Night racing draws to an end this weekend as Seoul, Busan and Jeju all play host to their final twilight cards of the year.
Evening racing at Seoul is for everyone!
There’s no Stakes racing this week but still plenty to keep us occupied. Feature races at both Seoul and Busan are on Sunday. In the capital, Prime Galloper (Strodes Creek) is on a four-race winning streak and will be favourite as he faces nine class 1 rivals, headed by Singgeureounachim (Exploit) over 1900 metres.
Meanwhile at Busan, it’s imported horses who take part in the big race. Smoking Gun (Hat Trick) did well to finish fifth behind Dangdae Bulpae and Smarty Moonhak in the Buan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Stakes last month and has every chance of getting back to winning ways in a competitive race over 2000 metres.
Here’s what’s happening when and where:
Friday August 17
Busan Race Park: 11 races from 15:00 to 21:00 Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:40 to 21:00
Saturday August 18
Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 14:20 to 20:50 Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:20 to 21:00
Sunday August 19
Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 14:20 to 21:10 Busan Race Park: 6 races from 16:25 to 20:45
Running Stag, who ran on three continents during a forty-race career around the turn of the century, has died aged 18. Having reportedly been ill for some time, he passed away on June 3 at Taepyung Farm, South Korea, where he had been standing at Stud since 2009.
Running Stag, 1994-2012 (KRA)
One of the most popular racehorses of his time, Running Stag [Cozzene – Fruhlingstag (Orsini)] competed everywhere from the open heath of Newmarket to the desert of Nad Al-Sheba, the gentility of Saratoga and the hustle and bustle of Sha Tin.
Owned by British businessman Richard Cohen and trained at Epsom by Philip Mitchell, he became renowned for his frequent forays abroad. After debuting as two-year old in France, he raced in the UK, France and Germany in 1997, picking up his maiden win at Lingfield Park.
As a five-year old in 1999, he began his year at the Dubai World Cup for before returning to the US where he secured his first Group victory, the Brooklyn Handicap at Belmont Park. Shuttling back and forth from the UK, he went on to win another Stakes race that summer, the Saratoga Breeders’ Cup Handicap. After a brief stop at his old haunt of the all-weather surface at Lingfield Park he headed for Hong Kong in December where he was narrowly beaten into second place in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup.
Another attempt on the Dubai World Cup followed the next March, before he spent the remainder of his final year as a racehorse back in the US, winning the Massachusetts Handicap at Suffolk Downs. His final race was the Arlington Million Stakes in August 2000.
Although never a prolific winner – he won seven of his forty starts – Running Stag earned over $1.6Million in prize money. Retired to Stud, he had middling success, producing six Stakes winners and earnings of approaching $10 Million.
Running Stag first came to the attention of Korean buyers when his filly Pocketful Of Money (out of Miss Deep Pockets by Buckaroo), won the KRA Cup Classic at Seoul Racecourse in 2007. His own tough, grinding style would have been ideal for the sand at Seoul and Busan. He was purchased by C&A for their Taepyung Stud Farm for $350,000 in late 2008 and began Stallion duties in the 2009 breeding season.
By 2011, failing health was limiting the number of mares he could cover, but his first crop of two-year olds went through the sales ring early this year and were enthusiastically received by buyers and his second crop is likely to be sought after too. The two-year olds are set to make their racing debuts soon.
Korea’s Moon Se Young Second and Turkey’s Ozcan Yildirim Third As KB Soo Wins the YTN Cup on Sangnyu
“I love Korea” yelled Soo Khoon Beng as he was led into the winner’s circle after winning the YTN Cup Stakes at a rain-soaked Seoul Race Park this evening. And well the Singaporean might as the win on US bred filly Sangnyu was enough to secure himself an emphatic victory in the 2012 Seoul International Jockey Challenge.
Sangnyu and Soo Khoon Beng in the YTN Cup Winner’s Circle
Soo, who had a brief spell at Busan in 2008, was the joint-overnight leader in the Challenge along with Turkey’s Ozcam Yildirim. However, after a disappointing day yesterday, it was the Korean team who dominated the day’s opening event, Moon Se Young leading home a 1,2,3 for the home team on 13/1 chance Blue Band Zet.
While Korea’s Jo In Kwen was riding the favourite for the finale, the YTN Cup Stakes, Soo was not to be denied and, in atrocious conditions, guided 6/1 shot Sangnyu to a surprisingly dominant seven length victory. South Africa’s Karis Teetan finished second on Golden Socks while Moon secured second place in the challenge by riding Blueband Mama into third.
YTN Cup Stakes (International Jockey Challenge Race 4) – Seoul Race Park – 1900M – August 12, 2012
1. Sangnyu (USA) [Broken Vow-Midtown Miss (Yes It’s True)] – Soo Khoon Beng (Singapore) – 5.6, 2.2 2. Golden Socks (USA) [Dehere-Final Flag (Northern Flagship)] – Karis Teetan (South Africa) – 4.2 3. Blueband Mama (USA) [Purge-Meadowbryte (Meadowlake)] – Moon Se Young (Korea – 2.5
Distances: 6 lengths/7 lengths Also Ran: 4. Raonjena – Kim Hae Sun (Korea) 5. Chowonuibyeol – Ozcan Yildirim (Turkey) 6. Choichoro – Cho Kyoung Ho (Korea) 7. Yongsan Hwangnyong – Hayato Yoshida (Japan) 8. Menifee Magic 9. Dangdae Jeonseung – Jo In Kwen (Korea) 10. Fortunata – Park Tae Jong (Korea) 11. Dashing Platinum 12. A Wanted Affair – Ham Wan Sik (Korea) 13. Haengun Party – Ben Curtis (Ireland) DQ. New Terracan – M. D’Silva (Brazil)
International Jockey Challenge Race 3 – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – August 12, 2012
1. Blueband Zet (KOR) [Didyme] – Moon Se Young (Korea) – 13.9, 2.5 2. Reverse Captain (KOR) [Exploit] – Ham Wan Sik (Korea) – 1.3 3. Time Zone (KOR) [War Zone] – Cho Kyoung Ho (Korea) – 4.1
Distances: 0.5 lengths/2.5 lengths Also Ran: 4. See The Star – Ozcan Yildirim (Turkey) 5. Seohaeachim – Park Tae Jong (Korea) 6. Mallu Homerun – M.D’Silva (Brazil) 7. Paxko – Hayato Yoshida (Japan) 8. Beongaedori – Kim Hae Sun (Korea) 9. Munhaguiyeowang – Jo In Kwen (Korea) 10. Uranus – Soo Khoon Beng (Singapore) 11. Nauichukbok – Karis Teetan (South Africa) 12. Jeongsangnarae – Ben Curtis (Ireland)
1. Soo Khoon Beng (Singapore) – 42 2. Moon Se Young (Korea) – 28 3. Ozcan Yildirim (Turkey) – 28 4. Jo In Kwen (Korea) 22 5. Karis Teetan (South Africa) – 20 6. Ham Wan Sik (Korea) – 13 7. Cho Kyoung Ho (Korea) – 11 8. Ben Curtis (Ireland) – 9 9. Manoel Nunes D’Silva (Brazil) – 9 10. Hayato Yoshida (Japan) – 8 11. Park Tae Jong (Korea) – 8 12. Kim Hae Sun (Korea) – 7
(where points were tied, higher placed finishes and then prize money were used to decide final order)
Final Team Score: Rest Of The World 114 – 89 Korea
YTN Cup winner Sangnyu (Broken Vow) is a three-year old filly and was recording her third career win from ten starts.
Ozcam! Turkey’s Ozcan Yildirim secured third place in the Challenge
It almost always rains on YTN Cup weekend, however, in place of the usual showers, this year we got an absolute deluge. While the rain wasn’t too hard during the penultimate stage of the challenge, by the time the YTN Cup got underway, the rain had been torrential for over an hour.
Fifth place in the YTN Cup on Chowonuibyeol was enough to secure the third-place prize for Turkey’s Ozcan Yildirim, while South Africa’s Karis Teetan’s strong finish ensured that he finished in the top half.
It was a tough day for Irishman Ben Curtis and Japanese Hayato Yoshida, neither of whom could add any bonus points today, while Brazil’s Manoel D’Dilva also had a better day yesterday.
As ever, the event was entertaining and it is always good to see visiting jockeys riding and winning at Seoul. Hopefully all six visitors will go on to have successful seasons and, with 2007 Challenge winner Gerrit Schlechter having spent the past four months riding at Busan, we may even see some of them again.
Ireland’s Ben Curtis
South Africa’s Karis Teetan won’t look at the camera!
The Rest Of The World team hold a big lead over their Korean hosts at the end of the first day of the 2012 Seoul International Jockey Challenge.
Soo Khoon Beng got things rolling for the visitors under the floodlights at Seoul Race Park, coming down the outside on 25/1 outsider Ganghanyeosin to claim a narrow victory over Daejangjeong, ridden by Jo In Kwen, with New Mighty and Ireland’s Ben Curtis a further two lengths back in third.
International Jockey Challenge Race 1 – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – August 11, 2012
1. Ganghanyeosin (KOR) [War Zone] – Soo Khoon Beng (Singapore) – 25.0, 3.4 2. Daejangjeon (KOR) [Menifee] – Jo In Kwen (Korea) – 1.4 3. New Mighty (KOR) [Exploit] – Ben Curtis (Ireland) – 3.9
Distances: 0.5 lengths/2.5 lengths Also Ran: 4. Seungcheon Jisu – M. D’Silva (Brazil) 5. Molly Way – Karis Teetan (South Africa) 6. Winette Dancer – Cho Kyoung Ho (Korea) 7. Golden Impact – Moon Se Young (Korea) 8. Prete Ingran – Hayato Yoshida (Japan) 9. Eunbitjeonsa – Park Tae Jong (Korea) 10. Huimangbuksori – Ozcan Yildirim (Turkey) 11. Perfect Tiger – Kim Hae Sun (Korea)
The second race of the challenge was a tight affair but in the end it was Turkey’s Ozcan Yildirim on 6/1 shot Victory, who stretched away from the pack in the final furlong. Jo was second once again on
Haneoldo while South African Karis Teetan guided Major Girl, the longest shot on the board, to third place.
International Jockey Challenge Race 2 – Seoul Race Park – 1800M – August 11, 2012
1. Victory (KOR) [Osumi Jet] – Ozcan Yildirim (Turkey) – 6.7, 2.1 2. Haneoldo (KOR) [Distilled] – Jo In Kwen (Korea) – 5.2 3. Major Girl (KOR) [Duality] – Karis Teetan (South Africa) – 16.4
Distances: 2 lengths/Neck Also Ran: 4. Bon RIsing – Hayato Yoshida (Japan) 5. Beauty Icheon – Park Tae Jong (Korea) 6. Victory Camp – M. D’Silva (Brazil) 7. High Well – Soo Khoon Beng (Singapore) 8. King Field – Ben Curtis (Ireland) 9. New And Best – Cho Kyoung Ho (Korea) 10. Ft. Green – Moon Se Young (Korea) 11. Nicole Windsor – Ham Wan Sik (Korea) 12. Sharp Concept – Kim Hae Sun (Korea)
That leaves the standings after Day 1 as follows:
1= KB Soo (Singapore) – 21 1= Ozcan Yildirim (Turkey) – 21 3. Jo In Kwen (Korea) – 20 4. Karis Teetan (South Africa) – 9 5. Ben Curtis (Ireland) – 7 6. Manoel Nunes D’Silva (Brazil) – 6 7. Hayato Yoshida (Japan) – 5 8. Park Tae Jong (Korea) – 4 9. Cho Kyoung Ho (Korea – 3 10= Moon Se Young (Korea) – 2 10= Kim Hae Sun (Korea) – 2 10= Ham Wan Sik (Korea) – 2
The overall team scores are:
Korea: 33 Rest Of The World: 69
There will be two more races Sunday to complete the challenge. They are race 6, a 1400 metre handicap at 16:50 and then the finale, the YTN Cup, which is race 9 at 19:35.
Sunday August 12
Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 14:20 to 21:15 Busan Race Park: 6 races from 16:35 to 20.50
The Seoul International Jockey Challenge 2012 is the highlight of the weekend’s action on the peninsula as six visiting riders take on six of the capital’s best in the annual four-race challenge.
Clockwise from top right: Ben Curtis, Karis Teetan, Ozcan Yildirim, Hayato Yoshida, Soo Khoon Beng, Manoel Nunes DaSilva
The jockeys will compete against each other in four races, two on Saturday and two on Sunday, culminating in the YTN Cup Stakes. In addition to the team prize, the leading jockey overall will take home an additional $20,000 prize.
Neither the United States nor Australia have sent riders this year so instead, the visitors hail from countries that the Korea Racing Authority has been forging close links with in recent years. Ireland and South Africa send young up and comers, while Macau, Turkey, Singapore and Japan’s entrants are all more experienced.
The Korean team is about as strong as it could possibly be with champion jockey Moon Se Young captaining. Kim Hae Sun becomes the first female rider to represent Korea in the challenge. Here is a full run down on the entrants. The draw for mounts was conducted on Thursday and appears to have thrown up a reasonably fair spread of chances:
International
Ben Curtis (Ireland) – 1840 rides / 122 wins – Former champion Irish apprentice, the 23-year-old is an American citizen and has also ridden in the USA, and UK.
Manoel Nunes D’Silva (Brazil) – 7831/1269 – Representing Macau in the challenge, the Brazilian learned his trade in Sao Paolo but has been riding in Asia for almost a decade. He’s won numerous Stakes races in Macau and has also ridden in Hong Kong and Dubai.
Soo Khoon Beng (Singapore) – 4139/519 – The 2005 Singapore Champion jockey spent a short but uneventful time riding at Busan in 2008. He’s won a number of Stakes races in his homeland.
Karis Teetan (South African) – 3581/445 – Born in Mauritius, he rides mainly in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. He won the Cape Derby on Jackson earlier this year.
Ozcan Yildirim (Turkey) – 7481/744 – He has 28 Graded Stakes victories in Turkey and 72 winners in the past year.
Hayato Yoshida (Japan) – 5781/443) – Ninth in the JRA standings this year with 41 winners, Yoshida is Japan’s only representative this year.
Riding for the Koreans are: Moon Se Young, Cho Kyoung Ho, Park Tae Jong, Jo In Kwen, Ham Wan Sik and Kim Hae Sun.
The four races involved in the challenge are as follows:
Saturday August 11 Race 9: 19:20, Domestic Class 3 Handicap, 1400 metres Race 10: 19:50, Domestic Class 2 Handicap, 1900 metres
Sunday August 12 Race 6: 16:50, Domestic Class 3 Handicap, 1400 metres Race 9: 19:35, Foreign Class 2 Handicap for fillies & mares, YTN Cup Stakes Listed, 1900 metres
Korean apprentice jockey Seo Seung Un has finished 3rd in the Asia Young Guns Challenge which was held in Macau on Saturday. The challenge, which brings together some of the Asia-Pacific region’s most promising young riders, was won by Hong Kong’s Ka Chun Ng.
Seo Seung Un – 3rd in Asia Young Guns
In the first race of the challenge, Seo could only manage 8th as his mount, Wind Chaser, raced wide for much of the 1350 metre contest.
However, things got better for the first-year rider in the second heat, an 1100 metre sprint, as he guided Toy’s Power to second place.
Seo matched that in the concluding heat when after overcoming some pre-race confusion with whether or not he was riding with the right saddle, he rode Belt OF Golden to second.
That gave the Korean a total of 31 points (1 for finishing his first race and 15 each for his seconds), behind only Hong Kong’s Ng and Malaysia’s Yazid Kamal.
2012 Asia Young Guns Challenge Macau – Final Standings
1. Ka Chun Ng (Hong Kong) – 40 points 2. Yazid Kamal (Malaysia) – 35 3. Seo Sung Un (Korea) – 31 4. M. Cangas (Macau) – 25 5. Jake Noonan (Australia) – 20 6. C F Wong (Macau) – 18 7. Jason Collett (New Zealand) – 13 8. Zawari Razali (Singapore) – 10 9. Shinsuke Ishikawa (Japan) – 8 10. Keagan De Melo (South Africa) – 7 11. Taichi Nishimura (Japan) – 3
Seoul plows a lone furrow as the only Korean track hosting live racing this weekend, with Busan and Jeju taking a week’s break.
Twilight at Seoul
And for the first time in about ten years, there is racing in the capital on Friday in order to make up for the card that was lost to monsoon rain earlier this month.
That Friday card sees a pair of class 1 contests while Saturday also has some high-class action. However, the pick of the action is on Sunday evening in the shape of the Seoul Economic Daily News Stakes.
Ace Galloper (Chapel Royal) heads a strong field of domestic bred horses going over 1400 metres in the non-Stakes feature race and should be favourite to overcome 10 rivals, including former champion mare Love Cat (Volponi).
Dangdae Bulpae (Biwa Shinseiki), the two-time President’s Cup winner, stunned favourites Smarty Moonhak (Smarty Jones) and Tough Win (Yonaguska), to win the Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Cup on a hot and humid night under the floodlights at Busan Race Park this evening.
Smarty Moonhak ran second but Tough Win was a disappointing fourth.
Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Cup (K.G3) – Busan Race Park – 2000M – July 22, 2012
1. Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] – Jo Sung Gon – 9.7, 1.7 2. Smarty Moonhak (USA) [Smarty Jones – Madeira M’Dear (Black Tie Affair)] – Park Tae Jong – 1.1 3. Jumong (USA) [Johar – Foreign Aid (Danzig)] – Ham Wan Sik – 5.1
Punters sent off Smarty Moonhak as the 1/2 favourite with Tough Win second in the betting market at 3/1 against. Dangdae Bulpae was the next fancied at 9/1.
It was Dangdae Bulpae who was quickest out of the gate, jockey Jo Sung Gon harrying him over to the rail and into the lead heading into the first corner. Smarty Moonhak went with him. A year ago it was Tough Win who followed Dangdae Bulpae into the corner and the two began racing each other far too early and ended up taking themselves out of the race.
This time they settled into a much more sensible – bordering on the slow – pace as they entered the back straight. It was then that things got interesting. As expected, Cho Kyoung Ho asked Tough Win to improve his position and as he did so, everyone else tried too. Entering the home straight, Dangdae Bulpae still had the lead with Smarty Moonhak on the rail and Tough Win coming down the centre.
In the penultimate furlong Cho on Tough Win made his move and looked set to go past everyone. On the rail, Park Tae Jong did likewise on Smarty Moonhak. But Dangdae Bulpae was not for catching. Tough Win’s challenge stalled in the final furlong and he couldn’t improve his position while Smarty Moonhak, while faster than the winner just couldn’t make up the ground, Jumong finishing quickly to split the two favourites.
Jo Sung Gon reacts as Dangdae Bulpae crosses the finish line (Pic: Newsis)
It was a 15th career win for five-year old Korean bred Dangdae Bulpae, and his 7th Stakes victory, a Korean record. While everyone knew he could beat the best Korean bred horses, today for the first time, he beat the imported ones too. Dangdae Bulpae is now a true champion.
Tough Win doesn’t like Busan. He won narrowly two years ago and was badly beaten last year. How much his bleeding attack in his last outing took of him is still unclear but he wasn’t at his best today.
Then there is Smarty Moonhak. He ran well but, when chased after by his jockey for the first time in his career, he couldn’t quite do it. He was well placed in the home straight but surprisingly was found wanting. He will come back to Seoul and will be aimed at the season ending Grand Prix.
So is Smarty Moonhak not as good as we thought or is Dangdae Bulpae better than we thought? Maybe both but a few months ago, most observers had Smarty Moonhak gradually improving throughout the year before winning the Grand Prix in December.
He is ahead of schedule in that regard and is only three years old which in Korea, unlike in other parts of the world where the breeding shed is more important than the racecourse, is still very young. He has a long career ahead of him. With that in mind it is better for us, as fans of Korean racing to celebrate a great performance by an excellent Korean bred horse, Dangdae Bulpae.
Jung Dong Cheol and Yoo Gwang Hee Win in Queensland
After Seo Seung Un’s recent triumphs in the USA, it was the turn of two more young Korean jockeys to open their accounts overseas today as Jung Dong Cheol and Yoo Gwang Hee both rode their first winners in Australia.
Jung Dong Cheol (left) and Yoo Gwang Hee (centre) both rode winners in Australia on Saturday (KRA).
The two first year apprentices, who are based at Busan Racecourse, both debuted in August last year and are in Australia as part of their ongoing training. Between them they won three of the five races on Saturday’s card at Longreach Racecourse, a small track, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, in Central Queensland.
Yoo got things started in race 3 taking a half-length victory on 11/1 chance Vanguard (Chateau Istana) for trainer Charlie Prow. A race later he completed his double, riding Golden Portrait (Perugino), a 9/2 shot, to a two length win over Jung who grabbed second on 25/1 outsider Heza Flashman (Iglesia).
Jung didn’t have to wait too long to get in the winner’s circle himself, claiming the fifth and final race on Sistabella (Hidden Dragon) by just under half a length.
Since debuting at Busan last year, Jung has ridden 16 winners from 235 rides while Yoo has triumphed 7 times from 188.
Evening racing is upon us! Here’s what’s happening when and where for the rest of the weekend:
Night-time at Seoul
Saturday July 21
Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 14:20 to 20:50 Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:20 to 21:00
Sunday July 22
Seoul Race Park: 10 races from 14:20 to 21:00 including the SBS Cup at 19:10 Busan Race Park: 6 races from 16:05 to 20:30 including the Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Cup at 19:40
Horse Racing in Korea 