Fausto Durso won the series finale YTN Cup on Choichoro but a 2nd place finish was more than enough to secure overall victory for Australian Noel Callow.
Noel Callow was the emphatic winner of the Seoul International Jockey Challenge (Pic: Ross Holburt)
“King” Callow won the Macau Jockey Club Trophy yesterday and added the Selangor Turf Club Trophy to his haul this afternoon to amass 51 points and take home the $15,000 bonus.
He looked set to add a third victory as Dongseo Daeryuk had the lead in the final furlong of the YTN Cup, until Choichoro (Concept Win), under Brazilian jockey Fausto Durso came through on the outside to snatch the win.
Fausto Durso wins the YTN Cup on Choichoro ahead of Noel Callow but the Australian came out on top overall (Pic: Ross Holburt)
With his YTN win, Fausto Durso finished 2nd overall in the challenge on 35 points while Moon Se Young was 3rd with 25.
YTN Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1900M – Aug 11, 2013
1. Choichoro (KOR) – Fausto Durso 2. Dongseo Daeryuk (USA) – Noel Callow 3. Dragon Hill (USA) – Seo Seung Un Distances: 0.75 lengths/1.75 lengths – 12 ran
Jigeum I Sungan was a shock 4th as 15/1 Full Moon Party won the Turkey Jockey Club Trophy for trainer Lee Shin Young at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.
Full Moon Party and Jo In Kwen win the Turkey Jockey Club Cup (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Last year’s Korean Derby winner Jigeum I Sungan (Ingrandire) entered the race having won his last 6 consecutive starts and was sent off as the overwhelming odds-on favourite. However, Full Moon Party (Vicar) led from start to finish while Jiegum I Sungan – perhaps feeling the heat and humidity while conceding 6 kilos to his rivals, never managed to get into his stride.
Full Moon Party, a 4-year old filly, has now won 7 of her 16 career starts.
Trainer Lee Shin Young with Full Moon Party in the TJK Winner’s Circle (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Turkey Jockey Club Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – Aug 11, 2013
1. Full Moon Party (KOR) – Jo In Kwen 2. Special Win (KOR) – Ham Wan Sik 3. Gumanseok (KOR) – Lee Dong Kug Distances: 2 lengths/1.25 lengths – 12 ran
Korea’s most expensive ever racehorse made it three wins from three starts with an easy win in the Singapore Turf Club Trophy at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.
Park Tae Jong and Fly Top Queen return after winning the Singapore Turf Club Trophy (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Jockey Park Tae Jong barely moved as the 3-year old filly led the field from gate to wire and eased down to win by 3 lengths.
Fly Top Queen comfortably wins the Singapore Turf Club Trophy (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Singapore Turf Club Trophy – Seoul Race Park – 1200M – Aug 11, 2013
1. Fly Top Queen (USA) [Henny Hughes] – Park Tae Jong 2. Persia Wangja (CAN) [Ghostzapper] – Park Hyun Woo 3. Champion Color (USA) [Smarty Jones – Lee Gang Seo Distances: 3 lengths/3 lengths – 12 ran
Noel Callow won the Macau Jockey Club Trophy while the Horse Racing Ireland race went to Moon Se Young
Noel Callow Dismounts from Victory Dancer (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Noel Callow on Victory Dancer edges out Fausto Pinto on Blue Camp to win the MJC Trophy (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Macau Jockey Club Trophy – Seoul Race Park – 1400M
1. Victory Dancer (KOR) – Noel Callow 2. Blue Camp (KOR) – Fausto Durso 3. Geomtan (KOR) – Raymond Danielson Distances: 0.5 lengths/2.5 lengths Also ran: 4. Last Mudae – You Hyun Myung (KOR) 5. Sen Tank – Jo In Kwen (KOR) 6. Daebagyeonchul – Shinichiro Akiyama (JPN) 7. Black Swan – Park Tae Jong (KOR) 8. Hayan Nuri – Niall McCullagh (IRE) 9. Changcheon – Moon Se Young (KOR) 10. McKenzie Boy – Yucel Bilik (TUR) 11. Cheolli Gisang – Seo Seung Un (KOR) 12. S-Way – Jo Sung Gon (KOR)
Eutteum Khan (far side) and Moon Se Young, win the HRI Trophy (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Irish Thoroughbred Marketing’s Mark O’Hanlon presents Moon Se Young with the winner’s…vase (Pic: Ross Holburt)
Horse Racing Ireland Trophy – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – Aug 10. 2013
1. Eutteum Khan (KOR) – Moon Se Young 2. Yeoui Gold (KOR) – Jo In Kwen 3. Blue Band Zet (KOR) – Jo Sung Gon Distances: Neck/4 lengths Also ran: 4. Suho Cheonsa – Park Tae Jong (KOR) 5. Chongal Gongju – You Hyun Myung (KOR) 6. Dangchan Miso – Yucel Bilik (TUR) 7. Chiming Vicar – Raymond Danielson (SA) 8. Bukdaepung – Fausto Durso (BRZ) 9. Victory Camp – Shinichiro Akiyama (JPN) 10. Onnuri Plaza – Niall McCullagh (IRE) 11. January Queen – Seo Seung Un (KOR) 12. Geuma Queen – Noel Callow (AUS)
The challenge concludes on Sunday when there are 14 races at Seoul from 13:00 to 19:40. On show in other races will be Jiegum I Sungan and Fly Top Queen on a massive day of racing in the capital.
Tough Win asserted his authority over Korean racing with hard-fought but eventually emphatic win in the Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Stakes this afternoon.
Tough Win and Cho Kyoung Ho take the Busan Metropolitan (Pic: KRA)
The 2010 winner started 2/1 favourite and was always well positioned before getting the better of young up and comer Beolmaui Kkum and defending champion Dangdae Bulpae in the home straight. Only the absent Jiguem I Sungan currently has any claims on him at Seoul and he dispatched Busan’s finest with ease today.
Running 2nd, Beolmaui Kkum showed that he has talent and can stay a reasonable distance too. He will be one to watch for the rest of the season. As for Dangdae Bulpae, there were many doubts as to the fitness of the defending champion, who came into the race off a 6-month lay-off. While he couldn’t beat Tough Win, a 3rd place finish is extremely creditable and suggests we haven’t seen the last of the 3-time President’s Cup winner.
A disappointment was Gamdounguibada. The filly was the one who relived Tough Win of his Grand Prix Stakes title at Seoul last December and she was well-backed to repeat the feat here. Instead of challenging Tough Win, however, she finished 11th which makes for 2 poor runs in a row.
Now 6 years old, Tough Win recorded his 22nd career victory and is unbeaten in all 4 starts this year. The Busan Metropolitan is often referred to as the “Summer Grand Prix”. After today, by the time the real “Grand Prix” comes around in December, Tough Win will most likely be favourite to regain that title as well.
Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Stakes – Busan Race Park – 2000M – Sunday July 28, 2013
1. Tough Win (USA) [Yonaguska – Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 3.0, 1.3 2. Beolmaui Kkum (USA) [Put It Back – Wild Dixie Gal (Wild Event)] – Choi Si Dae – 1.8 3. Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] – Jo Sung Gon – 3.7
Fly Top Queen, the most expensive racehorse ever imported into Korea, made her second racecourse appearance and coasted to her second easy win at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.
Fly Top Queen coasts to victory at Seoul
The 3-year old filly was sent of the long odds-on favourite for the class 4 race over 6 furlongs and jockey Park Tae Jong never moved as he guided Fly Top Queen to a 6-length triumph.
Fly Top Queen [Henny Hughes – Cape Discovery (Cape Town)] was imported to Korea last year after being bought for $225,000 at Ocala. Suffering setback after setback she finally made it to the racecourse a month ago. So far, she’s been worth the wait.
Gwanggyo Bisang, a 3-year-old gelding, cruised to victory in the Munhwa Ilbo Cup at Seoul Race Park today.
Gwanggyo Bisang and Park Tae Jong in the Munhwa Ilbo Cup Winner’s Circle
Geldings are ineligible for the 3-year-old Classics. If they were, Gwanggyo Bisang (Menifee) would surely have been a leading contender. He came into the race today with 5 wins from 6 starts at a variety of distances and, after sitting towards the back of the field during th early stages, he made short work of passing the whole lot to win by just under 3 lengths. K Tap (Menifee), a Derby also-ran was 2nd with the promising Heukgisa (A.P.Dancer) in 3rd.
It won’t be long until we see Gwanggyo Bisang in class 1 action and his is a name to look out for later in the year.
While it was a first visit to the Stakes winner’s circle for Gwanggyo Bisang, for his jockey it was anything but. Park Tae Jong has won more races than any other rider in Korean history – he’s closing in on 2,000 – and is one of only 3 jockeys still riding who first qualified for their license at the old Ttukseom Racecourse.
The 47-year-old Park’s first Stakes win came in the now discontinued Mugunghwa Cup in 1992 and with the exception of the Oaks, has won every big race in Korea. He may win a few more on Gwanggyo Bisang.
Munhwa Ilbo Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – July 14, 2013
1. Gwanggyo Bisang (KOR) [Menifee – Touch Upon (Touch Gold)] – Park Tae Jong – 4.5, 1.9 2. K Tap (KOR) [Menifee – Summit Party (Ecton Park)] – Moon Se Young – 2.4 3. Heukgisa (KOR) [A.P. Dancer – Mansumugang (Half Term)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 1.9
Distances: 2.5 lengths/Neck – 14 ran
* Next week sees the start of what is perhaps the highlight of the Korean racing year – four weeks of evening racing. During that time, the first race at Seoul will be around 2pm with the last around 9pm.
Indie Band landed a commanding victory in the Gyeongnam DoMin Ilbo Stakes at Busan today but the story of the race was in the opening few seconds as Korean Derby winner and hot favourite Speedy First unseated her rider Joe Fujii after being interfered with.
Speedy First (Menifee) broke quickly but after only 100 metres, was cut off by Daejiuibit on his outside, on whom jockey Jo Chan Hoon had momentarily lost control. With nowhere to go, Fujii ended up on the track.
This left the way clear for Indie Band (Ecton Park), stablemate of Speedy First, to ease to a 4-length win from Major King (Pico Central).
It was a 5th win from 8 starts for the promising 3-year old colt Indie Band who has to now be in contention for big prizes this autumn, principally the Minister’s Cup when he should come up against Speedy First again. For jockey Lim Sung Sil, it was a 2nd big race win in as many months after taking victory in the KNN Cup on Yongduseong a few weeks ago.
As for Speedy First, she reportedly suffered no ill-effects from her unsupervised gallop around Gimhae and remains on course for the Korean Oaks next month.
Gyeongnam DoMin Ilbo Stakes – Busan Race Park – 1800M – July 7, 2013
1. Indie Band (KOR) [Ecton Park – Plie (Dixieland Band)] – Lim Sung Sil – 5.4, 1.6 2. Major King (KOR) [Pico Central – Still Golden (Gold Fever)] – You Hyun Myung – 1.5 3. High Five (KOR) [Creek Cat – Nam’s Gulch (Gulch)] – Choi SI Dae – 3.1
Distances: 4 lengths/2.5 lengths – 10 ran
Also suffering no ill-effects was her jockey. Joe Fujii cleaned off the sand and 45 minutes later got on board another star of the Kim Young Kwan training-machine Tamna Hwangje to win the class 1 finale over a mile with ease. Tamna Hwangje (Montbrook) was recording his 11th win from 22 starts and despite carrying 62kg is looking unbeatable at anything up to a mile.
Up at Seoul it was a relatively low-key day of racing. The feature race was won by Gumanseok (Vicar), who despite only being sent off at 8/1, followed up his success in last month’s Sports Chosun Cup with a solid class 1 win over 1800 metres.
Jigeum I Sungan continued his remarkable run of form and further boosted his claims to be the number-one Korean bred horse with victory in the Jeju Governor’s Cup at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.
Jigeum I Sungan and Moon Se Young win the Jeju Governor’s Cup (Picture: KRA)
Jigeum I Sungan (Ingrandire) won two legs of the 2012 Korean Triple Crown and came into this race off the back of 5 successive wins since being beaten into 2nd place by Dangdae Bulpae in last year’s President’s Cup. Four horses came up from Busan to challenge him and, while they got closer than most have recently, when Jigeum I Sungan was asked for an effort, he didn’t disappoint.
Having taken the lead a furlong and a half out, Jigeum I Sungan held off KNN Cup winning mare Yodongseong (Concept Win) and Road To Prince (Pico Central) to take victory by just over a length.
There was none of the usual showboating from jockey Moon Se Young as they crossed the line as this win required a proper effort from Jigeum I Sungan. Instead he saved it until after the race, emulating Joe Fujii at the Grand Prix and Derby by bringing his horse back out in front of the grandstand to take the applause.
Pushed as he was, this colt is still showing improvement every time he runs and, while it seems likely he will take Dangdae Bulpae’s crown of best Korean horse by default due to the 6 year-old’s injury, it was arguably only a matter of time until he did so on the track anyway.
The less said about Seoul’s remaining entrants the better, suffice to say that the 4 visitors from the South filled places 2-5. Jigeum I Sungan is a superstar but he generally swims in a very small pond at Seoul. It was a great performance today and while it is a long way off, Jigeum I Sungan now looks the one to beat in the President’s Cup later this year.
Jigeum I Sungan allows punters to pet him after he won the Jeju Cup. Try doing that with Tough Win or Dongbanui Gangja and they’d have eaten you.
Jeju Governor’s Cup (KOR G3) – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – June 30, 2013
1. Jigeum I Sungan (KOR) [Ingrandire – Solmaru (Mujaazif)] – Moon Se Young – 1.3, 1.0 2. Yongduseong (KOR) [Concept Win – C’Est Avie (Lord Avie)] – Lim Sung Sil – 2.2 3. Road To Prince (KOR) [Pico Central – Ransom Bay (Red Ransom)] – Kanichiro Fujii – 1.4
Distances: 1.25 lengths/1.25 lengths – 11 ran
Next week, this year’s Korean Derby winner makes her first racecourse appearance since winning the Classic last month. Speedy First heads the field in a competitive looking Gyongnam Do-Min Ilbo Stakes at Busan.
Joy Lucky put herself among the leading contenders for the Korean Oaks with a commanding win in the Sports Seoul Cup at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.
The promising filly was sent off as second favourite for what is Seoul’s premier Oaks trial race and having taken an early lead. she was never troubled as she stretched away for a 9-length victory.
Favourite Dewma straggled home in 2nd place with Cheonnyeon Dongan in 3rd. However, the race was all about Joy Lucky whose only defeat to date was in the Korean Derby last month. Of course, the Derby winner, Speedy First is a filly and so long as she stays sound, is likely to be prohibitive favourite for the Oaks, which will be run at her home track of Busan in August. Joy Lucky will need to show even more improvement to overturn the Derby result.
It was a first Stakes win for young jockey Seo Seung Un. Seo, who debuted in 2011 has quickly established himself as among the top riders at Seoul with 84 winners plus a succesful stint in the United States to his name already. It won’t be the last time we see him in a big race winner’s circle
Sports Seoul Oaks Trial – Seoul Race Park – 1800M – June 23, 2013
1. Joy Lucky (KOR) [Vicar – Proper Gun (Prosper Fager)] – Seo Seung Un – 3.1, 1.3 2. Dewma (KOR) [Forest Camp – Wild Cat Strike (Wild Again)] – Moon Se Young – 1.2 3. Cheonnyeon Dongan (KOR) [Ecton Park – Honeycakes (Hennesey)] – Oh Kyoung Hoan – 2.4
Distances: 9 lengths/1.25 Also ran: 4. Jumbo Speed 5. Storm Music 6. All With Me 7. Hurricane Jump 8. Dashing Diva NR: Smarty Road
* Seo Seung Un is the man this year’s new jockeys will be looking to emulate and Lee Chan Ho today became the first of their number to ride a winner. Lee, who debuted last week, guided filly Last Love (Volponi) to victory in race 6.
It was another good day for the Japanese contingent. Ikuyasu Kurakane rode another double with victories in races 1 and 5 while Yukio Abe was also among the winners. Down at Busan, Joe Fujii also scored his now regulation winner.
Next week it is Seoul vs Busan in a new race on the calendar, the Jeju Governor’s Cup. A big prize is on offer as Seoul’s top horse Jigeum I Sungan (Ingrandire) faces a formidable foursome from Busan that at this stage comprises Stakes winners Useung Touch, Yeongdusong, Gyeongbudaero and prolific winner Road To Prince.
Horse Racing in Korea 