Tohamsan put in a commanding performance to claim victory in the feature race at Busan on Sunday afternoon, beating pre-race favourite I’m Your Father by four-lengths to record his first class 1 win.
Tohamsan (Kwaedo Nanma), who slipped and fell on the soaking wet Seoul track in last year’s Korean Derby, recovered from that to win three more times before the end of the season and be promoted to class 1 for the New Year. After three indifferent performances, he pushed the highly rated Doraon Pogyeongseon all the way over 1400M a month ago and today made all, leaving David Miller’s stable-star I’m Your Father, trailing. It was Tohamsan’s 8th win on his 15th start.
At Seoul, the main event had a much tighter finish and it was US import Sinjo Daehyeop (Summer Bird) who just did enough to take the honours and win by a nose. 2nd in the Herald Business Cup last monh, Sinjo Daehyeop was, just like Tohamsan, recording his first class 1 success.
Overseas this afternoon, Korean champion jockey Moon Se Young was in action at Kranji and while he remains yet to ride his first Singapore winner, he came close, guiding unfancied No Smoking Jeff to 2nd place in race 7 to add to a 3rd and a 4th he had achieved earlier on the card.
Banjiui Jewang took the honours in a dramatic finish to the feature race at Busan on Friday. Peter Wolsley’s 4-year-old got the best of a tight four-way finish to the 1200M Sprint.
Banjiui Jewang just gets up (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Having won four of his first five starts – the only loss being a 2nd place to Power Blade in the 2015 Breeders’ Cup, Banjiui Jewang (Ecton Park) was seen as one of the leading contenders on the 2016 Classic trail. It wasn’t to be though. 7th in the KRA Cup Mile and 5th in the Derby was followed by a series of setbacks that saw him miss the final six months of the season.
He finally returned this January and while it seemed he’d lost his old form completely, he perked up with a 2nd place in early April. That was followed up two weeks later by a win – his first for 14 months – which led him to be favourite for Friday’s race. Under Jo Sung Gon, Banjiui Jewang hugged the rail throughout and just got up to defeat the fast finishing Triple Party by a nose.
Mujeok Wonderful & Marios Mina were easy winners (Pic: Ross Holburt)
One race earlier in race 9, Thomas Gillespie’s Mujeok Wonderful (Tiz Wonderful) sauntered to a 7-length win under Cypriot jockey Marios Mina. It was a second win in four starts for the US import. Also in the winner’s circle was Francisco Da Silva; he partnered Pink Blade to victory in race 7.
*Later in the evening over in Singapore, Moon Se Young had his first rides at Kranji. As expected his three mounts (two scheduled and one additional spare), didn’t trouble the placings.
Saturday racing in Korea is at Seoul with 11 races from 10:45 to 18:00. On Sunday, Seoul hass 11 races from 10:45 to 18:00 while Busan runs 6 from 12:40 to 17:05.
Final Boss came wide and late but ended up scoring a remarkably convincing victory in the Korean Derby at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.
All alone, Final Boss and Choi Bum Hyun win The Korean Derby (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Out of sorts in the Cup Mile at Busan last month and at the back of the field for much of the Derby, last year’s Champion Juvenile Final Boss came through very late and very wide to claim victory. Royal Ruby was 2nd with American Power just pipping Cup Mile winner Indian King to repeat his Cup Mile 3rd place.
Royal Ruby was sent off as the slight favourite. The Peter Wolsey trainee had come desperately close to catching Indian King in the Cup Mile and punters clearly felt that Sunday’s extra furlong would suit. It was not to be once more. Nor would it be for Indian King himself who despite being pushed slightly wide on the first turn, rallied well and raced prominently to end in 4th.
It was the unconventional stretch run of Final Boss that was the story. He was last as they sighted the line just over two furlongs out. On the race video, you can’t see him until they are within a furlong on the finish. By this time he is front having shifted all the way over to the stands-side rail. Generally, horses that do that lose. And get sent back to trial to improve their manners. Final Boss just ran on and on and had three lengths on Royal Ruby on the line.
Korean Derby (KOR G1) – Seoul Racecourse – 1800M – May 14, 2017
1. Final Boss (KOR) [Menifee-Sinsok Dolpa (Lindo Shaver)] – Choi Bum Hyun – 6.6, 2.0 2. Royal Ruby (KOR) [Chapel Royal – Red Ruby (Yehudi)] – Jo Sung Gon – 1.3 3. American Power (KOR) [Ecton Park – White Angelica (Quiet American) – Francisco Da Silva 1.5 Distances: 3 lengths / 1.25 lengths Also Ran: 4. Indian King 5. Adele Ace 6. Taeyangui Sinhwa 7. Daeho Sidae 8. Muhan Yeoljeong 9. Jangsan Power 10. Lion Rock
Final Boss [Menifee – Sinsok Dolpa (Lindo Shaver)] provided his sire, Menifee, with his 5th consecutive Korean Derby winner. His dam, Sinsok Dolpa, ran 23 times in Korea for 2 wins. She was bred in Japan. Final Boss is her 4th foal to make the track with two of the other three having been winners. She has a two-year-old Rock Hard Ten filly called Raise Me Up set to begin racing this year and a yearling by 2012 Korean Derby winner Jigeum I Sungan (the last non-Menifee to win the Derby).
Jigeum I Sungan was also saddled by trainer Ji Yong Cheol. That colt would go on to claim the Minister’s Cup, the final leg of the Triple Crown, as well and Final Boss is now surely favourite to go on to repeat that feat. Ji has been training since 1986 and has won plenty of big races. Jigeum I Sungan has been his best so far but Final Boss looks very exciting – especially if he can learn to run in a straight line.
Final Boss with connections in the Derby winner’s circle (Pic: Ross Holburt)
For jockey Choi Bum Hyun, it was a first Derby. The 38-year-old won the Grand Prix twice on Dongbanui Gangja in 2008 and 2009 but this was his first success in any of the three-year-old classics.
So Seoul wins the Derby for the first time since 2012 and only the third time since Busan horses began competing in 2008. The best of the three-year-old crop will reconvene in Seoul on July 16th for the Minister’s Cup, the final leg of the Triple Crown. Before that, the fillies Classic – the Korean Oaks – is at Busan on June 11th.
Success Story struck the first blow in the race to the Korea Sprint, running out the winner of a keenly contested Busan Ilbo Cup, the 1st leg of the 2017 Sprint Series at Busan on Sunday afternoon.
A top line field had been attracted by the prize-money and the prospect of a ticket to Seoul Racecourse in September to take on the internationals and it was Peter Wolsley’s Macheon Bolt who was sent off as favourite ahead of the exciting – and previously unbeaten – three-year-old prospect King Of Ace.
It was Perdido Pomeroy who broke best, last year’s Korea/Japan race winner skipping into an early lead and taking Bart Rice’s Triple Five along with him. The pair quickly opened up a significant lead – up to three lengths at the half-way point and the question became about whether they could maintain it. They couldn’t.
As the front pair weakened in the straight, it was Success Story, always prominent in the chasing pack, who got first run at them. Macheon Bolt came after him on the rail side while Seoul Bullet, King Of Ace and Baedari Bobae gave chase on the stands-side but it would be to no avail. Success Story was too strong and prevailed by a length and a half with just a further half length separating his four pursuers.
Seoul Bullet got the closest to the winner on what was his first start since returning from Dubai – the place where Success Story made his name of course last year. King Of Ace ran home a strong 3rd and while his unbeaten record is gone, he proved he is already able to mix it with the country’s best and providing he stays sound, has every chance of getting better as an exciting career develops. Macheon Bolt didn’t have the run of the race but will surely be back while Baedari Bobae defied his outsider tag to fly home for 5th.
As for Success Story, it was an 12th win in 27 Korean starts. The next leg of the series is in Seoul on the first Sunday in June when the competition will be stern from Seoul’s best Sprinters (who opted not to show up here; the three that did, while as game as possible, never stood a chance) and also from visiting Japanese raiders with three visitors from Ohi invited for the race which doubles as the SBS Sports Korea v Japan Sprint.
Then the final leg is the Korea Sprint at Seoul Racecourse on September 10th. Success Story should be there.
Busan Ilbo Cup – Busan Racecourse – 1200M – May 7, 2017
1. Success Story (KOR) [Peace Rules – Power Pack (Lil’s Lad)] – You Hyun Myung – 7.5, 2.5 2. Seoul Bullet (KOR) [Peace Rules – Wild Guess (Wild Rush)] – Ham Wan Sik – 1.9 3. King Of Ace (USA) [Malibu Moon – Cintarosa (Grand Slam)] – Jo Sung Gon – 2.1 Distances: 1.5 lengths / Head Also Ran: 4. Macheon Bolt (KOR) 5. Baedari Bobae (KOR) 6. Beolmaui Kkum (USA) 7. Morning Daero (USA) 8. Triple Five (USA) 9. Wonil Gangja (KOR) 10. Naesarang Damyang (USA) 11. Perdido Pomeroy (USA) 12. Ace Cheonbok (AUS) 13. Smoken Joe (USA) 14. Special Sky (AUS) PU: Oreuse (USA)
Next weekend, it’s the big one for the three-year-olds: The Korean Derby is at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday May 14.
He was the toast of the nation back in 2015 when he overcame El Padrino to become the first locally-trained winner of the Asia Challenge Cup and on Sunday Choegang Schiller finally returned to the Seoul Racecoure winner’s circle for the first time since that glorious day.
It had been setback after setback for Choegang Schiller since his Challenge Cup win with only five starts to his name since with the best result being 2nd place in the SBS Korea/Japan Cup last June. However, he returned from his latest setback in February with a strong 2nd to Parang Juuibo, who also returned on Sunday and he was sent off as the 2nd favourite for the 1200M feature.
Favourite was Always Winner but the Segye Ilbo Cup and Owners’ Trophy winner was forced to use up too much energy getting to his preferred front position from the outside gate, leaving him with nothing left in the closing stages. That set the race up beautifully for Choegang Schiller, who had been kept handy by apprentice jockey Kim Tea Hun, and he ran on powerfully to score by over two lengths. The fast early pace also benefited Dynamic Jilju and long-shot Holiday Dream who came home 2nd and 3rd, while Brian Dean’s Jangsanjewang, partially responsible for that pace, stayed on for a gutsy 4th.
Choegang Schiller (Artie Schiller), a six-year-old gelding, moved on to 8 wins from just 19 starts. Another go at the SBS Korea/Japan Cup in early June looks the obvious next step.
This time last week, we were getting excited about the performance of King Of Ace. The Busan-based US import moved on to three wins from three starts with an easy class 3 victory over a mile on Good Friday. On Sunday at Seoul, another three-year-old US import put in a performance worthy of note.
Before the race punters fancied that import to be Cheongdam Dokki but in the event, it was New Citadel (With Distinction) who burnished his credentials with a surprisingly dominant class 2 win over 1800M. Cheongdam Dokki had beaten New Citadel when the pair were juveniles last autumn and while the latter had already won at this distance, he was carrying an additional 5.5kg this time. No matter. The pair briefly came together at the top of the straight but from then on, New Citadel was far too good, romping away to win by six-lengths.
The next time we see New Citadel will be at class 1 as his rating was bumped up 13 points as a result. Should connections be feeling ambitious, the Busan Mayor’s Cup ‘would be a sporting, if unlikely target.
One US import who did lose a bit of her luster at the weekend was Haeya. The US-bred filly won four from four up to this January before coming down lame. She returned in Busan’s Sunday feature, up to class 1 for the first time. While she showed on speed for much of the race, ultimately, she would finish 4th as Doraonpogyeongseon (Kantharos) came through late to land his 6th victory on his 12th career start.
If there is to be a Korean Triple Crown winner this year then his name is Indian King. The 74/1 outsider took the initiative under jockey Darryll Holland in the early part of the race and clung on to defeat Royal Ruby and American Power and claim the first Jewel in the Crown, the KRA Cup Mile at Busan on Sunday afternoon.
Punters couldn’t split Breeders’ Cup winner and runner-up Final Boss and Daeho Sidae sending them off as almost co-favourites but it was Illyu Star and longest shot on the board Taeyangui Jeonseol who were out of the gates the quickest. By the end of the straight, however, Holland had brought Indian King up alongside the leader and as they rounded the corner he kicked on in front and had stolen three lengths on the field as they straightened up.
The challenges would arrive too late. Daeho Sidae, expected to lead, offered little while Final Boss had far too much to do. Instead, while Holland coaxed his mount home, the one who would get the closest would be Royal Ruby. He had been the back-marker for much of the race but flew home to get within half a length of the winner on the line. The Peter Wolsley trainee, who also started as an outsider, must surely be very much in the Derby mix now. American Power was just a further head back in 3rd while there was a 5-length gap back to Daeho Sidae who led home the rest.
KRA Cup Mile (KOR G2) – Busan Racecourse – 1600M – April 2 2017
1. Indian King (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki – Indian Diamond (Indian Charlie)] – Darryll Holland – 75.0, 17.5 2. Royal Ruby (KOR) [Chapel Royal – Red Ruby (Yehudi)] – Jo Sung Gon – 4.6 3. American Power (KOR) [Ecton Park – White Angelica (Quiet American)] – 1.7 Distances: 0.5 lengths / Head Also Ran: 4. Daeho Sidae (KOR) 5. Final Boss (KOR) 6. Ice Marine (KOR) 7. Muhan Yeoljeong (KOR) 8. Illyu Star (KOR) 9. Wonder Wall (KOR) 10. Lion Rock (KOR) 11. Taeyangui Jeonseol (KOR)
Indian King [Biwa Shinseiki – Indian Diamond (Indian Charlie)] is a half-brother to Indian Star, winner of last year’s Jeju Governor’s Cup and one of the top sprinters at the track – she came out one race later on Sunday afternoon and ran 2nd over 1200M to Triple Five in a class 1 handicap.
Indian Diamond herself was an $18,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Sale in 2002. She ran 36 times at Seoul between 2003 and 2006 winning on 3 occasions and in addition to Indian Star has had three others make the track so far, although only one of them was a winner.
For trainer Mun Je Bok, it was his biggest win to date; his first Group 2 having previously won Group 3 events with Hangangui Gijeok, Perdido Pomeroy and of course, Indian Star.
As for Darryll Holland, it was his first Listed or Group winner in Korea. After the race, Holland noted that he isn’t able to ride as many as he would like due to a minimum riding weight of 54kg. He paid tribute to the preparation done by the trainer and thanked him for putting him on. There’ll be no trouble making weight for the Korean Derby next month.
Can Indian King get 1800M at Seoul? It makes for a fascinating Derby on the second Sunday in May.
Djordje Perovic rode his 150th Korean winner at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon and not many of them will have been easier than the landmark one which arrived on Shamrocker in the 2300M Championship Series feature.
Djordje Perovic returns to scale on Shamrocker
Possibly the biggest challenge for Perovic on Sunday would have been the 52kg weight assigned to the on the up Shamrocker but once that was made there was only likely to be one winner in the race which was run over the maximum distance used at Seoul. After a steady start, Shamrocker hit the front early in the home straight and cantered away from the field to win by six lengths on the line.
It had taken Shamrocker (Dublin), a $30,000 purchase as a 2-year-old at OBS in Florida, eight starts to get his maiden victory but yesterday’s was his fifth in total and second consecutive at class 1. He could have a big summer ahead of him.
Djordje Perovic could well have a big summer ahead of him too. Shamrocker was his 31st victory of 2017 and leaves him five clear of perennial champion Moon Se Young at the top of the standings. With Moon set to spend at least three months of this year in Singapore, Perovic is in pole position to become the first foreign jockey to claim the Seoul championship.
150 wins also ties Perovic with Joe Fujii – who spent Saturday watching Winx disappear into the distance at Rosehill – in 2nd place in the all-time foreign jockey standings in Korea.
Down at Busan a foreign jockey was on top too with Yonekura Satoshi winning Sunday’s feature – also a Championship Series race – over 2200M. It came on Thomas Gillespie’s Champ Line over what was a high class Busan field.
Success Story, as ever, set the early pace but was always likely to struggle to maintain it over the extended distance and so it proved as a host of horses swept by him in the closing stages.
It was Champ Line who did it the most convincingly, running on very strongly for victory by almost three lengths. Places 2nd-6th came home within a half-length of each other, surprisingly headed by 100/1 outsider Bathsheba Park, who was given an enterprising ride by Marios Mina.
Champ Line (Curlin) moves on to 10 wins from 19 starts and is on a four-race winning streak and heads an impressively effective string that has been put together by talented trainer Gillespie.
Some markers were laid down among the 3-year-old filly ranks on Sunday as Eunha Chelma and Ice Marine respectively dominated the Sports Seoul and Gyeongnam Sinmun Cups at Seoul and Busan.
Eunha Chelma entered uneaten with two wins from two and maintained her 100% record by accelerating away from the field in the final furlong to win by three lengths from Brian Dean’s Rocket Queen.
Sports Seoul Cup (Listed) – Seoul Racecourse – 1400M – March 5, 2017
At Busan, Ice Marine was already a known quantity having been 2nd in Busan’s top juvenile race (also called the Gyeongnam Sinmun Cup) last October before having an off-day at Seoul in the Breeders’ Cup race in December. She began her 3-year-old campaign with a win over 1200M a month ago and headed into Sunday’s race as the odds-on favourite.
Ice Marine didn’t disappoint as she led every step of the way to record a very comfortable 6-length win on the line.
Gyeongnam Sinmun Cup (Listed) – Busan Racecourse – 1400M – March 5, 2017
1. Ice Marine (KOR) [Officer-Runkerry Point (Giant’s Causeway) – Song Keong Yun – 1.7, 1.2 2. Morning Baramse [Simon Pure-D’Lovely Cat (Unbridled’s Song)] – Jo In Kwen – 5.2 3. Happy Gongju [Officer-Happy Jo (Johannesburg)] – Yonekura Satoshi – 1.9 Distances: 6 lengths / 0.75 lengths – 11 ran
In other 3-year-old news at Busan, Peter Wolsley’s Royal Ruby (Chapel Royal) continued his impressive progress. He landed his third consecutive win and second at 1800M. He beat a decent class 4 line-up, winning a photo finish by a nose from Triple Nine’s little sister, the Thomas Gillespie-trained Black Sapphire.
Stakes action returns to Seoul this coming Sunday with the Seoul Owners’ Association Trophy, the first Korean Group race of 2017.
Grand Prix Stakes winner Clean Up Joy went to the races for the first time in 2017 on Sunday afternoon and 6-year-old didn’t disappoint, utterly crushing a class 1 field to win a Championship Series race over 2000M. Meanwhile at Busan, Korea’s 2016 Meydan hero Success Story finally returned to the winner’s circle.
Clean Up Joy made short work of Triple Nine and Power Blade, both currently at this year’s World Cup Carnival in Dubai, when winning the Grand Prix over 2300M in December. Sunday’s field was much weaker but Clean Up Joy had shunted them all out of the handicap and was giving a minimum of 8kg weight advantage – the only time he lost at Seoul in 2016, he was giving the same weight away.
It made little difference as, with Djordje Perovic on board for the first time, Clean Up Joy made short work of his opponents, sprinting away in the straight to win by an eased down five lengths. Clean Up Joy is now Korea’s leading contender for the Korea Cup race in September.
Down at Busan, Success Story finally returned to where he belongs for the first time since late 2015.
Success Story stunned Korean racing watchers by landing two 3rd place finishes at the Dubai World Cup Carnival last year (famously behind – a long way behind – California Chrome on the second occasion) and paved the way for five Korean horses to participate at Meydan this time around. Since returning to Korea he has raced in some of the biggest races, generally coming close but not breaking through.
Finally on Sunday he found himself at an ideal distance – 1800M – in a race where he would get an easy lead and where the main danger (Ms. Margaux) was a closer carrying more weight. Success Story duly obliged, leading every step of the way and still eight lengths clear on the line.
Triple Nine and Power Blade are now preparing for Super Saturday at Meydan. They may both have bested Success Story during the past year, but were it not for his exploits, neither would likely be there this time.
It was a good first day at the races in Seoul for Shane Karlsson. The Swedish jockey rode his first Korean winner, guiding Choegangja to a comfortable victory in the last race of the day for Australian trainer Brian Dean.
Karlsson, a champion apprentice in Sweden in 2009, got the day off to a good start with a 2nd place on his very first ride, Viva Galloper in race 1 but it would be at the other end of the day, under the lights in race 12 when the 25-year-old made his breakthrough.
Choegangja, an 8/1 shot, was guided to the front straight out of the gate by Karlsson and the pair never looked back as they raced away to win by half a length from another Dean trainee My Blade, who came home 2nd. Karlsson will have five more rides at Seoul on Sunday.
Also debuting in the saddle at Seoul on Saturday was Japanese rider Shinji Hatanaka. His best finish came in race 6 when he partnered Clean Up Sky to 2nd place. Hatanaka has six rides on Sunday.
Racing returns on Sunday with 11 races at Seoul from 10:40 to 18:00 and 6 at Busan from 12:35 to 17:00.
*Update: And Shane Karlsson added another on Sunday afternoon, again for Brian Dean, as he guided Jangsanjewang (Ft. Stockton) to victory in the class 1 Race 11.
Horse Racing in Korea 