Horse Of The Year Tough Win conquered both the wind and the weights to record his eleventh victory from just thirteen lifetime starts in the feature event at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.

Tough Win and Han Sung Yeol (9) hold off Royal Missile and Park Tae Jong (8) in the feature race

Carrying a stiff 62 kilograms, 7 more than his closest rival in the 1900 metre handicap, the four-year old Tough Win [Yonaguska – Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] was still sent out as the odds-on favourite. And, ridden for the first time by Han Sung Yeol who was replacing the suspended Cho Kyoung Ho, he didn’t disappoint. Taking over the lead at the top of the home stretch, Tough Win seemed on course for an easy win as he built up a five length lead with a furlong to go despite the wicked head win that buffeted the runners all day long.

Emerging from the pack, however, was outsider Royal Missile. Under Park Tae Jong, the six-year old was carrying 12 kilos less than the favourite and it showed as they reeled in the leader, Han just managing to coax Tough Win over the line half a length ahead of the challenger. To underline their superiority, second favourite Baekjeonjeonseung was a full eight lengths back in third.

It was a gutsy performance from Tough Win and a good ride from Han Sung Yeol who pushed the gelding only as much as he absolutely had to given the weight he was carrying. But what next for Tough Win? 1900 metres is at the upper limit of what he is capable of and there isn’t likely to be much respite from the handicapper next time he runs. It seems likely that a defence of his Busan Metropolitan title in July is on the cards although while it’s not a handicap, the 2000 metres may prove too far. Either way, despite the limited options, the 2010 Horse of the Year remains a top talent.

Magic Party and Park Tae Jong parade before romping home in race 9

Another top talent is Magic Party. When she won the Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup last autumn she looked set for instant stardom. It’s taken a little longer for her to settle as a three-year old but today, in her third attempt at a race around two turns of the Seoul track, she was finally successful.

And an impressive display it was too as she stretched away from an otherwise almost fully male class 2 field to win race 9 by four lengths. Having been born in Korea but sired elsewhere, Magic Party [Artie Schiller – Gigi’s Magic (Allen’s Prospect)] isn’t eligible for the three-year old classics, but with five wins from eight starts in the bank, it may not be too long before we see her mixing it with the biggest names in Korean racing.

Park Sang Woo rides Senator Ron past the cherry blossoms on their way to second place in race 4

Down at Busan there was a filly who was already mixing it with the best for the first time today. Bulkkot Gisang (Langfuhr) had racked up an impressive seven wins from seven starts to graduate to the elite level. Today, she took her bow at class 1. Though sent off as favourite it didn’t go to plan. Under Jo Sung Gon, Bulkkot Gisang showed briefly at the front but had little to offer in the home straight eventually finishing ninth as second-favourite Mulbora scored a narrow victory over Great Value and Mupae Star.

Where to go from here? It’s a question that owners face the world over. For different reasons, connections of Bulkkot Gisang and Tough Win both have some thinking to do this evening.

It took a while to track down but this weekend wouldn't have been complete without a glass raised to another owner.

Busan Scores Clean Sweep in Clash Of The Champions at Seoul

Dangdae Bulpae had it all his own way as he added the Ttukseom Cup to his Minister’s and President’s Cups titles at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. Derby winner Cheonnyeon Daero was second while his stablemate Yeonseung Daero made it a clean sweep of the placings for Busan horses by finishing third.

Dangdae Bulpae and Jo Sung Gon in the Ttukseom Cup Winner's Circle

While his last visit to the capital ended in defeat as he failed to stay the distance behind Mister Park in the Grand Prix Stakes, today, running at seven furlongs for the first time in his career, there were no such worries. Under Jo Sung Gon, Dangdae Bulpae was always well placed and hit the front with a furlong and a half to go.

Cheonnyeon Daero tried to go with him but was beaten for speed while the fast finishing Yeonseung Daero left his run too late to reel in the winner, jockey Jo able to relax in the final fifty metres as the pair cruised to their fourth Stakes win together.

Cheonnyeon Daero - The Derby winner got the closest to Dangdae Bulpae

A late developer as a three-year old, Dangdae Bulpae [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] was third behind Cheonnyeon Daero in the Korean Derby last year. He then embarked on a glorious summer and autumn which brought victories in the Gyeongnam Governor’s Stakes as well as those Minister’s and President’s Cups back in the capital. Aside from a shock reverse at the hands of Mupae Star, that Grand Prix setback is the only real blot on a career which has seen eleven wins from sixteen starts.

And that Grand Prix winner, Mister Park, is all that stands between Dangdae Bulpae and recognition as the best Korean born horse on the peninsula. Mister Park, being Korean born, but not bred, couldn’t take part today, but their paths will surely cross again.

It was another desperately disappointing – if not especially surprising – result for Seoul. Finishing fourth, Wangson was the best placed of the home track’s entries with last year’s winner Triple Seven in sixth. Busan leads this year’s head to head by in Stakes races by two to nothing.

Ttukseom Cup (KOR.GIII) – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – Sunday Apr 17, 2011

1. Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] – Jo Sung Gon – 2.0, 1.2
2. Cheonnyeon Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Doneitmyway (Northern Flagship)] – Park Geum Man – 2.4
3. Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] – Choi Si Dae – 1.8

Distances: 1.75 lengths/0.75 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Wangson 5. Namdo Jeap 6. Triple Seven 7. Triple Sinhwa 8. Suseong TX 9. Baengnyeonbong 10. The Almighty 11. Golden Rose 12. Tamna Hero 13. Best Holls 14. Tamnahwanhui

* Earlier in the day at Seoul, there was a match-up between two of the track’s highest rated three-year old colts. Shoot In (Exploit) and Gwangyajeil (VIcar) have been kept off the Triple Crown trail so far but could make an appearance later in the season. Today, it was Gwangyajeil who got the better of their battle in race 8, with a four length win.

* With the track’s domestic stars up in Seoul, the feature race at Busan was for the imports. It was won by favourite Kiwi’s Playboy (Cloud Hoppin) for jockey Toshio Uchida. The win was Uchida’s third of the afternoon, the Japanese rider having earlier taken both races 1 and 2.

Seoul Racecourse, Sunday April 17, 2011

Raon Glory wins HRI Trophy / Ttukseom Cup in D-1

Moon Se Young is a smart guy. When picking up a four meeting ban for getting Florida Sox demoted back to third in last Sunday’s feature race, he was quick to request a one-week delay to the start of his lay-off.

Knowing Smile: Moon Se Young

As is customary when the jockey has a ride in a big race the following weekend, the Stewards agreed. It seems though that Moon didn’t necessarily have his eye on the mount of Suseong TX in tomorrow’s Ttukseom Cup, but rather on several this afternoon that saw him ride off with five winners.

Chief among them was victory in the feature event, the Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) Trophy on favourite Raon Glory (Tapit). The pair hit the front of the seven-furlong race inside the final furlong and stretched away to a three-length win from the weakening long-time leader Yuseongjeil. Outsider Major Girl finished strongly to take third in the all-filly and mare Cup race.

Raon Glory: HRI Trophy Winner

Raon Glory, a four-year old grey filly, now has six wins from nine lifetime starts and looks set to join class 1 company very soon. As for Moon, it was the third of five wins on the day to send him off on his enforced break with plenty of spending money.

The HRI Trophy is one of a number of “International Exchange” races run each year. In addition to Ireland, the KRA has arrangements with racing authorities in Japan, Australia, South Africa, Macau, Malaysia and Turkey whereby each sponsor a race in the other’s country. The link with Ireland is one of the longest standing; today’s race being the fifteenth running of the HRI Trophy.

HRI Trophy – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – April 16, 2011

1. Raon Glory (KOR) [Tapit – Queen Lu Lu (Kingmambo)] – Moon Se Young – 1.6, 1.1
2. Yuseongjeil (KOR) [Creek Cat – Haetpit Maeul (Mujaazif)] – Choi Bum Hyun – 4.3
3. Mighty Girl (KOR) [Duality – Our Kaapstad (Kaapstad)] – Won Jung Il – 11.1

Distances: 3 lengths/Nose – 14 ran

Seoul basked in beautiful sunshine today and it should continue tomorrow for one of the highlights of the Korean racing year, the 23rd running of the Group 3 Ttukseom Cup. While Triple Seven, Suseong TX and Wangson will be doing their best to keep the silverware in the capital, most observers see the business end of the race being contested by the visitors from Busan.

Derby winner Cheonnyeon Daero should relish the drop back to 1400 metres as should Minister’s and President’s Cup Champion Dangdae Bulpae. Then there’s Yeonseung Daero; arguably the best Korean bred horse on the peninsula, he usually only takes on foreign opposition and isn’t fussy about the distance. Also lining up is Triple Sinhwa, a horse who was a well beaten second behind Cheonnyeon Daero last month but is another for whom the shorter distance could be a benefit.

The big race is at 16:35 and is race nine of an eleven race card at Seoul which starts at 11:10am. There are also six races at Busan from 12:30 to 17:05. Here is a final run-down of the runners and riders for the Ttukseom Cup (Name / pedigree / race records (Races/1sts/2nds/3rds)/jockey / (home track)

Ttukseom Cup (KOR.GIII) – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – Sunday Apr 17, 16:35

1. Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] – (15/10/1/1) – Jo Sung Gon (Busan)
2. Best Holls (KOR) [Fierecely – Onethindime (Tactical Advantage)] – (15/5/1/2) – Jung Ki Yong (Seoul)
3. Suseong TX (KOR) [Concept Win – Oktong-I (Kyoei Blossom)] – (21/7/4/4) – Moon Se Young (Seoul)
4. Triple Sinhwa (KOR) [Capital Spending – Claudia’s Secret (Crafty Prospector)] – (15/6/6/0) – You Hyun Myung (Busan)
5. Golden Rose (KOR) [Buster’s Daydream – Pop’s Apple (Digangi’s Grinder)] – (21/5/3/3) – Moon Jung Kyun (Seoul)
6. Tamna Hero (KOR) [Creek Cat – The Big C (Deputed Testamony)] (25/8/4/3) – Chae Gyu Jun (Busan)
7. Wangson (KOR) [Distilled – Eastern Tide (Far Out East)] – (17/8/3/1) – Cho Kyoung Ho (Seoul)
8. Tamnahwanhui (KOR) [Al Naba – Bulbijihye (Pro For Sure)] – (18/5/3/1) – Kim Cheol Ho (Seoul)
9. Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] – (30/13/6/4) – Choi Si Dae (Busan)
10. Namdo Jeap (KOR) [Ft. Stockton – Wandering Katie (Tejano)] – (27/8/7/4) – Kim Dong Young (Busan)
11. Baengnyeonbong (KOR) [Al Naba – Sansovino Art (Mister C.)] – [(25/7/2/7) – Oh Kyoung Hoan (Seoul)
12. The Almighty (KOR) [Capital Spending – Dauntless Cat (Mountain Cat)] – (15/5/3/0) – Ham Wan Sik (Seoul)
13. Triple Seven (KOR) [The Groom Is Red – Impudence (Grand Lodge)] – (34/12/4/7) – Choi Bum Hyun (Seoul)
14. Cheonnyeon Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Doneitmyway (Northern Flagship)] – (19/7/7/2) – Park Geum Man (Busan)

Subsidy’s little brother beats his biggest rival / Wolsley Saddles a Treble

He’s named after a King. He takes after his big brother. Jumong played the Subsidy role to perfection to beat Bally Brae in the feature race at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.

Motion Blur: Jumong (8) hits the front. Florida Sox (obscured) would lose second place to Bally Brae (behind) in the stewards' room

A month ago, Jumong [Johar – Foreign Aid (Danzig)] was sent off the favourite but returned among the also rans as Bally Brae [Yarrow Brae – Political Bluff (Unaccounted For)] scored a sensational return to the winner’s circle. Today, both were reasonably unfancied but it was they who found themselves chasing down early leader Florida Sox [Woke Up Dreamin – Chordette (Dixieland Band)] as the field entered the home stretch, Bally Brae on the rail and Jumong, with Jo In Kwen on board, on the outside. Oh Kyoung Hoan shifted Bally Brae out to make his run but at that same moment, Florida Sox faltered, obstructing the nine-year old. The race was Jumong’s with Florida Sox crossing the line in second and Bally Brae in third.

Inevitably it went to the stewards and after ten minutes they decided that were it not for the interference, Bally Brae would certainly have finished ahead of Florida Sox and reversed their placings. Had he been able to get into stride, he may have beaten Jumong too. However, the four-year old was blameless and recorded what was only his sixth career victory.

He was smiling before but not after - Moon Se Young picked up a four day ban

Florida Sox, last year’s Segye Ilbo Cup winner was, for the first time, being ridden by Moon Se Young. It was Moon who had ridden Jumong to four of his previous five victories and who rode him last month when losing to Bally Brae. Of course, it is Bally Brae who gave Moon his most celebrated victories and even – if you believe the sub-soap opera storyline – sealed his marriage. How he must feel this evening then as he reflects on a four-day ban for his ride on Florida Sox.

Jumong is the fifth foal out of Foreign Aid to be imported to Korea. Among the others were YTN Cup winner Soseono and of course, the great Subsidy, the last son of Mr. Prospector. Subsidy’s battles with Bally Brae are among Korean racing’s recent highlights. No-one ever thought that Bally Brae would start a rivalry with Subsidy’s little brother too. However, they now have a win each. A decider is necessary.

Ruler Of The Gold (Tribal Rule) was an impressive winner of race 4 today

The capital and the second city played a football match in the K-League in Busan today. It finished 1-1. Last week, Busan horses dominated Seoul on the track in the KRA Cup Mile and next week they’ll likely do they same as they visit the capital in a bid to plunder the Ttukseom Cup. Today, however, it was the Busan track’s foreign connection that was doing the plundering.

Australian trainer Peter Wolsley saddled a treble of winners, taking the first three races on the card. After Heukdancer had taken the first with Kim Nam Sung in the saddle, he combined with Japanese rider Yoshi Aoki for victories with Optimus in race 2 and Jungle Love in race 3. Both horses are owned by the foreign run Pegasus Farm on Jeju Island. They went looking for another in race 4 but were denied by who else? Mr Pink, Toshio Uchida, got the first of a pair of winners on Namdo Teukgeup and he followed it up by taking the feature race on nine-year old stalwart Admiral Reigart (General Royal).

So ends another weekend of sport on the peninsula. Next week it’s one of the highlights of the year in the shape of the Ttukseom Cup at Seoul. For the first time ever, Busan has been invited to crash the party. We’ll begin the build-up tomorrow.

To the rafters: Seoul Racecourse was as packed as ever

Chapel Royal colt picks off Sports Donga

After slipping up last time out, Ace Galloper resumed normal service today, cruising to victory in the Sports Donga Cup, Sunday’s feature event at Seoul Race Park.

Ace Galloper returns after another win

It was an eleventh career win for Ace Galloper from seventeen total career starts. Ineligible for last year’s three-year old Classics having been born in Korea but sired elsewhere, Ace Galloper (Chapel Royal) is currently ranked fourth best Korean horse at Seoul. On current form, it is difficult to see those ahead of him – Triple Seven, Top Point and Blue Pin – standing much of a chance.

Today, the four-year old was sent off the odds-favourite and led from gate to wire to record a three length win from New Year’s Stakes winner Andy’s Runner with jockey Cho Kyoung Ho having the luxury of being able to ease him to a canter before the line. Cherokee Man was a surprise third while Special Volpony and Lucky Mountain filled out the remaining money finishes.

In other races, with the KRA Cup Mile just a week away, things were relatively quiet. Filly Yeah Strike scored an impressive 5 length win in race 10 to earn her first class 2 victory and fifth in total. Meanwhile another filly, Allegrissimo (Bon Vivant) was similarly dominant in race 6 as she recorded her second win. Also a word is warranted for filly Hiroo Dreamer; the four-year old finally broke her maiden today as she took race 5 vy just over a length. It was her sixteenth attempt.

Choi Won Joon drives filly Hiroo Dreamer to her first victory in her sixteenth start

Down at Busan, the feature race was won by favourite Global Champ (Charge Forward), who was produced at exactly the right time by jockey Toshio Uchida to score a half length victory from Dandi and Cheogo Beoltong.

So that wraps up another weekend – and another month – of racing on the peninsula. It is April when the serious business begins. There’s the Ttukseom Cup at Seoul but more significant is next week’s KRA Cup Mile, the first leg of the Korean Triple Crown Series, at Busan. We begin our build-up tomorrow!

The flowers have been planted and they'll be out soon - Seoul Racecourse March 27

Former Champion Runs Wide Again / Crown Flag Scores Upset In Busan Ilbo

Larrycat took full advantage as once again it all went wrong for Dongbanui Gangja in the feature event at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.

Larrycat and Park Tae Jong just edge out Strong Demand and Park Byung Yun in the feature race at Seoul

Dongbanui Gangja (Broken Vow), the former double Grand Prix Champion, had been out of the winner’s circle for nearly a year, after his long time habit of running wide in the home straight became too much to control. Still every time he races, many punters expect him to get it together once more. Indeed today, he was sent off as slight odds-on favourite as he was carrying several kilos less than he has been accustomed to.

Beaten again: Dongbanui Gangja

It didn’t make any difference. Choi Bum Hyun had Dongbanui Gangja well placed as they rounded the home turn but slowly, inevitably, the drift happened and while his rivals were going forward, Dongbanui Ganga was going sideways and didn’t stop until he got to the grandstand rail. In his stead, it was left to Larrycat (Fantasticat), second to Mister Park in the 2010 Grand Prix to get the better of Strong Demand (Read The Footnotes) in a tight finish.

Three lengths behind them, there was a blanket finish for third, Geumbi, who was making her class 1 debut, beating out Kahnui Jeonseol and, all the way across, Dongbanui Gangja by a nose. He ran a self-inflicted 20 metres further than any other horse in the race but was still only five metres away from winning. This suggests he’s still the fastest horse in Korea. However, now six years old, it is difficult to see how a stallion such as Dongbanui Gangja is going to change his ways.

Down south, on a wet and muddy day at Busan it was the Busan Ilbo Stakes and what was billed as a clash of the track’s most promising up and coming imported fillies.

As it turned out, the final stages were a clash between a Korean bred four-year old – with just one win in twenty to her name – and the only mare in the race – who also had only ever recorded one win. It was the Korean four-year old who won out as Crown Flag (Volponi), a 57/1 shot squeezed home a length ahead of Amateras (Silver Charm).

Pre-race favourite Royale Embrace (Chapel Royal) was a disappointment, never featuring towards the front and only managing seventh in the end. Likewise, there was to be no first Korean Stakes win for trainer Peter Wolsley as his Secret Whisper, second favourite in the betting finished third.

The winning pair returned a 1763/1 exacta. A few punters will have gone home happy while a few fillies have reputations to repair.

Busan Ilbo Stakes – Busan Race Park – 1400M – Sunday March 20, 2011

1. Crown Flag (KOR) [Volponi – Crown of Creation (Beau Genius)] – Kim Myoung Sin – 57.2. 7.8
2. Amateras (JPN) [Silver Charm – Nice Juno (Nice Dancer)] – Choi Si Dae – 9.5
3. Secret Whisper (KOR) [Sea Of Secrets – Generals Passion (General Meeting)] – Park Geum Man – 2.1

Distances: 0.75 lengths/1.75 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Sangseung Geotap 5. Lovely Woman 6. Queen Of Rain 7. Royale Embrace 8. Gayatansaeng 9. Saetbyeol 10. Geungnak Seonnyo 11. Ecton Legacy 12. Myeongmun Bobae 13. Jungle Love 14. Allie’s Premo

Dongbanui Gangja (7) gazes out over the Seoul paddock that he used to dominate

Today saw the first sandstorm of the year drift over the Korean capital. Here’s what happened on the track, where the sand is meant to be:

* The feature handicap involved a slew of old-timers and it was one of these, eight year old Hongji, who took the honours, defeating favourite Jilpunggangho by half a length.

Celebrate Tonight and Oh Kyoung Hoan head to post for what would be a victorious effort in race 10

* A pair of imported horses enhanced their reputations. Grand Ace (Grand Slam) won her first two races with ease but disappointed in her next three to the extent that she was sent off as a 16/1 outsider in the all-filly race 9. However, once she hit the front, she never looked like getting beaten as she stormed to a three length victory from favourite Blueband Mama.

One race later, three-year old colt Celebrate Tonight (Songandaprayer) got the better of a cracking final furlong battle with filly Kkochyeol (Essence Of Dubai) to win by a nose and record his third win from six starts. Hot favourite Mass Media’s Tea (Mass Media) was a disappointing fifth.

*Seoul also got its first ever full-time foreign female jockey today as Japanese rider Mai Beppu debuted in race 9. Twenty-three year old Beppu was previously based at the Japanese NAR’s track at Kochi and two years ago rode in the International Lady Jockey Invitational race in Busan. Today she had just two rides, both of which were unplaced. She has three more tomorrow.

Japanese Jockey Mai Beppu made her Seoul Racecourse debut today

Speaking of tomorrow, it is a big day. Down at Busan it is the Busan Ilbo Stakes and the match-up between two of the track’s hottest up and coming fillies. Both Royale Embrace (Chapel Royal) and Secret Whisper (Sea Of Secrets) have won their last three races in impressive style and head a fourteen strong field. If Secret Whisper were to be successful, it would also be a historic achievement for her trainer, Peter Wolsley, who would become the first foreign trainer to win a Korean Stakes race.

The big race at Busan comes under orders at 15:35 and is race 5 of a six-race card which runs from 12:30 to 16:30. Four of those races will be simulcasted live back to Seoul where there is an eleven-race card from 11:10 to 18:00. Highlight in the capital is set to be the meeting between Larrycat and Dongbanui Gangja in the feature race 10.

View down a hazy home straight during the first dust storm of the year

Sometimes it’s great to be wrong. Just two short weeks ago, I was lamenting the fact that the great and venerable Bally Brae was spending his weekends carrying on obscene amount of weight and getting beaten by lesser horses. Yes, he’s healthy and loves to run but he deserves his retirement.

Bally Brae, with Oh Kyoung Hoan up, returns a winner for the first time for a year

Today, still carrying top weight and against a field containing Jumong, one of Korea’s top imports and younger brother of Subsidy, the horse with whom Bally Brae shared many memorable battles some years ago, the nine-year old proved the doubters wrong by pulling off a remarkable victory.

Moon Se Young, jockey of Bally Brae in his biggest races, had opted for Jumong so it was left to Oh Kyoung Hoan to have the former Horse of the Year at the front of a pack chasing early leaders Sadae Gwangja and Summa Cum Laude. The field came together as they entered the straight and, just as his big brother did all those years ago, Jumong hooked up with Bally Brae. They weren’t alone though as they battled each other down the stretch as the whole field came together for a blanket finish in which Bally Brae just got the better of Emperor Cugat with Jumong back in third.

Bally Brae, Horse of the Year in 2006 and Grand Prix winner in 2007 scored his nineteenth victory on his forty-fourth career start. He’s been there for much of Korean racing’s recent history. His first jockey, Hong Dae You, has now been his trainer for the past three years while the late Lim Dae Gyu rode him to his first Stakes victory. Two years ago I wrote a similar article when he returned to the winners’ circle after a long drought. Few thought we’d have the privilege to see him repeat the feat in 2011.

Moon Se Young guides NZ bred Daenggimeori to victory at Seoul

It was a beautiful day in the Korean capital and aside from Bally Brae, there was much to get excited about. New Zealand bred gelding Daenggimeori (Handsome Ransom) finally broke his maiden at the seventh attempt as he scored a narrow victory in race 4, while there was defeat for highly rated Ruby Queen in race 8.

Kim Hae Sun scores with Saeroungangja in race 8

Ruby Queen (Badge Of Silver) came in with a record of three wins from her five starts to date and was sent off as the odds-on favourite, but she and jockey Jo In Kwen ran into an inspired ride by Kim Hae Sun of 10/1 shot Saeroungangja, who led from gate-to-wire for the victory. One horse who did live up to his billing though was Achimsarang. Suffering the same problem as fellow Broken Vow offspring Dongbanui Gangja, for the second race running, Achimsarang drifted wildly in the home straight but had enough in the tank to still win race 9 with ease.

It was an eventful afternoon and there were presentations to watch too. Last weekend, Tough Win gave trainer Shin Woo Chul his 1000th career winner. During the week he had a tree planted in his honour and today, Shin was presented with a trophy (actually several trophies) to mark his achievement – the first time a trainer has reached such a milestone in Korean racing history.

KRA organizes impromptu head lice inspection: Or not - Shin Woo Chul (wearing the garland) is honoured for 1000 career training wins

In addition to Seoul, Busan also held an eventful card and just like Seoul it was an old-timer who took the feature race. Crafty Louis (Louis Quatorze) made the first appearance of his eight-year old season and put the young pretenders firmly in their place with a convincing win in the seven furlong feature. Just like Bally Brae, it was his forty-fourth race and he is now just one win behind on eighteen.

The sunshine was hazy but a huge crowd packed into Seoul Racecourse today

* For obvious reasons thoughts at the track today were with the tragedy that has befallen our neighbours across the sea in Japan. Despite – and in many ways because of – the difficulties the two nations have had in their history, the links run deep. There are few in Korea who do not know someone who has been affected by this.

Racing in Japan has of course been suspended indefinitely. See this post for a report on the whereabouts and well-being of horses in Japan.

From a seemingly impossible position, Triple Seven flew home to claim a last gasp victory in the feature event at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.

Triple Seven: Winner today

Stuck behind a pack of horses as they entered the home straight, last year’s Ttukseom Cup winner, sent off at 8/1 and top weight for the 1700 metre handicap, Triple Seven (The Groom Is Red) looked set to play no part in a a finish that was et to be contested by favourite Holy Dreamer, filly Cheonun and former prolific winner Big Easy.

Forced to go down the outside, jockey Bang Choon Sik – replacing regular rider Choi Bum Hyun – managed to get six-year old Triple Seven into top gear and they came through to hit the front as the pack swept over the line to win by a head from Cheonun with Khanui Huye and Holy Dreamer just a further neck behind in third and fourth.

It made it two wins from two starts this year and twelve career wins in total for Triple Seven who, alongside the great Baekgwang, is the most successful horse by late sire The Groom Is Red.

In other races, there was a third straight win for three-year old Mupaeseungni (Ingrandire). Crucially this time it was over 1700 metres and the manner in which he coatsed to an eight length victory in race 8, suggests the colt could play some part in the Classics this year. If he does, he’ll be the first progeny of relatively new Japanese sire Ingrandire (White Muzzle) to do so. Meanwhile, for the second Saturday in a row, Japanese jockey Hiro Hamada took victory in the last race of the day. This time he partnered filly She Strong to a narrow win.

Racing returns to the peninsula on Sunday with eleven races at Seoul from 11:10 to 18:00 and six at Busan from 12:30 to 16:30.

* Today, March 12, is the one year anniversary of the death of jockey Park Jin Hee. Busan based rider Park took her own life after battling depression.

Park Jin Hee 1982-2010 (KRA)