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…

Myeongmun Gamun didn’t disappoint in the feature race at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. Under Cho Kyung Ho, the President’s Cup holder went off 1.6 favourite and returned three lengths ahead of Gayansanseong (Kim Hey Sung) and Best Condition (Moon Se Young) the second and third favourites in the 2000 metre 34Million won handicap.

It was a beautiful day in the winter sunshine and just like yesterday, it was a day for outsiders. The longest priced winner was Rich Family in race 7, coming in at 45.4. Other long priced winners included the aptly named Miracle Winner at 19.8 in race 8. The day’s second most valuable race was race 11, won by Aegis Ham (Yang Hee Jin) at 5.9.

There were also six races at Busan, the feature race being the last won by Procyon (Chae Kyu Jun), the 4.4 second favourite.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL CLICK HERE

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN CLICK HERE

FULL RESULTS FROM JEJU TO FOLLOW…

Eleven races were held in bright sunshine at Seoul Race Park this afternoon and with temperatures not falling as low as expected, there was a good day’s sport on offer. Races 10 and 11 were the joint feature races both 1900 metre contests, race 10 being for domestic bred horses and race 11 being for foreign bred. It was the domestic race where the shock occurres, Yoon Dae Keun bring home Kkumi Mulgyeol at 27.0 a length ahead of Morning Dance (Cho Kyung Ho) at 4.4. The foreign bred race went to form as 2.1 favourite Angus Empire (Kim Ok Sung) led home 2nd and 3rd favourites Dankee’s Pal and Geumbittuhon by a length and a half.

Earlier in the day, jockey Cho Kyoung Ho scored a treble with victories in races 6,7 and 8. Cheonyeonbulpae was strong favourite in race 6 but Torpedo Mast in race 7 and Chaser in race 8 both went off fourth favourites. In general it was a day of outsiders as aside from Cheonyeonbulpae, Useungcup (Moon Se Young) in race 5 was the only successful odds-on shot. Race 2 also saw an unusual dead heat finish for second place with Taepungchukje and Gold Dash tying 5 lengths behind winner, Nice Good.  Danny Craven had 4 rides coming closest with fourth place in race 10.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RESULTS.

There were nine races at Busan this afternoon. The feature race was won by the moderately fancied Admiral Reigert at 12.1 in a competitive race. The 2.8 favourite Hangye Geokbok came in second a length and three quarters back. Click here for full results.

Haengun Daewang got the better of former horse of the year Subsidy in today’s feature race at Seoul Race Park. The 34Million Won 17:10 saw Yoo Sang Wan guide Haengun Daewang the 2.2 favourite home a length ahead of Subsidy who went off second favourite at 3.0. The day’s second most valuable race was the last won by Jingyok Napal (Oh Kyung Hoan) at 4.1. Racing was competitive throughout but withdrawals to the highly fancied Rebound in race 6 and Photo Map in race 8 skewed the odds slightly. Favourites for the most part won with the longest price winner being Dunamjae in race 2 at 5.0 giving Moon Jung Kyun his first winner of 2008.

There were six races at Busan this afternoon although persistant rain meant there was a lower than hoped for turn out. The feature race was the 16:10, an 1800 metre handicap which was won by the 4.4 second favourite Keep It Quick, ridden by Cho Seung Keun a head in front of Hidden Hero (Im, Sung Shil) at 5.0. Race 5 saw an impressive win by Vitesse (Choi See Dae) at 5.5, timing his run to perfection to overcome Jincheol Han and favourite Myunggyung Cheolli by half a length.

There were also nine races at Jeju. The feature race was won by outsider Myeonggajarang (Han Young Min) at 19.4. It was a day of outsiders at Jeju as some racegoers became very rich, principally after race 5 – the exacta paying 214.0 on first placed Jeonseolihim and second Sokbojeondal.

Jockey’s Championship 2008
Eleven different jockeys won races at Seoul today. Moon Se Young took the first to consolidate his lead at the top of the table. Park Tae Jong finished second three times today but couldn’t build on his double yesterday and remains on four.

1. Moon Se Young 9

2. Cho Kyoung Ho 7

3. Yoon Dae Keun 5

4. Park Tae Jong 4

5. Choi Beom Hyun, Ikuyasu Kurukane, Kim Dong Kyun; 3

Danny Craven picks up fourth winner
Aussie jockey Danny Craven got his first winner of 2008 and his fourth in Korea in the last race of this afternoon’s meeting at Seoul Race Park. Craven had already had two unplaced rides before winning race 11 on the Australian bred Cash Parade which came home the 4.2 second favourite, two and a half lengths ahead of Yoo Sang Wan on Baekjonmupae in a race worth 22Million won to the winner.

Ride of the day came from Lee Shin Young, one of only two female jockeys at Seoul, who pulled off an outstanding victory in race 8 on outsider Nokhaji at 31.2. Lee took the horse from the back of the field to the front in the back straight to lead ny three lengths with three furlongs to go. Inevitably the field pulled her back, however, in the last furlong Lee asked the horse to go again and found the front right on the line a nose ahead of Jeon Deok young on Sollong Goes. A truly remarkable ride which was greeted with rare applause by racegoers – rare especially as clearly no-one had backed the horse.

Elsewhere there were two winners each for Moon Se Young and Park Tae Jong. Park’s second coming in race 6 which saw a blanket finish with the first four horses within a length of each other. Generally it was a day of outsiders with Magic Victor at 1.6 in race 4, the only successful odds-on shot all day. The feature race of the day saw victory for Flying Cat at 13.2 (Oh Kyoung Hoan) but only after favourite Secret Weapon (Park Tae Jong) had been disqualified.

Overall some exciting racing, especially races 6 and 8. Racing gets underway tomorrow at 11:00 at Seoul, 12:20 at Jeju and 13:00 at Busan.