Nicola Pinna may not be racking up huge numbers of rides or winners but he is certainly getting the job done on the right horses The Italian jockey ride his third Class 1 winner on Sunday as he guided 17/1 chance Gumanseok to a narrow victory in Seoul’s feature race.
In addition to a pair of class 1 victories on Bichui Jeongsang, Pinna had also won a major Juvenile race on OS Hwadap. Gumanseok (Vicar) had shot back into form with a surprise win under Djordje Perovic a month ago and carrying plenty more weight today, punters once again allowed him to go off reasonably unfancied.
Under a strong ride from Pinna, however, Gumanseok got the best of a tight finish, seeing off Double Shining by a neck on the line. It was Gumaseok’s 1th win of a 41-race career that included success in the Sports Chosun Cup back in 2013. It took Pinna on to 6 wins in career.
At Busan, 2015 Korean Derby winner Yeongcheon Ace was denied once more in Friday’s feature. Sent off the odds-on favourite, the four-year-old just couldn’t get up as outsider Useung Chance, took her chance fully under Makoto Okabe to record an unlikely victory. It’s now been five races since the Derby without a win for Yeongcheon Ace.
Sunday’s feature on the south coast saw a return to the track following five months out for Macheon Bolt (Old Fashioned). And the Peter Wolsley trainee returned in style, cruising through the rain to score a five-length win over a mile. It was the four-year-old’s seventh win from ten starts.
Racing returns to Korea on Friday but before that, attention turns to Meydan in Dubai where, should he get into the race, Success Story is set to make his Dubai World Cup Carnival on Thursday. He has been entered in the 1600M race 1 on the dirt.
Cheongu made his debut on January 8th over 1200M and did ok, finishing 5th of 8, despite getting a bad start and losing a plate. Racing over a mile, it will be more difficult for Success Story, but if he is right, he can be competitive. As for Cheongu, he may go again next week.
We’re a couple of weeks into the 2016 racing season and there has been plenty going on already both at Seoul and Busan, as well as further afield.
Cheongu on TV!
The main story for Korean racing so far this year has to be the Korean horses at the Dubai Carnival. While Success Story is expected to make his debut on January 21, Cheongu ran on the opening night last Thursday and did ok.
Despite missing the break slightly and also losing a shoe in running, the four-year-old Old Fashioned colt finished well in touch with the pack, ending up 5th of 8 runners under British jockey Royston Ffrench. Cheongu will get another chance either at 1400M or most likely, again at 1200M, later on in the carnival.
Cheongu’s trainer is Seo In Seok and he was back at Seoul on Sunday in time to see his mare Bichui Jeongsang comfortably win the weekend’s feature race. Bichui Jeongsang (Wildcat Heir) had downed Asia Challenge Cup winner Choegang Schiller over 1200M in November and was stepped up to 1800M for Sunday’s class 1 feature. And under Nicola Pinna, she made light of her 59kg impost racing away from the field in the final furlong to win by almost three lengths on the line.
At Busan, there was a new name in the Class 1 winner’s circle. Yuseong Dream (Giacomo) was making his first start at the level following back to back wins at the end of 2015 and the four-year-old completed his hat-trick, making almost all under Kim Dong Young.
Pasquale Borelli is showing the way in the very early stages of the Busan Jockey Championship. The Italian jockey rode a double for trainer Peter Wolsley on Sunday afternoon to take him to four winner for 2016. Tied for first place is Seo Seung Un, who rode a treble on Friday and another one on Sunday and who seems to be very much enjoying his new surroundings at Busan after transferring from Seoul on January 1.
Champion Juveniles past and present rounded out the racing year in Korea with impressive performances on the final card of 2015 at Busan Racecourse this past Sunday.
Power Blade overcame stablemate Ottug Ottugi to win a Juvenile Special race and confirm his status as the early favourite for the three-year-old Classics in 2016. Meanwhile Doraon Hyeonpyo, a year his senior, overcame a strong field by by a full ten lengths to record his first regular Class 1 victory.
Second by a rapidly diminishing neck to Ottug Ottugi in the Gyeongnam Sinmun Cup in October before wining the overall Juvenile Champion race, the Breeders’ Cup at Seoul last month.
Back at six furlongs on Sunday in Power Blade and Ottug Ottugi faced off for the third time, this time with just three others to keep them company in a Juvenile Special race which was restricted to those horses who had passed their training test prior to entering the racecourse for the first time.
And it would be the Kim Young Kwan trained pair who would draw clear of their three rivals in the home straight. The filly Ottug Ottugi pushed all the way to the line but Power Blade eventually got his nose in front and went on to win by half a length.
A year ago it was Doraon Hyeonpyo who returned from the trip to the capital victorious as Champion Juvenile.
He would go on to run creditably in the Classics; 2nd in the KRA Cup Mile, 5th in the Korean Derby and 4th in the Minister’s Cup, without quite making it up to the elite level.
However, last month Doroan Hyeonpyo won a class 2 event over 1900M which saw his rating go over the threshold for class 1 for the first time. Carrying a light weight and faced with a field in which the biggest names, Cowboy Son and Oreuse, were more suited to shorter distances, he ended up being sent-off as the narrow favourite in the Korean win pool.
His victory was anything but narrow. Hitting the front just before they reached the home straight, Doraon Hyeonpyo, under the urgings of jockey You Hyun Myung, galloped away from the rest to win by a full ten lengths.
Unfortunately for Doraon Hyeonpyo, the handicappers promptly walloped him with a new rating of 117 so next time he appears, he is going to be carrying significantly more weight. On Sunday’s evidence though, his 2016 debut is going to be one to look out for.
As indeed is that of Power Blade. The race to the Triple Crown is not far off.
Power Blade is Korea’s champion juvenile of 2015. The colt, favourite in the betting market, claimed the title with a comfortable win in the Breeders’ Cup at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.
Power Blade was favourite on the strength of his second place in the Gyeongnam Sinmun Cup last month. That day he was beaten by his stablemate, the filly Ottug Ottugi. That day, over 1200M, he was only beaten by a neck and finishing much the stronger. Given an extra furlong, he never looked like being beaten.
The previously unbeaten Ottug Ottugi as expected went straight to the front out of the gate along with unbeaten colt Banjiui Jewang. Power Blade was also ridden forward and under Kim Yong Geun, took things up entering the home straight and didn’t look back. Banjiui Jewang ran on for a very solid 2nd place and looks to be one to follow next year too while Winner’s Glory was the first Seoul-trained horse home in 3rd.
Breeders’ Cup (KOR G3) – Seoul Racecourse – 1400M – November 29, 2015
1. Power Blade (KOR) [Menifee – Cheonmacheong (Lost Mountain] – Kim Yong Geun – 2.3, 1.2 2. Banjiui Jewang (KOR) [Ecton Park – Sweetoil (Broken Vow)] – Jo Sung Gon – 2.9 3. Winner’s Glory (KOR) [Strike Again – Luck And Fame (Western Fame)] – Moon Se Young – 2.5 Distances: 2.5 lengths / 4 lengths Also ran: 4. Waikiki 5. Ottug Ottugi 6. Major Winner 7. Clean Up King 8. Cheonji Storm 9. Whiz Speed 10. Sunganui Beopchik SCR: Gaia Thunder
Yet again it was anther big race winner for trainer Kim Young Kwan and for Busan-trained horses in Seoul. It was Kim’s seventh group winner of the year, beating his own Korean record of six which he recorded in both 2013 and 2014. He could well land an eight in the Grand Prix Stakes on December 13.
It hadn’t been the easiest of starts to riding in Korea for Nicola Pinna but things came right for the Italian jockey at Seoul Racecourse on Saturday as he rode a double, including victory in the feature race on Bichui Jeongsang who downed Asia Challenge Cup winner Choegang Schiller in a tight finish.
Nicola Pinna (and interpreter) are interviewed after Bichui Jeongsang won Seoul’s Saturday feature
Pinna couldn’t make weight on the first of his scheduled mounts a few weeks ago and was handed an automatic two-day ban for his troubles. It meant that despite having been in the country a month, prior to today, he had only had three rides.
Today it came right though. Pinna made his breakthrough on 3/1 second favourite Hwangnyongbisang, who scored a two-length victory in race 8. However, by far the best was yet to come.
Choegang Schiller (Artie Schiller) beat Singapore’s El Padrino to win the Asia Challenge Cup in a track record time at the end of August. The three-year-old hadn’t run since then and was sent-off the hot favourite to repeat today with regular jockey Lee Chan Ho riding. Third-favourite was Bichui Jeongsang (Wildcat Heir), a four-year-old filly, who had won five of fifteen career starts and was 3rd to Esmeraldina in the Ttukseom Cup.
With Pinna in the saddle, Bichui Jeongsang wasn’t quickly away but improved around the home turn to come shoulder to shoulder with Choegang Schiller entering the home straight. That would be how they would remain for a keenly-fought tussle through the final two furlongs that went all the way to the line. It looked at one point as Choegang Schiller had it but Pinna coaxed out one last effort from his mount to get her home a neck in front.
Punters second-choice Bear Queen Trophy was a distant third but may as well have been running a different race, so dominant the first two were. The winning time was just one-tenth of a second outside the mark that Choegang Schiller set in the Asia Challenge Cup. The win could be a boost for Bichui Jeongsang’s connections ambition to race her overseas early next year.
A day can make a big difference and all of a sudden, 27-year-old Pinna now has two wins from just seven mounts and really showed his quality in that second win. He has five more rides tomorrow. Fellow Italian-licensed rider Djordje Perovic meanwhile guided home his 38th Korean winner earlier in the day and is now joint-leading jockey at Seoul for the month of November. While Perovic can do a kilo lighter, more rides like the one on Bichui Jeongsang and Nicola Pinna could well be challenging him in the near future.
Cheongu and Success Story left their respective class 1 opponents at Seoul and Busan seemingly running in different races as they dominated the weekend’s feature events.
Cheongu has had an entertaining year, with a third place in the Asia Challenge Cup behind Choegang Schiller and El Padrino sandwiched between trips to Singapore and Japan. In all three of those races, he went out quickly only to be reeled back in the closing stages.
On Sunday, back in the comfort of a regular class 1 field at Seoul, the familiar tactics paid off with Cheongu making all over seven furlongs to win by an irrelevant margin of three lengths on the line with Mirae Yeongung and Parang Juuibo the somewhat surprising other placegetters. Cheongu has now won 5 of 8 starts in Korea.
Class 1 – Seoul Racecourse – 1400M – Nov 22, 2015
1. Cheongu (USA) [Old Fashioned – So Much Fun (Speightstown)] – Yoo Seung Wan – 1,9, 1.2 2. Mirae Yeongung (KOR) [Aragorn – Willing Miss (More Than Ready)] – Djordje Perovic – 4.3 3. Parang Juuibo (USA) [With Distinction – Spicy Souffle (French Deputy)] – 13.4 Distances: 3 lengths/5 lengths – 12 ran
Busan’s Sunday feature saw a welcome return to the winner’s circle for Success Story. The four-year-old has had a bit of a stop-start year but if Cheongu’s win was easy, Success Story’s was barely a race.
With apprentice Lee Yong Ho on board, Success Story was carrying less weight than in previous starts this year and by the end of the race jockey Lee seemed likely to end up needing treatment for a sore neck so much time he spent looking over both shoulders as Success Story sauntered away from a small, but by no means soft field over a mile.
Despite not breaking into a sweat, Success Story won by seven lengths from outsider Baksuchyeo in a time not far outside of the track record. Success Story moves on to 10 wins from 18 starts and one hopes tougher challenges await for this horse who is yet to perform in a Stakes race.
Class 1 Handicap -Busan Racecourse – 1600M – Nov 22, 2015
1. Success Story (KOR) [Peace Rules – Power Pack (Lil’s Lad)] – Lee Yong Ho – 2.4, 1.4 2. Baksuchyeo (USA) [Bob And John – Say Amen (Pulpit)] – Lee Hee Cheon – 5.3 3. Oreuse (USA) [Smoke Glacken – Heavenly Splendor (Point Given)] – Jin Kyum Distances: 7 lengths/3 lengths – 7 ran
In other news, Masa Tanaka came one winner closer to his stated goal of 100 winners in Korea; he partnered Bart Rice’s debut-making US gelding High Five (Girolamo) to victory in race 1 at Busan on Sunday. It takes the Japanese rider to 97 for his time in the country so far.
Next Sunday sees the Juvenile highlight of the year, the Breeders’ Cup race at Seoul
After fifteen long months in the Korean racing wilderness, Queen’s Blade, the 2014 Korean Derby and Oaks winning filly, was back in the winner’s circle at Seoul Racecourse this afternoon having triumphed in the Jeju Governor’s Cup.
Queen’s Blade in the Jeju Governor’s Cup winner’s circle
Being sent to the USA is generally a career death-knell for a Korean racehorse with connections understandably taking advantage of the inexplicably generous subsidy available for running a Korean Group race winner in the States (you have to do it three times and one of them must be a Stakes race) only when they feel their horse isn’t going to win an equivalent amount at home anymore.
And while Queen’s Blade, unlike another Derby winning filly Speedy First, was at least sound, she wasn’t in race shape in America and duly met with the now familiar humiliation that greets participants in this program. Home, retirement and the breeding shed seemed to await, not the racecourse.
This filly was a little different though and after the three-month spell on the farm that she was long overdue, she returned to work last month, flying through a barrier trial and found herself in the starting gate today.
True, this was not the toughest assignment first up with race-watchers here scratching their heads trying to recall a weaker looking Stakes race which had no upper class or rating limit on its entrants. They put on a decent show though and under a characteristically skilful ride from Japanese jockey Ikuyasu Kurakane, Queen’s Blade battled hard to earn victory by a neck.
Queen’s Blade was always handy and while she and stablemate Bukbeol Sinhwa (a full sister to President’s Cup winner Triple Nine) stayed on, the rest of the early front-runners would fade in the closing stages and it was left to closers Pinot Noir and Meni Money to get the closest to the winner with Pinot Noir, an 18/1 chance, just running out of track in the end.
Queen’s Blade is a half sister to 2008 Korean Oaks winner Jeolho Chance and was recording her first victory since her own Oaks success last August. It was her 8th career win in total from sixteen (Korean) starts. For jockey Ikuyasu Kurakane it was a third Korean Stakes race win while for trainer Kim Young Kwan it was business as usual in the biggest races.
Jeju Governor’s Cup (KOR G3) – Seoul Racecourse – 1400M – November 15, 2015
1. Queen’s Blade (KOR) [Menifee – Harboring (Boston Harbor)] – Ikuyasu Kurakane – 2.9, 1.6 2. Pinot Noir (KOR) [Capital Spending – Neungnyeokchungman (Pacificbounty)] – Park Eul Woon – 2.9 3. Meni Money (KOR) [Menifee – Pocketful Of Money (Running Stag)] – Seo Seung Un – 1.7 Distances: Neck/2 lengths Also Ran: 4. Bukbeol Sinhwa 5. X File 6. Smart Time 7. Winner’s Marine 8. Indian Star 9. Hwanggembitjijung 10. Jokwang 11. Jibong Sarang 12. Appealing Star 13. Space Shuttle 14. Chongal Gongju 15. Blue Guardian 16. Geumbit Hwanhui
Cinderella Man charged back into the winner’s circle at Seoul while Bold Kings maintained his 100% record at Busan as the pair emerged victorious from Sunday’s two Grand Prix Stakes trials.
Cinderella Man had run just twice in the capital since his ownership transferred from Pegasus Stables to Ruairi O’Coilean and he joined the stable of Seoul’s fast emerging trainer Lee Shin Young. The first of those was the KRA Cup Classic when questionable riding tactics scuppered his chances but he looked sharp when running 2nd last month over 2000M
He had to battle on Sunday when racing over the Grand Prix distance for the first time but once he had finally managed to get past long time leader Hwanggeum Tap in the final furlong, Cinderella Man ran on for victory by just over a length under champion jockey Moon Se Young. It was Cinderella Man’s 10th win from 17 career starts.
Class 1 Handicap – Seoul Racecourse – 2300M – Nov 9, 2015
1. Cinderella Man (KOR) [Southern Image – Tiza Fast Kat (Tiznow)] – Moon Se Young – 2.7, 1.3 2. Hwanggeum Tap (USA) [Tiz Wonderful – La Tulipe (Silver Deputy)] – Lee Sang Hyeok – 3.4 3. Winning Andy (USA) [Cowboy Cal – Belvedere Miss (Pleasant Colony)] – Djordje Perovic – 1.5 Distances: 1.5 lengths/1.5 lengths – 9 ran
At Busan, three-year-old US import Bold Kings confirmed his status as one of the hottest emerging talents in Korean racing. He too had to battle in the 2200M class 1 event but under Jo Sung Gon, he finally got the better of Goji Jeongbeol by a head after the two dueled for the final furlong. Bold Kings is now six for six.
The Grand Prix at Seoul next month would be a big ask for both of them. Bold Kings is three, has only run six times and is yet to travel to race. Cinderella Man, while reasonably conservatively campaigned this year (he has run eight times) did suffer setbacks over the summer. Their presence though would be a huge boost for the race.
Class 1 Handicap – Busan Racecourse – 2200M – Nov 8, 2015
1. Bold Kings (USA) [Afleet Express – Bold Arrival (Gilded Time)] – Jo Sung Gon – 2.5, 1.3 2. Goji Jeongbeol (USA) [Congrats – I Love CIndy (Adonis)] – Ikuyasu Kurakane – 1.5 3. Gandai (KOR) [ Don’t Get Mad – Gamble To Victory (Prospector’s Gamble)] – Song Keong Yun – 2.7 Distances: Head / 2.5 lengths – 8 ran
Bold Kings was ridden for the first time by Jo Sung Gon as regular rider Kim Yong Geun was riding Nobody Catch Me for Kim Young Kwan. It may be a good thing that he won’t be going to the Tokyo Daishoten and he probably won’t be going to the Grand Prix either as he faded to a well-beaten 6th having shown prominently early in the race.
Trainer Kim will still have plenty of options for the season-ending showpiece – which once again will be available to European punters through the PMU – with three-year-olds Rock Band and Triple Nine among them.
On a weekend when it rained practically non-stop and the track at times resembled more a rowing lake than a racecourse, the pari-mutuel system decided that it was as wet and fed-up as everybody else and packed up immediate following race 3 at Seoul. It was a good 40 minutes before it could be coaxed into life again and that meant the abandonment of race 4. It’s not the first time it’s happened.
Jockey of the weekend was once more Djordje Perovic who rode another treble on Saturday and a further winner on Sunday. Jockey of the weekend wasn’t Nicola Pinna who while finally making his debut on Saturday, had to get off two later mounts – one of which Perovic won on.
Jockey of the weekend wasn’t Kim Hye Sun either. She will be having nightmares over getting Saetbyeori beaten in Saturday’s race 4 when the race looked won. While it looked to be a total brain freeze rather than anything nefarious (the Stewards adjourned their inquiry), the punters who backed the 10/1 shot won’t have been amused. However, those who were on the favourite that Kim failed to notice closing on her inside until it was too late, wouldn’t have minded at all. The usually reliable Kim was much more vigilant on Sunday with a very good ride on 38/1 shot Beongae Power, who she coaxed home when looking about to be beaten.
In other jockey news, Japanese rider Makoto Okabe debuted at Busan with seven rides across the weekend. He didn’t manage to get a winner but did land two 2nd places and one 3rd. Pasquale Borelli, Ikuyasu Kurakane and Masa Tanaka all did manage to find their way into the winner’s circle though.
Heba was the runaway winner of the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup at Busan Racecourse this afternoon. In the process she became the overall winner of the Queens’ Tour series of races and was crowned champion filly or mare of 2015.
Having finished in 5th place behind Japanese visitor Esmeraldina in the opening leg of the tour, 1400M Ttukseom Cup at Seoul in June and then winning the second leg, the KNN Cup at Busan in September, Heba was always going to be in pole position to claim the overall title and was duly sent off as a warm favourite today.
And once they got to the business end of the race, nothing looked like beating the favourite. As expected, the Korean Oaks winner Jangpung Parang made the early running along with Seoul-based filly and TJK Trophy winner Silver Wolf. Under Song Keong Yun, Heba, also as expected, sat comfortably behind them.
Making the long turn for home, Song brought Heba to the front and the pair of them never looked like being caught. They raced on for a four-length win on the line from Ms. Margaux with YTN Cup winner Areumdaundonghaeng Seoul’s best finisher in 3rd.
Heba is a five-year-old mare who this year has really come into her own. She was 3rd in the Busan Mayor’s Cup in July, behind last year’s Queens’ Tour champion Gamdonguibada. She finished 5th behind New York Blue in a handicap in August and it was New York Blue, who was 2nd in the Ttukseom Cup, who was sent off the odds-on favourite in the KNN. She met with interference and lost her jockey.
That’s racing though and Heba took full advantage to record her 8th career win that day and then today her 9th.
Despite the breeding bonus available to fillies or mares who win the Queens’ Tour, Gamdonguibada raced on having won it last year.
As for the others, Peter Wolsley’s Ms. Margaux ran a huge race in 2nd – a position she seems to love having been runner-up or 3rd on 15 of her 21 starts. Areumdaundonghaeng proved her YTN Cup win in the summer was no fluke while Jangpung Parang ran on well for 4th. 2nd favourite Bichui Jeongsang was perhaps a touch disappointing though in 6th.
And none of them could get close to Heba.
Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup (KG3) – Busan Racecourse – 2000M – Nov 1, 2015
Given that this coming weekend’s cards are already out – at least those for Busan – this is rather late but there were a few notable things that happened last weekend.
Doraon Hyeonpyo, seen here winning last year’s Breeders’ Cup, got back to winning ways last weekend (Pic: KRA)
Spring Gnarly suffered his first bleeding attack when sent off as odds-on favourite for Sunday’s feature race at Busan. The US bred five-year-old had won nine of his previous fifteen starts and was 2nd in this summer’s Busan Mayor’s Cup but fell out of contention rounding the home turn and while he actually completed the race at a canter, jockey Kim Yong Geun opted not to push him. Aussie-bred Cheonji Bulpae won the race, his first win since March 2014.
Right now, you’ll not get up on the rail at Busan. For the past few weeks it has been noticeable that winner after winner has been coming home in the centre of the track while those on the rail have ended up going backwards. It’s happened to several well-fancied horses including odds-on favourite My Blade on Sunday afternoon. The reason is that the sand is much deeper on the rail than in the centre at the moment and until that’s sorted – and it needs to be – it looks set to continue.
Doraon Hyeonpyo, last year’s Champion Juvenile, couldn’t quite cut it in the Triple Crown races this year but he bounced back to form at Busan last Friday winning a class 2 race over 1900M. Jockey Choi Si Dae made sure to bring him to the middle of the track (of course) as they entered the home straight and the three-year-old cruised away for a 6-length win. Doraon Hyeonpyo will be racing at class 1 next time.
Already at class 1 in Seoul is another Korean Derby also-ran, New White Socks. However, the three-year-old, who looks practically unbeatable up to 1700M, yet again was found wanting over 1800M. Sent off as the odds-on favourite for Sunday’s feature race, New White Socks led into the closing stages only to be overhauled close to the line by Nulpurunchongnyong. It was a third consecutive 2nd place for New White Socks at the distance.
Riding Nulpurunchongnyong was Yuri Takahashi with the Japanese jockey continuing his excellent recent run of form with a double on Sunday. That took Takahashi’s total number of winners to 15 since joining a couple of months ago. A new Italian jockey is set to join Seoul from November 1.
This coming Sunday sees the final leg of the Queens’ Tour, the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup, take place at Busan. We will have a full preview on Saturday.
Horse Racing in Korea 