It’s Korean Oaks day at Busan. There are 6 races from 12:40 to 17:10. Meanwhile, the Seoul has just got underway where there are 11 races with the last at 18:00. Notes on Busan races below:
Race 1: Class 5 (1000M) Handicap / KRW 40 Million
1. DANCER – Really struggled in her latest few and can’t be recommended here.
2. JEONSAUI HUYE – Disappointed on first try at this level two weeks ago but is worthy of another chance here.
3. BEONGGEULBEONGGEUL – Capable of beating plenty at this level. Win would be a surprise but should be looking for the places.
4. SEONGGONG PLAN – Struggled in three outings at this level since maiden win in January.
5. PEACE BERY – 2nd of 10 behind a very useful one in a quick time on May 12th and has to be in the frame here.
6. HANNAM ROOKIE – Yet to win in 17 but does occasionally find the minor money. A win would surprise though. (more…)
It’s Korean Oaks weekend. We’ll have a preview of Sunday’s big race for fillies up tomorrow but in the meantime there are 10 Friday races at Busan from 14:55 to 21:00. English racecards can be found here. Notes on races to be simulcast overseas below:
Race 1: Class 6 (1000M) Allowance / KRW 22 Million
1. HOSEUNGJISIM – Made a semi-encouraging debut in March but offered little in two starts since.
2. STAR LINE – Ran once last year but has a lot of hoof problems keeping him out since. Trialled up ok last month.
3. YES RED – Close in all three so far. 3rd behind two good ones (a long way behind them) last time and in with a big chance here.
4. GOLDEN FAMILY – Shown a bit of improvement in three prior outings. Still a bit to find here. (more…)
Sunday was a big day of Group race action at Seoul and it ended with Silver Wolf taking the Black Type win in the Ttukseom Cup followed by Doraonpogyeongseon getting the best of the tightest of three-way finishes to the SBS Sports Sprint.
Silver Wolf (Orotorio) started as second-favourite for the Group 2 Ttukseom Cup, the first leg of the Queens’ Tour that will decide the year’s champion filly or mare, and she and the one ahead of her in the market, Haeya, turned things into a two-horse race as they entered the straight.
As it turned out, Silver Wolf was just too strong, gaining the upper hand just over half a furlong out and running on to win by two lengths. Gaenari came home in 3rd just ahead of the fast finishing Gold Blue.
Australian bred Silver Wolf was a A$40,000 purchase from the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2014. She finished 4th in this race last year and today was making just her second start of 2017. In total it was her 6th win on her 15th career start. It was a first Korean group race victory for Serbian jockey Djordje Perovic and another milestone in his burgeoning partnership with trainer Song Moon Gil (of Clean Up Joy fame).
One race later was the Group 3 SBS Sports Sprint. Punters ignored most local pundits and sent off Japanese visitor Party Dress off as the favourite ahead of 2015 Asia Challenge Cup winner Choegang Schiller and Success Story, who won the first leg of the Sprint Series, the Busan Ilbo Cup, at Busan last month.
It wasn’t to be for the Japanese pair, with neither Party Dress nor Kimon Avalon being involved and coming home in 8th and 12th respectively. Not was it for Success Story who showed early but weakened to 7th. Instead, it was 60/1 outsider Parang Juuibo who looked like he was about to produce a shock upset as having always been close to the speed, he struck the front just over a furlong out and kept on going.
He came so close. Choegang Schiller flew home in pursuit under Perovic on the outside but in between them came Doraonpogyeongseon. The line arrived with all three together but the photo showed the narrowest of narrow wins for the 4-year-old Doraonpogyeongseon.
Doraonpogyeongseon’s (centre) nose is just in front on the line
The game Parang Juuibo clung on to 2nd ahead of Choegang Schiller. A full four-lengths behind, 90/1 outsider Best Guy brought home the rest.
Doraonpogyeongseon [Kantharos – Smartybegone (Smarty Jones)] was a US$50,000 purchase from the OBS Spring sale of 2-year-olds at Ocala in 2015. It was the four-year-old’s 13th career start and his 7th win. Trained by Min Jang Ki, he’s a stablemate of Success Story. For jockey Ham Wan Sik, it was a successful return to Seoul where he rode Clean Up Joy to win the Grand Prix Stakes last December.
“Doraon” means “Again” or “Return Of” while “Pogyeongseon” was the name of a horse who ran in Korea in the 1980s, winning the Grand Prix Stakes in 1985 and 1986. That was held at Ttukseom. Maybe someday, there will need to be a Doraon Silver Wolf, or even a Doraon Doraonpogyeongseon.
How they finished:
Ttukseom Cup (KOR G2) 1400M – Seoul Racecourse – June 4, 2017
1. Silver Wolf (AUS) [Orotorio – Ready For More (More Than Ready)] – Djordje Perovic – 4.6, 1.7 2. Haeya (USA) [Flatter – Luxaholic (Macho Uno)] – You Hyun Myung – 1.3 3. Gaenari (CAN) [Philanthropist – Happy To Be Home (Langfuhr)] – Lee Hyeon Jong – 5.2 Distances: 0.75 lengths / 8 lengths Also Ran: 4. Gold Blue (JPN) 5. Mighty Gem (USA) 6. Indian Star (KOR) 7. Holiday Dream (USA) 8. Supreme Magic (USA) 9. Bear Queen Trophy (USA) 10. Hidden Indian (USA)
SBS Sports Sprint (KOR G3) 1200M – Seoul Racecourse – June 4, 2017
1. Doraonpogyeongseon (USA) [Kantharos – Smartybegone (Smarty Jones)] – Ham Wan Sik – 10.2, 1.8 2. Parang Juuibo (USA) [With Distinction – Spicy Souffle (French Deputy)] – Lee Hyeon Jong – 15.7 3. Choegang Schiller (USA) [Artie Schiller – Changeable (Miswaki)] – Djordje Perovic – 1.5 Distance: Nose / Nose Also Ran: 4. Best Guy (KOR) 5. Perdido Pomeroy (USA) 6. Dynamic Jilju (USA) 7. Success Story (KOR) 8. Party Dress (JPN) 9. Geuma Rapid (AUS) 10. Always Winner (KOR) 11. Wonder Bolt (USA) 12. Kimon Avalon (JPN) 13. Choegangja (USA)
It’s a Group race double-header at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday. Black-type is up for grabs in the Ttukseom Cup while one race later it is Korea vs Japan in the SBS Sports Sprint. There are 11 races at Seoul from 10:45 to 18:00 and 6 at Busan from 12:40 to 17:05.
Success Story winning May’s Busan Ilbo Cup (Pic: KRA)
Both races are part of a series. The Ttukseom Cup gets the “Queens Tour” for fillies and mares underway while the SBS Sports Sprint is the 2nd leg of the “Sprint Series” which will culminate in the international Korea Sprint in September.
The winner of the first leg of the Sprint Series returns here and could well be favourite. Success Story made his name with a pair of 3rd place finishes at the Dubai World Cup Carnival in 2016 and having returned to winning ways over 1800M in February, got the better of a strong field in the Busan Ilbo Cup on the south-coast last month. Only one other participant from that 1st leg tries his luck again; that’s Perdido Pomeroy, who won this race last year but has struggled for form since.
Japan sends two. Kimon Avalon, who finished 5th in the race last year, returns to the peninsula to try again but there will be more attention paid to 6-year-old mare Party Dress who operates at JRA level at home. It’s the Korea-based one that will be fancied though with 2015 Asia Challenge Cup winner Choegang Schiller, in-form Doraonpogyeongseon and Brian Dean’s Choegangja all set to be well-backed.
The Ttukseom Cup, named after the district of downtown Seoul that was home to the racecourse before it moved to its present site in the satellite city of Gwacheon, is one of six Korean races included in this year’s international “Blue Book” and there are ten fillies and mares vying for the Black Type it confers – not to mention a 228Million Won first prize.
US import Haeya went down to her first defeat in April but looks to be the one to beat in the 1400M test. Form comments below:
Race 8: Class Open (1400M) Ttukseom Cup (KOR G2) / KRW 400 Million
1. INDIAN STAR – Stakes winner at this track last October. Narrowly beaten last time out at this distance, she’s a fast starter and should be in the mix at the end.
2. MIGHTY GEM – Ended last year in great form but hasn’t looked right in three starts so far this term. Strong finisher but looks up against it here.
3. HAEYA – Suffered her first defeat in April, fading late on. That was her first start since January after lots of setbacks. If she’s right, she will be hard to beat.
4. GOLD BLUE –Won consecutive races in January and February but two subsequent class 1 starts have been at long distances. Very strong finisher, so long as she doesn’t leave too much to do, she could be in the hunt late on. (more…)
Korean racing’s first international weekend of 2017 got underway on Saturday and while the main events are tomorrow, there was plenty of action in the three exchange races and it was two young US imports who produced the stand-out performances.
Dolkong & Djordje Perovic return to scale after winning the Turkey Cup
First was the China Horse Industry Association Trophy and it resulted in a gate to wire victory for filly Kiliui Yeowang (Adios Charlie). The filly, a $33,000 purchase from the OBS June Sales last year maintained her 100% on what was her 3rd start, seeing off the challenge of Spirit Of Hansen by just over a length.
Next up was the Selangor Turf Club Trophy which despite only attracting a field of eight generated plenty of betting interest. Ultimately, the 1800 contest would come down to a photo finish which saw the slight betting favourite The Queen Silver (Officer) win by a head.
The Queen Silver is a five-year-old mare and was winning for the 6th time on her 25th start. Kim Dong Soo rode.
The final exchange race was with the Turkey Jockey Club and this year, to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between Turkey and South Korea, the race was this year simply called the “Turkey Cup”. It also produced the performance of the day by three-year-old US import Dolkong.
Dolkong (Afleet Alex) was a $35,000 purchase as a two-year-old and had won two of his five starts prior to today, setting some impressive times along the way. Today was impressive too as Dolkong shook off the attentions of favourite Cheongdam Dokki with a furlong to run and cruised clear to win by four lengths on the line. He’ll be one to watch later this year.
Sunday sees a double helping of Group race action with the Ttukseom Cup and the SBS Sports Sprint.
Antonio Da Silva has broken his maiden in Korea. The Brazilian jockey opened his account with last to first effort on 7/1 chance Gutongsa in race 6 at Seoul Racecourse on Saturday afternoon.
Gutongsa (Spring At Last) was Da Silva’s (called Antonio Davielson in the race card) 12th mount since debuting full-time last weekend. He rides Hidden Indian in the Group 2 Ttukseom Cup on Sunday.
The win was also a first for new trainer Jun Seung Kyu on what was just his second every starter.
* Da Silva’s win comes a day after Korean Champion jockey Moon Se Young rode his first winner in Singapore. Moon guided the Alwin Tan trained Thunder Cat to a last gasp victory in the closing race 9 at Kranji on Friday night. Full result and race video here.
It’s 60 years since South Korea and Turkey established diplomatic relations and to mark that, the Turkey Cup is one of three big races Day 1 on Saturday of the first of two International weekends at Seoul Racecourse this year (11 races from 10:45 to 18:00).
Flags fly at a previous Turkey Cup day
In additional to the Turkey Cup, there are also the annual exchange races with the Selangor Turf Club and China Horse Industry Association. English racecards are here. Here are notes on the four key races:
Race 7: Class 4 (1200M) “Cargill Agri Purina” / Handicap / KRW 60 Million / 15:35
1. CHARISMA QUEEN – Started to get the hang of this level in her latest two. Led last time but did fade to 5th.
2. TOUR ROSE – Since a 7th place on debut, she’s never been any worse than 2nd. Comprehensive class and distance winner last start, she’s very much the one to beat here.
3. SAEJAE SARANG – Surprise class and distance winner in February, he’s not shown many signs of following up in three efforts since.
4. DRAGON VILLAGE – Generally beats a few but generally finishes behind a few more. Outsider.
5. MAMBO CHEONHA – Comes in off three consecutive 6th place finishes and hasn’t achieved any better than that in six attempts at this class.
6. NEONEUN ACE – The main danger to the favourite, he enters off back to back 2nd place finishes. Runs best when on the early speed and another 2nd is more than possible.
7. JAMNYONG – Slightly disappointing 4th when well backed on May 7th. Generally runs on though and is in the placing frame here. (more…)
King Of Ace is one of the hottest properties in Korean racing right now and after his more than creditable 3rd place in last month’s Busan Ilbo Cup, he got back to winning ways in Friday’s feature at Busan.
King Of Ace [Malibu Moon – Cintarosa (Grand Slam)] was a $50,000 purchase from Fasig Tipton last November and didn’t debut until this February. He won his first three races with considerable ease, impressing to the extent that he was allowed to take his chance against some of the best sprinters in the country in the Busan Ilbo Cup, the first leg of the Sprint Series, on May 7th.
While Success Story and (just about) Seoul Bullet got the better of him that day, he beat a whole host of big names in running 3rd. Instead of going to the second leg of the Series, Sunday’s SBS Sprint in Seoul, King Of Ace was instead bumped up to 1800M for Friday’s class 2 Busan feature.
King Of Ace didn’t have it all his own way but was able to kick clear in the final furlong and hold off Triple Nine’s little sister Black Sapphire, to who he was giving 5kg away, by just under a length. He’s now won four from five.
Evening finishes get underway at Busan this Friday. There are 10 races from 14:55 to 21:00. (Seoul will switch to evening finishes in July and August but will retain its daytime schedule on weekends throughout June). Hot prospect King Of Ace is the top attraction on the day, looking for his 4th win in 5 starts in race 6.
Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Allowance / KRW 22 Million
1. NEW TREND – 8th in both outings so far. Steps up to 1200M for the first time. From the top stable so don’t rule out a big improvement on first start since March.
2. UICHEONGEOM – First-time starter. Didn’t catch the eye in trials.
3. KKEUTPAN TURBO – 7th of 11 in slow race on debut two weeks ago but ran on well and extra furlong may suit.
4. ALECTO – Improved 6th on second start and could improve again.
5. GHOST WARRIOR – Offered few clues in running 9th of 12 on debut. First start since March. (more…)
It always looked a mismatch and so it proved as Clean Up Joy effortlessly won the YTN Cup at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.
Ultimately it was an exceptionally well-paid workout for the 2016 Grand Prix Stakes winner who moves on to three for three this year, without being seriously tested in any of them.
This time, as expected, the only semblance of a challenge came from stablemate Shamrocker, whose jockey Kim Yong Geun pulled off a rather audacious move around the field in the back-straight to come to challenge Clean Up Joy. The two then moved well clear of the rest of the field before Clean Up Joy pulled away with a furlong to go and won with plenty in hand.
Clean Up Joy moves onto 14 wins from 24 starts and five consecutively. There’s little to challenge him at Seoul.
YTN Cup – Seoul Racecourse – 2000M – May 28, 2017
1. Clean Up Joy (USA) [Purge – Greta’s Joy (Joyeux Danseur)] – Djordje Perovic – 1.1, 1.0 2. Shamrocker (USA) [Dublin – Portera (Lemon Drop Kid)] – Kim Yong Geun – 1.2 3. Clean Up Cheonha (USA) [El Corredor – Loh Callado (More Than Ready)] – Lee Hyeok – 3.9 Distances: 4 lengths/11 lengths Also Ran: 4. Sotong Sidae (KOR) 5. Unbeatable (USA) 6. Cheonjeok (USA) 7. Bichui Jeongsang (USA) 8. Winner Red (USA) 9. Argo Brain (USA) 10. Hwanggeumbiyul (USA) 11. Samjeong Jeguk (USA)
At Busan, Bart Rice and Darryll Holland combined to land the big race of the day, a Championship Series event over 2000M with Buhwarui Banseok.
Buhwarui Banseok (Tizway-Aim For The Moon) is a four-year-old colt who was winning for 6th time in 15 starts and scoring his second triumph at class 1.
Horse Racing in Korea 