Moon Se Young landed four winners on the day but, as the former champion jockey heads into yet another suspension, it was rising star Jo In Kwen who landed the feature race as he helped Real Victor live up to his name at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.

Real Victor was sent off as second favourite in the eight and a half furlong main event After sitting towards the back for much of the race, Jo guided the four-year old colt through the field with a blistering final furlong run to take the line a length ahead of Natural Guy. Symphony Sonata (a half-brother to former Blue Grass Stakes winner Dominican through their dam First Violin) grabbed a shock third place – his first money finish since October 2009.

Earlier, Moon Se Young had shown his class with four routine victories including on the improving Tiger Wing (Repent) in race 9. However, he’s going to have a fortnight off to spend his prize money after picking up a four-day ban yesterday for the kind of crazy first corner manoeuvre that he is becoming notorious for.

Although he won the Jockey Championship in 2008, he was, unfortunately injured for much of the 2009 season. Last year, he was neck and neck with Cho Kyoung Ho at the end of November before picking up a lengthy ban which gifted the title to his rival. This year, it seems he has been suspended more often than not.

For up and coming Jo In Kwen who, in the past few weeks has passed the milestones of both his 100th career winner and his first Stakes race victory, it was another very good day.

Down at Busan it was another extremely good day for Toshio Uchida as the Japanese jockey claimed victory in both co-feature races. First up he took the domestic Class 1 handicap on Mupae Star before winning the foreign class 1 on Daldeongi (Whywhywhy). Uchida remains untouchable at the top of the Busan Jockey CHampionship.

Earlier back at Seoul, there was a second win for US three-year old Ruler Of The Gold (Tribal Rule). The colt always looked to be a late developer and looked very sharp when coolly taking the seven furlong race 7.

Next week is a big one. At Busan it is the KNN Cup, a race that will see Derby winners Cheonnyeon Daero and Ebony Storm, President’s Cup winner Dangdae Bulpae and Governor’s Cu winner Yeonseung Daero among a field of Busan’s top Korean bred horses. Meanwhile, Seoul’s best fillies and mares will battle it out for the Owners Association Trophy. Full build-up to both of them will be on the blog in the coming days.

Double Grand Prix Winner Comfortably Defeats Tough Win in Stretch Duel To Win “Clash Of The Champions”

Dongbanui Gangja turned the tables on Tough Win to claim victory in the feature event at Seoul Race Park this afternoon to score his first win in over a year and get the better of the battle of three former Horse of the Year winners.

It had been a bad 12 months for Dongbanui Gangja. Once the undisputed best horse on the peninsula, he had always had a tendency to run wide in the home straight causing him to cover far more ground than necessary. He got away with it for twelve consecutive victories, including the Grand Prix Stakes in both 2008 and 2009 until he ran into the then unbeaten Tough Win – two years his junior – in the Busan Metropolitan last July. The younger horse prevailed, Dongbanui Gangja veering wildly off the racing line as the field turned for hom, eventually finishing ninth.

This would be repeated, albeit less dramatically in the KRA Cup Classic – won by Tough Win, and would thwart his attempt to secure an unprecedented third Grand Prix title. It looked like he may never win again. Today though, with race conditions allowing for a dramatic drop in the weight he usually has to carry, things were different.

Because of that weight drop, regular jockey Choi Bum Hyun couldn’t ride and Moon Jung Kyun was drafted in to partner the former champion for the first time and Dongbanui Gangja was sent off second favourite behind the odds-on Tough Win. While outsider Big Sox took the lead early on with Tough Win close behind, Dongbanui Gangja sat right at the back of the field. Midway through the back straight though, he made his customary move, rounding the field within the space of 100 metres and slotting in on the rail slapbang in front of Tough Win.

This time he stayed on the rail. Rounding the home turn, it became clear that this was going to be a private battle between Dongbanui Gangja and his former usurper. And with Dongbanui Gangja running in a straight line for once, Tough Win had no answer and was three lengths behind as the winner crossed the line. Dongbanui Gangja was back in the winner’s circle.

Jumong came in third, with the final former Horse of the Year in the race, Bally Brae grabbing the final money finish in fifth.

Class 1 (Foreign) – Seoul Race Park – 1900M – June 4, 2011

1. Dongbanui Gangja (USA) [Broken Vow – Maremaid (Storm Bird)] – Moon Jung Kyun – 3.6, 1.4
2. Tough Win (USA) [Yonaguska – Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 1.1
3. Jumong (USA) [Johar – Foreign Aid (Danzid)] – Jo In Kwen – 1.5

Distances: 3 lengths/3 lengths – 10 ran

Dongbanui Gangja moves on to eighteen victories from thirty career starts. Today everything came right in a way that it might not again. Regardless of this and of whether Tough Win, who was slow to emerge for the post parade, was at 100%, Dongbanui Gangja is a special horse who still only six years old, has plenty still to offer.

Here’s what’s happening tomorrow:

Sunday June 5

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:10 to 18:30
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:30 to 17:00

Outsiders Sweep Placings in Sports Chosun Cup

Yodongjewang led home a trifecta of outsiders to win the Sports Chosun Cup at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. In what is traditionally one of the biggest betting races of the year, the 12/1 shot held off Tamnaseontaek to take a half-length win and give rising star jockey Jo In Kwen his first ever Stakes win.

Punters eventually sent four-year old colt The Almighty off as slight favourite and he showed at the front early along with outsider Jangbi Sarang and the well-fancied Namchonuichukje. All of these fell away in the home stretch of the nine furlong race though as Jo Kwen took Yodongjewang, who was always handily placed into the lead and outsprinted Tamnaseontaek and the fast finishing Yeongtap to claim the victory.

A stewards’ inquiry didn’t change the placings of the first three and Yodongjewang scored just his fourth win of a twelve race career to date.

For jockey Jo In Kwen, it was a first ever Stakes victory. Just two weeks ago the 24-year-old reached the milestone of 100 career winners and today confirmed his place as the hottest young riding property at Seoul. If the rumours of Busan’s Jo Sung Gon heading north to the capital prove true, there is going to be a lot of young talent in the weighing room.

Some punters also went home happy; the trio (picking the first three horses in any order) in the Sports Chosun paid 2134/1.

Sports Chosun Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1800M – May 22, 2011

1. Yodongjewang (KOR) [Field Asuka – Mary Wonder (Shahrastani)] – Jo In Kwen – 12.5, 4.5
2. Tamnaseontaek (KOR) [War Zone – Every Michelle (Every Intent)] – Oh Kyoung Hoan – 4.7
3. Yeongtap (KOR) [Sunday Well – Full Time (Fiercely)] – Yoo Sang Wan – 5.6

Distances: 0.5 lengths/Neck
Also Ran: 4. Super Rich 5. Forest Wind 6. Jeumeundeungi 7. Namchonuichukje 8. Saebyeogi 9. Anseong Chikje 10. The Almighty 11. Suseung Equus 12. D. Day Plus 13. Jangbi Sarang 14. Badasin

The long shots weren’t done there. In the feature handicap an hour after the Sports Chosun, 74/1 Out And About (Outflanker) scored a very unlikely victory over Captain Cugat and odds-on favourite Baekjeonmupae. It was five-year old Out And About’s first attempt at class 1 and he was given a great ride by Park Byeong Yun who was a late replacement for Moon Se Young who was unfortunately injured during racing yesterday.

Down at Busan, the feature race went the way of Mulbora, who scored an impressive win over KO Punch and last year’s Champion Juvenile Bulkkot Gisang. 2008 Derby winner Ebony Storm was fourth in the event which was run over a mile.

Ebony Storm, the longest shot on the board when he won his Derby in a monsoon downpour at Seoul three years ago never really followed up on that success. Indeed, so disappointing was he that he managed to get himself gelded. SInce then, he has re-emerged as a useful sprinter and consistently picks up money finishes. As for Mulbora, it was a second consecutive victory and his eighth in total.

So concludes another weekend of racing on the peninsula. It was a glorious day today but next week it’s forecast to get hot. Very hot.