Racing Review – 16 March
Natural Nine, ridden by Kim Hey Sung, took the feature race at Seoul this afternoon. Starting 4.0 second favourite, the four year old scored a three length victory over Magic Runner (Ji Ha Ju) with odds-on favourite Samdabong back in fifth. There was an impressive win for Esteban (Yoo Sang Wan), the 4.2 shot dominating the 1700 meters race 9 to win by three lengths from favourite Geumsuni (Moon Se Young). To complete a hat-trick of second-favourite victories, Seoul Teukgeup trotted up by seven lengths under Moon Jung Kyun in race 11 with odds-on favourite Cash Parade (Danny Craven) back in third.

In contrast to yesterday where almost every favourite came home, today started with a shock – the 22.1 chance Sweet Picket coming home in race 1 with the 1.6 favourite Jayudari languishing in eighth and continued throughout the day. Indeed only one odds-on chance came home all afternoon – the Moon Se Young ridden Jaemidubae in race 6. It was Moon’s only win of the afternoon, the well fancied Mild Go in race 7 going the same way as Geumsuni later on and finishing second. There were two wins for Yoo Sang Wan and another win for the in-form Lee Shin Young.

Full Results

Seoul Racing Review – March 15
There were no surprises today as favourites lived up to their billing on a mild spring day this afternoon. The most valuable race of the day only attracted 7 runners and it proved to be a a mismatch as Namchonuijon (Oh Kyung Hoan), starting the 1.1 favourite, hit the front at the final turn and accelerated to win by a remarkable 18 lengths from Bisul (Park Tae Jong). In the previous race the 1.3 favourite Jeokdaejeok (Cho Kyoung Ho), found things a little tougher but produced a fast finish to take he line 2 lengths ahead of Baekdujeonseol (Chun Chang Ki). There were also odds-on wins for Gangcheolgwon (Chun Chang Ki), starting at 1.7 and finishing 6 lengths in front of Devilish Speed, and also for Aragorn (Woo Chang Gu). Aragorn went off at at 1.5 but faced a tough battle with Huimang Energy (Ham Wan Sik) in the closing stages with the favourite getting the better of it by just over a length.

Finish of the day was in race 7, which punters also found the most competitive of the day. In the end, joint second favourites Rulluralla (An Byung Ki) and Happy Hero (Moon Se Young) both starting at 4.1 came home with just a nose between them as An Byung Ki picked up his second win of the afternoon, with outsider Crown Birdie (Lee Jeong Sup) just half a length back in third. With the exception of Royal Taichi (Moon Jung Kyun) picking up race 5 at 18.1, the favourites had it all their own way – Sinnui Norae (Yoon Dae Keun) coming home at 1.6 in race 2 and Hanbatanguseum (An Byung Ki) at 1.5 in race 6. With his double, An Byung Ki was the only jockey to win more than one race with the returning Moon Se Young picking up a win on Hammer Punch (2.2) in race 8. Danny Craven had five rides, the highlight being placing third on Yeonseung Melody (14.0) in race 8.

Racing is back tomorrow at Seoul Race Park with the first of eleven races starting at 11:20. There are also six races at Busan, the first at 13:00 and nine on Jeju Island with the first off at 12:20.

Full Results

Punters couldn’t decide between them and in the end there was only a nose in it as the four year old Jung Si Won ridden Florida Native held off Golding to take the feature race at Busan. With the two starting co-favourites at 2.2, Florida Native led from start to finish of the 2000 metre handicap, Golding making a late run but just failing to catch his rival, who had an 8.5 kilo weight advantage, on the line. Wonder Love finished third at 7.4.

Full Results

Racing Review – Sunday 9 March
There were no surprises in the big race at Seoul this afternoon as Secret Weapon dominated the 42Million won 1900 metre handicap leading from start to finish. Going off at a not so secret 1.2, Chun Chang Ki took the top weight five year old to the front coming out of the stalls and stayed there all race to ein by four lengths from Seonju Jangsu (9.8) in a race of just seven runners.

Earlier, impressive three year-old Shining Two (2.0) made it three wins from three starts with a two length win over Ice Man (15.6) in race 7. Longest priced winner of the day came in a very open race 1, won by 55.6 shot Cheonjasan. another winner for Chun Chang Ki. No surprises in race 4, however, as highly rated Estar came home by two lengths at 1.2. With Moon Se Young absent there were doubles not only for Chun Chang Ki but also Woo Chang Gu, Yoo Seung Wan and Park Tae Jong.

In contrast to Seoul, Busan’s feature handicap was a very open affair with 13 runners and it was a very impressive performance by the slight favourite Bugyeong Choegang (3.7) scoring a two and a half length win over Geumui Hwanhyang (4.6).

The warmest day of the year so far meant the biggest crowd of the year at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. Unfortunately the card was perhaps the lowest quality of the year so far.  Second favourite Uncatchable (4.8)  lived up to its name in the feature race 11. Ridden by Lee Jeong Sup, the 7 year old held off a strong final furlong challenge from favourite Dashing Champ (Nozomu Tomizawa) to win by a neck.

With championship leader Moon Se Young missing through suspension, this weekend provides nearest – and perhaps only – rival, Cho Kyoung Ho to make up some ground and he scored two winners, first in race 2 on the odds-on Jewanguijari (1.8) and then in race 4 on outsider Euolimbada (15.7). Chun Chang Ki also scored a double with Dongbang Mujeok (6.7) in race 9 and Keomeun Pokpung (21.6) in race 12.

Race 7 saw a bad fall for Heo Jae Young.  Coming out of stall three, Heo found himself boxed in on either side causing his horse, outsider Triple Queen, to stumble throwing Heo off sideways. Heo landed heavily on his back and was knocked unconscious. The ambulance was on the scene within seconds and Heo was moved to hospital. There’s no word from the KRA or other sources on his condition as yet.  Mukyang, ridden by Han Chang Min was disqualified after eventually finishing fifth, for its part in the incident.  The race was won by Super Family (9.6) ridden by Jung Ki Young.

Racing starts again at 11:20 tomorrow with 11 races. There is also racing at Busan with the first of 6 races off at 13:00.

Friday’s feature race at Busan was the richest of the year so far and was won by second favourite Procyon (4.7) taking the Chae Gyu Joon ridden horse to 8 wins from 13 starts.  Yeongwonhari (4.8) was second with favourite Pick Me Up (2.1) six lengths behind the winner in third.

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).