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Triple Crown Winner Power Blade Set To Lead Home Challenge in Korea Cup

Preliminary nominations closed on Friday for the inaugural runnings of the Keeneland Korea Cup and Keeneland Korea Sprint, which take place at Seoul Racecourse on Friday September 11. Overseas-trained nominations will be published over the weekend but Korea-trained nominations came out Friday afternoon and it’s a who’s who of the top horses on the peninsula with Triple Crown winner Power Blade set to lead the domestic challenge in the Billion-Won Cup.

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Triple Crown winner Power Blade is nominated for the Keeneland Korea Cup (Pic: Ross Holburt)

Triple Nine and Beolmaui Kkum as well as Success Story join Power Blade in being nominated for the Cup while Oaks winning filly Ottug Ottugi and Perdido Pomeroy are among nineteen who hope to take their chance in the Sprint.

Here’s the full list of nominations for both races. It’s expected that eight Korea-trained horses will run in each race against eight overseas-trained horses:

Keeneland Korea Cup (1800M-KOR G1)

Beolmaui Kkum (USA) [Put It Back – Wild Dixie Gal (Wild Event)] 6-year-old Horse
Triple Nine (KOR) [Ecton Park – A Little Poke( Pleasant Tap)] 4-year-old Colt
Power Blade (KOR) [Menifee – Cheonmachong (Lost Mountain)] 3-year-old Colt
Gumpo Sky (KOR) [Vicar – Perfect Storm (Didyme)] 5-year-old Horse
Success Story (KOR) [Peace Rules – Power Pack (Lil’s Lad)] 5-year-old Horse
Dynamic Dash (USA) [Pleasantly Perfect – See Rock City (Tapit)] 4-year-old Colt
Saengil Gippeum (USA) [Parading — Minny’s Niece (Quiet American)] 3-year-old Colt
Dongbang Daero (USA) [Curlin – Willa Joe (El Gran Senor)] 4-year-old Colt
Diferent Dimension (USA) [Into Mischief – Pardon My Sarong (Souvenir Copy)] 4-year-old Colt
Buhwarui Banseok (USA) [Tizway – Aim For The Moon (Deputy Minister)] 3-year-old Colt
Choegangiji (USA) [Mineshaft – Woodland Shadow (Woodman)] 4-year-old Colt
Mighty Gem (USA) [Macho Uno – Shimmer (Pulpit)] 4-year-old Filly
Wonder Bolt (USA) [Desert Warrior – Little Champ (Great Gladiator)] 6-year-old Gelding
Mirae Yeongung (KOR) [Aragorn –Willing Miss (More Than Ready)] 5-year-old Horse
Bichui Jeongsang (USA) [Wildcat Heir – Persimmon Honey (Colonial Affair)] 5-year-old Mare
Dynamic Jilju (USA) [Forestry – Beat Your Feet (Dixieland Band)] 5-year-old Horse
Damyang Chukje (USA) [Good Reward – Strategy (Foot Stone)] 7-year-old Horse

Keeneland Korea Sprint (1200M-KOR G1):

Ubaki (KOR) [Menifee – Cadillac Caper (An Eldorado)] 6-year-old Gelding
Bit Blade (KOR) [Rockport Harbor – Natalie Beach (Tempranero)] 4-year-old gelding
Ottug Ottugi (KOR) [Forest Camp – Main Objective (Lion Heart)] 3-year-old filly
Gamdonguibada (USA) [Werblin –Radyla (Country Pine)] 7-year-old Mare
Oreuse (USA) [Smoke Glacken – Heavenly Splendor (Point Given)] 7-year-old Horse
Perdido Pomeroy (USA) [Pomeroy – Boldest Of All (Bold Executive)] 3-year-old Colt
Miracle Line (USA) [Latent Heat – Great Thought (Empire Maker)] 4-year-old Colt
Macheon Bolt (USA) [Old Fashioned – Beech Bag (Devil’s Bag)] 4-year-old Gelding
First Magical (USA) [First Dude – Magical Promise (Montbrook)] 3-year-old Colt
Supreme Magic (USA) [Lookin At Lucky – Thru N’ Thru (Stormy Atlantic)] 4-year-old Filly
Tapipoint (USA) [Concord Point – Peace pledge (Our Emblem)] 4-year-old Gelding
Triple Five (USA) [Girolamo – High Falutin Gal (Silver Deputy)] 3-year-old Gelding
Gabo Myeongun (USA) [Sharp Humor – Tingwithasting (Wild Rush)] 4-year-old Colt
Cheongu (USA) [Old Fashioned – So Much Fun (Speightstown)] 4-year-old Colt
Parang Juuibo (USA) [With Distinction – Spicy Souffle (French Deputy)] 6-year-old Horse
Goreous Dream (KOR) [Sharp Humor – Hey Gorgeous (Cherokee Run)] 3-year-old Colt
Choegang Schiller (USA) [Artie Schiller – Changeable (Miswaki)] 5-year-old Gelding
Zentenary (USA) [First Defence – Celestic (Sky Classic)] 5-year-old Gelding
Haemaru (KOR) [Vicar – Forest Flower (Timber Country)] 5-year-old Gelding

Korea Cup & Sprint Nominations Well Underway / Keeneland Sponsor Both Races

There are just a week to go until preliminary nominations close for the inaugural Korea Cup and Korea Sprint. The two international races, which will be sponsored by Keeneland, will be run at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday September 11th.

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Choegang Schiller and Lee Chan Ho won last year’s Asia Challenge Cup which this year is the Korea Sprint (Pic: Ross Holburt)

The Keeneland Korea Cup has a total purse of 1 Billion Won ($830,000) – making it the most valuable race ever to be run in Korea – and the Keeneland Korea Sprint 700 Million Won ($600,000) and there has been keen interest in both races with close to 50 nominations from overseas so far. The bulk of those are from Japan and Singapore, however, horses from Hong Kong, UAE, France and Ireland are also set to take their chance.

Reports in Hong Kong confirm that well known runners Gun Pit and Circuit Land have been nominated for the Cup and Rich Tapestry and Super Jockey for the Sprint:

Early Cup and Sprint nominations from Japan and Singapore are strong too for the two races, which will be run on Seoul’s sand track at 1800M and 1200M respectively. While fewer in number, those from Europe and the UAE are also extremely competent. The full list of nominations, including local ones from Korea, will be released during next Friday’s card at Busan Racecourse. There will be a maximum field size of 16 for each race.

Keeneland, whose three annual sales are popular with Korean buyers, previously sponsored a race at Seoul on Derby Day in 2015 and were quick to acquire naming rights for the two races. “For many years, Keeneland has enjoyed a successful partnership with Korea and its horsemen through our premier horse sales. We now look forward to supporting the KRA as they prepare to welcome the world to Seoul” said Bill Thomason, Keeneland President and CEO in a joint press-release last month

In that same release the KRA’s Executive Director of Racing, Yangtae Park said of the event “Following our recent promotion to PART II and our successful hosting of international races with Japan and Singapore over the past three years, we are delighted to present the inaugural Keeneland Korea Cup, the most valuable race ever to be run in Korea. Over the coming years, we plan to build this event into one of the top weekends of international racing in Asia.”

As the latest incarnation of the already established Asia Challenge Cup, the Sprint is included in Part II this year, while the Cup, despite being of greater value is not (and the current exchange rate has unfortunately meant it won’t be quite worth US$1M).  However, both races look set to be very competitive and could be the start of something very exciting.

The same weekend also sees the running of exchange races at Seoul with the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Singapore Turf Club and Horse Racing Ireland as well as the official  unveiling of the new 120 metre long “multi-vision” screen and the opening of the infield “horse experience” theme park.

Key Dates in the build up to the race are as follows:

Friday August 12: Preliminary Nominations close
Friday August 26: 1st/Entry/Nomination
Wednesday August 31: Overseas horses expected to begin arriving in Korea
Friday September 2: Late Entry/Nomination
Thursday September 8: Declarations/Barrier Draw
Sunday September 11: Race Day

The Korean Horse That Gets Everywhere: Sgt. Reckless Awarded UK’s Dickin Medal

Late last Wednesday afternoon I arrived into London’s Liverpool Street Station and noticing that the Evening Standard is now free, picked up a copy as I headed off into the bustle for an exciting evening in the Greatest City on Earth (ok, to eat Marks & Spencer sandwiches and drink cheap wine in an overpriced hotel room in the Greatest City on Earth).

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London Evening Standard – July 27th, 2016

On the second bottle glass of Prosecco and having established there is still nothing on British TV, I opened the Standard and was mildly surprised to see on page 8 the familiar black and white picture of the Korean warhorse Sgt. Reckless coming under fire in battle. It turned out that that very morning at the Korean War Memorial in London’s Victoria Embankment Gardens, Sgt. Reckless had been posthumously (she died more than 50 years ago) awarded the Dickin Medal, which is Britain’s highest honour for an animal who has served in conflict – the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

Her story has been told many times before, including on this site but over the past few years, it’s been told most prominently by American writer Robin Hutton, who set up the website Sgt.Reckless.com and in 2014 published a book about the horse, which reached the New York Times Bestsellers list for its category. The Dickin Medal sounded like it would have the hand of Hutton behind it so I messaged to inquire: “Yes! I was there” came the answer “HRH Princess Alexandra presented the Dickin to the Marine Corps. attache and then a smaller one for me. It was awesome!”

Awesome is one way to describe Hutton’s dedication to this horse. A few years ago I corresponded with her during the preparation of her book and met her briefly in Seoul earlier this year. Hutton was in Korea with sculptor Jocelyn Russell, with whom she had worked to create a monument to Sgt. Reckless at the National Museum of the Marine Corps. in Quantico, Virginia. A similar monument is to be installed in the Korean county of Yeoncheon – site of the Battle for Outpost Vegas and close to the present day DMZ – and the pair had traveled to view the site and participate in a number of other Marine Corps. veterans’ functions across the peninsula and on Jeju Island. They also visited the current Seoul Racecourse – complete with its own Sgt. Reckless tribute – and also the site of the former Sinseol-dong track in downtown Seoul.

The story of Sgt. Reckless is a very American one and as such was barely known in Korea until recently. Hutton’s passion and energy for her cause has begun to change that and “Achimhai” as she was supposedly called in Korean, is gradually seeping into the public consciousness here. While that’s especially true in the small towns near the battlefields where her exploits took place – and where savvy entrepreneurs have naturally been quick to try to cash in – she’s also making more general headway. A children’s book was published (albeit one that bears little relation to the actual story) and the Korea Racing Authority runs an annual “Achimhai Memorial” race on the weekend closest to the anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War. A number of mainstream Korean language news outlets also covered the Quantico memorial unveiling.

The Korean media has picked up on the Dickin Medal award too (Korean) and the Sgt. Reckless story will be sure to get more coverage here when the Yeoncheon memorial is dedicated. The story would, of course, make for a good film and given the current success of domestic Korean War movie “Operation Chromite”, perhaps that is not too far away either.

At the ceremony in London for Sgt. Reckless, the medal itself was worn by Somme, a horse from the King’s Troop mounted artillery. In addition to the London Evening Standard, numerous media covered the award, including the BBC, ABC News and Horse & Hound.

 

Touch Flying Soars In Ilgan Sports

Touch Flying landed her biggest win to date, taking the Listed Ilgan Sports Cup at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon. The filly won by three lengths under apprentice jockey Jo Jae Ro to claim her sixth victory on her tenth career start.

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Touch Flying and Jo Jae Ro get some assistance in the Ilgan Sports winner’s circle

Winner’s Glory, 4th in this year’s Korean Derby, was sent off as a strong favourite for the 1800M race but it was Touch Flying, under apprentice jockey Jo Jae Ro, who made all to take the win. Cheonji Storm, 6th in the Derby, was 2nd and Chanma 3rd, with Winner’s GLory having to settle for 4th.

Apprentice Jo did find himself having to explain why Touch Flying seemed to impede Cheonji Storm half a furlong out and while he was given a three-day ban (and Touch Flying herself ordered to barrier trial before her next start), stewards decided the result should stand.

Ilgan Sports Cup – Seoul Racecourse – 1800M – July 31, 2016

1. Touch Flying (KOR) [Colors Flying – Jeongtongseong (Lassigny)] – Jo Jae Ro – 6.7, 2.0
2. Cheonji Storm (KOR) [Admire Don – Great Thought (Empire Maker)] – Lee Sang Hyeok – 1.8
3. Chanma (KOR) [Menifee – Candleglow (Carson City)] – Kim Dong Soo – 2.3

Distances: 3 lengths / 2 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Winner’s Glory 5. Cosmos King 6. Haetbinna 7. Super Tank 8. Royal Victory 9. Simsin Jiryeo 10. Special Star 11. Gangja 12. Special Win DNF: Oneuri

Dallao Does It Again

Two weeks ago we were able to report that Joe Dallao seen a horse of his win for the first time in Korea. Now, the American owner, one of the first batch of foreign owners to be licensed in the country – and the only one to be resident in Korea – has had another as Majestic Beauty ran out the winner of race 3 at Busan in the Dallao colours on Friday afternoon.

Majestic Beauty (Whywhywhy) took a long time to get to the track but had shown wnough promise in a 4th and 2nd in two starts this year to be sent off as favourite for the 1300M event. And under jockey Kim Yong Geun, fresh from completing the Triple Crown on Power Blade last week, she pretty much made all to win by a length on the line.

Dallao’s first winner was Noble Warrior and the Biwa Shinseiki gelding runs again at Busan on Sunday. Both he and Majestic Beauty are trained by Bart Rice, who’s reamarkable run of form continued with a further winner later in the day. The South African trainer is currently in Singapore to oversee Triple Five’s challenge in the KRA Trophy at Kranji on Sunday.

Korea Festival & KRA Trophy Set For Singapore Kranji This Sunday

Three Korea-trained horses are in Singapore where they will race this coming Sunday in the KRA Trophy at Kranji Racecourse, the highlight of a “Korean Festival” day at the Singapore Turf Club.

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KRA promoting its free Exacta event for the KRA Trophy

The three horses, Always Winner, Parang Juuibo and Triple Five arrived in Singapore last Friday. Michael Lee has written a comprehensive account with pictures for STC here. The three do look up against it in the 1200M race with Bart Rice’s up and coming Triple Five perhaps the most intriguing. For any of them, however, a top-five finish would be viewed as a success.

On Sunday at Kranji, in addition to the race, the Korea festival will include Korean food and a performance by “rookie” K-Pop girl group “HADY” (most likely doing covers of more well-known songs). The day’s races from Seoul & Busan will also be simulcast live.

Just like last year, the KRA Trophy itself will be beamed back live to Seoul, Busan and Korean OTB’s. Betting on inbound simulcast remains illegal in Korea, however, a free contest will be available for the race on the mobile betting platform. Punters will be asked to pick the top five horses to finish with a prize of 5 Million Won to be split between those who get them correct.

This is the second year that Korea-based horses have trvelled to Kranji for the race. Singapore-trained horses have run in Seoul the past two editions of the Asia Challenge Cup with El Padrino winning the race in 2014. They are expected back for this year’s edition, which will be run as the “Korea Sprint” on September 11th and also for the new Korea Cup on the same day. Former Singapore-based trainer Brian Dean is now training i

Power Blade Wins The Korean Triple Crown

As if there was ever any doubt. At Seoul Racecourse today, Power Blade looked every inch the champion the Triple Crown series has been waiting for as he utterly dominated the Minister’s Cup in the same fashion he did in both the KRA Cup Mile and the Korean Derby.

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Power Blade in the Minister’s Cup winner’s circle (Pic: Jo Kim @krapresenter )

Punters sent Power Blade off as the odds-on favourite ahead of stablemate and Korean Oaks winner Ottug Ottugi. The filly as usual set the pace early on with Kim Yong Geun happy to keep Power Blade handy. For as moment at the top of the straight there was a chance that the favourite, sitting in fourth on the rail may find himself boxed in. That moment was fleeting.

As soon as they entered the straight the gap opened up. Kim Yong Geun took it and from there the race was won. The margin on the line was seven lengths but Power Blade wasn’t stretched. So superior he is to the rest of this crop, he could win by a margin of his choosing.

Just as in the Korean Derby, Zettabyte chased him home a distance 2nd, four lengths ahead of Baedari Bobae, who ran a big race in 3rd, finishing ahead of the tiring Ottug Ottugi.

Power Blade is trained by Kim Young Kwan, who records yet another Classic win and ridden by Kim Yong Geun. His next target will now surely have to be the Korea Cup International race over 1800M on September 11th where he can be tested against overseas horses.

J.S. Hold won a Triple Crown in Korea in 2007, however, great achievement though it was, it was before the current era of Seoul and Busan. Today in its 9th running, we got a true Triple Crown winner and his name is Power Blade.

The Minister’s Cup (KOR G2) – Seoul Racecourse – 2000M – July 17, 2016

1. Power Blade (KOR) [Menifee – Cheonmacheong (Lost Mountain)] – Kim Yong Geun – 1.3, 1.0
2. Zettabyte (KOR) [Menifee – Fight Back (Sakura Seeking)] – Lim Sung Sil – 1.6
3. Baedari Bobae (KOR) [Colors Flying – Geumgang Gongwon (Pacificbounty)] – 5.2
Distances: 7 lengths / 4 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Ottug Ottugi 5. Stealth 6. Saeroun Stealth 7. Siseon Pochak 8. Kkeutpan Hero

Power Blade Bids For Triple Crown In Minister’s Cup

Power Blade will on Sunday seek to become the first horse to sweep the Korean Triple Crown in its current form. The KRA Cup Mile and Korean Derby winner heads a field of eight – all from Busan – who will line up for the final jewel of the 2016 crown, the Minister’s Cup at Seoul Racecourse. 

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Power Blade in a soaking wet Derby Winner’s circle in May (Pic: Ross Holburt)

Also in attendance will be Power Blade’s stablemate Ottug Ottugi. She was runner up in the Cup Mile but skipped the Derby in favour of last month’s Oaks, a race she won easily. Unbeaten Kkeutpan Hero, who missed the Cup Mile and Derby, also takes his chance.

The Triple Crown has been won before, by J.S Hold (Ft. Stockton) in 2007. However that year, it consisted of the Ttukseom Cup, Derby and Minister’s Cup and was only open to horses trained at Seoul. From 2008 onwards, Busan horses became eligible and the KRA Cup Mile, at the south coast track, was designated the 1st leg (and became informally known as the Korean 2000 Guineas).

Sangseung Ilro won two legs of the Crown in 2009 but so far the complete set has remained elusive. This year, however, with the Minister’s Cup being run in July instead of in September or October – which previously gave late bloomers time to appear on the scene – there was always a chance it would be a little different. The Power Blade emerged. He’ll be strong favourite to complete the Crown on Sunday.

The race has had to be moved to the early time of 2:20pm. This is because the actual Minister (of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs – sadly “MAFRA” and not “FAFF” anymore) will be attending. While unavoidable bearing in mind the domestic politics involved, it is unfortunate as it jeopardizes the race’s chances of being available for betting through some of the overseas simulcast partners.

We’ll have a full runner by runner preview of the race on Saturday. In the meantime, here are the runners and riders:

The Minister’s Cup (KOR GII) – Seoul Racecourse – 2000M – July 17, 2016 (17:00)

1. Saeroun Stealth (KOR) [Colors Flying – Captive (Mutakddim)] (7/3/1/1) Sang Young Lee – Makoto Okabe
2. Kkeutpan Hero (KOR) [Colors Flying – Ya Ya Sunshine (Elusive Quality)] (3/3/0/0) Sung J-Kwon – Chae Sang Hyun
3. Stealth (KOR) [Colors Flying – Missed The Tower (Woodman)] (10/4/0/3) Sang Young Lee – Ikuyasu Kurakane
4. Ottug Ottugi (KOR) [Forest Camp – Main Objective (Lion Heart)] Filly (10/7/2/0) Young Kwan Kim – Choi Si Dae
5. Siseon Pochak (KOR) [Colors Flying – Myeongseo Gongju (Carry The Flag)] (14/3/4/3) Jang Ki Min – You Hyun Myung
6. Baedari Bobae (KOR) [Colors Flying – Geumgang Gongwon (Pacificbounty)] (11/3/5/1) Chung Yul You – Lee Sung Jae
7. Power Blade (KOR) [Menifee – Cheonmacheong (Lost Mountain)] (8/6/2/0) Young Kwan Kim – Kim Yong Geun
8. Zettabyte (KOR) [Menifee – Fight Back (Sakura Seeking)] (9/3/3/1) Keum Man Lim – Lim Sung Sil

Dallao’s Delight: Noble Warrior Is American Owner’s First Winner

“I think he could hear me screaming at the finish line” said Joe Dallao after watching – energetically – his horse Noble Warrior get the best of a tight finish to race 6 at Busan on Friday afternoon. It was the American’s first winner as an owner in Korea.

Joe Dallao is a long-time resident of Korea and took a possibly unique route into thoroughbreds by way of pigeon racing. Believe it or not, the birds have a Studbook and Dallao, from his Ilsan base, turns out to be one of the foremost pigeon racers on the peninsula. A few years ago Dallao, an executive at an American company in Seoul, decided to look beyond the loft and turned his attention to racing. He first took an interest in racehorses in his native United States with Barry Irwin’s Team Valor and at the same time started to investigate the possibility of owning in his adoptive country.

The trouble was that foreigners – even those living in the country – were unable to own racehorses. Dallao lobbied and lobbied and finally in 2014, as the KRA put its internationalization program into action, a small number of foreigners were permitted to own. Joe Dallao was in the first group to be granted a license.

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The English language Korea Racing Broadcasting Channel was launched today – and Noble Warrior was one of the first winners

Teaming up with South African trainer Bart Rice, Dallao bought two horses last year. They were a Whywhywhy filly called Majestic Beauty and a Biwa Shinseiki gelding named Noble Warrior. Both took a long time to get ready with Noble Warrior running just once as a 2-year-old and Majestic Beauty not at all.

Bart Rice – who is in sparkling form these days and will send his horse Triple Five to Singapore for the KRA Trophy later this month – got them right though and Majestic Beauty has shown promise with a 4th and a 2nd in two starts over the past couple of months. Noble Warrior meanwhile began placing and has been getting better as the distances have lengthened. Today, on his second start at class 5 and his second at a mile; benefiting from a slight weight advantage and a ground saving ride by You Hyun Myung, he got it spot on. Noble Warrior hit the front at the top of the stretch and gamely battled on to win by half a length. It was his 7th career start.

Joe Dallao was active at the Jeju sales again this Spring and then plans to import a horse from the US later in the year. Whatever they achieve and no matter what Noble Warrior goes on to do from here, no doubt today will have been special.

Shin Woo Chul Retires From Training / Several Jockeys Retire Or Relocate / New Apprentices Set To Begin At Seoul & Busan

A couple of weeks after Tough Win had his retirement ceremony it was the turn of his trainer for his biggest wins, Shin Woo Chul, to have a retirement ceremony of his own at Seoul Racecourse last week. The 63-year-old trainer has reached the mandatory retirement age for trainers and will not apply to renew his license. 

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Shin Woo Chul (Pic: Sports Chosun)

Shin has trained more winners than any other trainer in Korea – although that record will almost certainly be passed shortly by Kim Young Kwan at Busan – seeing his horses return victorious on 1149 occasions from a total of 8713 starters dating back to 1983.

Tough Win was his best horse although he also trained two-time SBS Cup winner High Point and 2003 Grand Prix Stakes winner Habidongju. Shin’s stable had been winding down recently with only 6 winners from 140 starters in his final 12 months.

Current leader of the Seoul Trainer’s Championship is Seo In Seok with 24 winners although only 8 winners separates him from 10th placed Bae Dae Sun in the ever noncompetitive capital. By contrast at cut-throat Busan, Kim Young Kwan leads with 66 with Peter Wolsley in 2nd on 36.

The end of June is the time when many licenses expire or come up from renewal and there are plenty of comings and goings this year.

Seoul jockeys Seo Do Soo, Kim Seok Bong, Kim Young Jin, Kho Sung Yi and Shin Dae Jun all surrendered their licenses at the end of June after careers of varying length and indifference. Some are likely to apply for training licenses. From Busan, Seo In Sub and Park Sung Kwang have also retired from the saddle.

For reasons recently reported,  a higher than usual number of riding vacancies have recently arisen in the pony racing on Jeju Island and along with a slew of new apprentices, Busan’s Jo Hee Won and Seoul’s Yoo Mi Ra have relocated to the island to become pony jockeys. For both it looks to be a good opportunity to revive careers that had been drifting somewhat.

Five riders have successfully graduated from the academy and have become apprentice thoroughbred jockeys. Two  will begin riding at Seoul shortly. They are 21-year-old Lee Dong Ha, who will be apprenticed to trainer Ha Jae Heung and 27-year-old Lee Cheol Kyung, who will be with Seo In Seok.

At Busan there are three new apprentices. 20-year-old Lee Hyo Sik will be with Kim Nam Joong. Jung Do Yoon, also 20, is apprenticed to An Woo Sung while the first Korean female jockey to be ride full-time at Busan since 2010 is 19-year-old Choi Eun Kyung. She gets a great opportunity to learn, having been placed with South African trainer Bart Rice.