Juveniles take centre-stage this coming weekend with the Gwacheon Mayor’s Cup at Seoul on Saturday and the Gyeongnam Sinmun Cup at Busan on Sunday serving as the two-year-old Championship races for their respective tracks. Both are prep races for the Breeders’ Cup, which will be run at Seoul at the end of November, to decide the nation’s top juvenile.
Look at the ponies! The big ammunition was rolled out for the National Assembly visit on Monday (Pic: Agrinet)
Off the track, some might say it has already been a week for juveniles with the annual National Assembly audit of the Korea Racing Authority taking place on Monday (as an offshoot of the Agriculture Ministry, the KRA receives a yearly inspection). As ever, it provided a mild dose of entertainment but little substance related to racing.
It’s a holiday weekend in Korea and with Busan Racecourse celebrating its 10th anniversary and Seoul Racecourse hosting a three day music festival after racing each day, there should be some big crowds in.
Italian jockey Pasquale Borelli makes his Busan debut on Friday. Across the weekend he has a total of 11 rides.
Favourite Cheonnyeon Dongan raced to her second NACF Chairman’s Trophy at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday but it is likely to have been the last time we see the mare in action on the track as she suffered a breakdown on being pulled up.
Cheonnyeon Dongan and Lee Chan Ho win the NACF Chairman’s Race (Pic: KRA)
There was little indication in the race that anything was amiss with Cheonnyeon Dongan trading the lead with 25/1 shot Beaux Arts before taking things up for good in the home straight and outsprinting Korean Oaks runner-up Meni Money for victory by just under a length on the line.
It wasn’t until a full furlong after the line that the winner stumbled, dumping jockey Lee Chan Ho out of the saddle and onto the track. She was quickly attended to but x-rays revealed a fracture of both proximal sesamoid bones of her left foreleg. Surgery will attempt to save her for a breeding career.
Cheonnyeon Dongan was a late starting two-year-old in 2012 but had shown sufficient promise in her early races to be sent to the KRA Cup Mile, the first leg of the Triple Crown, the following Spring. That didn’t go well but a 4th place in the Korean Oaks marked her out as one of the top fillies of her crop. She confirmed that with victories in the Donga-Ilbo Cup and then her first NACF Trophy in the autumn.
2014 would see two Class 1 wins and four 2nd places among seven starts for the year. This season as a five-year-old, she won her second Donga-Ilbo Trophy and added a 2nd place in the Sports Seoul Trophy before her final victory this past weekend, her 11th from a total of 26 career races.
NACF Chairman’s Trophy – Seoul Racecourse – 1200M – October 4, 2015
1. Cheonnyeon Dongan (KOR) [Ecton Park – Honeycakes (Hennessey)] – Lee Chan Ho – 2.5, 1.3 2. Meni Money (KOR) [Menifee – Pocketful Of Money (Running Stag)] – Seo Seung Un – 1.4 3. Shine Clover (KOR) [Revere – Prairie Township (Smarty Jones)] – Kim Dong Soo – 15.6 Distances: 0.75 lengths/1.75 lengths – 13 ran
With Cheonnyeon Dongan’s long-time rival Joy Lucky disappointing once more after being sent off as 2nd-favourite it looks as though there is a changing of the guard among the distaff ranks at Seoul. Meni Money perhaps hasn’t quite lived up to her early potential just yet but still looks to have plenty more in her while the lowest rated filly in the race, Shine Clover pulled off a shock 3rd place.
Shine Clover, the second foal out of the Smarty Jones mare Prairie Township, has won just once from ten career starts but has only been out of the money once.
This coming week, attention turns to the 2-year-olds with Juvenile Championship races at both Seoul and Busan in preparation for the Breeders’ Cup race at the end of November.
Heba ran off with a three-length win in the KNN Cup, the second leg of the 2015 Queens Tour at Busan Racecourse this afternoon. However, that came after You Hyun Myung, on hot favourite New York Blue, was one of two riders unseated midway through the race.
The incident came as the field began the long turn for home. Winner’s Marine, under Ikuyasu Kurakane shifted in slightly causing Heba to check and clip heels with New York Blue, resulting in jockey You going over the top. Lee Hyeok would also be unseated from Who’s Perfect. Lee was relatively unharmed, however, You was taken to hospital with leg and back injuries.
Heba comfortably beat the rest of the field with Seoul visitor Hay Queen running second and Korean Oaks winner Jangpung Parang taking third. Winner’s Marine, who came home in fifth place was disqualified with jockey Kurakane receiving a four-day ban.
A five-year-old mare, Heba was third in this year’s Busan Mayor’s Cup and today recorded her 8th career win from 34 lifetime starts.
KNN Cup – Busan Racecourse – 1600M – September 20, 2015
1. Heba (USA) [Peace Rules – Sue’s Temper (Temperence Hill)] – Song Keong Yun – 15.7, 2.1 2. Hay Queen (USA) [Hold Me Back – Jack’s Touch (Touch Gold)] – Seo Seung Un – 4.0 3. Jangpung Parang (KOR) [Creek Cat – Ascend The Throne (Silver Charm)] – Kim Yong Geun – 2.2 Distances: 3 lengths / 3 lengths Also Ran: 4. Super Surf (USA) 5. Halla Chukje (USA) 6. Ms. Margaux (USA) 7. Bear Queen Trophy (USA) 8. Seungbu Sinhwa (USA) 9. Hwanggeumbitjijunghae (KOR) 10. Nauryz (USA) DNF: New York Blue (USA) Who’s Perfect (USA) DQ: Winner’s Marine
In what turned out to be a repeat of the Minister’s Cup, Rock Band led home stablemate Triple Nine and Korean Derby winner Yeongcheon Ace to score a commanding victory in the Owners’ Cup at Busan on Sunday afternoon.
Rock Band wins the Minister’s Cup (Pic: Hiromi Kobayashi)
In the final leg of the Triple Crown at Seoul in July, Triple Nine had been sent off as the odds-on favourite with Rock Band fourth in the market. With Triple Nine, 2nd in the Derby and the Minister’s Cup, having finally got a Stakes race win in the Gyeongnam Do-Min Ilbo Cup in August, he was favourite again ahead of Success Story and with Rock Band third choice.
Rock Band in the Owners’ Cup winner’s circle (Pic: Hiromi Kobayashi)
Once more, Rock Band made a mockery of that. Success Story, showed the way early on but Rock Band was always very handy and took things up entering the home straight. From then on the result was never in doubt.
Under jockey Kim Yong Geun, Rock Band ran on to win by just under two lengths with Triple Nine and Yeongcheon Ace chasing him home to complete an identical 1-2-3 to that in Seoul in July.
Jockey, Trainer and Breeder (Pic: Hiromi Kobayashi)
It was Rock Band’s 6th win from 7 career starts, his only defeat coming when he got a dreadful trip in his first try around two-turns in June.
A full-brother of Indie Band, the 2013 President’s Cup and Grand Prix Stakes winner, Rock Band didn’t race as a 2-year-old but now looks the pick of his crop. Hopefully, he will return to Seoul to attempt to emulate big brother in the President’s Cup later this autumn.
It was another solid performance by Triple Nine in 2nd. He has now raced 10 times with 6 wins and 4 second places. He too is trained by Kim Young Kwan, Busan’s top trainer and just like the winner, is by Ecton Park. The 1-2 was another triumph for Isidore Farm, where Ecton Park stands
Owners’ Cup – Busan Racecourse – 1600M – September 6, 2015
1. Rock Band (KOR) [Ecton Park – Plie (Dixieland Band)] – Kim Yong Geun – 6.4, 3.1 2. Triple Nine (KOR) [Ecton Park – A Little Poke (Pleasant Tap)] – Lim Sung Sil – 1.5 3. Yeongcheon Ace (KOR) [Menifee – Dixie Avenger (Dixie Union)] – Choi Si Dae Distances: 1.75 lengths/3 lengths Also Ran: 4. Ildeung Hanghaesa 5. Doraon Hyeonpyo 6. Success Story 7. Gumpo Sky
* Elsewhere over the weekend, the Seoul Racecourse track-record for 1700M fell for the third time this year. The capital’s track – quicker than ever in recent months – was racing extremely fast following a storm on Saturday morning. Perfect Clone (Exploit), having broker the Korean-bred record for five furlongs earlier in the day before Special Joy (Kitten’s Joy), under Djordje Perovic, took a second off the previous best set by New White Socks in July, in winning the 1700M race 9
Choegang Schiller strode into the history books at Seoul Racecourse this afternoon, becoming the first ever home-trained winner of the Asia Challenge Cup.
Choegang Schiller and Lee Chan Ho win the Asia Challenge Cup (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Defending champion El Padrino of Singapore put up a valiant effort but he was left with just too much to do as under jockey Lee Chan Ho, Choegang Schiller stole a march on the field entering the home straight and ran on to record a track record time for the distance, beating the Champion by two lengths.
El Padrino chased the winner home in second while Cheon Gu, who had gone all out in the early stages in the KRA Trophy at Kranji last month, this time stayed for 3rd.
SBS Asia Challenge Cup – Seoul Racecourse – 1200M – August 30, 2015
1. Choegang Schiller (USA) [Artie Schiller – Changeable (Miswaki)] – Lee Chan Ho – 3.5, 1.4 2. El Padrino (NZ) [Mr. Nancho – Crownie (Luskin Star)] – Oscar Chavez – 1.2 3. Cheon Gu (USA) [Old Fashioned – So Much Fun (Speightstown)] – Yoo Seung Wan – 3.8 Distances: 2 lengths / 1.75 lengths Also Ran: 4. Gabo Myeongun (USA) 5. Kogyo Douglas (JPN) 6. Super Gangja (USA) 7. Wonder Bolt (USA) 8. Valevole (BRZ) 9. Taisei Legend (JPN) 10. Happy Money (AUS) 11. Geumbit Hwanhui
Plenty more pictures to follow over the coming days.
Kim Dong Soo took the top prize in the 7th Asian Young Guns Jockey Challenge, riding winners in two of the four rounds at Seoul Racecourse on Saturday afternoon.
Kim Dong Soo atthe Asian Young Guns Ceremony (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Always expected to win the first leg having drawn the plum ride on Nabom, Korean apprentice Kim added another win in round 3 on Ganginhae to take an unassailable lead going into the Singapore Turf Club Trophy. In that race, he would extend his lead by partnering Gasok Bisang to 2nd place behind Hong Kong’s Jack Wong on Yeondu.
Kim Dong Soo wins round 1 on Nabom (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Round 1: Class 4 / 1000M / Handicap 1. Nabom – Kim Dong Soo (Korea) 2. Muhandoma – Jack Wong (Hong Kong) 3. Strong Winner – Jye McNeil (Australia) Distances: 6 lengths / 1.34 lengths – 10 ran
Macau’s Choi Yee Mo would take the second leg of the challenge, swooping home wide and late on Hwanggeum Sesang. It would, however, be Choi’s last mount of the day as he was stood down with exhaustion after the race.
Choi Yee Mo returns to scale having won Round 2 on Hwanggeum Sesang (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Round 2: Class 4 / 1400M / Handicap 1. Hwanggeum Sesang – Choi Yee MO (Macau) 2. Giant Hold – Cho Han Byeol 3. Power Symphony – See Zhi Yong (Singapore) Distances: 4 lengths/ 0.75 lengths – 14 ran
With Choi unfortunately retired, the challenge was Kim’s to lose and he made sure of victory with a round to spare, guiding 7/1 chance Ganginhae to a four-length triumph.
Kim Dong Soo returns victorious on Ganginhae (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Round 3: Class 5 / 1200M / Handicap 1. Ganginhae – Kim Dong Soo (Korea) 2. Eutteum Wangja – Tsubasa Sasagawa (Japan) 3. Seoho Arari – Song Jae Chul Distances: 4 lengths / Neck – 11 ran
The challenge may have bee over as a contest but there was still the most valuable race of the four to come in the shape of the Singapore Turf Club Trophy. And remarkably, the in-form Kim Dong Soo came close in that too, partnering 70/1 shot Gasok Bisang to an improbable 2nd place.
He could, however, only get within two lengths of the winner, Yeondu, who was ridden by Hong Kong’s Jack Wong.
Hong Kong’s Jack Wong wins the Singapore Turf Club Trophy on Yeondu (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Round 4: The Singapore Turf Club Trophy / 1400M / Class Open 1. Yeondu – Jack Wong (Singapore) 2. Gasok Bisang – Kim Dong Soo (Korea) 3. Nuri Narae – Jye McNeil (Australia) Distances: 2.5 lengths/4 lengths – 13 ran
Kim Dong Soo is presented with…something (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Kim Dong Soo was the overall winner, ahead of Hong Kong’s Jack Wong and Australia’s Jye McNeil.
There were two hot favourites for the two big races in Korea on Sunday afternoon and they met with contrasting fortunes with just the one coming home victorious.
That was Gumpo Sky. 2nd in the Minister’s Cup, the final leg of the Korean Triple crown last year and also 2nd in the Gyeongnam Do-Min Ilbo, this time the 4-year-old made no mistake in a Stakes race as he led home a small field of five rivals by half a length in the Busan Ilbo Cup.
Busan Ilbo Cup – Busan Racecourse – 2000M – August 16, 2015
At Seoul it was a different story for Brig in the Sports Chosun Cup. The even-money favourite faltered when exiting the gate and although he recovered to look right in contention turning for him, he had nothing left in the home straight and faded to last.
That left 20/1 shot Sotong Sidae to get the best of a tight finish, flying home from last to first in the home straight under Park Byeong Yun to win by half a length from the mare Cheonnyeon Dongan. It was the 4-year-old gelding’s 7th career win from 27 starts but his 6th from his past 10.
Sports Chosun Cup – Seoul Racecourse – 2000M – August 16, 2015
Power City beat out New White Socks in a final furlong duel in the Ilgan Sports Cup at Seoul while things were a little more straightforward for Triple Nine in the Gyeongnam Domin Ilbo Cup at Busan, both races intended as trials for next month’s Busan Owners’ Cup.
In the capital, New White Socks, who had broken the 1700M track record on each of his last two starts, was sent off as the favourite. The grey led from the gate but was reeled in and eventually passed in touching distance of the line by Power City, who powered home down the outside under veteran jockey Park Tae Jong.
For Power City (Archer City Slew), it was an 8th win from 14 career starts. He and New White Socks (Secret Weapon) finished a full ten lengths clear of 3rd placed Bujeon Jajeon (J.S. Hold). That order allowed the rare case of two of the three place-getters in a big race as being by sires who raced in Korea.
Ilgan Sports Cup – Seoul Racecourse – 1800M – August 9, 2015
1. Power City (KOR) [Archer City Slew – Power Bull (Holy Bull)] – Park Tae Jong – 4.1, 1.7 2. New White Socks (KOR) [Secret Weapon – Wonder Queen (Canadian Silver)] – Moon Se Young – 1.3 3. Bujeon Jajeon (KOR) [J.S. Hold – Michel With One L (Pacific Waves)] – Shin Hyung Chul Distances: Neck/10 lengths Also Ran: 4. Last Mudae (KOR) 5. Meni Money (KOR) 6. Citadel (KOR) 7. Mahanaim (KOR)
At Busan, Triple Nine, 2nd in both the Korean Derby and the Minister’s Cup, was sent off as the overwhelming favourite for the Gyeongnam DoMinIlbo Cup. And he didn’t disappoint this time, cruising to a four-length win.
High Five was 2nd with Oaks winner Jangpung Parang coming home in 3rd having led for much of the race.
Gyeongnam Domin Ilbo Cup – Busan Racecourse – 1600M – August 9, 2015
1. Triple Nine (KOR) [Ecton Park – A Little Poke (Pleasant Tap)] – Lim Sung Sil – 1.3, 1.0 2. High Five (KOR) [Creek Cat – Nam’s Gulch (Gulch)] – Jo Sung Gon – 1.8 3. Jangpung Parang (KOR) [Creek Cat – Ascend The Throne (Silver Charm)] – Kim Yong Geun – 1.4 Distances: 4 lengths/1.5 lengths Also Ran: 4. Winner’s Marine (KOR) 5. Mac And Cheese (KOR) 6. Royal Impact (KOR) 7. Major Star (KOR) 8. Sinsegye (KOR)
In other races across the weekend, New York Blue (Candy Ride) was an impressive winner of the class 1 feature at Busan on Friday while Saturday’s main event at Seoul saw a 5th career win for US import Clean Up Joy (Purge).
Irish trainer Thomas Gillespie continued his very solid start in Korea with one of his four runners at Busan on Friday coming home a winner, Joiner Captain (Ecton Park) taking race 7 Under Ikuyasu Kurakane. At Seoul, Serbian jockey Djordje Perovic reached 20 Korean winners with a double on Saturday.
It was a good day for much of the overseas contingent at Busan. So good, it’s hard to know where to start.
Let’s start with the newcomer. Thomas Gillespie joined the training ranks at the south-coast track in June and has put together a string numbering 23 in total. Today he sent out his first runner. Indeed, Mangang (Creek Cat), who was returning from 10 months away from the track, was to be his only runner all weekend. Punters spotted it a mile off and duly sent Mangang off as the favourite.
Under Masa Tanaka, Mangang duly obliged but it was very tight with the gelding just getting up to overcome Pico Taeyang and hold off the fast finishing Big Echo by a neck on the line. May it be the first of many for Gillespie but it wouldn’t be the only close finish of the day.
Gillespie joins two other foreign trainers at Busan. Peter Wolsley evidently took the day off but South African Bart Rice was in fine form. Rice only sent out four horses all day but three of them returned winners. 10/1 shot Gold Bank (Bernstein) crept down the rail under Masa Tanaka to win race 11 before You Hyun Myung guided favourite Captainiji (Mineshaft) to the honours in race 13.
It was quite a bizarre ending to the race with jockey You taking Captainiji down the rail – which had been the place to be all day – while his closest rival Last Ticket shifted well wide only to fly home and be beaten a neck on the line. It was Captainiji’s second consecutive win over 1800M. Rice wasn’t done. Race 14 saw his Alpha Plus (Biwa Shinseiki) get sent off at 8/1 but in the hands of Masa Tanaka, he defied those odds to land a comfortable 5-length triumph.
Bart Rice has now seen six of his last ten runners return home as winners. Since he started in Korea, his win strike rate is 18%; 27% of his runners have finished in the top two while he has managed to get 33% to show. He is currently 14th of 33 trainers in the 2015 Championship in terms of winners but has sent out significantly fewer runners than any other trainer on the list. Except Thomas Gillespie.
It is this care for his runners – that he sends them out only when they are right – that has made Rice the trainer of choice for some of the new foreign owners at Busan. Dr. Joe Dallao, the first foreign owner to be licensed, has two with him and he in turn introduced Barry Irwin, head of Team Valor (owner of 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom), who has sent his gelding Swoop to Bart’s barn.
It’s time to talk about Masa Tanaka. In between getting Mangang home for Thomas Gillespie and his double for Bart Rice, the Japanese rider also had time to get the best of a desperately close finish to race 4 on Grageo (Biwa Shinseiki). He coaxed the 8/1 chance into beating the favourite Seorabeol Gongju by a nose on the line and it was one of those instances where the jockey made the difference.
Masa Tanaka (Pic: Busan Ilbo)
It was Grageo’s second win. His first was on his racecourse debut back last Boxing Day when he was ridden by Tanaka’s Japanese compatriot Joe Fujii. Fujii won just about every big race during his time in Korea while Tanaka is yet to win a Stakes but that doesn’t tell the whole story. He’s now racking up the numbers and with his four victories today moves onto 84 Korean winners and his stated aim of reaching 100 will surely be a formality.
Tanaka is a very good judge of pace who gets his mounts into exactly the right positions and given the right ride in a big race, there is no doubt that he will get the job done. Held in high esteem among punters and connections alike, it’s hoped he will be here for a long time to come and will soon reset his ambition to 200 winners.
On the subject of getting the job done, we turn to Ikuyasu Kurakane. The Seoul Racecourse “MVP” of 2014, despite not winning the Jockey Championship (for a foreigner at Seoul that is an immense achievement), returned to Korea last week after five months riding at his home track of Kochi in Japan. It didn’t take him long to get back in the winner’s circle as he partnered Rising Bravo (Discreet Cat) to victory in race 6. The “Punter’s Friend” is back.
Peter Hill’s Pegasus Stables on Jeju Island has been a big supporter of Bart Rice and has also sent some horses to Thomas Gillespie (and previously to Peter Wolsley too) and to round out a good day for the foreign influence, the Pegasus owned Binggoragio (Blazonry) was the 20/1 winner of the final event on a long day, race 15.
All in all it was a cracking day’s sport at Busan. The foreign influence; the South African track riders, the trainers and the jockeys have played an important role in making Busan far superior to Seoul when the two tracks race their horses against each other. 32,000 punters were at Seoul today to bet solely on Busan. In Gillespie, Rice, Tanaka and Kurakane, they were betting on quality.
Rock Band led from gate-to-wire to win the Minister’s Cup at Seoul Racecourse this afternoon, holding off Triple Nine who had to settle for 2nd in his second consecutive Classic race.
The Rock Band/Triple Nine 1-2 was a remarkable achieivement for Isildore Farm, who bred the pair of them and also – although we have come to expect it by now – for trainer Kim Young Kwan.
Rock Band was sent off as the 4th fvourite in the betting in a field that was depleted in terms of numbers by the scratchings of Daegunhwang and Bulpae Line. Last time he faced such a small field, Rock Band got stuck in traffic and suffered his only loss to date. This time, jockey Kim Yong Geun decided to take the race by the scruff of the neck and lead from the gate.
Derby winner Yeongcheon Ace was slow to settle in the early stages but went with the leader as did Triple Nine, who began the race as favorite, and KRA Cup Mile winner Rafale. It was a lead Rock Band would never relinquish. Triple Nine lost some ground beginning the long turn for home and that would prove crucial as Rock Band had enough in hand to hold off his late charge and take victory by half a length on the line.
Yeongcheon Ace battled on for 3rd while Doraon Hyeonpyo, last year’s champion juvenile, got up for 4th ahead of a tiring Rafale.
For jockey Kim Yong Geun, it was a 2nd Classic of the year after winning the Korean Oaks on Jangpung Parang, also for trainer Kim Young Kwan, at Busan last month.
Minister’s Cup (KOR G2) – Seoul Racecourse – 2000M – July 19, 2015
1. Rock Band (KOR) [Ecton Park -Plie (Dixieland Band)] – Kim Yong Geun – 8.6, 3.4 2. Triple Nine (KOR) [Ecton Park – A Little Poke (Pleasant Tap)] – Lim Sung Sil – 1.3 3. Yeongcheon Ace (KOR) [Menifee – Dixie Avenger (Dixie Union)] – Choi Si Dae – 1.5 Distances: 0.5 lengths/2.5 lengths Also ran: 4. Doraon Hyeonpyo (KOR) 5. Rafale (KOR) 6. Seonbong (KOR) 7. Yuseong Fighting (KOR) NR. Daegunhwang (KOR) NR. Bulpae Line (KOR)
Rock Band is the full-brother to Indie Band, another product of Isildore. Indie Band won the 2013 President’s Cup and Grand Prix Stakes but has been sidelined for the past year. The younger brother never raced as a 2-year-old and today was only his 6th career start. There could be much more to come from him.
Next week, Busan takes its summer vacation but there will be plenty of action at Seoul. Trainer Kim Young Kwan will be in Singapore to saddle Gamdonguibada and Nobody Catch Me in the KRA Trophy at Kranji. He’ll not be training a 1-2 finish there. Today though, Rock Band was throroughly on song.
Horse Racing in Korea 