Juvenile fillies take centre stage on Sunday at both Seoul and Busan with the Gwacheon Mayor’s Trophy in the capital and the Gyeongnam Do Min Ilbo Trophy on the south coast providing a stiff test as well as a big prize for next year’s Triple Tiara hopefuls.
Raon First won the Gwacheon Mayor’s Trophy in 2019. Can stablemate Raon Giant repeat? (Pic: KRA)
The Gwacheon Mayor’s Cup (1200M Listed) was last run in 2019 when it was won by Raon First. That year, the race was open to all juveniles, irrespective of sex or of where they were bred and Raon First crushed them, scoring by six-lengths. She would go on to dominate the filly and mare ranks for the next two years before returning to take on the boys when 3rd in the Korea Sprint and then last Sunday, winning the President’s Cup.
With just her Korean-bred contemporaries to contend with this time, another Musket Man filly and stablemate of Raon First, RAON GIANT has strong claims to take out this year’s edition of the Gwacheon Mayor’s Trophy. She has raced three times so far, winning two of them by big margins and her only defeat came at the hands of older horses.
Raon Giant likes to race forward, and despite being drawn the widest of ten, she can carry the green Raon colours home to another big race win. Moon Se-young, who last week had to settle for chasing Raon First home in 2nd place aboard Simjangui Godong in the President’s Cup, will be aboard.
It’s a tough race though. FIRE GIRL is unbeaten in two starts and has equally solid chances. At her second appearance on October 2nd, she overcame an awkward start before settling midfield and running on to win by an impressive five-lengths in a quick time. She seems set for a big show again.
Raon First, the only mare in the race, produced a home stretch burst up the inside to leave defending champion Simjangui Godong and Korea Cup winner Winner’s Man behind and score a sensational win in the President’s Cup (2000M KOR-G1) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon. The five-year-old is the first mare to win the race in its eighteenth year.
Raon First and Choi Bum-hyun win the President’s Cup (Pic: KRA)
Coming in off his remarkable triumph in the international Korea Cup in September, Winner’s Man was sent off as the restrictive odds-on favourite for what is the most valuable race of the year that is restricted to horses bred in Korea. Last year’s winner Simjangui Godong was second in the market, ahead of Heunghaeng Jilju and the three-year-old Captain Yankee. Raon First was fifth in the betting but that was at 30/1, such was the market skewed towards Winner’s Man.
More renowned as a sprinter, Raon First ran 3rd in the Korea Sprint over 1200M the day Winner’s Man won the Korea Cup. But Raon First had raced at 1800M in the past, winning a Class 2 handicap in May of 2021 in addition to harvesting the Listed Donga Ilbo Trophy in restricted company against hopelessly outclassed fellow fillies and mares who she would probably beat at any distance from the minimum up to two miles earlier this year.
It wasn’t close. (Pic: KRA)
She had never tackled 2000M though and she had never faced anything like Winner’s Man around two-turns. Yet she beat him with ease. Settling handy instead of leading, jockey Choi Bum-hyun kept Raon First on the fence, saving ground the entire way around as outsider Jangsan Laser set a tough pace up front, matched by Winner’s Man and in the early stages, by Captain Yankee.
That shape would remain unaltered until the home straight when Captain Yankee quickly folded while Simjangui Godong loomed up to threaten. Staying on the fence, Raon First stole a couple of lengths on the turn and was quickly to the fore, hitting the front with just over 300M to go. It was then that the challenge from Winner’s Man was expected. It came, as did that from Simjangui Godong but any hope they had as quickly extinguished as the mare built up an unassailable lead a long way from home.
Raon First crossed the line two-lengths ahead of Simjangui Godong, who was himself a length and a quarter ahead of Winner’s Man in 3rd. The very game Jangsan Laser was a revelation in 4th, but Captain Yankee, also on pace early, found it hard to cope with the pace and finished back down the field.
Raon First has always done things a little quirkily. She came to prominence in her juvenile season in 2019 when instead of entering the traditional Juvenile Series races, she was pointed to the race that was open to imported juveniles (she is a product of Musket Man and Pink Candy, who both arrived in Korea in January 2016). She duly won it in fine style. Since then, she has mostly been kept in filly and mare company for her Group race appearances – understandable given her superiority and the value of the purses – but after an out of character but excusable well back finish in the KNN Cup at Busan, she has been let loose in the really big races. She moves on to twelve wins from twenty-one starts and six of her last eight.
It was a first President’s Cup win for veteran jockey Choi Bum-hyun and also for trainer Park Jong-kon.
Simjangui Godong ran his usual strong race in 2nd and as for Winner’s Man, who suffered his first defeat in 2022 after six consecutive wins it was a first defeat of 2022.
Franco Da Silva moved to within two wins of the three-hundred mark in Korea, riding four winners across the weekend; trainer Peter Wolsley sent out a treble on Friday, but a series of bad luck saw Johan Victoire stall for at least one more week in his bid to reach two-hundred Korean winners.
Franco Da Silva (Pic: KRA)
The only foreign jockey currently riding at Busan since the departures of Djordje Perovic and Ioannis Poullis, Franco Da Silva has been in imperious form of late on the south coast. Having taken out the final race of the day on Million Bank on Friday, Da Silva kicked off Sunday with a gate-to-wire score on I Will The Star before adding two more, both for trainer Bart Rice, on Spice Ecton in Race 3 and Jessieui Kkum in the concluding Race 6.
Jessieui Kkum (by Jess’s Dream) is a four-year-old American-bred gelding, who is quietly putting together an impressive body of work. On Sunday, he settled back in the pack before steadily improving and then running on strong to score by half a length over 1800M at class 2 level. Under the eye of the progressive Rice stable, he looks to have a bright future.
Aussie trainer Peter Wolsley was in red-hot form on Friday, sending out three winners. The first was something of a surprise as 80/1 filly Happy Jazz led all the way in Race 2 before the better fancied Patriot took out Race 3 and Dream Of Queen Race 5. Bart Rice and Peter Wolsley are now neck and neck in 5th and 6th in the Busan Trainer Premiership.
At Seoul, David Breux rode a winner on both Saturday and Sunday while Antonio Da Silva was on target for one on Saturday and Alan Munro for one on Sunday. It was a slightly frustrating weekend for Breux’s fellow French rider Johan Victoire though.
Victoire is just two shy of reaching the two-hundred winner milestone since starting in Korea in md-2017. He had four good chances on Sunday but endured a string of bad luck. Premiership leading trainer Luigi Riccardi’s well fancied pair of Giant Indy in Race 6 and Trotting Riley in race 9 both missed the break, while arguably Victoire’s best chance of the day, Tiz Barows, was scratched from race 10. It’s hard to keep Victoire down though, and he will surely hit the two hundred sooner rather than later.
In the feature race of the weekend, the concluding Race 11 at Seoul on Sunday, apprentice jockey Kim Tae-hui added to her burgeoning reputation, producing the veteran Winner Gold at the perfect time to swoop home. Favourite Soul Merit struck the front in the final half furlong, but Kim brought the seven-year-old Wildcat Heir entire past to score on the line. It was the apprentice’s twenty-sixth career winner, and the twenty-one-year-old looks set to ride out her claim in double-quick time.
One milestone was reached this weekend and it was by local trainer Kwak Yong-hyo. The veteran handler sent out his five-hundredth career winner when Take Music dominated Race 1 at Seoul on Sunday. While twenty-five years may be a long time, Kwak has sent out only just over 4,800 runners in that time so has returned a win-rate in excess of 10%. His best horses have been Bicheonbong, who won the President’s Cup (KOR-G1) in 2004, and Star Wood, who won back-to-back runnings of the Ttukseom Cup (KOR-G3) in 2005 and 2006, in the days before that race became restricted to fillies and mares.
Trainer Kwak Yong-hyo with jockey Park Tae-jong following Hangang Ace’s win in the Munhwa Ilbo Trophy (Pic: KRA)
Kwak may not be done quite yet as he has in his stable Hangang Ace, who earlier this month won the Listed Munhwa Ilbo Trophy for juveniles and will probably be headed to Busan in December for the Breeders’ Cup race to decide the season’s champion two-year-old.
Next weekend sees the likely return of Korea Sprint winner Eoma Eoma. With no season-ending Group races for the sprinters, he is set to travel south to Busan where he will be hot favourite to win the Listed Kookje Shinmun Trophy over 1400M next Sunday afternoon.
Raon The Fighter delivered a consummate display of excellence at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon, effortlessly crossing to the front and proceeding to run the rest out of the race to win the KRA Cup Classic (2000M KOR-G2) in front of a raucous 27,000 strong crowd.
Having duelled with Japan’s Sekifu throughout the majority of last month’s international Korea Cup (1800M-IG3) but ultimately tire late on as Winner’s Man came through to take a spectacular victory, Raon The Fighter was sent off as the odds-on favourite to return to winning ways in the principal lead up to the season finale Grand Prix Stakes. The only questions were whether he could get a good position from the widest gate and whether he could see out the extended trip of 2000M, a distance he was tackling for the first time. Those who posed those questions, quickly regretted doing so.
Other than in the Korea Cup, Raon The Fighter’s only defeats had come in sprint races when stumbling at the start and then working too hard to get on terms. This Sunday, he broke beautifully from gate thirteen and jockey Moon Se Young was able to steer him across to the front immediately.
Had anything even wanted to take him on for early speed, it is doubtful whether they could have done such was Raon The Fighter’s authority, although King Of The Match and Tuhonui Banseok would gamely sit within striking distance exchanging 2nd and 3rd positions throughout. Two little accelerations from Raon The Fighter, first at the top of the home straight to put him firmly in the clear, and then again a furlong out when into unchartered territory distance-wise at the furlong pole, and Moon Se Young was left looking behind him to see if there were any dangers.
There were no dangers. Raon The Fighter was eased home for a five-length win with King Of The Match getting closest in 2nd and then a seven-length gap back to Tuhonui Banseok in 3rd. Behind them, 2021 Grand Prix Stakes winner Haengbok Wangja was 4th while Geuma Mystic and Moonhak Chief came home in 5th and 6th.
Raon The Fighter debuted in November 2020, just after racing resumed behind closed doors and for severely restricted prize money. He would have five wins on the board before prizes were restored to meaningful levels the following July and didn’t get to run in a Group race until November 2021 when he destroyed Eoma Eoma in the SROA Chairmans Trophy (1200M KOR-G3).
The KRA Cup Classic is Raon The Fighter’s third Group win having also won the Busan Owners’ Cup (1600M KOR-G3) this July. The four-year-old entire, who is by Bayern and out of Empire Maker mare Clarinda, is owned by Son Chun-soo of the ever-growing Raon racing empire which stands the stallion Musket Man. He is trained by Park Jong-kon, who now almost exclusively trains Raon horses. For trainer Park, it was a fourth KRA Cup Classic after Mari Daemul in 2013 and Cheongdam Dokki in 2017 and 2018. For jockey Moon Se-young, it was a third win in the race, having partnered Pocketful Of Money in 2007 and Cheongdam Dokki in 2017.
The logical next step for Raon The Fighter would be the Grand Prix Stakes in December and a possible rematch with Winner’s Man, who will most likely be contesting the President’s Cup next month. There are two big stars in Korean racing right now, and they will collide again soon enough.
It’s Owners’ Cup weekend in Busan and Moon Se-young is among the Seoul jockeys in town for Sunday’s big race in which he will be partnering Raon The Fighter. He’s riding on the Friday card which has 7 races from 15:35 to 21:00. Here are the previews:
It’s Friday. It’s Busan
Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1400M) Allowance / KRW 25 Million
(4) SPECIAL WIND stepped up to this distance at start number five on June 26th and overcame a wide draw to get to the lead, ultimately finishing a close 2nd. He comes into a much better gate today, can get an easier run early, and looks the one to beat. (6) GUREUMSOK SANCHAEK returned from six months out to run a solid 4th of nine at 1200M on June 10th. He ran through the line pleasingly enough, should strip fitter for the run and the additional distance can suit. (2) YONGCHEON comes in off his best performance to date when 4th behind Special Wind on June 26th. He draws well again and can go close. (1) ORANGE STAR and (10) DOCTOR KHALIFA are among other placing hopes.
Selections
(4) Special Wind (6) Gureumsok Sanchaek (2) Yongcheon (1) Orange Star
Next Best
10, 7
Fast Start
1, 3, 4, 10
Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1600M) Allowance / KRW 25 Million
(1) STAR MATTA looks to have potential. He’s been well-backed in all three starts so far and while he hasn’t quite met expectations yet, he hasn’t run badly and comes in off a useful enough 5th of ten over 1400M on July 1st. You Hyun-myung climbs aboard and while that means he doesn’t get the benefit of an apprentice claim this time, he draws well and has a chance. (6) VIEW AMAZING is the only one in the field to have placed already, something he did two starts back when 2nd over 1400M. He too steps up to a mile for the first time and it may well suit. He probably starts favourite. (3) EURO STAR too may appreciate the additional trip. She has hinted at ability in recent appearances. (2) DANGDAE BLUE and (5) MEOTJIN HARU other potentials for the minors.
Selections
(1) Star Matta (6) View Amazing (3) Euro Star (2) Dangdae Blue
Next Best
5, 4
Fast Start
2, 3, 4, 6
Busan Race 3: Class 6 (1200M) Allowance / KRW 40 Million
(4) SSAEKSSAEGI returned from five months out to run a good 3rd over this distance on June 19th when handy throughout. He should have benefited from that run, can sit on pace again and can win. The probable pace-setter is (5) FUNNY LIFE. She has finished in the top-four in all but one of her five starts so far at distances up to 1300M and she should be in this a long way. (6) SUPER CRACK has the fastest time among these for the distance. He can settle back and run on here and should be a danger at the business end of the race. (2) ZET CASH comes back in trip after recent efforts over 1400M that include a runner-up finish two starts back. He draws nicely and looks a place chance. (9) WONDERFUL SMARTY another in the minor money hunt.
Selections
(4) Ssaekssaegi (5) Funny Life (6) Super Crack (2) Zet Cash
23/1 chance Calm Strong led from gate-to-wire and held off the closing pack to win the KNN Cup (1600M KOR-G3), the third leg of the 2022 Queens’ Tour at Busan Racecourse on Sunday afternoon, with hot favourite Raon First well back down the field.
Calm Strong (right) hold off Wish Me to win the KNN Cup (Pic: KRA)
Making just her tenth career start, Calm Strong bounded out of gate eight and into the lead while Raon First, dwelt slightly and was slowly away, having to settle in an unfamiliar rear position.
While Raon First did improve to 2nd place by the top of the straight, it quickly became clear that it wasn’t going to be her day, her customary acceleration was missing and she dropped back through the field, ultimately finishing 8th.
With You Hyun-myung aboard, Calm Strong was able to hold off the determined late challenges of Wish Me and Yeonggwangui Time, taking the line a neck to the good. Filly Triple Crown winner Golden Power was 4th.
Calm Strong is a three-year-old USA-bred filly by Bayern and out of the Broken Vow mare Diva’ Seastar. Imported as a yearling, she is owned by Lee Hae-lan and trained by Kang Hyoung-gon. Sunday’s victory was just her third but takes her career earnings to KRW 329 Million (US$250,000).
As for Raon First, jockey Choi Bum-hyun reported that having loaded first, his mare had to wait a long time in the gate and then didn’t get away well. He said that having got up to join the leaders, she didn’t maintain her momentum in the way that he expected. An initial veterinary examination found no obvious issues.
The Queens’ Tour goes on hiatus again now until the end of autumn when the fourth and final leg will be the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup (2000M KOR-G3) once more at Busan on Sunday November 27.
Next weekend Busan takes centre-stage again with the Owners’ Cup (1600M KOR-G2). It’s a race that has in the past been won by the likes of Dangdae Bulpae, Triple Nine, Power Blade and Blue Chipper. Raon First’s stablemate, Raon The Fighter, is expected to run.
The summer racing season continues at Seoul on Saturday with a 10-race afternoon and evening card that runs from 14:50 to 21:00. Here are the previews:
The lights will be on at Seoul Raecourse again this Saturday evening
Seoul Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 60 Million
Juvenile maidens here with five of the seven racing for the first time and one of the two experienced ones is set to be hot favourite. That’s (2) WORLD KING MAN, who produced a strong 2nd on debut on June 18th over this distance when sitting behind the speed and running on in a good time. He was well beaten by a good winner but showed enough to suggest that he won’t need to improve very much to take some beating here. The other experienced one is (6) ARGO TAP, who ran out of steam in the closing stages having led for much of the way around on May 28th. He should have come on for that run and with a good apprentice jockey taking significant weight off, he can get closer. Pick of the first timers is (1) TOHO SKY. He significantly improved on his second trial, leading all the way around in a fair time. He draws nicely to get a good early position here and can be in this a long way. (4) GEUMBITMA and (7) RAON FOREST others to look out for first up.
Selections
(2) World King Man (6) Argo Tap (1) Toho Sky (4) Geumbitma
Next Best
7, 3
Fast Start
1, 2, 4, 6
Seoul Race 2: Class 6 (1200M) Allowance / KRW 25 Million
Three-year-old maidens. (6) CHAPEL PRINCESS is the one to beat. She has a 4th and a pair of 5th place finishes from three starts so far, all at this distance and in the process has registered a faster time than any of the others in the race. On her latest outing she led and beat a couple of today’s rivals and from a fair draw should be on pace again and go all the way. (9) TANSAN beat a couple of these when 4th on debut in April and then ran a creditable 5th on her reappearance on June 4th. She has gone well back both times before running on and that style suggests the draw isn’t an issue and she can be a danger in the closing stages. After that pair, the form drops off significantly. (1) VINCERO KING with the benefit of a claim and the inside gate looks the logical third-pick while it’s possible (5) HANGANG HERO and (2) BEST FALCON could improve.
Seoul Race 3: Class 6 (1200M) Allowance / KRW 25 Million
Tricky maiden with many offering light claims but few convincing. (10) WONDERFUL MUSIC looks as good as any. She has a 4th and a 5th from two outings so far and while her times have been nothing special they can measure up here. Her running style suggests the draw isn’t a problem and with a bit of improvement she could win. (5) CHANCELLOR is the only one of these to have placed, something he achieved two starts back over this distance, and that should be enough to send him off as favourite here. From a good draw, he’ll be on pace. (9) THUNDER NURI has the best time among these at the distance, recorded on a sloppy track in March, and while her subsequent form hasn’t been convincing, she may be worth an each-way interest here. (3) GRACE LEE, who raced twice indifferently last year, could be a better prospect this time, having won a June trial, and (1) SUMMER ACE others in the frame.
Selections
(10) Wonderful Music (5) Chancellor (9) Thunder Nuri (3) Grace Lee
Next Best
1, 6
Fast Start
1, 5, 7, 10
Seoul Race 4: Class 6 (1200M) Allowance / KRW 25 Million
Fillies only here and it’s hard to look far past (5) HIDDEN BLADE. Having trialed up well at the second attempt in April, she debuted on June 4th and ran a close 3rd in a good time at this distance having settled midfield and ran on. She should have come on for that experience and with some natural improvement today, she should win this. (6) LUCKY INDY didn’t get off to a good start on her latest appearance on April 17th when beaten by a couple of today’s rivals. The time before though she was an on pace 2nd and having returned from a couple of months off and with a better break, she can get close today. (3) ZELOS was a much-improved 2nd on June 12th at this distance. From a good draw, she can keep her momentum going today. (9) RALLY QUEEN and (4) GEOSEN GANGJA others who can place.
Seoul Race 5: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million
(2) INVICTUS was a good winner over 1200M at class 6 level three starts back and has subsequently run competently enough for 4th and 5th in two tries at this level over 1400M and 1300M. She stays at the same weight, draws a nice gate, and has claims here. The main danger is (7) BYEORAK. His solitary win came at this distance in January and he comes in having run a class and distance 5th on his latest start on June 18th. Moon Se-young climbs aboard and he is sure to have backers today. (5) THE FAVORITE once again won’t have that status but while she is yet to win in seven attempts, she has five top-four finishes. She likes to be on pace so draws well and carries a light weight. (8) CHADOL RUN comes up in class having secured her maiden win over 1200M a month ago and along with (6) LONDON QUEEN can be considered for the minors.
It’s long been known as the “Summer Grand Prix”, and this year’s Busan Mayor’s Cup (1800M KOR-G2) didn’t disappoint as Winner’s Man completed a clean-sweep of the Stayer Series at Busan Racecourse on Sunday afternoon, propelling him one step closer to a clash with the internationals in September’s Korea Cup while also confirming a generational change at the elite level of Korean racing.
Despite having won the first two legs of the Stayer Series, the Herald Business Trophy (2000M KOR-L) and the YTN Cup (2000M KOR-G2), Winner’s Man was only sent off as second-favourite for the nine-furlong Mayor’s Cup as punters backed Grand Prix Stakes winner Haengbok Wangja to avenge his YTN defeat.
As it turned out, the perils of anything but a low draw in a big field over the 1800M at Busan, what with its short run to the first turn, ensnared Haengbok Wangja as following a slightly below par jump from the gate, Haengbok Wangja found himself pushed wide on the first corner and trailing the field. While he would ultimately record the second fastest final furlong time of all of them, it was in vain, and he finished 9th.
Winner’s Man wins the Mayor’s Cup (KRA)
That left double Classic winner and runner-up to Winner’s Man in the 2021 Derby, Hit Yegam, to claim the early lead with Winner’s Man matching him stride for stride. They would remain that way until the home straight when Winner’s Man finally shook off old rival Hit Yegam, who was the colt who beat him to Champion Three-Year-Old honours last year, and Winner’s Man strode away for a three-length win.
The always prominent Simjangui Godong ran on powerfully for 2nd with up and coming four-year-olds Success Macho and King Of The Match in in 3rd and 4th. Hit Yegam, after his early exertions, was 5th.
“I’m really happy” winning trainer Choi Ki-hong told national broadcaster KBS, which screened the race live on their N Sports channel. “The race played out exactly as we had planned but that was only possible due to the hard work of everyone at the stable who made sure everything was right for Winner’s Man today.”
“(Jockey) Seo Seung-un really played his part too, he gave Winner’s Man the perfect ride. It’s a huge achievement for the horse and for us to win all three races in this series and we’ll make sure to keep Winner’s Man happy and plan carefully for what is to come next”.
Ultimately that could be the Korea Cup (1800M-G3) in Seoul on September 4th with the international race set to return for the first time since 2019. On today’s evidence, Winner’s Man is at least worth a chance against overseas opposition and with Korean-bred runners occupying six of the first seven places in the Mayor’s Cup, there is little to fear, either in the international race or in the imminent resumption of imported racehorses.
The Mayor’s Cup also signaled a confirmation of the changing of the guard. Simjangui Godong was the only horse older then four in the top five and the only three runners aged seven or above, occupied the last three places. Longest shot on the board Super Socks was one of those but he was at least in touch with the field.
That wasn’t the case for Cheongdam Dokki and Blue Chipper. The latter bled for the second time in as many races and while he was a winner as recently as January and Dokki as recently as last autumn, it seems that retirement is the best option for both champions now.
Winner’s Man is now where Cheongdam Dokki and Blue Chipper were when they were four years old. The future is a bright one.
Captain Yankee produced a late burst of speed to deliver an emphatic win in the Minister’s Cup (2000M KOR-G1) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday, adding to his KRA Cup Mile victory in April and all but confirming his status as Champion Three-Year-Old.
Captain Yankee and Jo In-kwon acknowledge the Seoul Racecourse crowd (Pic: KRA)
Having finished 3rd in the Derby, Captain Yankee was sent off as third in the betting market behind that day’s victor Winner Star while punters also kept faith with Complete Value, the beaten favourite in both the Cup Mile and Derby.
As he had done in both previous Triple Crown races, Seungbusa set out to make all, allowing jockey Jo In-kwon to settle Captain Yankee in midfield and steadily improve as the sixteen-strong field made their way off the back and towards the final turn in the ten-furlong test.
The distance was new for every horse in the race and Seungbusa, who had battled on well for 3rd in the Cup Mile and 2nd in the Derby, this time gave way with just under two-furlongs to run as Complete Value struck the front. His lead would be short-lived though and once Captain Yankee pounced at the furlong pole, there was only going to be one winner.
Flying The Champ, who didn’t run in either of the first two legs of the Triple Crown closed strongly for 2nd, three-lengths behind the winner, while Complete Value held on for 3rd ahead of Saryeoni First. The 94/1 outsider appeared on the scene from nowhere having been last for most of race but posted a final furlong time quicker than any other runner including the winner. Winner Star was never a factor and finished in 7th.
Captain Yankee is by Old Fashioned, who stands privately in Korea at Challenger Farm. He is out of Can’t Rezist (by Action This Day) and was bred by Lee Kwang-lim. The Minister’s Cup was his seventh race start and his fourth career win.
The Minister’s Cup win saw Captain Yankee’s new rating stand provisionally at 80 which will mean he will be able to race at least once at class 2 level. That’s the same as Touch Star Man was awarded following his Minister’s Cup win in 2000M and they both had similar form coming into the race.
With the Triple Crown series coming to an end, so too do Graded races restricted to three-year-olds. A return to Seoul for November’s President’s Cup (2000M KOR-G1) is the probable long-term target for Captain Yankee.
Next Sunday, the Sprint Series continues with Eoma Eoma set to return in the SBS Sports Sprint (1200M KOR-G3) at Seoul Racecourse. Raon The Fighter is not expected to run, but Black Musk, who came over the top to win the SROA Chairman’s Sprint last month, as well as East Jet and 2020 winner Morfhis are all in line for starts.
Raon First asserted her authority atop the filly and mare ranks at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday with a dismissively easy win in the Ttukseom Cup (1400M KOR-G2) and in doing so, moved closer to what seems an inevitable victory in the Queens’ Tour. A potential new foe has appeared, however, as a day earlier on the same track Golden Power completed a clean sweep of the filly Triple Crown with a similarly comprehensive triumph in the Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup (2000M KOR-G3).
Golden Power and Choi Si-dae return to scale (Pic: KRA)
Returned to its early spot on the calendar, the filly Triple Crown – or “Triple Tiara” as it is known locally – was a three-way affair throughout the series between the only fillies who really looked up to the task at this stage; Golden Power, who secured narrow wins in the Luna Stakes (1600M KOR-L) and the Korean Oaks (1800M KOR-G3), and rivals Raon The Spurt and Chamjoeun Chingu, who filled out the placings in both those races.
Mindful of the extended trip, punters couldn’t split Golden Power and Raon The Spurt, the latter having finished off very well in the Oaks and sent them off as practically co-favourites in Saturday afternoon’s Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup.
Outsider Lunar Silver bounded out of the gate and led for most of the way around but as they got down to business in what was unchartered territory distance-wise for the entire field in the home straight, the usual suspects amassed at the front.
Then Golden Power took control. She struck the front just inside the final furlong and eased clear to score by four-lengths on the line from Raon The Spurt in 2nd with the fast finishing Eunseong Winner edging out Chamjoeun Chingu for 3rd.
Golden Power is by Afleet Express and is out of Cherokee Sheikh (by Cherokee Run). Owned and bred by Song Boing-chul, she is trained by Kwon Sung-ju at Busan and was ridden in all three legs of the filly Triple Crown, by Choi Si-dae. She now has five wins from ten starts.
A likely target next year for Golden Power is the Queens’ Tour and potential meeting, with Raon First, who on Sunday all but wrapped up victory in this year’s series with two races to spare by winning the Ttukseom Cup as easy as her triumph in the Segye Ilbo.
Raon First was an easy winner of the Ttukseom Cup (Pic: KRA)
Sent off as an almost un-bettable favourite in the local market, Raon First settled in 2nd place early with jockey Choi Si-dae content to allow second-favourite Wish Me, who was drawn much better, to set the pace. That’s how it remained until the home straight and once Choi asked for an effort, Raon First’s superior acceleration took her to the lead and away from the field.
Wish Me held on for a battling 2nd place four-lengths behind the winner, while Lady Kelly also stayed on well for 3rd.
Raon First is by Musket Man and is out of Pink Candy (by Southern Image). She was bred by her owner Son Chun-soo and is trained by Park Jong-kon at Seoul, who trains the majority of the “Raon” horses. The Ttukseom Cup was Raon First’s eleventh win from eighteen starts.
The third leg of the Queens’ Tour is the KNN Cup (1600M KOR-G3) which will be run at Busan on Sunday July 17th. The series then goes on hiatus for four months before the concluding race, the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup (2000M KOR-G3) on Sunday November 27th, also at Busan. Next weekend the focus returns to the three-year-old colts and the final leg of their Triple Crown, the Minister’s Cup (2000M KOR-G2). The winners of the first two-legs, Captain Yankee (KRA Cup Mile) and Winner Star (Korean Derby) are both expected to be in the starting gate at Seoul Racecourse this coming Sunday.
Horse Racing in Korea 