Weekend Preview

It’s Magic Dancer vs Gumpo Sky in the feature contest of another busy weekend of racing in Korea

Magic Dancer and Joe Fujii go in Busan's Sunday feature

Magic Dancer and Joe Fujii go in Busan’s Sunday feature

Fields are a little on the short-side at Busan on Friday but there is still plenty of betting interest (click here for full race by race preview) and it could be another good day for the foreign connection with Joe Fujii and Masa Tanaka both on fancied mounts while trainer Peter Wolsley sends out the banker of the day in the shape of Lucky Gangja in race 5.

On Sunday on the south coast, Joe Fujii will partner Magic Dancer as top weight in the feature handicap, taking on one of last year’s top three-year-olds in the shape of Gumpo Sky.

There are competitive cards too at Seoul on both Saturday and Sunday with the capital’s only class 1 event of the weekend being Sunday’s finale.

It’s set to be a reaonably mild weekend, so come racing!

Click here for full racecards from the KRA but here’s what’s happening when and where:

Friday January 9
Busan Racecourse: 11 races from 11:40 to 18:00
Jeju Racecourse: 9 races from 13:20 to 17:20

Saturday January 10
Seoul Racecourse: 12 races from 10:50 to 18:00
Jeju Racecourse: 9 races from 12:20 to 17:10

Sunday January 11
Seoul Racecourse: 11 races from 10:50 to 18:00
Busan Racecourse: 6 races from 12:45 to 17:00

2014 Review: Jockey & Trainer Titles
Moon Se Young - seen here being greeted by the female members of the weighing room after his 1000th winner, dominated Seoul

Moon Se Young – seen here being greeted by the female members of the weighing room after his 1000th winner, dominated Seoul

Once again, Moon Se Young was unstoppable. During the year he became only the second Korean jockey to reach 1000 career winners and finished the season with 61 more winners than his closest rival. That was Ikuyasu Kurakane and it was the Japanese jockey’s hard work on far less glamorous rides that saw him, despite Moon’s numbers, being awarded “Jockey of the Year” honours.

Seoul Jockey Championship 2014
1. Moon Se Young – 162 (27.1% win ratio)
2. Ikuyasu Kurakane – 101 (14.9%)
3. Seo Seung Un – 93 (15.1%)
4. Ham Wan Sik – 72 (20.6%)
5. Choi Bum Hyun – 56 (14.4%)
6. Yoo Seung Wan – 47 (9.1%)
7. Lee Chan Ho – 47 (13.5%)
8. Park Tae Jong – 40 (10.1%
9. Jang Chu Youl – 35 (8.0%)
10. Park Eul Woon – 35 (12.4%

At Busan, You Hyun Myung just missed out on 100 winners for the season but comfortably took the title. He did have some fortune with former champion Jo Sung Gon spending the first three months of the year in Macau and Joe Fujii missing five months through injury.

Busan Jockey Championship 2014
1. You Hyun Myung – 99 (20.2% win ratio)
2. Kim Yong Geun – 91 (20.1%)
3. Choi Si Dae – 78 (17.8%)
4. Jo Sung Gon – 75 (20.3%)
5. Kim Dong Young – 55 (12.4%)
6. Song Keong Yun – 34 (7.7%)
7. Kanichiro Fujii – 33 (12.2%)
8. Masakazu Tanaka – 29 (8.8%)
9. Lee Hee Cheon – 27 (14.6%)
10. Kim Hyun Joong – 25 (7.9%)

The Seoul Trainers’ title is nothing to get especially excited about but someone has to win it and that someone was Kim Ho. Special mention goes to Lee Shin Young who continues to make strides, finishing in 8th this year with 35 winners.

Seoul Trainer Championship 2014
1. Kim Ho – 50 (12.6% win ratio)
2. Bae Dae Sun – 43 (10.5%)
3. An Byung Ki – 41 (12.3%)
4. Kim Hyo Seob – 40 (15.9%)
5. Ji Yong Cheol – 39 (12.2%)

Kim Young kwan (right) manages to maintain his figure despite having to eat a cake after every Stakes winner. He trains a lot of Stakes winners. (Pic: Ross Holburt)

Kim Young kwan (right) manages to maintain his figure despite having to eat a cake after every Stakes winner. He trains a lot of Stakes winners. (Pic: Ross Holburt)

Down at Busan the competition is stronger mainly due to the presence of two men. The Kim Young Kwan factory continues to churn out winner after winner and hoover up the cream of each year’s horses. 2014 was an exceptional year too for Peter Wolsley, who finished 2nd with a superior strike-rate to Kim and in the process scored his first Triple Crown race win with Never Seen Before in the Minister’s Cup at Seoul.

Busan Trainer Championship 2014
1. Kim Young Kwan – 96 (23.7% win ratio)
2. Peter Wolsley – 65 (25.5%)
3. Baik Kwang Yeol – 48 (10.8%)
4. Kim Jae Sub – 47 (15.4%)
5. Min Jang Gi – 45 (13.1%)

* 2014 was also notable for the retirement of one of Seoul’s most successful jockeys, Cho Kyoung Ho, at the age of 38. The winner of two President’s Cups on Myeongmun Gamun and the Grand Prix Stakes and Busan Metropolitan on Tough Win, Cho did not announce in advance of his final ride that he would be retiring.

Afterwards, he posted a message online citing the pain from a shoulder injury suffered years earlier as having become too great to continue riding. He will be missed.

Also in jockey news, there will be a change in tracks for Oh Kyoung Hoan. It is unusual for Korean jockeys to switch between racecourses and while numerous jockeys relocated to Busan upon the track’s opening in 2005, it has been almost unheard of since. Nevertheless, Oh, who has been riding at Seoul for nearly 15 years, officially relocated to Busan on January 1.

2014 Review: Menifee Dominates Leading Sire Ranks Again

For the third consecutive year, Menifee was Leading Sire in Korea in 2014. This time it was by a record margin as his son Gyeongbudaero completed a late season President’s Cup and Grand Prix Stakes to take his sire’s earnings to nearly double that of next best, Forest Camp.

Menifee is Leading Sire once again (Pic: Malsarang)

Menifee is Leading Sire once again (Pic: Malsarang)

The table was very similar to last year’s with the only new entrant to the top ten being Peace Rules in 9th, who saw a remarkable 21% of all his starters win. He replaced Japanese sire Ingrandire, who dropped down to 17th after his best horse, Jigeum I Sungan, was retired at the end of 2013.

Leading General Sire in Korea 2014
Name – Earnings in 1000KRW – (Runners/Winner/Starts/Wins) Win% – Chief Earner

1. Menifee (USA) – 8,265,181 – (145/79/901/146) 16.2% – Gyeongbudaero
2. Forest Camp (USA) – 4,700,535 – (147/53/926/83) 9.0% – Magic Dancer
3. Vicar (USA) – 4,428,950 – (102/47/697/78) 11.6% – Gumpo Sky
4. Creek Cat (USA) – 3,301,666 – (124/44/675/78) 11.6% – Jungang Cheonhae
5. Pico Central (BRZ) – 3,098,159 – (113/39/641/61) 9.5% – Road To Prince
6. Volponi (USA) – 3,065,538 – (111/32/728/52) 7.1% – Cheongnyong Bisang
7. Didyme (USA) – 3,062,492 – (90/33/554/59) 10.6% – Hangangui Gijeok
8. Ecton Park (USA) – 3,044,083 – (85/37/516/63) 12.2% – Never Seen Before
9. Peace Rules (USA) – 2,924,780 – (67/35/365/78) 21.4% – Geumbit Hwanhui
10. Exploit (USA) – 2,843,528 – (107/36/711/51) 7.2% – Impetus
11. One Cool Cat (USA) 12. Yankee Victor (USA) 13. Ft.Stockton (USA) 14. Hawk Wing (USA) 15. Revere (IRE) 16. Capital Spending (USA) 17. Ingrandire (JPN) 18. Duality (USA) 19. Henny Hughes* (USA) 20. The Groom Is Red (USA)
* Very popular these days with Korean importers, Henny Hughes is the only non-Korea based sire to make the top 20

There is likely to be a shake-up next year though. While Menifee, as leading sire of two-year olds as well, is likely to keep his crown for a fourth year, top sires Creek Cat, Didyme and Pico Central have all passed away in the past two years and will gradually drop off the list.

Meanwhile Colors Flying has made an immediate impact with his first crop of two-year-olds hitting the track in 2014.

Leading Sire of Two-Year-Olds in Korea 2014
Name – Earnings in 1000KRW – (Runners/Winner/Starts/Wins) Win% – Chief Earner

1. Menifee (USA) – 920,575 – (38/22/123/32) 26.0% – Summit Myeongun
2. Colors Flying (USA) – 698,904 – (32/9/89/15) 16.9% – Doraon Hyeonpyo
3. Creek Cat (USA) – 567,884 – (34/11/108/19) 17.6% – Dream Queen
4. Forest Camp (USA) – 441,882 – (30/11/80/17) 21.3% – Yesuri Myeongun
5. Didyme (USA) – 363,080 – (25/5/78/10) 12.8% – Yuseong Fighting

Looking further into the future, Hansen covered 83 mares in his first season standing in Korea while 2014’s big money purchase, Tiz Wonderful, arrived on Jeju Island in November.

Sadly some stallions are no longer with us. Here is a list of foreign born sires who passed away in Korea this year:

Commendable (USA) [Gone West] (see obituary here)
Revere (IRE) (Dancing Brave] (Obituary to follow in January)
Al Naba (USA) [Mr. Prospector]
Field Asuka (USA) [Forty Niner]
Enlisted (USA) [Our Emblem]
Big Swing (USA) [Dixieland Band]
Happy Jazz Band (USA) [Dixieland Band]
Turbulent Storm (USA) [Storm Creek]

Tough Win Rolls Back The Years At Seoul

Tough Win returned to the racecourse for the first time since last September and more importantly he returned to the Winner’s Circle for the first time since July 2013 with a vintage come from behind performance under the lights at Seoul Racecourse today.

Tough Win in the paddock prior to his racing return this afternoon

Tough Win in the paddock prior to his racing return this afternoon

Wrapping up the bumper 15-race card, Tough Win (Yonaguska) was sent off as top weight and fourth in the betting for his first race as an 8-year-old and with a new jockey in the shape of Lee Chan Ho in the saddle.

Lee took Tough Win right to the back of the field as the exited the gates for the 1900M class 1 handicap, settling a full ten lengths behind the rest as they went into the first corner.

The well-fancied Bichui Wangja was showing the way for most of the race and Lee gently brought Tough Win back in touch as they went through the back-straight and began the turn for home.

Going wide, Lee and Tough Win still had ten horses to pass in the home straight but they picked them off but by the furlong pole, the race was as good as over, Tough Win cruising home by 2-lengths ahead of the rather unfortunately named favourite Unbeatable.

One of the stars of the past decade, Tough Win won the Busan Metropolitan and KRA Cup Classic in 2010 before beating Mister Park and Smarty Moonhak in a memorable 2011 edition of the Grand Prix. He would repeat his Metropolitan win in 2013 and today’s victory was his 23rd from 36 career stars.

The handicapper may punish him for this but it was worth it.

Motion Blur: Tough Win gets ahead in the final furlong

Motion Blur: Tough Win gets ahead in the final furlong

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Wolsley & Fujii Make In-Form Start To 2015

The foreign contingent at Busan made a good start to 2015 with Aussie trainer Peter Wolsley saddling two winners and Japanese jockey Joe Fujii riding two at the first race meeting of the year in Korea.

It was Wolsley who got on the board first, sending out highly thought of colt Macheon Bolt (Old Fashioned) to break his maiden at the second attempt by a full 12-lengths in race 2 under stable jockey Lee Hee Cheon.

Fujii quickly followed by getting his first winner of 2015 when hot-favourite Wonderful Star (Northern Afleet) cruised to race 4. His next was from a more unlikely source though as he guided 66/1 chance Cheonji Hero (Volponi) to a surprise win in race 8.

Wolsley’s double also came from an unlikely source as Goliath Marine (Volponi), up in class following a very good win just two weeks ago, beat off the challenge of Jungang Haeju in the final furlong to take a 12/1 victory.

Masa Tanaka had a more mixed day. After partnering Best Myeongun to an extremely creditable 2nd place in race 10, he was then thrown from favourite Dowon Gyeolui in the gate prior to race 12, an event that in his absence saw US import Owen’s Fortune (J Be K) land his 4th consecutive win. Despite the fall, Tanaka was able to complete his later riding engagements.

Fujii and Tanaka will be back at Busan on Sunday. Today though the attention shifts to Seoul with a bumper 15-race card.

Weekend Race Times

It’s a New Year and a new racing season gets underway in Korea today. We’ll be bringing you the full calendar for 2015 soon but in the meantime, there is plenty to keep us occupied at Seoul and Busan on this chilly first weekend.

It's ben a short close-season

It’s ben a short close-season

Jeju takes the weekend off so there are huge cards at Busan on Friday and Seoul on Saturday before both tracks run their regular Sunday programs.

The traditional New Year’s Commemorative race will be race 8 at Seoul on Saturday:

Friday January 2
Busan Racecourse: 14 races from 11:40 to 18:00 (races 4-14 will be simulcast to the Singapore Turf Club).

Saturday January 3
Seoul Racecourse: 15 races from 10:50 to 18:00

Sunday January 4
Seoul Racecourse: 11 races from 10:50 to 18:00
Busan Racecourse: 5 races from 12:45 to 16:30

Ups And Downs For Jockey Oyama At Busan

The ups and downs of racing were starkly demonstrated by Nobuyuki Oyama on the final weekend of the season. The Japanese rider notched his first Korean winner at Busan on Friday before suffering a nasty fall in trackwork the following morning which looks set to rule him out for at least a month.

Nobuyuiki Oyama at Busan last Friday (Picture: Hiromi Kobayashi)

Nobuyuiki Oyama at Busan last Friday (Picture: Hiromi Kobayashi)

Oyama, who is married to former Busan jockey Hitomi Miyashita, joined the track at the beginning of December and despite coming close on several occasions, hadn’t made the breakthrough until Friday.

That changed in the last race of the day, the feature class 1 handicap when Oyama guided 4-year-old Heba to victory over a very competitive field that included well-known names such as Gamdonguibada and New York Blue.

It was a 7th career win for Heba (Peace Rules) and looked to be a win that could kick-start Oyama’s time at Busan. Unfortunately that is going to have to put on hold for now after the 46-year-old suffered a leg injury in trackwork the next day.

We wish him a speedy recovery.

Jockey Of The Year Ikuyasu Kurakane Is Ton-Up For 2014

Ikuyasu Kurakane has been named Seoul Racecourse Jockey of the Year and the Japanese rider celebrated in style on Saturday by riding a treble to become the first ever foreign rider in Korea to claim 100 winners in a season.

Ikuyasu Kurakane after riding his 100th winner this year at Seoul (Picture: Hiromi Kobayashi)

Ikuyasu Kurakane after riding his 100th winner this year at Seoul (Picture: Hiromi Kobayashi)

While Moon Se Young was crowned champion with an out of sight 162 winners (which won’t be added to after he was slapped with an 8-day ban by stewards last weekend), it was Kurakane – who gets nothing like the pick of the rides Moon does – who was adjudged to be most desrving of the award.

And the hardest-working jockey in Korea – riding 8-lots each morning is the norm for Kurakane – has certainly had a great year. A clear second in the Jockey Championship, he began Saturday on 98 winners. He was soon on 101.

Yeoui King takes Ikuyasu Kurakane to winner 99 of the year (Picture: Hiromi Kobayashi)

Yeoui King takes Ikuyasu Kurakane to winner 99 of the year (Picture: Hiromi Kobayashi)

He took race 3 on 11/1 chance Yeoui King (Admire Don) to move to 99, before completing his ton an hour later as 5/1 Grand Bleu (Peace Rules) did the business in race 4. The best was yet to come though as he threaded his way through a crowded field to steer 16/1 chance Queen Pico (Pico Central) to an unlikely win in race 5.

It’s a year that saw Ikuyasu win the KRA Cup Classic on Samjeong Jewang but the majority of his wins come at the less glamorous end of racing here. Hard work has certainly paid off and he is in great demand among Owners and extremely popular among punters.

They will be hoping that the 39-year-old isn’t quite done in Korea yet.

Racing Review: Hangangui Gijeok Dominates Queen’s Blade

Hangangui Gijeok was the star of the show in Korea this weekend, scoring a dominant 12-length win over Derby and Oaks winning filly Queen’s Blade at Busan on Friday.

Ineligible for the Triple Crown races this year due to being a gelding, Hangangui Gijeok went up to Seoul last month after seven conseuctive wins at Busan including the Gyeongnam Governor’s Cup. He finished 4th behind Gyeongbudaero, who would go on to win last week’s Grand Prix Stakes but was the best of the three-year olds in the race, ending just a nose ahead of Queen’s Blade.

There was rather more than a nose between them when they raced over a mile in Busan’s Friday feature. leading from gate-to-wire, Hangangui Gijeok finished a full 12-lengths clear of Queen’s Blade who put a further full 4-lengths between herself and the rest of the field. Hangangui Gijeok moves onto nine wins from twelve career starts and his 2015 campaign will be one of the most eagerly awaited on the peninsula.

Class 1 – Busan Racecourse – 1600M – Dec 19, 2014

1. Hangangui Gijeok (KOR) [Didyme – Legendary Destiny (Giant’s Causeway)] – You Hyun Myung – 1.9, 1.0
2. Queen’s Blade (KOR) [Menifee – Harboring (Boston Harbor)] – Kim Yong Geun – 1.3
3. Road To Prince (KOR) [Pico Central – Ransom Bay (Red Ransom)] – Chae Sang Hyun – 2.1

Distances: 12 lengths / 4 lengths – 11 ran

At Seoul, the feature race was on Sunday when Gwanggyo Bisang struggled under top weight of 60Kg in the big class 1 handicap and could only manage third place as Namhae Daewwang (Commendable) landed his second consecutive win at the highest level. Four of the four-year old’s six career wins have come this year and he closed late to overturn a tiring Nulpureunchongyong in the closing stages of the 1800M event.

Jockey performance of the weekend came, as usual from Moon Se Young, who partnered five horses to victory at Seoul on Saturday, before adding another two on a snowy Sunday. Among them was the still unbeaten US import Bear Queen Trophy (Exchange Rate) who made it three wins from three starts on Sunday afternoon.

Joe Fujii too, got the second win of his comeback from injury on Sunday, guiding the Kim Young Kwan trained Buho to race 6 at Busan on Sunday.

While the racing season was originally scheduled to finish on Sunday, an extra set of cards have been added for the final weekend of the year with a bumper 13-race card at Busan on Friday and the usual weekend racing around the three tracks. There are some big fields in store, especially at Seoul, and racing will be simulcast to Singapore on Friday and Sunday.

Gyeongbudaero Swoops To Claim Grand Prix Glory

Gyeongbudaero became the second horse in as many years to complete a President’s Cup / Grand Prix Stakes double as he swooped late to win Korea’s most prestigious race this afternoon.

The view from above as Gyeongbudaero wins the Grand Prix Stakes

The view from above as Gyeongbudaero wins the Grand Prix Stakes

The 5-year-old, who won the KRA Cup Mile (Korean Guineas) two years ago, was sent off at 13/1 for the season-ending showpiece with Beolmaui Kkum the favourite for the second year running.

And as a light snow fell over Seoul Racecourse, it was Beolmaui Kkum who, as expected, set the early pace with Magic Dancer and the outsider Rush Force in close attendance. Gyeongbudaero was leading only three as they began the long turn for home.

As the field entered the home straight there was a nasty incident as Nobody Catch Me slightly interfered with Samjeong Jewang. The latter and Ikuyasu Kurakane tumbled to the ground although thankfully both would get up and walk away. Nobody Catch Me was disqualified.

None of that affected the result. Gyeongbudaero had improved around the turn and went wide in the straight, hitting the front with just over a furlong to go as Beolmaui Kkum and Magic Dancer began to tire. Wonder Bolt came up to challenge but Gyeongbudaero was gone, winning by three lengths on the line.

For Gyeongbudaero, it was an 11th win on his 28th start and takes him to over $2Million in prize money won. He follows Indie Band in winning the President’s Cup and Grand Prix Stakes in the same year. Crucially too, he is another Korean bred winner of Korea’s best race.

Wonder Bolt was game in second and Beolmaui Kkum will be back. Clean Up Joy was a revelation in 4th although Magic Dancer would have been expected to go better than 5th.

The doubt about Gyeongbudaero had been whether he would stay the trip. The way he ran today, he could have stayed all the way down the “Gyeongbudaero” Highway back home to Busan. Gyeongbudaero is an emphatic Grand Prix Stakes Champion of 2014.

Grand Prix Stakes (KOR G1) – Seoul Racecourse – 2300M – December 14, 2014

1. Gyeongbudaero (KOR) [Menifee – Princess Lanique (Cherokee Run)] – Choi Si Dae –
2. Wonder Bolt (USA) [Desert Warrior – Little Champ (Great Gladiator)] – Lee Chan Ho –
3. Beolmaui Kkum (USA) [Put It Back – Wild Dixie Gal (Wild Event)] – Lee Hee Cheon –

Distances: 3 lengths / 4 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Clean Up Joy (USA) 5. Magic Dancer (KOR) 6. Cheonji Bulpae (AUS) 7. Unbeatable (USA) 8. Ghost Whisper (KOR) 9. Jangmi Eondeok (USA) 10. Rush Forth (USA) 11. Major King (KOR) DQ: Nobody Catch Me DNF: Samjeong Jewang