biwa Shinseiki died on September 28. Cause of death is yet to be officially confirmed.

Also passing away in September was Nokwon Farm’s Eagle Cafe (Gulch), another horse who raced in Japan. He was the winner of just five races, however, they included the NHK Mile Cup at Tokyo in 2000 and then in 2002, the Japan Cup Dirt (now known as the Champion’s Cup) under Frankie Dettori.

Eagle Cafe [Gulch – Net Dancer (Nureyev)] was bred in the US but trained in Japan. He also raced in Dubai and France. He came to Korea to stand at Nokwon – a farm with close Japanese ties – in 2011 but covered few mares and was to all intents and purposes retired in 2014. His gelding Honey Butter Nino is the first Korea-based horse in training for Japanese owner Shigeo Kadono. Eagle Cafe died from colic aged 19 on September 30.

Satoshi On Fire At Busan While It’s Bravo Belli at Seoul

Yonekura Satoshi continued his solid September with no less five winners at Busan last weekend. Meanwhile up at Seoul, Sunday was a milestone day for Marcello Belli as the Italian claimed his first Korean winner.

Since winning the KNN Cup on outsider Supreme Magic in July, Satoshi has finally found himself getting plenty of opportunities and the 41-year-old Japanese rider is converting them.

Taking advantage of a number of Busan’s top riders being in Seoul for the Jeju Governor’s Cup, Satoshi won the first race last Friday on Queen’s Queen and added two more later on in the evening before coming back out on Sunday and adding two more. None of the five across the weekend started at shorter than 5/1.

It’s still early days for Marcello Belli but the Italian rider got a big boost on Sunday as he partnered his first winner in Seoul. On a day of long-shot winners, Belli made all on 43/1 chance Northern Hojae in race 8 and just had enough left to hold off the  favourite by a nose on the line

It was Belli’s first win on what was his 21st ride at Seoul. He still has some considerable way to go to match fellow Italian-licensed Seoul rider Djordje Perovic but he’s now on his way.

Seoul’s other foreign jockey Imran Chisty also rode a winner on Saturday although Paolo Aragoni and Pasquale Borelli who were also in the capital for the weekend both saw their mounts come up short in the Jeju Governor’s Cup.

Busan’s fourth foreign jockey, Francisco Da Silva got his own Korean career off to a remarkable start. Debuting on September 9th, he won on his first two rides and added a third later that same day. The 37-year-old is yet to add to that tally but has had a few near misses and was suspended last weekend.

Colonel John Headed to Korea

It’s been reported in the US this morning that Colonel John is to be the latest addition to the Stallion ranks in Korea. He’s been purchased by the Korean Thoroughbred Breeders Association and will stand in 2017 on Jeju Island.

Colonel John [Tiznow – Sweet Damsel (Turkoman)] won the Santa Anita Derby and the Travers Stakes in 2008 and had been standing for $7,500 at WinStar Farm. He currently lies in 33rd place on the Leading sire list for 2016.

Colonel John has had a number of his progeny run in Korea with the most successful of them having being imported in-utero.

His four-year-old filly Queen’s Champion and three-year-old gelding Baekdu are both prolific winners who have made it up to class 1 level at Seoul while his gelding Call Me Rocket won six of his twelve starts in a seven-month period in 2013 before having to be retired with an injury (he is now a riding horse at Haenam Equestrian Club).

The 11-year-old will enter quarantine shortly. He’ll be an interesting addition.

Attendance, Turnover & Coverage Among Positives To Emerge From Korea Cup

The Korean racing community has returned from the long”Chuseok” holiday and racing is set to resume on the peninsula on Friday  for the first time since the inaugural Keeneland Korea Cup and Sprint the weekend before last.

cup.jpg

Chrysolite romps home in the Keeneland Korea Cup (Pic: Ross Holburt)

And it means the review of the weekend will now begin in earnest. Turnover held up remarkably well. It is very difficult for punters to handicap races such as the Sprint and the Cup with any degree of confidence given the wide range of backgrounds, surfaces and environments the horses’ past performances have taken place in. Yet they still put 4.3 Billion (US$3.9Million) and 4.8 Billion (US$4.3Million) Korean won through the windows in the Sprint and Cup respectively.

That was up on the corresponding races 8 and 10 from the prior week and indeed turnover on the whole day of 71.1 Billion Korean Won was also up on recent Sundays (67.8 Billion Won the previous week). In terms of attendance, 44,691 people came to Seoul Racecourse on Cup day compared with 38,130 the prior Sunday and just 33,941 the Sunday before that. A total of 124,986 people were either on course or in OTBs last Sunday.

Now the Cup was by no means the only reason for this. With the Chuseok holiday approaching many punters would have been in attendance knowing that a dark week was approaching.

The experience in Hong Kong over the past decade has been that domestic turnover on its international races is lower than that of normal races. The gap is narrowing which the Hong Kong Jockey Club attributes to local punters becoming more familiar with international racing through their inbound simulcasts and the HKJC looks on all three of turnover, attendance and brand exposure as being important.

Brand exposure was something there was plenty of last week, including in Hong Kong, where local punters were able to cash tickets on Super Jockey winning the Sprint. Six countries took the races live with others showing it on delay. KBS Sports, one of Korea’s major Sports channels devoted two hours to the races the following day. That’s in addition to the write-ups the races received around the world.

One reason why “internationalization” is so difficult is that results can’t be seen either quickly or – and this is a key one – expressed numerically in a way that makes it easy to measure progress or success. While some in KRA will probably feel that the investment made in the weekend (and it was not insubstantial) should have been reflected by a proportional increase at the betting windows, that doesn’t really tell the the whole story.

Having followed racing in this country for almost ten years now, last weekend was something I didn’t think I would be seeing in Korea for a very long time – if ever. Now is the time to build on it.

Horses Return Home Following Korea Cup & Sprint

On Wednesday, the final overseas-trained horses left Seoul Racecourse to return to their respective homes across the globe, bringing the final curtain down on the inaugural running of the Keeneland Korea Cup & Sprint. 

rh5_5766

Super Jockey & Karis Teeton ease to victory in the Sprint (Pic: Ross Holburt for KRA)

It’s been a welcome novelty for Korean racing to be so widely reported elsewhere so we’ll not run through the results again. Super Jockey’s effortless win in the Sprint was the highlight with a real international quality horse putting in an international quality performance in a race which would have pleased the Hong Kong punters who made him favourite in the Jockey Club pools despite him gong off the $8.50 third choice in Korea.

rh5_5803

Teeton & Super Jockey return to scale (Pic: Ross Holburt for KRA)

There was a huge performance too in the Sprint by Macheon Bolt. The Peter Wolsley trained gelding flew home for 2nd under Lee Hee Cheon and should connections so desire, has to be a strong candidate for Korea’s representative in the Japan-Korea Sprint at Ohi in November or for the Dubai World Cup Carnival early next year. Wild Dude and Super Winner, favourite and 2nd-favourite respectively, struggled but Korea’a pre-race big hope, Perdido Pomeroy, came home a decent 4th having been on speed most of the way around.

rh5_5888

Team Hong Kong

The Cup was a slightly strange affair. After early pace-setter Beolmaui Kkum faded even earlier than expected, the two Japanese horses simply ran away from the field. Chrysolite, a quality horse, was the easy winner ahead of Kurino Star O. Three seconds and 16-lengths behind the winner, Triple Nine got up for 3rd ahead of stablemate and Korean Triple Crown winner Power Blade. Despite the margin of victory, the time was still outside Power Blade’s track record on a wet track in the Korean Derby earlier this year.

rh5_6116

Chrysolite & Joe Fujii returning to scale (Pic: Ross Holburt for KRA)

Famous Mark, for France, got up for an excellent 5th place but the UK’s Solar Deity was slow out of the gate and came home in 10th place.

rh5_6165

The Korea Cup held aloft 

Overall, it was an excellent weekend and we’ll have more on the follow-up over the next couple of weeks.

Korea Cup: Final Preview

It’s time. The Keeneland Korea Cup and Sprint are upon us. I went into detail about the Korea Sprint at the Hong Kong Jockey Club website so we’ll focus on the Cup here.

rh3_2985

A quick word on the Sprint though, I’m going to stick with Super Jockey although Super Winner will almost certainly begin as favourite and deservedly so on recent form. Wild Dude looks very dangerous. As hoped for, it’s a really open race which any number could win. As indeed is the Cup. Let’s get into it.

First off, the draw. At first glance, (16) POWER BLADE and (15) INFANTRY were the big losers. Jockey Kim Yong Geun’s theatrics at the barrier draw certainly suggested that, however, while nobody would have chosen gate 16, Power Blade began the Cup Mile from gate 10 and the Derby from gate 12. There are other reasons why it may be tough for Power Blade, which we will return to. As for Infantry, he can overcome it and having adapted to the sand reasonably well, is one of the main contenders.

The Japanese pair of (3) CHRYSOLITE and and (7) KURINO STAR O do look very dangerous. The track should hold no concerns for them and the draw has been very kind. With Joe Fujii on board, it is possible that Korean punters may make Chrysolite the favourite. He should settle reasonably handy and has a great chance.

(1) ORDER OF THE SUN is a capable sort but he was well-beaten by Infantry over a mile in July and that, combined with concerns on the sand, will make him less fancied that his fellow Singapore raider. Representing the UAE is (6) NEED TO KNOW. It’s not the racing season there right now so he hasn’t raced since April. Even with Tadhg O’Shea on board, this is a tough ask.

Europe is represented by Jane Chapple-Hyam’s (8) SOLAR DEITY. He’s an all-weather specialist who can’t be judged on his recent turf form (he’s been racing in very strong company) and while he won’t be among the favourites, a strong performance is possible under Darryll Holland, who rode this track when based in Korea at Busan. Moroccan bred (2) FAMOUS MARK represents France. He is another who hasn’t found it easy on the turf but was 3rd in a Listed race on dirt in Sweden in May and is another with a good draw today.

As for the Korean horses, Power Blade does have to catch the eye as we don’t really know how good he is yet. He won the Triple Crown without being seriously tested but this is a challenge of a whole different order and while he has only raced four times this year, can he be in peak condition once again? One hopes so but while a sizable minority in the Korean racing media have him to win, a top five finish would be creditable. That’s true too for stablemate (13) TRIPLE NINE, winner of last month’s Owner’s Cup over a mile.

Perhaps the most likely of the Korea-trained contingent is (5) BEOLMAUI KKUM. He made all to beat Triple Nine by five lengths in the Busan Mayor’s Cup in July, finally taking out a big race. Some observers argue that he is one of the most gifted horses to ever run in Korea but suffered from overwork in his early career. At 6, he now looks to be at his best and if he runs at it on Sunday, he could even win. He will almost certainly look to lead from gate-to wire.

Joining Beolmaui Kkum on the early speed will be (12) SAENGIL GIPPEUM and possibly (9) GUMPO SKY. Both are more than capable at this distance but staying on in this company will be tough. (11) DYNAMIC DASH has just been found a little wanting in good domestic company in his last couple of starts while Seoul-based (14) DYNAMIC JILJU hasn’t really faced much in the way of quality opposition. (4) MIRAE YEONGUNG and (10) WONDER BOLT are likely to be slower away. Both have strong finishes and are capable of picking off a few in the closing stages.

Fingers crossed for a good and safe race.

Selections: (3) Chrysolite (15) Infantry (5) Beolmaui Kkum (7) Kurino Star O (16) Power Blade

Korea Cup & Sprint Countdown: Numbers Drawn

The barrier draws for Sunday’s Keeneland Korea Cup and Sprint took place at a downtown Seoul hotel this morning. Each race features seven overseas-trained horses up against nine Korean-trained. We’ll have a full final preview of both races up on Saturday. For now, here are the fields (all pictures by Ross Holburt for KRA):

rh5_4933

rh5_4941

The Sprint will be simulcast live by the Hong Kong Jockey Club during Sunday afternoon’s Sha Tin meeting and Super Jockey, one of the favourites for the race, drew gate number 2.

rh5_4887

Owner Tony Lau draws Super Jockey’s number (Pic: Ross Holburt for KRA)

rh5_4915

Kim Yong Geun is less than amused at pulling gate 16 out for Power Blade in the Cup

rh5_4940

Sprint connections

rh5_4930

Cup connections

rh3_2989-1

Team GB! (& Australia)

All Systems Go For Korea Cup & Sprint

All fourteen overseas-trained horses who will participate in Sunday’s historic inaugural running of the Keeneland Korea Cup and Keeneland Korea Sprint have arrived at Seoul Racecourse.

rh5_4644.jpg

Hong Kong’s Super Jockey worked at Seoul Racecourse on Tuesday morning under assistant trainer Beverly Millard (Pic: Ross Holburt for KRA)

Following the withdrawals of Hong Kong pair Gun Pit and Rich Tapestry from the Cup and the Sprint respectively, there are a total of seven overseas-trained horses set to go in each race (Full list of entries here). The arrivals began last Friday with horses from Japan and Singapore and concluded on Sunday evening when France-trained Famous Mark was the last to take up residence in the newly expanded international stables at Seoul Racecourse.

chrysolite

Chrysolite & jockey Joe Fujii (Pic: Ross Holburt for KRA)

The horses have been working since arrival; very early in the mornings because of quarantine regulations – although on Tuesday they received a bit of a lie-in due to Korean horses at the track not working (Tuesday is traditionally a day-off in Korean racing and old habits die-hard – even with those due to be racing in the big ones this weekend), so the visitors had the track and parade-ring, which the Japanese horses schooled in, to themselves.

rh5_4660.jpg

Both Cup and Sprint look fascinating affairs with the Sprint, despite its lower prize-money, seeming especially competitive. The “Supers”, Hong Kong’s Super Jockey and Singapore’s Super Winner, as well as the newly Irish-trained Wild Dude join UAE pair of Art Wave and Beachy Head and Japanese duo Million Volts and Grape Brandy will face the hugely promising Busan-trained Perdido Pomeroy. While proven quality is on the side of the visitors, the sand-track can be a great leveler as was shown when Choegang Schiller, who will also run, won last year’s Asia Challenge Cup. Due to Super Jockey’s presence, the Sprint will be simulcast live to the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

The Japanese raiders look like they mean business and the pair of Chrysolite and Kurino Star O seem especially formidable in the Cup where they will line-up with Famous Mark as well as Singapore’s Infantry and Order Of The Sun, UAE’s Need To Know and Great Britain’s Solar Deity in taking on Korean Triple Crown winner Power Blade.

The barrier draw which, with 16 runners set to run in each race, could be crucial, will take place on Thursday lunchtime.

Gun Pit, Rich Tapestry, Wild Dude, Franklin D, Super Winner Among All-Star International Nominations for Korea Cup & Sprint

Horses in training in Hong Kong, Japan, the UK, France, UAE and Singapore have been nominated to run in the inaugural Keeneland Korea Cup and Keeneland Sprint at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday September 11, the Korea Racing Authority announced on Saturday.

IMG_9567

Seoul Racecourse will host the Keeneland Korea Cup & Sprint on September 11

Preliminary nominations closed last Friday and eight international horses have been accepted into each race. They will be joined by up to eight Korea-trained runners. For the first time, Hong Kong, France, the UK, Ireland and the UAE are set to send runners to Korea.

Among the best known names are Hong Kong’s Gun Pit, who goes for the Cup against Japan’s Chrysolite and Great Britain’s Franklin D, a winner at Glorious Goodwood only last month. To add to the international theme, one of the French horses in the big race is the Moroccan bred star Famous Mark.

The Sprint, while less valuable, has also attracted well-known names. Hong Kong’s globe-trotting Rich Tapestry is entered alongside another Santa Anita Sprint champion, Wild Dude, who has recently been moved to Ireland.

Keeneland Korea Cup (1800M) Total Purse: 1 Billion Korean Won

France

Famous Mark (MOR) [Mr. Sidney – Empreinte Celebre (Peintre Celbre)] 4 year-old colt
A Moroccan bred who won all six of his races at Rabat and Casablanca before joining up with Pascal Bary in France. He has since finished 3rd in a Listed race on dirt in Sweden.

Hong Kong

Gun Pit (AUS) [Dubawi – Magic Tori (Ali-Royal)] 6-year-old Gelding
The dirt superstar of Sha Tin dirt, he’s practically unbeatable on his favourite surface. He managed a 2nd at Meydan in March before struggling on World Cup night. A previous trip to Chukyo at this distance didn’t work out but if he takes to the sand the way he does the dirt, he’s the one to beat.

Japan

Chrysolite (JPN) [Gold Allure – Chrysoprase (El Condor Pasa)] 6-year-old Gelding
A five-time Stakes winner, most recently claiming his second Diolite Kinen at Funabashi in March and was 3rd in the Group 3 Heian Stakes at Kyoto in May.

Singapore

Infantry (NZ) [Tavistock – The Nightingale (Stravinsky)] 4-year-old Gelding
He’s won four of eleven career starts and has a win and a 2nd in his last two both over a mile. He will tackle 1800M for the first time.

Order Of The Sun (AUS) [Encosta De Lago – Sequin (Lure)] 6-year-old Gelding
4th behind Quechua in the Chairman’s Trophy, his most recent win came at this distance in February. He is a front runner.

United Arab Emirates

Gold City (IRE) [Pivotal – Storm Lily (Storm Cat)] 7-year-old Gelding
A winner of two from ten in the UK before relocating to the UAE in 2013. Finished 2nd behind Frosted at 1800M on the dirt at Meydan in February

Need To Know (SAF) [Western Winter – Promisefrommyheart (Elliodor)] 8-year-old Gelding
Winner of four in the UAE, he scored back to back 2nd places on the Meydan turf this January.

United Kingdom

Franklin D (USA) [Medaglia d’Oro – Kissed By A Star (Kingmambo)] 4-year-old Colt
Winner of the Betfred Mile at Glorious Goodwood in July. That was his second consecutive win having landed a Newmarket handicap two weeks previously.

Keeneland Korea Sprint (1200M) Total Purse: 700 Million Korean Won

France

Love Spirit (GB) [Elusive City – Indian Maiden (Indian Ridge)] 6-year-old Gelding
An also ran in the Group 1 Prix Maurice De Gheest at Deauville in August, he does have seven wins to his name. Trainer Louis Baudron has recently returned from a stint in Australia so is well acquainted with international racing

Ross Castle (IRE) [Bushranger – Bulrushes (Byron)] 3-year-old Colt
Young sprinter who has wins this year at Chantilly and Maisons Lafitte to his name.

Hong Kong

Rich Tapestry (IRE) [Holy Roman Emperor – Genuine Charm (Sadler’s Wells)] 8-year-old Gelding
A seasoned globe-trotter, he’s won at Santa Anita in the USA and twice at Meydan in Dubai, most recently in February this year.

Super Jockey (NZ) [Sandtrap – Pennies In Heaven (Pompeii Court)] 8-year-old Gelding
Beat Rich Tapestry when 2nd in the 2015 Golden Shaheen at Meydan; he was 5th in this year’s race Good – if limited – record on dirt.

Ireland

Wild Dude (USA) [Wildcat Heir – Courtly Choice (Doneraile Court)] 6-year-old Horse
The Florida bred has spent his career in the United States. He won the Group 2 Kona Gold Stakes over six and a half furlongs on the dirt at Santa Anita in May, his 8th win in 22 career starts. He was 6th in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint. Moved this summer to training in Ireland.

Japan

Grape Brandy (JPN) [Manhattan Café – Wine And Rose (Judge Angelucci)] 8-year-old  Horse
A three-time Stakes winner earlier in his career, he was 3rd in the Negishi Stakes at Tokyo in January and 2nd in the Tokyo Sprint at Ohi in April.

Singapore

Super Winner (AUS) [Kaphero – Millie Rose (Testa Rossa)] 5-year-old Horse
He beat three Korea-trained horses when winning the KRA Trophy at Kranji last year. Has four wins in seven starts in 2016. Usually settles just behind the early speed.

United Arab Emirates

Art Wave (IRE) [Art Connoisseur – Musical Review (Jade Robbery)] 5-year-old Horse
Winner of an all-weather race in the UK before moving to the UAE in 2014. Landed three consecutive wins at Jebel Ali around the turn of this year.