Strodes Creek Filly Wins Sports Seoul / Kim Ok Sung Returns To Stakes Winner’s Circle

Under an angry sky at Seoul Race Park this afternoon Sen Girl, a 7/1 chance, took victory in the Sports Seoul Cup and in the process put herself among the favourites for the Korean Oaks this coming August.

Sunday’s racing began in the monsoon rain that has lashed the peninsula non-stop since Wednesday, however, by the time the ten fillies took to the track for main event at 4:30pm, the rain had stopped and a brisk wind made for drying conditions. While Seungniuihamseong was sent off the even money favourite, it was Mustang Queen and champion jockey Cho Kyoung Ho who set the early pace. As they began the long turn for home, veteran jockey Kim Ok Sung brought Sen Girl around the field to take the lead.

While Mustang Queen fought back bitterly in the home straight, it was a lead they wouldn’t relinquish and Sen Girl held on to win by a neck on the line to claim the 108 Million Won first prize and punch her ticket to the Oaks at Busan. Behind Mustang Queen, Allegrissmo was a distant third.

Sen Girl is just one of twenty foals to be produced by the sire Strodes Creek (Halo) during his spell in Korea before his untimely death in 2008. Imported from Japan in late 2006, Strodes Creek stood for just one season before his tragic paddock accident. Three of that crop were in this race with Cheonupilseung and Event Queen finishing fifth and sixth respectively.

It was also a milestone day for jockey Kim Ok Sung. Kim had his license cancelled last year after being accused of passing along inside information. After serving a six month ban, he returned to action last month. Although accused of a crime that punters hate more than almost anything, Kim remains exceptionally popular with race fans in Korea.

It could be his ever-present grin and willingness to engage in paddock banter that causes this – since his return punters are forever asking him for a tip. Or it could be the fact that he’s one the most experienced riders in the weighing room and punters like familiarity.

Perhaps though, it’s more to do with the fact that unlike the young professional athletes he rides alongside these days, he simply looks as though he enjoys a spot of soju and Sam-gyeop-sal and that if he wasn’t riding, he’d be queuing at the betting windows along with everyone else. Whatever the reason, it seems great to have him back.

Sports Seoul Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1700M – June 26, 2011

1. Sen Girl (KOR) [Strodes Creek – Badgering Shari (Badger Land)] – Kim Ok Sung –
2. Mustang Queen (KOR) [Concept Win – Arouser (Golden Missile)] – Cho Kyoung Ho –
3. Allegrissimo (KOR) [Bon Vivant – Corporate Romance (Corporate Report)] – Moon Se Young –

Distances: Neck/8 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Seungniuihamseong 5. Cheonupilseung 6. Event Queen 7. Giengnal Geunal 8. Saebyeokcheonsa 9. Hwaryeohansesang 10. Firenze

Mister Park Ties Unbeaten Record / Ace Galloper Finds It Easy At Seoul

A mismatch isn’t easy to celebrate. Certainly very few punters were as Mister Park’s victory at Busan today paid out at a rate of 1.0 – that is, those who bet on him got their money back, but no more. Nevertheless, this demolition job took the Grand Prix Champion onto fifteen straight wins, equal with two greats of Korean racing, Po Gyeong Seon and Saegangja.

A horse can only beat what is put in front of him or her and Mister Park (Ecton Park) has certainly done that. However, of his fifteen wins, only the Grand Prix – admittedly the biggest of them all – was a Stakes race and on only one other occasion was he asked to take on foreign bred horses.

Today’s victory was as routine as it gets. Jockey Yoo Hyun Myung took Mister Park into the lead straight out of the gate and accelerated away from the field as they entered the home straight. Ten lengths was the distance jockey Yoo opted to win by. It could have been thirty.

The record will surely come next time out and after that is when it should get interesting. Mister Park’s handicap mark should render staying competing against domestic bred horses impractical in all but Stakes races. Then we’ll have some fun.

Up in Seoul, there was another finding the going pretty easy today. Ace Galloper (Chapel Royal) is just like Mister Park in that he is Korean born but not bred (in that his dam was imported to Korean while pregnant) and therefore wasn’t eligible for the three-year old Classics last year and also in that he has been campaigned rather conservatively.

This afternoon in the feature race in the Capital, he took on Top Point, former Champion filly & mare. While Top Point took an early lead, Cho Kyoung Ho produced a masterful ride on Ace Galloper to come through and take the victory by a comfortable three lengths. Ace Galloper moves onto thirteen wins from nineteen starts. Oh but would he and Mister Park race each other.

In other races, Japanese jockeys Mai Beppu and Makoto Noda both registered their first place finishes. Beppu had made her Korean riding debut nearly two months ago but got injured on only her second day. Returning this weekend, she managed a second and a third place. Meanwhile, Noda was making his debut and on his thirteenth and final ride of the weekend, scored a very unlikely third place on longshot Silk Road in the last today.

Both jockeys seemed to get the quantity but not the quality in their rides this weekend. Their countryman Hiro Hamada, who joined them in a couple of races today, has been riding in Korea for more than a year now and, while arguably one of the best riders at the track, these days receives neither quality nor quantity to ride. Such is the life for a foreign jockey in Korea.

Racing returns to the peninsula next weekend when we will have Stakes action in the form of the Sports Seoul Cup.

Ttukseom Cup Champ Eases to KNN Cup / Kkakjaengi Wins Owners’ Trophy

He’d already won the Governor’s Cup, The Minister’s Cup, The President’s Cup and the Ttukseom Cup and today, Dangdae Bulpae was in imperious form as he soundly defeated the best of his peers to win the KNN Cup at Busan Race Park.

Almost all of Busan’s top Korean bred horses were there. Cheonnyeon Daero won the Derby last year before stablemate Dangdae Bulpae, hit his stride. He was the one who got closest to the winner today. However, “closest” is a relative thing when the winner was eased down yet still finished ten lengths ahead of everyone else. Battling into third place was the 2008 Derby winner Ebony Storm. Now a gelding, the six-year-old showed at the front early and stayed on well to beat out Triple Sinhwa, who came close in all three Classics last year.

Disappointment of the race was Yeonseung Daero. Pre-race he was considered Dangdae Bulpae’s biggest threat but, while seemingly well placed as they entered the home straight, the five-year old faded badly to finish out of the money. Also running below-par was Lucky Dancer, meaning the wait goes on for Aussie trainer Peter Wolsley to saddle a Korean Stakes winner.

As for Dangdae Bulpae, it was his twelfth win from seventeen starts and his fifth Stakes. Only one horse stands between him and being the undisputed top Korean bred horse in the country. Mister Park couldn’t run today by virtue of having been sired overseas. Last time they clashed, in the Grand Prix at Seoul, Mister Park won. Their next meeting promises to be very interesting indeed.

Up at Seoul there was also Stakes action in the shape of the Seoul Racehorse Owners’ Association Trophy, one of the biggest races of the year for foreign bred fillies and mares. This year three Korean bred fillies also took their chance.

However, while Love Cat, Cheonun and Raon Glory were all sent off among the favourites, it was imports who swept the placings. In the end it was Segye Ilbo Cup winner Kkakjaengi who took her second Stakes victory of the year as she comfortably held off pre-race favourite Geumbi to take a two-length win. Long-shot Imperial Girl completed the placings with Cheonun coming home fourth.

SROA Trophy (KOR.G.III) – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – June 12, 2011

1. Kkakjaengi (USA) [Put It Back – Wild Dixie Gal (Wild Again)] – Shin Hyoung Chul – 6.6, 2.2
2. Geumbi (USA) [Ecton Park – Lady Justine (Lit De Justice)] – Jo In Kwen – 1.6
3. Imperial Girl (USA) [Imperialism – Wallena (Wallenda)] – Jang Chu Youl – 22.1

Distances: 2 lengths/2 lengths
Also ran: 4. Cheonun (KOR) 5. Gippeumnuri (USA) 6. Jangjagang (USA) 7. Pilseung Korea (JPN) 8. Fortunata (USA) 9. Love Cat (KOR) 10. Sky Center (USA) 11. Blueband Mama (USA) 12. Burning Sky (JPN) 13. Florida Sox (USA) 14. Raon Glory (KOR)

KNN Cup – Busan Race Park – 1600M – June 12, 2011

1. Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed) – Jo Sung Gon – 1.8, 1.1
2. Cheonnyeon Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Doneitmyway (Northern Flagship)] – Park Geum Man – 1.7
3. Ebony Storm (KOR) [Buster’s Daydream – Sorority Jazz (Dixieland Band)] – You Hyun Myung – 3.7

Distances: 10 lengths/3 lengths
Also ran: 4. Triple Sinhwa 5. Crown Flag 6. Pick Me Up 7. Coming Through 8. Annika Queen 9. Yeonseung Daero 10. Gangjaui Beopchik 11. Lucky Dancer 12. Super Chocolate

With five wins from eight starts, Kkakjaengi will head into class 1 racing as a force to be reckoned with. Today, however, most went home talking about Dangdae Bulpae,

who just seems to get better and better.

Moon Se Young landed four winners on the day but, as the former champion jockey heads into yet another suspension, it was rising star Jo In Kwen who landed the feature race as he helped Real Victor live up to his name at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.

Real Victor was sent off as second favourite in the eight and a half furlong main event After sitting towards the back for much of the race, Jo guided the four-year old colt through the field with a blistering final furlong run to take the line a length ahead of Natural Guy. Symphony Sonata (a half-brother to former Blue Grass Stakes winner Dominican through their dam First Violin) grabbed a shock third place – his first money finish since October 2009.

Earlier, Moon Se Young had shown his class with four routine victories including on the improving Tiger Wing (Repent) in race 9. However, he’s going to have a fortnight off to spend his prize money after picking up a four-day ban yesterday for the kind of crazy first corner manoeuvre that he is becoming notorious for.

Although he won the Jockey Championship in 2008, he was, unfortunately injured for much of the 2009 season. Last year, he was neck and neck with Cho Kyoung Ho at the end of November before picking up a lengthy ban which gifted the title to his rival. This year, it seems he has been suspended more often than not.

For up and coming Jo In Kwen who, in the past few weeks has passed the milestones of both his 100th career winner and his first Stakes race victory, it was another very good day.

Down at Busan it was another extremely good day for Toshio Uchida as the Japanese jockey claimed victory in both co-feature races. First up he took the domestic Class 1 handicap on Mupae Star before winning the foreign class 1 on Daldeongi (Whywhywhy). Uchida remains untouchable at the top of the Busan Jockey CHampionship.

Earlier back at Seoul, there was a second win for US three-year old Ruler Of The Gold (Tribal Rule). The colt always looked to be a late developer and looked very sharp when coolly taking the seven furlong race 7.

Next week is a big one. At Busan it is the KNN Cup, a race that will see Derby winners Cheonnyeon Daero and Ebony Storm, President’s Cup winner Dangdae Bulpae and Governor’s Cu winner Yeonseung Daero among a field of Busan’s top Korean bred horses. Meanwhile, Seoul’s best fillies and mares will battle it out for the Owners Association Trophy. Full build-up to both of them will be on the blog in the coming days.

Double Grand Prix Winner Comfortably Defeats Tough Win in Stretch Duel To Win “Clash Of The Champions”

Dongbanui Gangja turned the tables on Tough Win to claim victory in the feature event at Seoul Race Park this afternoon to score his first win in over a year and get the better of the battle of three former Horse of the Year winners.

It had been a bad 12 months for Dongbanui Gangja. Once the undisputed best horse on the peninsula, he had always had a tendency to run wide in the home straight causing him to cover far more ground than necessary. He got away with it for twelve consecutive victories, including the Grand Prix Stakes in both 2008 and 2009 until he ran into the then unbeaten Tough Win – two years his junior – in the Busan Metropolitan last July. The younger horse prevailed, Dongbanui Gangja veering wildly off the racing line as the field turned for hom, eventually finishing ninth.

This would be repeated, albeit less dramatically in the KRA Cup Classic – won by Tough Win, and would thwart his attempt to secure an unprecedented third Grand Prix title. It looked like he may never win again. Today though, with race conditions allowing for a dramatic drop in the weight he usually has to carry, things were different.

Because of that weight drop, regular jockey Choi Bum Hyun couldn’t ride and Moon Jung Kyun was drafted in to partner the former champion for the first time and Dongbanui Gangja was sent off second favourite behind the odds-on Tough Win. While outsider Big Sox took the lead early on with Tough Win close behind, Dongbanui Gangja sat right at the back of the field. Midway through the back straight though, he made his customary move, rounding the field within the space of 100 metres and slotting in on the rail slapbang in front of Tough Win.

This time he stayed on the rail. Rounding the home turn, it became clear that this was going to be a private battle between Dongbanui Gangja and his former usurper. And with Dongbanui Gangja running in a straight line for once, Tough Win had no answer and was three lengths behind as the winner crossed the line. Dongbanui Gangja was back in the winner’s circle.

Jumong came in third, with the final former Horse of the Year in the race, Bally Brae grabbing the final money finish in fifth.

Class 1 (Foreign) – Seoul Race Park – 1900M – June 4, 2011

1. Dongbanui Gangja (USA) [Broken Vow – Maremaid (Storm Bird)] – Moon Jung Kyun – 3.6, 1.4
2. Tough Win (USA) [Yonaguska – Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 1.1
3. Jumong (USA) [Johar – Foreign Aid (Danzid)] – Jo In Kwen – 1.5

Distances: 3 lengths/3 lengths – 10 ran

Dongbanui Gangja moves on to eighteen victories from thirty career starts. Today everything came right in a way that it might not again. Regardless of this and of whether Tough Win, who was slow to emerge for the post parade, was at 100%, Dongbanui Gangja is a special horse who still only six years old, has plenty still to offer.

Here’s what’s happening tomorrow:

Sunday June 5

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:10 to 18:30
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:30 to 17:00

Outsiders Sweep Placings in Sports Chosun Cup

Yodongjewang led home a trifecta of outsiders to win the Sports Chosun Cup at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. In what is traditionally one of the biggest betting races of the year, the 12/1 shot held off Tamnaseontaek to take a half-length win and give rising star jockey Jo In Kwen his first ever Stakes win.

Punters eventually sent four-year old colt The Almighty off as slight favourite and he showed at the front early along with outsider Jangbi Sarang and the well-fancied Namchonuichukje. All of these fell away in the home stretch of the nine furlong race though as Jo Kwen took Yodongjewang, who was always handily placed into the lead and outsprinted Tamnaseontaek and the fast finishing Yeongtap to claim the victory.

A stewards’ inquiry didn’t change the placings of the first three and Yodongjewang scored just his fourth win of a twelve race career to date.

For jockey Jo In Kwen, it was a first ever Stakes victory. Just two weeks ago the 24-year-old reached the milestone of 100 career winners and today confirmed his place as the hottest young riding property at Seoul. If the rumours of Busan’s Jo Sung Gon heading north to the capital prove true, there is going to be a lot of young talent in the weighing room.

Some punters also went home happy; the trio (picking the first three horses in any order) in the Sports Chosun paid 2134/1.

Sports Chosun Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1800M – May 22, 2011

1. Yodongjewang (KOR) [Field Asuka – Mary Wonder (Shahrastani)] – Jo In Kwen – 12.5, 4.5
2. Tamnaseontaek (KOR) [War Zone – Every Michelle (Every Intent)] – Oh Kyoung Hoan – 4.7
3. Yeongtap (KOR) [Sunday Well – Full Time (Fiercely)] – Yoo Sang Wan – 5.6

Distances: 0.5 lengths/Neck
Also Ran: 4. Super Rich 5. Forest Wind 6. Jeumeundeungi 7. Namchonuichukje 8. Saebyeogi 9. Anseong Chikje 10. The Almighty 11. Suseung Equus 12. D. Day Plus 13. Jangbi Sarang 14. Badasin

The long shots weren’t done there. In the feature handicap an hour after the Sports Chosun, 74/1 Out And About (Outflanker) scored a very unlikely victory over Captain Cugat and odds-on favourite Baekjeonmupae. It was five-year old Out And About’s first attempt at class 1 and he was given a great ride by Park Byeong Yun who was a late replacement for Moon Se Young who was unfortunately injured during racing yesterday.

Down at Busan, the feature race went the way of Mulbora, who scored an impressive win over KO Punch and last year’s Champion Juvenile Bulkkot Gisang. 2008 Derby winner Ebony Storm was fourth in the event which was run over a mile.

Ebony Storm, the longest shot on the board when he won his Derby in a monsoon downpour at Seoul three years ago never really followed up on that success. Indeed, so disappointing was he that he managed to get himself gelded. SInce then, he has re-emerged as a useful sprinter and consistently picks up money finishes. As for Mulbora, it was a second consecutive victory and his eighth in total.

So concludes another weekend of racing on the peninsula. It was a glorious day today but next week it’s forecast to get hot. Very hot.

Choi Bum Hyun and Baekhomujeok win the JRA Trophy

Barring late misfortune befalling another, Choi Bum Hyun won’t be riding in the Korean Derby tomorrow. He won’t mind too much, however, after landing the Japan Racing Association (JRA) Trophy on 20/1 outsider Baekhomujeok at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.

Choi is often maligned by some sections of the Gwacheon punting colony for his habit of going wide around the field to win. Today though, he and the three-year old Baekhomujeok were on the rail all the way as, after always being well-place, they came through to overhaul long time leader Kkochyeoul in the last 100 metres to grab a half-length win. Mass Media’s Tea was a further length back in third, the first three having spent the whole of the race at the front of the field.

Baekhomujeok (Sharp Humor) was imported to Korea as a two-year old last year (his original name was Late Night Comic) and has now won four of his six starts. Pre-race favourite Ppoppai finished a disappointing fourth after running wide on the final turn. This time, it wasn’t a Choi Bum Hyun ridden favourite who was going wide. Instead for all his faults, Choi was winning his twelfth Stakes race in the last four years.

Today was the twentieth running of the JRA Trophy – and in a rather odd move, the KRA opted to mark the occasion by having “Arirang”, the most Korean of Korean folk songs, played as the visiting JRA representatives presented the prizes.

In other races, 2010 Korean Oaks winner Euro Fighter was sent off at 30/1 in the feature class 2 handicap. Given that she hadn’t won since that day at Busan last Summer, it was a fair call by bettors. She didn’t win, but put in a very creditable performance to finish two lengths behind the five-year old winner Blooming, who landed another big race win for Jo In Kwen.

Jo gets his first crack at The Derby tomorrow. We’ll have our final preview a little bit later on.

JRA Trophy – Seoul Race Park – 1200M – May 14, 2011

1. Baekhomujeok (USA) [Sharp Humor – Lip Gloss (Lit De Justice) – Choi Bum Hyun – 23.3, 4.5
2. Kkocchyeoul (USA) [Essence Of Dubai – A Star Has Risen (Rock Band)] – Jung Pyeong Soo – 3.4
3. Mass Media’s Tea (USA) [Mass Media – Tea Pot Joy (Joyeax Danseur)] – Moon Se Young – 1.7

Distances: 0.5 lengths/1 length
Also Ran: 4. Ppoppai 5. Celebrate Tonight 6. Imperial Girl 7. Magic Party 8. Bichui Jeonsa 9. Fortunata 10. Es Four 11. Dream Heart

100th Winner for Jo In Kwen / Mister Park Streak Hits Fourteen

Jo In Kwen passed an important milestone at Seoul Race Park today as he became the first of the “New Generation” of Korean jockeys to record his 100th winner. The landmark arrived in race 4, as Jo partnered favourite, Power Runner to a routine two-length victory. It was his 811th ride since making his debut in June 2008.

The “New Generation” comprises graduates of the KRA’s Jockey Academy which, with overseas riding instructors, has been churning out riders with a more westernized style and approach to racing. Of course once they graduate and are apprenticed to a trainer – all ex-jockeys themselves – they are expected to ride in the old style. However, class is gradually begininng to show through and the likes of Jo, Boo Min Ho and this year’s stand-out debutant Jang Chu Yeol are some of those young riders making quick in-roads into the upper-echelons of the weighing room.

Among them is Kim Hae Sun who looks like she has a chance of being the first female rider to break through to the top-tier. Today, she scored her 21st career winner with a typically dashing performance on Ganghanyeosin in race 5. That Ganghanyeosin was favourite is telling. Kim is the first female rider to have regular opportunities on fancied horses. And when she gets those opportunities, she converts them at a rate equal to anybody’s.

In the feature race today, Jo In Kwen could only manage second place, albeit on a 35/1 outsider, as 4/1 High Point took the honours by a comfortable five lengths. It was five-year old High Point’s second consecutive victory and his first at class 1.

Down at Busan, Korea’s current number one horse Mister Park (Ecton Park) further enhanced his reputation as he moved onto fourteen straight wins by taking the feature race. Facing exclusively foreign-bred opposition for the first time and with a relatively unknown jockey on board, punters still sent the 2010 Grand Prix winner off as the long odds-on favourite. And, despite one or two nervous moments, he didn’t let them down. Bounding out of the gate into an early lead, Lee Dae Yeon and Mister Park had the race fully under control from the beginning and looked set for a comfortable win.

However, as they entered the home stretch, Sinheung Hwangjae, a five-year old Australian bred horse emerged from the field and challenged the leader on his inside. With two furlongs to go, he drew level and for the next furlong the lead changed hands a number of times. For just a moment, it looked as though the champion was going to falter but it was only for a moment. As they entered the final 150 metres, Mister Park shifted gears again and eased away from his opponent, recording a three-length victory on the line.

The streak is intact – following defeat on his racecourse debut, Mister Park has now gone fourteen races without suffering another.

* Yesterday at Seoul, the “rubber match” between Jumong and Bally Brae was crashed emphatically by Strong Demand (Read The Footnotes), who justified his favourite tag by scoring a two and a half-length victory in the feature race. Jumong (Johar) got the better of Bally Brae (Yarrow Brae) as the pair finished second and third respectively to take a 2-1 lead in their 2011 head-to-heads.

Next week it’s the big one. The 14th Korean Derby. All the build-up will be here throughout the week.

We may have a good one on our hands. Lion Santa kept his unbeaten record intact with a late surge to comfortably see off some top-class opposition in the Kookje Sinmun Stakes at Busan Race Park this afternoon.

The Kookje Sinmun is a rare chance for Busan’s imported horses to race for a Stakes prize over a sprint distance and a number of proven horses were out to stop Lion Santa [Lion King – Santa Fe Strip (Phone Trick)] who was sent off the slight odds-on favourite. Park Geum Man on Hudson River Line took the early initiative and it looked at one point in the home straight that they were going to secure an unlikely wire-to-wire victory.

Inevitably, however, they couldn’t maintain the pace and once jockey Kim Dong Young got Lion Santa running for the line they relentlessly made up the distance and cruised past in the final furlong to record a two and a half-length win from 10/1 shot Mystery Boy and Isidae Gangja, the only Korean horse in the race.

That makes it six wins from six races for Lion Santa. He’s won at every distance from five furlongs to a mile so far and there’s nothing in the manner of his victories to suggest that he can’t go further. From now on, he’ll be doing all his racing at class 1.

Kookje Sinmun Stakes – Busan Race Park – 1400M – May 1, 2011

1. Lion Santa (USA) [Lion Heart – Santa Fe Strip (Phone Trick)] – Kim Dong Young – 1.9, 1.2
2. Mystery Boy (USA) [Ecton Park – Mysterious Moll (Bates Motel)] – Jo Chang Wook – 2.6
3. Isidae Gangja (KOR) [Lost Mountain – Angel (Land Rush)] – Choi Si Dae – 2.5

Distances: 2.5 lengths/0.75 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Hudson River Line (USA) 5. Field Tripping (USA) 6. Viva Ace (USA) 7. High Best (USA) 8. Seonnyang Yongsa (AUS) 9. Admiral Reigart (USA) 10. Peolpeol (AUS) 11. Dudeurim (AUS) 12. Global Champ (AUS) 13. Hey Sexy (USA) 14. Royale Embrace (USA)

In Busan’s other big race, Areumdaun Jilju (Didyme) clinched the seventeenth victory of his illustrious career beating out second favourite Winning Perfect by a neck at the end of the 1800 metre handicap. It was another big race win for jockey Toshio Uchida who won two of the today’s six races.

Up at Seoul, the feature race was little more than a formality for the track’s top rated Korean horse Ace Galloper. The four-year old was sent off as the odds-on favourite and utterly crushed his eleven rivals over nine furlongs. By the time they hit the finish line, Cho Kyoung Ho had eased Ace Galloper (Chapel Royal) to an eight length victory over New Year’s Stakes winner Andy’s Runner and last year’s top filly Love Cat.

Ace Galloper was the second horse Cho Kyoung Ho had the luxury of easing down today. Despite not being on the Classic trail so far, Shoot In (Exploit) has played a big part in it finishing second in his last two outings; first to Yeongung Icheon and then to Gwangyajeil, both of whom are expected to line up for the Korean Derby two weeks today. On today’s form, that pair are worth watching out for as, over 1700 metres, Shoot In comfortably saw off a class 4 field.

Admittedly, he didn’t beat much but the ease of his acceleration when asked and the fact that he clearly ran very much within himself would suggest that this may be a colt that we are likely to hear more from later this year.

Speaking of the Derby, we are indeed just two weeks away. We begin the build-up here, very soon!