Busan Scores Clean Sweep in Clash Of The Champions at Seoul

Dangdae Bulpae had it all his own way as he added the Ttukseom Cup to his Minister’s and President’s Cups titles at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. Derby winner Cheonnyeon Daero was second while his stablemate Yeonseung Daero made it a clean sweep of the placings for Busan horses by finishing third.

Dangdae Bulpae and Jo Sung Gon in the Ttukseom Cup Winner's Circle

While his last visit to the capital ended in defeat as he failed to stay the distance behind Mister Park in the Grand Prix Stakes, today, running at seven furlongs for the first time in his career, there were no such worries. Under Jo Sung Gon, Dangdae Bulpae was always well placed and hit the front with a furlong and a half to go.

Cheonnyeon Daero tried to go with him but was beaten for speed while the fast finishing Yeonseung Daero left his run too late to reel in the winner, jockey Jo able to relax in the final fifty metres as the pair cruised to their fourth Stakes win together.

Cheonnyeon Daero - The Derby winner got the closest to Dangdae Bulpae

A late developer as a three-year old, Dangdae Bulpae [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] was third behind Cheonnyeon Daero in the Korean Derby last year. He then embarked on a glorious summer and autumn which brought victories in the Gyeongnam Governor’s Stakes as well as those Minister’s and President’s Cups back in the capital. Aside from a shock reverse at the hands of Mupae Star, that Grand Prix setback is the only real blot on a career which has seen eleven wins from sixteen starts.

And that Grand Prix winner, Mister Park, is all that stands between Dangdae Bulpae and recognition as the best Korean born horse on the peninsula. Mister Park, being Korean born, but not bred, couldn’t take part today, but their paths will surely cross again.

It was another desperately disappointing – if not especially surprising – result for Seoul. Finishing fourth, Wangson was the best placed of the home track’s entries with last year’s winner Triple Seven in sixth. Busan leads this year’s head to head by in Stakes races by two to nothing.

Ttukseom Cup (KOR.GIII) – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – Sunday Apr 17, 2011

1. Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] – Jo Sung Gon – 2.0, 1.2
2. Cheonnyeon Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Doneitmyway (Northern Flagship)] – Park Geum Man – 2.4
3. Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] – Choi Si Dae – 1.8

Distances: 1.75 lengths/0.75 lengths
Also Ran: 4. Wangson 5. Namdo Jeap 6. Triple Seven 7. Triple Sinhwa 8. Suseong TX 9. Baengnyeonbong 10. The Almighty 11. Golden Rose 12. Tamna Hero 13. Best Holls 14. Tamnahwanhui

* Earlier in the day at Seoul, there was a match-up between two of the track’s highest rated three-year old colts. Shoot In (Exploit) and Gwangyajeil (VIcar) have been kept off the Triple Crown trail so far but could make an appearance later in the season. Today, it was Gwangyajeil who got the better of their battle in race 8, with a four length win.

* With the track’s domestic stars up in Seoul, the feature race at Busan was for the imports. It was won by favourite Kiwi’s Playboy (Cloud Hoppin) for jockey Toshio Uchida. The win was Uchida’s third of the afternoon, the Japanese rider having earlier taken both races 1 and 2.

Seoul Racecourse, Sunday April 17, 2011

Raon Glory wins HRI Trophy / Ttukseom Cup in D-1

Moon Se Young is a smart guy. When picking up a four meeting ban for getting Florida Sox demoted back to third in last Sunday’s feature race, he was quick to request a one-week delay to the start of his lay-off.

Knowing Smile: Moon Se Young

As is customary when the jockey has a ride in a big race the following weekend, the Stewards agreed. It seems though that Moon didn’t necessarily have his eye on the mount of Suseong TX in tomorrow’s Ttukseom Cup, but rather on several this afternoon that saw him ride off with five winners.

Chief among them was victory in the feature event, the Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) Trophy on favourite Raon Glory (Tapit). The pair hit the front of the seven-furlong race inside the final furlong and stretched away to a three-length win from the weakening long-time leader Yuseongjeil. Outsider Major Girl finished strongly to take third in the all-filly and mare Cup race.

Raon Glory: HRI Trophy Winner

Raon Glory, a four-year old grey filly, now has six wins from nine lifetime starts and looks set to join class 1 company very soon. As for Moon, it was the third of five wins on the day to send him off on his enforced break with plenty of spending money.

The HRI Trophy is one of a number of “International Exchange” races run each year. In addition to Ireland, the KRA has arrangements with racing authorities in Japan, Australia, South Africa, Macau, Malaysia and Turkey whereby each sponsor a race in the other’s country. The link with Ireland is one of the longest standing; today’s race being the fifteenth running of the HRI Trophy.

HRI Trophy – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – April 16, 2011

1. Raon Glory (KOR) [Tapit – Queen Lu Lu (Kingmambo)] – Moon Se Young – 1.6, 1.1
2. Yuseongjeil (KOR) [Creek Cat – Haetpit Maeul (Mujaazif)] – Choi Bum Hyun – 4.3
3. Mighty Girl (KOR) [Duality – Our Kaapstad (Kaapstad)] – Won Jung Il – 11.1

Distances: 3 lengths/Nose – 14 ran

Seoul basked in beautiful sunshine today and it should continue tomorrow for one of the highlights of the Korean racing year, the 23rd running of the Group 3 Ttukseom Cup. While Triple Seven, Suseong TX and Wangson will be doing their best to keep the silverware in the capital, most observers see the business end of the race being contested by the visitors from Busan.

Derby winner Cheonnyeon Daero should relish the drop back to 1400 metres as should Minister’s and President’s Cup Champion Dangdae Bulpae. Then there’s Yeonseung Daero; arguably the best Korean bred horse on the peninsula, he usually only takes on foreign opposition and isn’t fussy about the distance. Also lining up is Triple Sinhwa, a horse who was a well beaten second behind Cheonnyeon Daero last month but is another for whom the shorter distance could be a benefit.

The big race is at 16:35 and is race nine of an eleven race card at Seoul which starts at 11:10am. There are also six races at Busan from 12:30 to 17:05. Here is a final run-down of the runners and riders for the Ttukseom Cup (Name / pedigree / race records (Races/1sts/2nds/3rds)/jockey / (home track)

Ttukseom Cup (KOR.GIII) – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – Sunday Apr 17, 16:35

1. Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] – (15/10/1/1) – Jo Sung Gon (Busan)
2. Best Holls (KOR) [Fierecely – Onethindime (Tactical Advantage)] – (15/5/1/2) – Jung Ki Yong (Seoul)
3. Suseong TX (KOR) [Concept Win – Oktong-I (Kyoei Blossom)] – (21/7/4/4) – Moon Se Young (Seoul)
4. Triple Sinhwa (KOR) [Capital Spending – Claudia’s Secret (Crafty Prospector)] – (15/6/6/0) – You Hyun Myung (Busan)
5. Golden Rose (KOR) [Buster’s Daydream – Pop’s Apple (Digangi’s Grinder)] – (21/5/3/3) – Moon Jung Kyun (Seoul)
6. Tamna Hero (KOR) [Creek Cat – The Big C (Deputed Testamony)] (25/8/4/3) – Chae Gyu Jun (Busan)
7. Wangson (KOR) [Distilled – Eastern Tide (Far Out East)] – (17/8/3/1) – Cho Kyoung Ho (Seoul)
8. Tamnahwanhui (KOR) [Al Naba – Bulbijihye (Pro For Sure)] – (18/5/3/1) – Kim Cheol Ho (Seoul)
9. Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] – (30/13/6/4) – Choi Si Dae (Busan)
10. Namdo Jeap (KOR) [Ft. Stockton – Wandering Katie (Tejano)] – (27/8/7/4) – Kim Dong Young (Busan)
11. Baengnyeonbong (KOR) [Al Naba – Sansovino Art (Mister C.)] – [(25/7/2/7) – Oh Kyoung Hoan (Seoul)
12. The Almighty (KOR) [Capital Spending – Dauntless Cat (Mountain Cat)] – (15/5/3/0) – Ham Wan Sik (Seoul)
13. Triple Seven (KOR) [The Groom Is Red – Impudence (Grand Lodge)] – (34/12/4/7) – Choi Bum Hyun (Seoul)
14. Cheonnyeon Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Doneitmyway (Northern Flagship)] – (19/7/7/2) – Park Geum Man (Busan)

Subsidy’s little brother beats his biggest rival / Wolsley Saddles a Treble

He’s named after a King. He takes after his big brother. Jumong played the Subsidy role to perfection to beat Bally Brae in the feature race at Seoul Race Park this afternoon.

Motion Blur: Jumong (8) hits the front. Florida Sox (obscured) would lose second place to Bally Brae (behind) in the stewards' room

A month ago, Jumong [Johar – Foreign Aid (Danzig)] was sent off the favourite but returned among the also rans as Bally Brae [Yarrow Brae – Political Bluff (Unaccounted For)] scored a sensational return to the winner’s circle. Today, both were reasonably unfancied but it was they who found themselves chasing down early leader Florida Sox [Woke Up Dreamin – Chordette (Dixieland Band)] as the field entered the home stretch, Bally Brae on the rail and Jumong, with Jo In Kwen on board, on the outside. Oh Kyoung Hoan shifted Bally Brae out to make his run but at that same moment, Florida Sox faltered, obstructing the nine-year old. The race was Jumong’s with Florida Sox crossing the line in second and Bally Brae in third.

Inevitably it went to the stewards and after ten minutes they decided that were it not for the interference, Bally Brae would certainly have finished ahead of Florida Sox and reversed their placings. Had he been able to get into stride, he may have beaten Jumong too. However, the four-year old was blameless and recorded what was only his sixth career victory.

He was smiling before but not after - Moon Se Young picked up a four day ban

Florida Sox, last year’s Segye Ilbo Cup winner was, for the first time, being ridden by Moon Se Young. It was Moon who had ridden Jumong to four of his previous five victories and who rode him last month when losing to Bally Brae. Of course, it is Bally Brae who gave Moon his most celebrated victories and even – if you believe the sub-soap opera storyline – sealed his marriage. How he must feel this evening then as he reflects on a four-day ban for his ride on Florida Sox.

Jumong is the fifth foal out of Foreign Aid to be imported to Korea. Among the others were YTN Cup winner Soseono and of course, the great Subsidy, the last son of Mr. Prospector. Subsidy’s battles with Bally Brae are among Korean racing’s recent highlights. No-one ever thought that Bally Brae would start a rivalry with Subsidy’s little brother too. However, they now have a win each. A decider is necessary.

Ruler Of The Gold (Tribal Rule) was an impressive winner of race 4 today

The capital and the second city played a football match in the K-League in Busan today. It finished 1-1. Last week, Busan horses dominated Seoul on the track in the KRA Cup Mile and next week they’ll likely do they same as they visit the capital in a bid to plunder the Ttukseom Cup. Today, however, it was the Busan track’s foreign connection that was doing the plundering.

Australian trainer Peter Wolsley saddled a treble of winners, taking the first three races on the card. After Heukdancer had taken the first with Kim Nam Sung in the saddle, he combined with Japanese rider Yoshi Aoki for victories with Optimus in race 2 and Jungle Love in race 3. Both horses are owned by the foreign run Pegasus Farm on Jeju Island. They went looking for another in race 4 but were denied by who else? Mr Pink, Toshio Uchida, got the first of a pair of winners on Namdo Teukgeup and he followed it up by taking the feature race on nine-year old stalwart Admiral Reigart (General Royal).

So ends another weekend of sport on the peninsula. Next week it’s one of the highlights of the year in the shape of the Ttukseom Cup at Seoul. For the first time ever, Busan has been invited to crash the party. We’ll begin the build-up tomorrow.

To the rafters: Seoul Racecourse was as packed as ever