Weekend Racing Review
Myeongmun Gamun (1.8) justified its odds-on status by taking the feature handicap at Seoul Race Park this afternoon ahead of second favourite Good Day (3.0). Best Condition (6.7) was third in a race which also featured Neocheon and Totoro. Neocheon led for most of the 1800 metre race but Myeongmun Gamun, partnered as usual by Cho Kyoung Ho, came through with a fast final furlong to win by half a length. The day’s second most valuable race also went to form with Happy Go (2.3) giving Moon Se Young his third win of the day ahead of second favourite Mr Syndrome (4.0). There were upsets, however, particularly in race 3 where the unfancied Beongae Yeoje (20.9) gave Cho Kyoung Ho his first winner of the day with odds-one favorite Thunder Hill finishing in fourth. The morning’s races were subject to difficult conditions with the overnight “yellow dust” storm still lingering in the air as well as sporadic snow showers.

Busan also hosted 6 races, the feature, the most valuable race at any track today at 42Million won, being won by hot favourite Crafty Louis (1.6). Earlier in race 4, The Bee Keeper maintained his 100% career record with a comfortable four-length victory. On Friday, there were nine races at Busan with an upset in the feature. Mirae Cheonsa went off favourite but finished a disappointing fourth as outsider Yeoin Cheonguk (46.1) took the honours by three lengths from Million Dollar (3.1).

Seoul’s Saturday card was contested on the most spring-like day of the year so far. Angus Empire (3.8) gained his second win of 2008 in the feature race ahead of Dirt King (7.5). Earlier, three-year-old Arcane (1.6) made it three wins from five outings in race 1 and Eagle (6.5) won a very competitive race 10 ahead of Trust Sun (5.5) and Hwanggeumnara (13.2).

Seoul Racing Review – February 24
Third favourite Hwanggeum Dwaeji (5.0) won the most valuable race of the year so far at Seoul this afternoon. Ridden by Chun Chang Ki, Hwanggeum produced a fast final furlong in the 1400 metre race to win by a length and a half from Soseono (3.5) and hot favourite Air Kat (1.9). It was also a winning afternoon for Gayasanseong, Kim Hey Sung guiding the top weight and 1.6 favourite to victory over Sirius and Northern Victor in a 42Million won handicap in race 10.

In earlier races it was, once again very much Moon Se Young’s day as he picked up another four winners. Lee Shin Young added to her second place yesterday with a win on favourite Kkumcheoreom (2.6) in race 2.

There were six races at Busan Race Park also, the feature race being won by Sinsapung (6.0) ridden by Seol Dong Bok – the win being the biggest in first year jockey Seol’s career so far. Sinsapung finished three lengths ahead of Seneca Light (4.6).

Jeongsang Doyak produced a late run to take Saturday’s feature race at Seoul. Under Park Tae Jong, the 8.4 chance found a gap in the final furlong to win by a length on the line ahead of Dangdae Choegang (4.2) and Do Win (13.2).  On a cold day with a biting easterly wind, Moon Se Young picked up three wins, the last and most valuable being on Red Carpet (8.4) in the 30Million won race 12 coming home half a length ahead of Wyvern (3.3). Entro picked up its fourth win from seven races in race 10 coming in as 2.4 favourite ahead of Geumbittuhon.

Busan Racing Review – February 22 2008
This afternoon’s card at Busan had joint feature races – a domestic and a foreign race. First up was the domestic race over 2000 metres and Areumdaun Jilju (3.6) made the most of 3.5kg weight advatage over favourite Sinjin Gangja (2.3) to win by three quarters of a length. The Ahn Sun Ho ridden 6 year old led throughout the race and withstood Sinjin Gangja’s late challenge. Thirty minutes later, Admiral Reigart (4.6) recorded its second win of the year so far with a half length win over odds on favourite Keep It Quick (1.9). Keep it Quick had led for most of the race but Admiral Reigart came from the back of the field in the final two furlongs of the 1800 metre race to take it on the line.

There were plenty of surprises throughout the rest of the nine race card as only one odds-on favourite came home in front all day – Cheongnyenuiguisang at 1.8 in race 4. The longest priced winner was I’m a Firecracker (46.4) in race 1 which came home a length and a half ahead of a field including strong favourite My Mind’s Made Up (1.4) which finished back in fourth place.

It was a mild afternoon in Busan today and, although the worst of winter appears to be over, it is expected to drop back towards zero for the tomorrow’s racing at Seoul.

Seoul Racing Review – Sunday February 17
After some indifferent recent form and questionable fitness, Subsidy was back in the winner’s enclosure at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. The Oh Kyoung Hoan ridden 1.5 favouite hit the front as they entered the back straight of the 2000 metre handicap and pushed on to win by 9 lengths ahead of second-favourite Obaek Yechan (4.4) and Eunpa Manse (27.3). It was a 16th career win from 25 starts.

Subsidy was the last of four winners for Oh Kyung Hoan, having earlier won race 2 on Suseongsinhwa (3.3), race 5 on the highly rated S-Line (1.9) and race 8 on Chamgippeum (6.8). Moon Se Young almost matched Oh’s feats with three wins including race 6 on Devilish Speed – a horse so obviously a class apart from the others in the race that it went off at 1.1, the shortest possible price – and also on Seoulchukje (12.7) in race 7 which formed a 254.2 exacta payout with second placed Super Tiger.

Busan Race Park hosted the richest race of the day which, like Seoul’s feature, was a 2000 meter handicap. Fifth-favourite Hwanggeumbit Taeya (10.1) ridden bu Gu Young Jun took first place, four lengths ahead of Wonder Love (8.5).

Seoul Racing Review – February 17
Galsaem (Cho Kyoung Ho), bidding for her 17th win, came up short in today’s feature race at Seoul Race Park finishing third behind Hongji (Jung Ki Young) and the 8 year old Flying Cat (Oh Kyoung Hoan). Galsaem had eased out to 2.3 at the start and 3.2 second favourite Gi Ra Seong (Choi Beom Hyun) leapt out the stalls to take an early lead which he held onto for much of the race. Hongji, at 10.1 hit the front as they entered the home straight and never looked like losing it, finishing a length ahead of Flying Cat, which just edged out Galsaem for second place by a neck.

Cho Kyoung Ho had better luck on a favourite earlier in the day as one of the biggest certainties of the year so far came home in the shape of Samsimnyeonsarang in race 8. A class above anything else in the race, the filly won by seven lengths with a starting price of just 1.2. An equally short priced winner was Donghae Winner (Jung Ki Young) in race 4. Another impressive performance came in race 9 as Seoul Taekgeup (Moon Jung Kyun) won by 5 lengths ahead of a field including the likes of Erectus and Crocap. Aside from Galsaem’s defeat, upset of the day came in race 7 where the exacta paid out 423.0 for winner Magic Victor (Lee Joon Cheol) and runner-up Baram Queen (Nozomu Tomizawa) to finish in that order in a blanket finish that saw the first 9 horses across the line within 4 lengths of each other.

In terms of jockeys, Moon Se Young and Cho Kyoung Ho had a winner each while Jung Ki Young and Woo Chang Gu each scored a double. It was a cold afternoon with the temperature hovering both sides of zero and a strong south- easterly wind blowing. More of the same is expected tomorrow, when there are 11 more races, with the first getting underway at 11:20am.

FULL RESULTS CLICK HERE

Racing returned to Korea this afternoon with 9 races at Busan. The main race was an extremely open handicap with a surprise winner in Widaehan Bonneung (10.4) winning by 7 lengths ahead of All That Rush (7.6). Perfect Champ went off third favourite but finished well down the field in seventh – two places ahead of eventual favourite Pilseung Bonghwa. In other races, it was a mixture of odds-on favourites and outsiders. Miss Ecton won the day’s second biggest race at 1.8 and the day’s longest priced winner was Jeorin Jiyong at 27.0 in race 5. Racing returns to Busan Race Park on Sunday at 13:00.

FULL RESULTS CLICK HERE

Neocheon returned to form to land the 39Million won feature race at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. Ridden by Woo Chang Gu, the 9.4 third favourite led from the start to win by a head from Seonju Jangsu (Kim Ok Sung). Strong odds-on favourite Good Day (Jeon Duk Young), finished a length back in fourth.

Favourite Mujeok Gangho (2,5) took the day’s second most valuable race under Park Soo Hong and there were two wins each for jokceys Kim Hey Sung and Lee Dong Kook, the latter’s second being a storming finish on Gamdongui Sungan (10.8) in race 6 with Lee making up five places in the final furlong to win by nearly a length at the line.

The richest race of the day, however, was at Busan Race Park where top weight and hot favourite Golding finished strongly under Gu Young Jun to take the 43Million won prize.

Click here for full results from Seoul.

Bally Brae comfortably lived up to expectations and won Saturday’s feature race at Seoul Race Park by five lengths ahead of Namchonui Bit. Despite a clobbering from the handicapper resulting in Bally Brae carrying 61.5 kilograms – 8kg more than his closest rival – Moon Se Young guided the six year old 2007 Grand Prix winner home without breaking a sweat.

On a beautiful sunny day at Seoul, the above average Saturday crowd saw Moon Se Young end the day with four winners to overturn and go two clear of Cho Kyoung Ho at the top of the jockey’s table with Cho recording 2 winners today. Boo Min Ho recorded his second career win with victory on Arctic Time in race 5.

There was also racing at Jeju today with most races run in heavy snow. The day’s feature race was won by the 4.7 co-favourite Cheonwangsa. However, the weather on Jeju played havoc with both odds and results.

Bugyeong Choegang (Gu Young Jun) won today’s feature race at Busan. The 1.7 favourite finished a length ahead on Myeongmun Jepae (Cho Chan Hoon) at 3.8. Only one other favourite on the nine race card was successful – Sunday Punch at 2.7 in race 6. Racing returns to Busan on Sunday.

Full results to follow…