Park Tae Jong Trebles to Claim Jockey Title / Sangseung Ilro beaten
At the start of this year, it would have been a brave punter who suggested that it would be Baekgwang, champion three-year old of 2006 but since lost to perpetual injury, who would be bringing the curtain down on the 2009 season by running down the field in the home straight to claim a last gasp victory like he did so many times three years ago.

Yet that is what happened in the snow at Seoul Race Park this afternoon as the brilliant grey turned for home last out of eleven in the nine and a half furlong handicap. Roared on by 40,000 punters and under Park Tae Jong, another former champion about to have his crown restored, Baekgwang picked off one after another. Natural Guy, Best Fusion and Free Woody were the last to resist, but Baekgwang swept by with plenty to spare with Blue Pin, one of the year’s better three-year olds, coming through for second.

We shouldn’t even have been here today. However, a pair of cancellations – first for a Presidential funeral and then because of an iced-up track, meant that this additional weekend was necessary to complete all the races allocated for 2009. Any regrets racegoers may have had over leaving their yuletide firesides for the snowy wilds of Gwacheon were forgotten though as Baekgwang since secured his second win since his unlikely comeback and a twelfth win in total for the six-year old. Now only Nice Choice is ahead of him in the domestic ranks at Seoul. A seven-year old season is now very much on the cards.

For jockey Park Tae Jong, the jockey with the most rides and the most wins in Korean racing history, Baekgwang was just the start of a glorious late treble that saw him wrap-up the jockeys’ championship by a surprisingly comfortable margin.

2008 Champion Moon Se Young had done his best to upstage the veteran Park early on. Moon, making up for lost time after a frustrating three month lay-off went about business with a vengeance, landing five of the first seven races. In doing so, he made Park’s lead over Cho Kyoung Ho – three going into today – almost unassailable (although Cho had taken race 2 to narrow the gap).

From race 9 onwards, it was all about Park. This is a jockey who already has an exhibit in the KRA’s racing museum dedicated to him as well as a plaque commemorating his becoming the first jockey to ride 1000 winners in Korea. That was five years ago and he’s well over 1500 now.

After Baekgwang, Park took Obaek Yechan to a commanding five length victory in race 10 and then closed out the season with an easy win on two year old Money Car – the colt breezing away from a hopelessly outclassed field to win by fifteen lengths. It’s four out of five for Money Car [Newsprint – Pinocchio (Big Sur)] and he may have a big part to play in 2010.

As 2009 wrapped up at Seoul, however, it was all about Baekgwang.

Class 1 Handicap (Domestic) – Seoul Race Park – 1900M – Dec 27, 2009

1. Baekgwang (KOR) [The Groom Is Red – Grey Crest (Gold Crest)] – Park Tae Jong – 1.4, 1.0
2. Blue Pin (KOR) [Lion Heart – Telegraph Road (Royal Academy)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 1.4
3. Free Woody (KOR) [Social Charter – Choiseonbong (Imperial Prince)] – Lee Joon Chel – 1.8
Distances: 1.75 lengths/0.75 lengths – 11 ran

Busan Race Park also had a catch-up meeting and the eagerly awaited return to the track of Derby winner Sangseung Ilro was the main attraction. Off the track since her third place in the Minister’s Cup at Seoul in October, the filly was sent off the odds-on favourite but failed to fire in the home straight, eventually finishing fourth behind outsider Segye Jepae. 2008 Derby winner Ebony Storm was never involved, trailing home last but one.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

With one day to go, Park Tae Jong scored a double to go three clear at the top of the Seoul Jockeys’ Championship at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. Long time championship leader Cho Kyoung Ho stayed in the hunt with a single win but Choi Beom Hyun scored a blank and is now five behind.

Park’s first victory came with three-year old filly Jangjagang in race 7 and in the last on favourite K Two Bong. Cho, meanwhile, guided two-year old US import Tough Win [Yonaguska – Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] to his third straight win. The gelding was stepped up in class for the seven furlong race 9 but once again was cantered to victory by an overwhelming margin. Tough Win will be one to watch in 2010.

While Park Tae Jong was moving ever closer to taking the Jockeys’ Championship, there was a welcome return to action for another veteran rider as Kim Ok Sung took his first mounts since suffering a knee injury in a trackwork fall during the summer. And it was a victorious return for the “Smile Jockey” as he landed race 5 on Cheot Insang.

Finally of note on a day when the focus seemed very much on the jockeys, apprentice rider Kim Hae Sun took only her second career victory as she guided long-shot Jumalui Haengbok to a comfortable win in race 1.

Racing returns to Seoul on Sunday with an eleven race card. Baekgwang is the big name runner in race 9. Also at Seoul four races will be simulcasted from Busan where Sangseung Ilro makes her long awaited return to the track. The 2009 Derby winner faces the winner of the 2008 edition, Ebony Storm. Racing at Seoul gets underway at 11:10am.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL
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Nonghyup Cup winner Lucky Mountain continued her rich run of recent form today by claiming the feature race on another bitterly cold afternoon at Seoul Race Park.

The four-year old overhauled long-time leader Challanhanbit in the final furlong to take victory by a length from Machine Gun and Lucky Seven.

Lucky Mountain, always a consistent money-earner, has come into her own this year. While today was just her third win since graduating to class 1 racing, she hasn’t finished any worse than third in her ten starts in 2009

Down at Busan, it was the old-stagers to the fore as Hwanggeumbit Taeyang beat off the challenge of fellow seven-year old Golding by the narrowest of margins to land the southern track’s feature race. While Heungheung Daejak, at age five comparatively youthful, took third, it was another pair of seven-year olds, Admiral Reigart and DM Merch who filled out the moneying positions.

Earlier at Busan, those punters valuing personal qualities hit a quinella as Courage, edged out Trust in race 1. Both two years old, Courage [One Nice Cat – Humorous Style (Distorted Humor)], making his racecourse debut, looks to be the one to look out for.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Baekjeonmupae held off strong late challenges from Pocketful Of Money and Angus Empire to take victory in the feature race at a frozen Seoul Race Park this afternoon.

It was a tenth win in total and second consecutively for the New Zealand bred Baekjeonmupae [Traditionally – Star Sixty Seven (Phone Trick)] who confirmed his return to form after a disappointing summer and he finishes the year with three wins from nine starts.

Hitting the front at the furlong pole, the five-year old, sent off as second favourite held on by a neck from Pocketful Of Money and Angus Empire with both horses finishing faster. Haengun Daewang and favourite Yodongseong were just a further half-length back in a blanket finish.

Two weeks after racing had to be abandoned due to a frozen track, horses and jockeys braved temperatures as low as -7C and most punters’ fingers had frozen over long before lunchtime.

There will be more shivering tomorrow as Seoul gets the first of eleven races underway at 11:10. Down at Busan, as ever they will be basking in temperatures of at least five degrees the right side of zero for their six race card which starts at 12:30.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

Favourite Crushes Challengers
Dongbanui Gangja produced a dominant performance to crush the rest of the Grand Prix field at Seoul Race Park this afternoon and in doing so, became only the third horse to retain the peninsula’s most prestigious race.

In a break from his usual patient style with the 2008 Champion, Choi Beom Hyun opted to take the race by the scruff of the neck in the back straight. After Ugildongja had made the early speed, Bally Brae headed for the front with Dongbanui Gangja on his shoulder. The favourite took the lead as they exited the third corner and from then on, the race was over.

As ever, he drifted to the centre of the track but the home straight was nothing more than a victory parade for Dongbanui Gangja who kicked on to win by a lazy six lengths. It could have been sixteen if jockey Choi had been so inclined.

The real battle was for second. Bulpae Gisang, winner of the Busan Metropolitan was considered to be his stablemate’s only real threat but in truth, he was in a different class. He did enough to hold off the late determined challenge of Gaeseon Janggun to take second place. Gaeseon Janggun, last year’s top Korean bred three-year old took third and had the honour of being both the best placed Korean horse and the first finisher from Busan.

Old favourite Bally Brae showed at the front in the back stretch, but his sprint legs are gone and he faded to sixth. The only filly in the race, Rolling On Strong, never featured and was eased up by Cho Kyoung Ho in the home straight.

An imposing physical presence, Dongbanui Gangja is a visually impressive animal. Big and muscular, yet handsome with it, he has a turn of speed of the type rarely seen on the Korean track. He now has ten straight wins and defeat doesn’t seem likely any time soon.

Bulpae Gisang is the second best foreign bred horse Seoul has to offer these days, while of the home-bred three-year old crop, the connections of Nice Choice and Yeonseung Daero declined Grand Prix spots, perhaps with Dongbanui Gangja’s presence in mind. Right now, it is difficult to see anything preventing him from completing an historic hat-trick this time next year.

Dongbanui Gangja in the Grand Prix Winner's Circle

Grand Prix (KOR. G.I) – Seoul Race Park – 2300M – Dec 13, 2009

1. Dongbanui Gangja (USA) [Broken Vow – Maremaid (Storm Bird)] – Choi Beom Hyun – 1.2, 1.0
2. Bulpae Gisang (USA) [Lightnin N Thunder – Neat Trick (Clever Trick)] – Park Tae Jong – 1.2
3. Gaeseon Janggun (KOR) [Duality – Diamond Star (Dixieland Band)] – Jo Chan Hoon – 1.9
Distances: 6 lengths/Head
Also ran: 4. Haengbok Dream; 5. King Kephalos; 6. Bally Brae; 7. Ugildongja; 8. Crafty Louis; 9. Yaho TS; 10. Rolling On Strong

The Grand Prix was the sixth and final race of the year to pit horses from Seoul against those from Busan. Busan ran out the winners by four race to two Tellingly though, Busan made a clean sweep of the Classics, involving horses born, bred, broken in and trained in Korea. Seoul’s two wins were both with imported horses. Dongbanui Gangja, the second of those, is on his way to securing his place as one of the greatest in Korean racing history.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Seonbongbulpae was eased to victory in the Herald Business Cup at Seoul Race Park this afternoon and was crowned Champion Juvenile of 2009.

Backed into odds of 1/5, the colt built up a lead in the 6 furlong race and coasted through the home stretch under Park Tae Jong. There were nervous moments as the field came back at him but Park knew what he was doing and was able to hold them off for a half-length win.

It was the filly Hushtilled who came the closest. Finishing much the quicker, she edged out second favourite Full Step to take second.

With Northern Ace being scratched after the race was moved from last week to this, there remains a general feeling that race fans have been robbed of a potential epic. Nevertheless, seeing how this two-year old crop develop as three-year olds is something to look forward to.

Seonbongbulpae is now four for four and the time today was just a tenth of a second off the track record for a Korean bred horse.

Herald Business Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1200M – Dec 12, 2009

1. Seonbongbulpae [Newsprint – Jeseok (Lost Mountain)] – Park Tae Jong – 1.2, 1.0
2. Hushtilled [Distilled – Miss Alwuhush (Alwuhush)] – Moon Se Young – 2.0
3. Full Step [Didyme – Fox Dance (Foxtrail)] – Oh Kyoung Hoan
Distances: 0.5 lengths/0.75 lengths
Also ran: 4. Silver Mon; 5. Muhandeungguk

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

After a season of near-misses, Yeonseung Daero finally got it right. Third in the KRA Cup Mile, fifth in the Korean Derby, fourth in the Minister’s Cup and second in the Busan Metropolitan, it all came together in spectacular style for the three-year old in the Owner’s Cup at Busan Race Park this afternoon.

Sent off second favourite behind the formidable Areumdaun Jilju in the 10 furlong race, Yeonseung Daero hit the front coming off the final turn. Once he went, no-one could get close to him as he extended his lead to fourteen lengths on the line seemingly with plenty in reserve. Areumdaun Jilju came in a well beaten second with outsider Viva Canon grabbing third.

Having won several top class handicaps in between the classics and, in the process, breaking the 10 furlong track record (a mark that he was a couple of seconds outside today), Yeonseung Daero has long been suspected to be the real star to emerge from Busan this year and go on to dominate as a four-year old. Sangseung Ilro seems too fragile and Pangpang appears a one-off in the Oaks. Namdo Jeap meanwhile has been inconsistant, skipping this race and being well-beaten on Friday.

What all those had over Yeonseung Daero was a big win to their name. The Owner’s Cup is by no means the biggest date on the calendar, but in winning it – and in such a fashion, Yeonseung Daero has signalled that he is now the horse to beat at Busan.

Busan Owner’s Cup – Busan Race Park – 2000M – Dec 6, 2009

1. Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] – Park Geum Man – 3.5, 1.3
2. Areumdaun Jilju (KOR) [Didyme – Chills Of Nepal (Nepal)] – Jo Chan Hoon – 1.3
3. Viva Canon (KOR) [Tahamkke – Special Craft (Crafty Prospector)] – Kim Young Geun – 10.6
Distances: 14 lengths/1.25 lengths
Also ran: 4. Yeongung Manse; 5. Galsaek Teukgeup; 6. Conqueror; 7. Top Grade; 8. Pangpang; 9. Glory Champ; 10. Sandeomi

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

* Sunday’s meeting at Seoul was abandoned due to a frozen track after just one race.

The foxes have had their fun of late, but a lion was stalking them at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. And it didn’t take long for Moon Se Young to continue where he left off, alpha-maleing over the jockey colony at Seoul Race Park.

On his return from just over three months on the sidelines, the 2008 champion started slowly with a third place on Helmitonia in race 1, but was in the winner’s circle with Silver Way in race 4 and again with Samcheolli in race 9.

Although apprentice Kim Cheol Ho also managed a double (with both wins coming on mounts picked up from the injured Oh Kyoung Hoan), the big guns of Park Tae Jong, Choi Beom Hyun and Cho Kyoung Ho all managed just a solitary win. It’s too late for him to challenge to retain his title, but today Moon Se Young sent out a strong message that whoever takes the title, he remains the number one predator at the track.

Cho’s win was the most eye-catching, guiding highly rated US import Tough Win to his second victory in two starts. Once more, it was anything but a tough win. The two-year old was drawn in gate 14 in race 6 but was in front within 100 metres of the start and from there cruised round to score a 16 length win. His time was just three tenths of a second off the track record for 6 furlongs and Cho never had to move in the saddle.

Tough Win [Yonaguska – Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] is one to watch next year. Also in race 6, jockey Shim Seung Tae suffered a heavy fall. No word yet on his condition but it looked like a bad one.

The feature race was won by an outsider as New Rider gave Japanese jockey Yoshiyuki Aoki his biggest Korean win to date with a late run to defeat Taesanbukdu. In the same race, Symphony Sonata struggled to make the step-up to class 1 racing and old favourite Namchonuijijon continued his recent poor run of form.

It was a bitterly cold day at the capital track. Snow began falling shortly before the first race and continued until the fourth with a strong wind adding to the deeply unpleasant conditions for horses and riders. Race 3 had to be delayed due to jockey concerns about visibility. As soon as it stopped snowing, the visibility problems ceased but the biting wind meant for a challenging day.

It’s going to be even colder on Sunday although without the snow. Seonbongbulpae looks set to be favourite as he goes head-to-head with Northern Ace for the title of Champion Juvenile in the Herald Business. However, while it’s billed as a match race between the two, let’s not count out Moon Se Young on the filly Hushtilled. Meanwhile at Busan – where it is forecast to be a positively tropical seven degrees above zero, Yeonseung Daero and Areumdaun Jilju will go for the Owner’s Cup.

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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

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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

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