Racing Reviews

Jangpung Parang Makes All To Dominate Korean Oaks

Jangpung Parang led out of the gate and all the way around to dominate the 16th running of the Korean Oaks at Busan Racecourse this afternoon.

As expected there were plenty who were looking to get towards the front early but Kim Yong Geun got Jangpung Parang, who was sent off as fourth-favourite, away well to lead into the first turn with Queen Two Hearts and Dangdae Cheonha in close attendance.

That is how it would remain until the field turned for home. Dangdae Cheonha faded away while favourite Meni Money came through with her expected late run. It was to no avail though as Jangpung Parang had already kicked on to an unassailable lead, giving jockey Kim the luxury of easing slightly as they approached the line. Meni Money would get to within five lengths with Queen Two Hearts a further couple behind.

Hot Commend closed strongly to claim 4th place with Smart Time claiming the final prize-money spot in 5th. Outsider Purple Ocean was 6th while the well-fancied Jibong Sarang was the disappointment of the race in 7th.

It was a third consecutive Oaks win for trainer Kim Young Kwan following Speedy First in 2013 and Queen’s Blade last year. Jockey Kim Yong Geun also partnered Queen’s Blade and was winning his second Oaks.

Jangpung Parang is by Creek Cat, who passed away in 2012. It broke Menifee’s four-year winning streak in the event. She is out of the Canadian-bred mare Ascend The Throne (Silver Charm) who was unraced and was purchased for $30,000 at Keeneland in November 2007.

As for Seoul, while Sports Seoul Trophy winner Meni Money was sent off the slight favorite, her 2nd place was creditable while Smart Time also ran well for 5th. The capital desperately needs to get a big race win over Busan but today once more, it was not to be.

It wasn’t quite the fairytale ending to his Korean-career for Joe Fujii. Dangdae Cheonha showed towards the front early but faded to last in the home-straight. Masa Tanaka and Nobuyuki Oyama though guided the unfancied pair of Hot Commend and Purple Ocean to 4th and 6th respectively.

The Oaks was run two months earlier this year in order to fit in to a new compressed Triple Crown schedule. That means the final leg, with the colts involved once more, is less than a month away. Janpung Parang will almost certainly stay the 2000M should connections choose to bring her up to Seoul for the Minister’s Cup next month.

Korean Oaks (KOR G2) – Busan Racecourse – 1800M – June 21, 2015

1. Jangpung Parang (KOR) [Creek Cat – Ascend The Throne (Silver Charm)] – Kim Yong Geun – 5.9, 2.0
2. Meni Money (KOR) [Menifee – Pocketful Of Money (Running Stag)] – Seo Seung Un – 1.3
3. Queen Two Hearts (KOR) [Menifee – Ghostly Gal (Silver Ghost)] – Jo Sung Gon – 1.5
Distances: 5 lengths / 2.5 lengths. Winning Time: 1:56.5

Also Ran: 4. Hot Commend (Masa Tanaka) 5. Smart Time (Ham Wan Sik) 6. Purple Ocean (Nobuyuki Oyama) 7. Jibong Sarang (You Hyun Myung) 8. Queen Creek Cat (Kim Hye Sun) 9. Grace (Kim Dong Young) 10. Dia Girl (Kim Cheol Ho) 11. Dangdae Cheonha (Joe Fujii)

Winning Owner: Lim Chong Jae
Winning Breeder: Jang Kyoung Ae
Winning Traner: Kim Young Kwan

Rock Band Out Of Tune At Busan

Rock Band saw his unbeaten record wither away in the Busan twilight on Friday as the much-vaunted three-year-old crashed to his first defeat on his first try at 1800M.

Rock Band [Ecton Park – Plie (Dixieland Band)] is the full-brother of the 2013 President’s Cup and Grand Prix Stakes winner Indie Band. Unraced as a two-year-old, he debuted in March and before Friday had won each of his four races with ease.

Stepped up to 1800M and also up to class 3, the main danger on Friday was expected to be Yeonggwanguitaepung, who had been so disappointing in the Korean Derby last month. However, with Rock Band sent off the long-odds on favourite, the one they all overlooked was Cheonji Hero (Volponi).

Under You Hyun Myung, 30/1 chance Cheonji Hero made the early running and remarkably would go on to make all. Rock Band on the other hand, found himself caught up first behind the erratically racing Choegang Bulpae and then behind a wall of Yeonggwanguitaepung, Lucky and Sinheung Menifee, the latter two travelling slowly.

By the time jockey Kim Yong Geun had managed to extricate himself, Cheonji Hero – no superstar but no mug – was long gone. Rock Band finished like the KTX to Cheonji Hero’s Mugunghwa but came up three lengths short. He will surely win next time.

Other reputations did emerge intact yesterday. Rock Band’s stable-mate Triple Nine (Ecton Park – A Little Poke) was 2nd in the Korean Derby at Seoul last month and back at his home track he came out in the feature race to record his 5th win from 7 starts. Racing well within himself under jockey Lim Sung Sil, the colt secured a very comfortable three-length victory.

Like Rock Band, Triple Nine is also not one to hit the front too early. Unlike Rock Band he safely managed to navigate a 13-strong field rather than getting lost in traffic among just 6 rivals. Both will be back and both could be present in some of the big Autumn Stakes races.

Classy Perovic Doubles At Seoul

Fresh from his first victory in Korean racing last Sunday, it didn’t take Djordje Perovic very long to strike again, with the Serbian rider landing a double at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

His first victory came in race 1 when he got 8/1 Horuragi home in a final furlong tussle with second-favourite Ison. The two horses were evenly matched but Perovic’s superior skill got his mount to the line in front.

Perovic would show that skill again later on when guiding 40/1 shot My William to an unexpectedly comfortable win in race 7. Connections will be starting to take note.

It is notoriously difficult for foreign riders to get a foot in the door at Seoul, regardless of talent or ability. It takes steely resolve, a thick skin, an open-mind and a lot of perseverance. Perovic got a toe in the door when getting on a spare ride on his first weekend and guiding it to second place. The foot followed last week. Today he started to kick the door down.

It’s still early days and plenty can still go wrong but owners want winners. They wanted Ikuyasu Kurakane in the past and it seems many are going to start to want Djordje Perovic.

* Despite his earlier successes, Perovic was unable to complete a treble in the afternoon’s feature race. That was won by Seoul’s leading jockey Moon Se Young who booted Brig (Menifee) to a comfortable win in the 1800M Class 1 Handicap.

Weekend Race Times

Sandwiched between last week’s Ttukseom Cup and next week’s Korean Oaks, it’s a bit of a low-key weekend but there’s still plenty going on.

March 2 2014

Here’s what’s happening when and where:

Friday June 12
Busan Racecourse: 10 races from 12:50 to 19:00
Jeju Racecourse: 9 races from 13:15 to 17:35

Saturday June 13
Seoul Racecourse: 11 races from 10:50 to 18:00
Jeju Racecourse: 9 races from 12:20 to 17:10

Sunday June 14
Seoul Racecourse:11 races from 10:50 to 18:00
Busan Racecourse: 12:45 to 17:00

Weekend Round-Up: Tanaka Takes Busan Feature / Singgeureounachim Evergreen At Seoul / MERS Hits Legal Betting

Esmeraldina’s Ttukseom Cup win was the top story of the weekend, but there was plenty of other action going on too.

Down at Busan, the feature race of the weekend was somewhat overshadowed by events at Seoul 30 minutes previously but it ended in another Japanese success as Masa Tanaka rode 8/1 shot Ildeung Hanghaesa to victory.

4-year-old Ildeung Hanghaesa (Ecton Park), who beat second-favourite Dynamic Dash by 4-lengths, was winning for the 5th time in total and the first time at class 1. As for Tanaka, the Japanese rider has started a countdown to his 100th Korean winner and is now on 72.

In addition to the Ttukseom Cup, there was class 1 action at Seoul too and it was a return to the winner’s circle for the first time in over a year for one of the stalwarts of the track, Singgeureounachim. The 7-year-old was sent off at odds of 35/1 but under apprentice Kim Dong Soo (which got him a 2kg weight allowance) he ran on for victory by just under a length from joint-favourite Best Run. It was a 10th career win for Singgeureounachim (Exploit) on his 50th career start.

Earlier on Sunday at Seoul, jockey Djordje Perovic, who has impressed a number of observers in his short time here so far, got his first Korean winner.

On a weekend which saw attendance at both KBO baseball and K-League football matches drop by 40% due to public fears over the MERS virus (or as Yonhap News ever so slightly melodramatically put it, South Korea is currently “an ailing nation in the grip of a deadly virus”), it was inevitable that racing was going to suffer too.

As it was, while the infield family park was nearly deserted, betting turnover was also down on Sunday to an average KRW 4.1 Billion per race from KRW 4.4 Billion per race last week. It was the lowest of the year so far. Online betting is illegal in Korea and the legal telephone betting service that was previously offered was forcibly shut down by the government a few years ago.

You have to physically go to the track or an OTB if you want a legal punt. The MERS panic is a demonstration of one of the deficiencies of that policy and no doubt the illegal bookies were cheering it all the way to the bank.

Japan’s Esmeraldina Just Too Good In Ttukseom Cup

Esmeraldina was dominant in winning the 27th Ttukseom Cup for Japan at Seoul Racecourse this afternoon. Under jockey Joe Fujii, the 4-year-old swept to a 3-length in the first leg of the 2015 Queens’ Tour.

Esmeraldina and Joe Fujii return to scale

Esmeraldina and Joe Fujii return to scale

Korean punters sent the sole Japanese raider off as the odds-on favourite. She was the quickest out of the gate to such an extent that it drew admiring gasps from the huge crowd but it would be Fly Top Queen who would quickly come across to take things up.

In the end, this set things up perfectly for Esmeraldina who when Fly Top Queen inevitably faded in the home straight, was left with a clear run for home. A burst of acceleration gave her an unassailable lead by the time they hit the furlong pole and while New York Blue valiantly tried to chase her down, she won by three lengths on the line, pulling ever further clear.

The winning time was just one tenth of a second outside El Padrino’s track record in the Asia Challenge Cup. New York Blue was 3rd that day last August, today once more chasing a visitor, she showed her sprinting class by running 2nd. Bichui Jeongsang got the best of a tight finish for 3rd.

The 27th Ttukseom Cup (KOR G3) – Seoul Racecourse – 1400M – June 7, 2014

1. Esmeraldina (USA) [Harlan’s Holiday – Tasha’s Star (Spanish Steps)] – Kanichiro Fujii – 1.4, 1.1
2. New York Blue (USA) [Candy Ride – Aim For The Moon (Deputy Minister)] – You Hyun Myung – 2.4
3. Bichui Jeongsang (USA) [Wildcat Heir – Persimmon Honey (Colonial Affair)] – Choi Bum Hyun – 2.0
Distances: 3 lengths/5 lengths
Also Ran: 4. My Day (KOR) 5. Heba (USA) 6. Ms. Margaux (USA) 7. Halla Chukje (USA) 8. Cheonnyeon Dongan (KOR) 9. Fly Top Queen (USA) 10. Ua Deungseon (KOR) 11. Golden Lass (KOR) 12. Joy Lucky (KOR)

Esmeraldina is owned by Ms. Kazumi Yoshida, who also owned Testa Matta, who now stands at Nokwon Farm on Jeju Island. She is trained by Makoto Saito out of the Miho Training Centre.

For jockey Joe Fujii, a man who has won the Grand Prix Stakes, the Korean Derby, the Korean Oaks and the Jeju Governor’s Cup this victory today – riding a horse for a Japanese owner and Japanese trainer in Seoul – may well be one of the most significant of his career to date. After the race, he played down his role, putting all the credit on the horse. He still had to do the job though.

Fujii will leave Korea at the end of June to return to Japan and hopefully this win today will go someway to burnishing his reputation in his home country – a place he has never ridden professionally before. Fujii will ride initially in the NAR and will take the JRA exam to try to enter Japan’s elite racing circuit. He has been a true ambassador and has bounced back from both injury and accidental controversy in fine style. Today was a fitting reward.

Esmeraldina and smartly dressed travelling head lad in the winner's circle

Esmeraldina and smartly dressed travelling head lad in the winner’s circle

It was an important day. The Ttukseom Cup race was an international open race, not an invitational meaning that Esmeraldina’s connections paid their way here. There were no gala dinners (although by all accounts, the bars and restaurants of Anyang have been on high alert the past few days) and they didn’t come for the fresh air. They came for business and they came for sport. Their courage paid off.

Where does this leave Korea? Our sprinters are supposed to be our strong point and although there were no stars in the line-up today, being outclassed by a talented but by no means superstar Japanese horse is less a wake-up call than a cacophony of alarm bells.

The next big international weekend in Korea is the final weekend of August. Seoul Racecourse will host the Asia Young Guns Apprentice Jockey Challenge, the Asia Challenge Cup, which will remain an invitational race, plus two more Open races, the KRA Cup Classic and the Singapore Turf Club Trophy. Before that, Korean horses are expected at Kranji in Singapore for the Korea Cup on July 26.

Gumpo Sky Rockets To Down Cinderella Man & Gyeongbudaero

Some of the best horses in training in Korea met at Busan Racecourse yesterday and at the end of 1800M, it was Gumpo Sky who came out on top, having led from gate-to-wire to defeat Cinderella Man and Gyeongbudaero.

It was Gyeongbudaero, President’s Cup and Grand Prix Stakes winner – and also top rated in Korea and top weight in the handicap – who was sent off as slight favourite of seven for the Class 1 race. US import Spring Gnarly was slightly favoured over Cinderella Man for 2nd favourite.

When the race got going, however, it would be the 4th choice in the market, Gumpo Sky, who would go into an early lead. And under jockey Kim Dong Young, it would be one he would never relinquish, running on for victory by just over two lengths.

Cinderella Man, having his first outing under the care of Bart Rice, was a fast finishing 2nd, just edging out Gyeongbudaero who had to settle for 3rd.

With the victory, Gumpo Sky moved onto 8 wins from 21 starts. He’s only failed to make at least the minor prize money on two occasions; his two trips to Seoul last Year for the Korean Derby and the President’s Cup. Cinderella Man will no doubt be back as too will Gyeongbudaero, who may just be feeling the top weight he gets in these handicaps – yesterday he was giving 5.5kg to Gumpo Sky and 5kg to Cinderella Man

Class 1 – Busan Racecourse – 1800M – May 31, 2015

1. Gumpo Sky (KOR) [Vicar – Perfect Storm (Didyme)] – Kim Dong Young – 6.5, 3.4
2. Cinderella Man (KOR) [Southern Image – Tiza Fast Kat (Tiznow)] – Jo Sung Gon – 2.0
3. Gyeongbudaero (KOR) [Menifee – Princess Lanique (Cherokee Run)] – Choi Si Dae – 1.4
Distances: 2.5 lengths/0.75 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Spring Gnarly (USA) 5. Useung Radar (USA) 6. Nobody Catch Me (USA) 7. Ghost Whisper (KOR)

The top-class clash at Busan, despite being a little short on numbers, certainly contrasted with the main event at Seoul. That’s to take nothing away from Chief Red Can (Fantasticat) though, who saw a burst of speed around the home turn take him from 9th to 1st and then storm away from the field to record a nine-length win in the 2000M Class 1 feature under jockey Park Eul Woon.

For some time it has been routine for Busan’s feature race to eclipse Seoul’s with the strength and depth in the class 1 ranks on the south coast being currently superior to that of the capital. Permanent transfers between the two are now allowed, however, and a few have been moved up to Seoul. Among class 1 horses, Road To Prince and Challanhan Useung have already run – unsuccessfully – while the biggest name among them, Magic Dancer, remains spelled.

Further down the ranks, however, Red Vic (Creek Cat) became the first transfer from Busan to find the Seoul winner’s circle when he won race 8 on Saturday. It came at the end of a week when Seoul Racecourse stable-hands were protesting the proposal to allow foreign track riders to work in the capital – something that has been hugely successful at Busan.

Next weekend, Busan horses will be in the capital for the Ttukseom Cup. New York Blue, Heba, Ms. Margaux and Golden Lass are currently slated to make the trip while among Seoul horses is the tantalizing prospect of Joy Lucky finally returning from injury. However, all eyes will be on Japanese raider Esmeraldina. The first JRA horse to run in Korea arrived in Seoul late last Wednesday and is, by all accounts, doing well.

Aced It! Yeongcheon Ace Wins The Korean Derby

Yeongcheon Ace came through with a powerful finish to win the 2015 Korean Derby at Seoul Racecourse this afternoon.

Yeongcheon Ace beats Triple Nine (Pic: Ross Holburt)

Yeongcheon Ace beats Triple Nine (Pic: Ross Holburt)

Third in the KRA Cup Mile, the extra furlong proved all the difference as Yeongcheon Ace swept past the front running Daegunhwang in the final furlong and went on for a 2-length victory from Triple Nine and Cup Mile winner Rafale.

Yeongcheon Ace and Choi Si Dae in the Derby winner's circle (Pic: Ross Holburt)

Yeongcheon Ace and Choi Si Dae in the Derby winner’s circle (Pic: Ross Holburt)

It was another big race win for jockey Choi Si Dae and yet another Classic winner from Busan. Daegunhwang was Seoul’s best finisher, battling on for 4th ahead of pre-race favourite, Doraon Hyeonpyo.

The Korea Derby (KOR G1) – Seoul Racecourse – 1800M – May 17, 2015

1. Yeongcheon Ace (KOR) [Menifee – Dixie Avenger (Dixie Union)] – Choi Si Dae – 4.8, 1.7
2. Triple Nine (KOR) [Ecton Park – A Little Poke (Pleasant tap)] – Oh Kyoung Hoan – 2.5
3. Rafale (KOR) [Colors Flying – Dongbang Choego (Al Naba)] – You Hyun Myung – 1.7
Distances: 2 lengths / 0.75 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Daegunhwang 5. Doraon Hyeonpyo 6. Seonbong 7. Smart Time 8. Yuseong Fighting 9. Mac And Cheese 10. Yeongung Bolt 11. Yeonggwanguitaepung 12. New White Socks 13. Sangam Mama

Full report to follow.

Sun Lordly Lords It In JRA Trophy

27/1 shot Sun Lordly caught them cold to sprint away to a gate-to-wire victory in the JRA Trophy at Seoul Racecourse this afternoon in what is now the traditional Derby-Eve feature event

The 6-year-old mare bounded out of the gate into an early lead in the six-furlong sprint and by the time hot favourite Jangmi Eondeok finally got into gear, Sun Lordly was out of sight and cruised to a 4-length win on the line.

An also-ran in the Segye Ilbo Cup earlier this year, Sun Lordly, who missed almost a year earlier in her career, was recording her 6th win from 28 lifetime starts.

For jockey Park Byeong Yun, it was his first big race win of any description since his riding debut in 2008.

JRA Trophy – Seoul Racecourse – 1200M – May 16, 2015

1. Sun Lordly (KOR) [Vicar – Stormcloudrising (Stormy Atlantic)] – Park Byeong Yun – 28.0, 6.6
2. Jangmi Eondeok (USA) [Midnight Lute – Sea Gift (A.P. Indy)] – Moon Se Young – 1.2
3. X File (KOR) [Exploit – Dorothy Dee (Woodman)] – Kim Dong Soo – 8.4
Distances: 4 lengths/Head
Also Ran: 4. Best High (KOR) 5. Super Serene (USA) 6. Full Moon Party (KOR) 7. K Ascending (USA) 8. Cool Touch (USA) 9. Appealing Star (KOR) 10. Pureun Geotap (KOR)

Tomorrow it is, of course, the Korean Derby. Get your race cards here and your full runner by runner preview here.

All Smiles For 500-up Kim Ok Sung As Sing Sing Cat Rolls Back The Years

It’s taken him 28 years but Kim Ok Sung grinned his way to his 500th career winner at Seoul Racecourse on Saturday and fittingly he did it aboard one of the grand old campaigners of the track, as Sing Sing Cat returned to the winner’s circle for the first time since 2013.

Kim Ok Sung...500-up

Kim Ok Sung…500-up

It doesn’t sound hugely impressive but in actual fact it is. For many of those 28 years, Kim Ok Sung was, like every other jockey, restricted to five rides per week. He is one of very few jockeys of his generation who have managed to last more than ten years in the saddle in a fast changing racing environment where the young jockeys are far better trained than those who went before. He is 6th on the all-time winner’s list.

If you had to choose a jockey to spend an evening on the soju with, it would probably be Kim Ok Sung. If you had to choose a jockey to bet your mortgage on in a race, it probably wouldn’t be Kim Ok Sung. Popular with punters with his man of the people routine and his ability to always be quick with a quip in retort to a heckle in the parade ring he has, to put it diplomatically, sailed close to the wind with the Stewards on a number of occasions.

Yet somehow, he always manages to come out the other side and Saturday’s 500th win was typical. Riding 50/1 shot Sing Sing Cat, Ok Sung unexpectedly gunned him out of the gate into the lead and essentially pulled down the pants of the rest of the field who never got back on terms, the jockey punching the air as he and his mount crossed the line still a full 5 lengths clear of the rest. Champion jockey Moon Se Young was the first to congratulate him.

Kim Ok Sung is nicknamed the “Smile Jockey” due to his ever-present Cheshire Cat grin. His biggest win was all the way back in 1996 when he won the Grand Prix Stakes on Hula Mingo. The grin was widened on Sunday when he rode winner number 501.

A mention is due of Sing Sing Cat (D’Wildcat) too. He was a 50/1 winner on Saturday but back in 2012 he stunned Tough Win to claim victory in the KRA Cup Classic. A regular money winner since, the 7-year-old was recording his 12th win on his 41st start.

Down at Busan, top-rated horse in the land Beolmaui Kkum slumped to his second consecutive defeat. This time it was Cowboy Son (Cowboy Cal) who won Busan’s Sunday feature race with Oreuse (Smoke Glacken) returning from a year out running 2nd and beating Beolmaui Kkum into 3rd.

Now attention shifts to the Korean Derby. We are just five days away!