Filly Takes Juvenile Crown / Vicar Love Stays Again
Night Moves maintained her perfect record by claiming victory in the Breeder’s Cup at Busan this afternoon and in doing so was crowned the southern track’s champion two-year old.

While it was a comfortable wire-to-wire win, it wasn’t quite as easy as some had predicted. Jockey Jo Sung Gon had to go to work in the final furlong to make sure the filly stayed alert and ahead of the fast finishing Cheonnyeon Daero.

Another filly, Dalbit Miso faded late on but managed to keep third spot while Super Jilju, the only other undefeated horse in the race faded badly in the stretch to finish last. Fillies made up three of the first four home.

The race was the second year of the Breeder’s Cup and Night Moves’ connections will be hoping that she fares better than last year’s winner. Power Boy, failed to kick on in his three-year old season and has been sidelined injured since June. Indeed, none of this season’s three-year old stars took part in the race. Next week, the two-year old action moves to Seoul as Seonbongbulpae and Nothern Ace go head-to-head in the Herald Business.

Breeder’s Cup – Busan Race Park – 1200M – Nov 29, 2009

1. Night Moves (KOR) F [Proud Accolade – Elania (Double Honor)] – Jo Sung Gon – 1.5, 1.1
2. Cheonnyeon Daero (KOR) C [Creek Cat – Doneitmyway (Northern Flagship)] – Choi Si Dae – 3.7
3. Dalbit Miso (KOR) F [Pico Central – Lashae (Jack Livingston)] – Chae Gyu Jun – 2.0
Distances: 2 lengths/Head
Also Ran: 4. Money Tree; 5. Glory Yeonggwang; 6. Fine Jilju; 7. Trum Bell; 8. Super Jilju
Scratched: Land Lady

Also at Busan, Bugyeong Choegang got himself back in the Winner’s Circle, a full year after his last win. Yang Young Nam brought the five-year old Australian bred horse through late to snatch a half-length win from the grey Phasmes in a class 1 handicap. Favourite Seonnyang Yeonsa was third. Bugyeong Choegang now has nine wins from his thirty career starts.

Up at a damp and dismal Seoul Race Park, Vicar Love enhanced his reputation as a stayer by taking his second consecutive win over 2300 metres. The distance is the longest run at Seoul and is used for the season-ending Grand Prix. Vicar Love finished one from last in that race in 2008 and won’t be participating in this year’s edition.

Today, under Oh Kyoung Hoan, Vicar Love [Vicar – Canberra (Silver Hawk)] bided his time in the middle of the field before overtaking long-time leader Haengun Daewang with a furlong to go. From then on, there was no likelihood of his being caught.

On today’s form, Vicar Love’s absence is a blow to a Grand Prix race that isn’t shaping up to have an inspiring field (on Monday we’ll be reporting on the confirmed line-up so far). The four-year old now has ten wins from nineteen starts.

Earlier at Seoul, there was an easy win for two-year old Money Car [Newsprint – Pinocchio (Big Sur)]. Beaten by filly Saeroungamun in his debut in September, he broke his maiden last month and today stepped up in class. Both his time and the margin of victory were irrelevant as the rest of the field offered no challenge and Park Tae Jong in the saddle simply had to point him in the right direction. One to watch next year.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Punters couldn’t split Gi Ra Seong and Top Point but seven year old Machine Gun disposed of both of them to land the feature race under the floodlights at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.

Coming into the race on the back of four straight victories, Gi Ra Seong set the early pace but it was Blue Pin, the only three year old in the field who took command in the home stretch. Under Cho Kyoung Ho, the colt seemed to have the race wrapped up until Ham Wan Sik arrived on Machine Gun to snatch victory in the final stride.

Now seven, it was a first win of 2009 for Machine Gun [Ascot Knight – Crying Out Loud (Cryptoclearance)]. Ever reliable, he’s now scored nine wins, thirteen seconds and five thirds out of forty-four career starts

Top Point and Gi Ra Seong weren’t the only underperformers of the day. Two races earlier, Soseono, Photo Stone and Sangsangbong were highly fancied for an rare valuable sprint. None of the three even placed, however, as Giant Rose provided the second of jockey Ham Wan Sik’s four winners.

By the time the big race went to post the lights were on but it had been a beautifully mild – if misty – autumn day in Seoul. Under the November sunshine, there was a racecourse debut for Red Monster [Biwa Shinseiki – Witch’s Tea (Mugatea)]. Sire, Biwa Shinseiki, arrived in Korea in late 2005 and his first foals are now reaching the track. Red Monster is his third winner this month.

Saturday night's all right for lighting

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

Friday’s big race at Busan was a chance for one of the year’s lesser sung three year olds to announce their arrival into the top tier of Korean racing. And it was KO Punch who grabbed the chance to secure a valuable victory.

KO Punch had four wins and just one narrow defeat to his name going into the Gold Circle Trophy in September. He left his challenge too late that day, however, as Top Grade took the spoils. Another second place followed in October but today he made no mistake as he coasted to a two length win.

Segye Jepae, one of the few older horses in the race, took second while filly Galmaegi Kkum, now moneying in fourteen out of fifteen starts, raced into third.

As ever these days at Busan, the overseas jockeys were to the fore. This time Eiki Nishimura was the top performer with two wins while Hitomi Miyashita landed the tenth win of her short Korean career so far.

Racing returns to Busan on Sunday as attention shifts to Seoul on Saturday. There’s a mouth-watering feature race in prospect at 5:15. Top Point, Gi Ra Seong and Hwangnyongsaji are all top performers and will do battle with ten others over 2000 metres.

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Favourite Lucky Mountain took a comfortable three length win in the NACF Trophy at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. Under Cho Kyoung Ho, the four year old ran a controlled race, tucked in behind the early leaders on the rails before making her move in the home straight.

The big challenge was expected to come from three year old Love Cat, however, the Sports Seoul winner and second favourite failed tp spark into life when asked by Choi Beom Hyun and she finished a disappointing fifth. Instead, the late challenge came from the oldest horse in the race, seven year old mare Seungni Yongsa who came through strongly to grab an unlikely second, just ahead of another long-shot, Baram Queen.

None could match Lucky Mountain, who was third in this race last year although the win is just her second of 2009.

NACF Chairman’s Trophy – Seoul Race Park – 1800M – Nov 22, 2009

1. Lucky Mountain (KOR) [Silent Warrior – Myeonggahe (Revere)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 1.9, 1.1
2. Seungni Yongsa (KOR) [Our Poetic Prince – Jane Lauren (Snow Chief)] – Won Jung Il – 4.0
3. Baram Queen (KOR) [Didyme – Geo Bong (Regal Biscay)] – Ham Wan Sik – 4.8
Distances: 3 lengths/0.5 lengths
Also ran: 4. Badajebi; 5. Love Cat; 6. Daehyo; 7. Challanhanbit; 8. Mild Go; 9. Gamdonguijumal; 10 Happy Queen; 11. Wig; 12. Ambition

Victory on Lucky Mountain was the culmination of another great weekend for jockey Cho Kyoung Ho. Following on from last week’s win on Nice Choice in the President’s Cup, on Saturday Cho became only the third jockey in Korean history to ride one hundred winners in a season.

It was a day to be lucky and some punters at Busan certainly were. 50-1 outsider Lucky Guy was the suprise winner of the feature race at the southern track.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Nice Choice beats Baekgwang to win the President’s Cup
Baekgwang gave it his all but ultimately Nice Choice was just too strong in the President’s Cup at a frozen Seoul Race Park this afternoon. The three-year old pounced as the field entered the home straight and while Baekgwang launched his customary late challenge, roared on by a 40,000 strong crowd, the younger horse was a commanding winner.

Natural Guy and Nice Good were early pace-setters and at one point in the back-stretch had nearly six lengths on a strung out field. Nice Choice was at the front of the pursuers while Baekgwang as usual stayed towards the rear.

Once Cho Kyoung Ho had asked Nice Choice for an effort as they turned for home, none could answer. Except for Baekgwang. Park Tae Jong shifted the grey wide around the final turn and let him loose to try to run the youngster down. The chase was valiant and at the furlong pole, Baekgwang’s many fans dared to believe that he might do it.

He couldn’t quite get there and Cho Kyoung Ho on Nice Choice always looked as though he would be able to ask his horse for another effort if need be. Triple Seven was the distant third. Baekgwang was beaten but it took a quality horse to do it.

Nice Choice is exciting. He didn’t excel in the Derby but he now moves on to eight wins from twelve starts. A spot in the season ending Grand Prix race looks his should his connections choose to take it up. Either way, a big season as a four-year old awaits.

The other three-year old in the race, Khanui Jeguk, showed briefly at the front but didnt stay the 10 furlong trip, finishing well down the field. Today though was a day for the grand old survivor of Korean racing and the future. The future showed that he is now very much the present, but the six-year old grey showed he’s not finished yet.

President’s Cup (KOR-GI) – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – Nov 15, 2009

1. Nice Choice (KOR) [Lost Mountain – Betty’s Rhapsody (Don’t Hesitate)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 1.5, 1.0
2. Baekgwang (KOR) [The Groom Is Red – Grey Crest (Gold Crest)] – Park Tae Jong – 1.4
3. Triple Seven (KOR) [The Groom Is Red – Impudence (Grand Lodge)] – Choi Beom Hyun – 1.9
Distances: 1.25 lengths/6 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Lucky Seven; 5. Wontagui Gisa; 6. New Rider; 7. Mighty Runner; 8. Saebyeok Achim; 9. Natural Nine; 10. Huimang Energy; 11 Baengnokjeong; 12. Khanui Jeguk; 13. Natural Guy; 14. Nice Good

Nice Choice & Cho Kyoung Ho in The President's Cup Winner's Circle

Jockey Cho Kyoung Ho has made the President’s Cup his own. He won the 2005 edition on French Dancer before taking consecutive victories on Myeongmun Gamun in 2007 and 2008. This year’s champion-elect has now won four of the six runnings of the race in its present form.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Full Step out of step / Foreign jocks clean up at Busan
Two year old prospect Full Step found things tough as he stepped up a level at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. The colt trailed in four lengths behind Black Man over seven furlongs. Sent off odds-on favourite, Full Step was on the pace for most of the race but couldn’t come close to matching the three-year old Black Man as he accelerated away in the final furlong.

The biggest race of the day was at Busan where in a tight three-way finish, favoruite Haengbok Dream just lost out to Namchee with Seonnyang Yongsa in third. Miss Ecton led the rest of the field home, five lengths back in fourth. For the Australian bred Namchee, it was a successful first crack at top-tier racing. The four-year old had only missed the money twice in fifteen starts prior to today although had only won three of those.

Namchee provided the second winner of the day for Eiki Nishimura. The Japanese rider had earlier taken race 2 on Angel Star and, with Hitomi Miyashita and Martin Wepner also being among the winners, it meant foreign riders accounted for four of the six races on the card. Choi Si Dae and Jo Sung Gon were the sole home riders to score.

Yesterday at Seoul on the first day of a low-key weekend of racing, Pocketful Of Money landed the feaure race, taking a half length win from Yodongseong with outsider Royal Missile a surprise third. Earlier in the day there had been another near-miss for Korearacing favourite Ungbiyeongung. The five-year old scored his sixth second place finish but remains winless in thirty-three starts.

After the sub-zero conditions of earlier in the week, temperatures were remarkably back up in the low-seventies despite overcast skies on Saturday. Those skies erupted in spectacular fashion overnight to saturate the track in time for Sunday’s races although the rain had by and large stopped in time for racing.

Next week, it’s down to the real business of the President’s Cup with Baekgwang up against a slew of the year’s top three-year olds for one of the season’s biggest prizes.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Seoul claims victory in Busan Metropolitan / Golden Rose wins Gyeonggi Governor’s
Bulpae Gisang appeared out of nowhere to score victory in the Busan Metropolitan Mayor’s Cup this afternoon. With impeccable timing, Choi Beom Hyun brought the three year old down the outside to come past Yeonseung Daero and Areumdaun Jilju just metres from the line.

Gamadongja and Yeonseung Daero set the early pace with he latter staying on to battle Areumdaun Jilju for what, until Bulpae Gisang’s late run, looked like the win. Coming with Bulpae Gisang was last year’s champion three year old Gaeseon Janggun but he couldn’t match the speed of the US import, who completed the final furlong a full second faster than any of his rivals.

So Seoul finally wins a head to head against Busan – even though places 2-5 were filled by Busan horses (all of them Korean bred) and the last four finishers were all from Seoul. Bulpae Gisang goes on to seven wins from twelve starts.

Busan Metropolitan Mayor’s Cup (KOR. GIII) – Busan Race Park – 2000M – Nov 1, 2009

1. Bulpae Gisang (USA) [Lightnin N Thunder – Neat Trick (Clever Trick)]- Choi Beom Hyun – 2.9, 1.3
2. Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] – Park Geum Man – 2.4
3. Areumdaun Jilju (KOR) [Didyme – Chills Of Nepal (Nepal)] – Hitomi Miyashita – 1.9
Distances: 1 length/0.5 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Gaseon Janggun; 5. Yeongung Manse; 6. Saerounbisul; 7. Luna; 8. Gamadongja; 9. Angle Slam; 10. Hardride; 11. Saerounachim; 12. Tiffanyuikkum; 13. Vicar Love; 14. Balbora

It wasn’t just Busan that had big race action this afternoon. At Seoul it was the fillies who were in action in the Gyeonggi Governor’s Cup – named for the province in which the Seoul Racecourse is located.

It wasn’t much of a contest as favourite Golden Rose went away quickly as was never caught – the three year old cruising away from the field for a nine length win under Han Sung Yeol. In doing so, she gave new trainer Kim Hyo Seob his first big race win.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Gi Ra Seong makes it four / Eden notches first winner
Yesterday at Seoul, Ace Galloper sent out a warning to the rest of the two year old division. Today it was the turn of Seonbongbulpae to respond as he too stepped up to class 4. Respond he did, strolling into the lead as the fourteen strong field turned for home and coming away from the field to win by a relaxed ten lengths.

In Ace Galloper, Seonbongbulpae and Nothern Ace, Seoul has three very exciting two year olds. Ace Galloper has been beaten – once by Nothern Ace, but that was over five furlongs and it seems he is getting better as the distances get longer. As for Seonbongbulpae and Nothern Ace, they have yet to be challenged.

The Herald Business Cup, Seoul’s Juvenile Championship decider is set for December 6th. If all three stay fit, it promises to be a race to savour. With the two year old picture down at Busan yet to reveal any real potential stars, for the moment at least, Seoul can look forward to next year’s Classic trail.

In the afternoon’s feature event, Gi Ra Seong continued his impressive recent run of form. The favourite led from wire to wire to hold off Badajebi by a length at the end of the 1900 metre handicap. Five year old Gi Ra Seong has now won four on the spin.

At Busan there was a first win for Hong Kong jockey Eden Hok Lai Cheung. Cheung debuted on Friday with one ride which was unplaced but in his only mount today, he managed to guide 50/1 outsider Gilsan to a surprise victory in race 5. On another good day for foreign riders at the southern track, both Martin Wepner and Hitomi Miyashita were also in the Winners’ Circle during the afternoon although Hitomi also managed to pick up a one day suspension.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Aurora landed the title of Champion Juvenile filly in a hard fought Gwacheon Mayor’s Cup at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. Under Hwang Soon Do, the Tahamkke filly beat off Hushtilled by four lengths to take Seoul’s top two year old filly race.

Pre-race favourites Oh My Sun and Saeroungamun finished last and second last respectively as Choegouisungan made the early running before Aurora came by with a furlong and a half remaining. The previously unbeaten Choegouisungan held on for third.

Two year olds were the stars of the day. Another filly, Thunder Woman, came through a little late to be in the running for the Gwacheon race, but she had little difficulty in dispatching a predominantly older field in race 5 for her second straight win.

If Ace Galloper hadn’t come up against Nothern Ace when the latter broke the track record at five furlongs,he would almost certainly be talked about as a possible Derby horse for next year. Today he put in his third routine win in a row, moving up in class and continuing his preparation for a likely shot at Nothern Ace and Seonbongbulpae in the Herald Media Cup in December.

Ten lengths was the margin on the line but it could have been whatever distance jockey Shim Seung Tae cared to make it. His more illustrious two year old counterparts have yet to try their luck against class 4 opposition – Ace Galloper has already demolished them.

Also on an eventful day, Japanese jockey Yoshiyuki Aoki made his Korean debut. And it was a winning one for the 33 year old – the first former JRA rider to take up a licence in Korea. After failing to palce with his early mounts, Aoki took the moderately fancied Namchonui Yeowang to victory in race 9.

Aurora Takes 2 y/o filly title

Gwacheon Citizens’ Day Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1200M – Oct 24, 2009

1. Aurora (KOR) [Tahamkke – Southern Splendour (Southern Halo)] – Hwang Soon Do – 7.1, 2.1
2. Hushtilled (KOR) [Distiiled – Miss Alwuhush (Alwuhush)] – Jo In Kwen – 2.8
3. Choegouisungan (KOR) [Creek Cat – Right Out Ro (Grand Slam)] – Shin, HC) 2.9
Distances: 4 lengths/1.75 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Secret Woman; 5. Cheongsando; 6. White Volpony; 7. Bigsister; 8. Khanuiyeowang; 9. Oh My Sun; 10. Saeroungamun

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

It hasn’t taken new girl Hitomi Miyashita long to settle into her new environment at Busan. Having landed three second place finishes on her debut weekend, today she followed it up with her first victory – and then immediately after with her second.

Having safely seen home hot favourite Seongsu Yeongung in race 3, she came out and did the same on the promising two year old Time To Fly in race 4. She wasn’t finished there as she took Max Is Cruisin to third place in the feature event of the afternoon.

That feature event was won by Crafty Louis, the six year old notching up his fifth win of 2009, holding off Phasmes by three lengths. While Hitomi landed two winners, Crafty Louis was the third win of the day for jockey Jo Chang Wook.

Earlier this year, Hitomi Miyashita was pictured next to Toshio Uchida at a ceremony in Japan where “Mr Pink” won an award for his performance in Korea and Hitomi picked up a Lady Jockey prize. That picture must have struck fear into the Busan Jockey colony with memories of Uchida’s dominance at the track last year still dominant. Hitomi may be no Uchida, but if she continues with the same kind of support she’s had from trainers so far and then doing the business in the saddle, she’s going to be a regular visitor to the winner’s circle.

Up at Seoul, Donga Ilbo winner Dangdaeteukgeup followed up with a smart win over 1900 metres. The filly is now just one win away from entering the top tier of Korean racing. That same top tier today put on a rather low key feature event where Obaek Yechan tasted victory for the fist time since November 2007.

The six year old came through late for a surprisingly convincing four length win over Model Student and Seungyu Sinhwa. For the second race running, favourite Dankee’s Pal vanished without trace entering the home straight.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN