International Weekend Preview

It’s that time of year again – a time that is getting earlier and earlier. The 2010 International Jockey Challenge comes to Seoul Race Park this weekend, pitting six of Korea’s top riders against six visitors for a $20,000 prize. Here’s who’s in town this year:

Clockwise from top right: Oliver Castillo, Syu Ishibashi, Nial McCullogh, Akin Sozen, Muzi Yeni, Scott Seamer

Scott Seamer (Australia): Has won the Melbourne Cup. That’s enough for any jockey to retire happy with. However, aside from guiding Ethereal to victory in one of the world’s greatest races in 2001, Seamer has also won the Caulfield Cup, Golden Slipper and AJC Derby. He’s been Champion jockey in Brisbane where he now does most of his riding. Click here to see the closing stages of that 2001 Cup win.

Niall McCullogh (Ireland): Although riding in his home country suring the summer, McCullogh is perhaps best known for his time in the Asia with regular and successful stints in India. Read an interview with McCullogh from indiarace.com here.

Muzi Yeni (South Africa): Gerrit Schlecter won the challenge in 2007 and a number of South African jockeys have tried their hand full-time in Korea, most notable Martin Wepner. This year, they have sent up and coming rider Muzi Yeni, who has ridden just shy of 100 winners this season.

Akin Sozen (Turkey): Another up-and-comer, twenty-three year old Sozen has already ridden upwards of 600 winners in his homeland.

Oliver Castillo (USA): Thirty-four year old Castillo rode his 1000th race winner earlier this year at Laurel Park. Chilean born, Castillo has been riding in the US for the past thirteen years.

Syu Ishibashi (Japan): The neighbour across the water always send at least one jockey across. This year it is twenty-six year old Syu Ishibashi, who has over 250 winners from a six year career to date.

The Korean team has a familiar look about it. Park Tae Jong will be there as ever, and is joined by Moon Se Young, Yoo Sang Wan, Cho Kyoung Ho, Jung Ki Yong and Choi Bum Hyun.

The jockeys will compete in four races – two on Saturday and two on Sunday, ciulminating in the YTN Cup, under the lights on Sunday evening. They are races 6 (17:00) & 10 (20.00) on Saturday and 7 (17:45) & 9 (19:35) on Sunday.

Here’s what’s happening around the peninsula this weekend:

Friday August 20

Busan Race Park: 10 races from 15:00 to 21:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:30 to 21:30

Saturday August 21

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 14:30 to 21:00
Jeju Race Park: 10 races from 16:30 to 21:30

Sunday August 22

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 14:30 to 21:00
Busan Race Park: 5 races from 16:20 to 20:05

Second Chance

2008 Oaks Winner Set For Shock Return This Sunday

Well this came out of nowhere. After nearly two years away, 2008 Oaks winner Jeolho Chance will return to racing this Sunday in the feature event at Busan Race Park.

The outstanding filly of her year, Jeolho Chance was able to blunder badly on the first corner of the Oaks but still recover in order to win without breaking into a gallop. She went on to finish second in the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Minister’s Cup up at Seoul, beaten by Gaeseon Janggun, who had previously finished second in both the KRA Cup Mile and the monsoon-afflicted Korean Derby and went on to have a successful season as a four-year old before being retired to stud last winter.

It looked like Jeolho Chance’s future lay in the breeding shed too. She only had one more outing after that Minister’s Cup race before she suffered a seemingly career-ending injury. Intensive therapy and recuperation has, like Baekgwang at Seoul before her, brought about a remarkable recovery and she will line up in race 5 at Busan on Sunday evening.

It’s a tough ask for her. Up against her will be the horse with perhaps the most boring name – but arguably the most exciting prospects – at the track. Mister Park, a three-year old gelding, made a creditable but hardly noteworthy debut last November finishing third of twelve in a maiden race. Since then he’s run six more times and has been untouchable.

All is set for a massive weekend of racing on the peninsula. Up at Seoul it is not only YTN Cup weekend but also the International Jockey Challenge. Scott Seamer of Australia and Oliver Castillo of the United States are among six overseas riders in town to take on the Koreans in the annual event. We’ll have a full preview of the challenge tomorrow.

Happy Returns For Choi Bum Hyun

After difficult spells for both of them, two of Seoul’s most recognisable names found themselves back together in the Winner’s circle on Independence Day at Seoul Race Park this evening.

He's no bum: Choi Bum Hyun is back

Bulpae Gisang and Choi Bum Hyun had won together eight times but with the jockey only returning this weekend after three months on the injured list and the horse – once considered one of the two best in Korea – without a win this year, the omens weren’t good.

Yet under the lights in front of a bumper Sunday crowd, the pair combined to see off a big name field that included the likes of Vicar Love, so impressive in the Busan Metropolitan last month, and the returning former champion filly & mare, Top Point. It was Top Point who set the early pace in the ten furlong feature event – oh how we’ve missed her the past nine months – but Choi and Bulpae Gisang were always looking dangerous and took things up with a furlong to go. Vicar Love faded from proceedings and it was Free Hugs who was the biggest danger but, going down the rail under Cho Kyoung Ho, the Aussie-bred six year old could only get to within a length and a half on the line.

Taegukgi: Flags flying on Independence Day

It was a great hour for the returning Choi. In race 9, he guided the very impressive Jilpunggangho to his sixth win from ten starts and in the last scored a surprise victory on outsider Daejauichukje.

Jilpunggangho [Max’s Pal – Spicy Soup (Alphabet Soup)] looks quite a horse. One of those who whose dam was imported while in foal, he wasn’t eligible for the three-year olf Classics but should be a force to be reckoned with in the elite level, for which with today’s win, he has now qualified.

There he might encounter Bulpae Gisang. The stablemate of Dongbanui Gangja for once did not play second fiddle.

Class 1 (Foreign) – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – August 15, 2010

1. Bulpae Gisang (USA) [Lightnin N Thunder – Neat Trick (Clever Trick)] – Choi Bum Hyun – 3.7, 1.6
2. Free Hugs (AUS) [Fantastic Light – Woodie (Woodman)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 1.2
3. Top Point (KOR) [Tom Cruiser – Mooncello (Northen Baby)] – Shin Hyoung Chul – 2.6
Distances: 1.5 lengths/4 lengths – 13 ran

* Down at Busan, the feature race was won by Golden Appeal [Sharp Appeal – Golden Image (Dancer’s Image)]. The four-year old got the better of Gimakhin Seungbu after Namdo Jeap had gone walkabout in the home straight. Golden Appeal now has an impressive record of eight wins from twelve starts.

At Dusk: Parading for the ninth

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Holy Unpredictable

Racing returned to Seoul after two blank weekends and on a day where the weather was as predictable as a maiden pony race on Jeju Island, Holy Dreamer finally showed he’s no flat-track bully and can mix it with the big boys as he defeated a host of established names in the feature race.

Despite the weather, the place was as packed as ever

He’d won his first five races but came unstuck when he faced his first really strong test in last year’s Ilgan Sports where he struggled home in seventh place. He recovered to win twice more in succession to gain entry to Korean racing’s elite for 2010. It seemed he’d met his match, a third place the best to show from four outings this year that included coming a dismal eleventh in the Ttukseom Cup.

Punters still considered him dangerous enough to warrant sending him off at slightly under 10/1 behind such names as Machine Gun, Gi Ra Seong, Nice Choice, Hwangnyongsaji and Taepungchukje. It was Gi Ra Seong who set the early pace but the six-year-old couldn’t hold off the challenge of Holy Dreamer who, under rising star of the weighing room Jo In Kwen took control in the final furlong and won by a length. Taepung Chukje got up for third.

Holy Dreamer now has the impressive record of eight wins from fourteen starts. Whether he can repeat the feat when he carries more weight next time, will be something to watch very carefully. Holy Dreamer’s mother goes by the name of Nice Weather. On that subject…

…If winners were hard to predict, the weather was even harder. Seoul awoke to a crashing thunderstorm but by first post time there was burning sunshine and those in rain coats looked very silly (and very sweaty). All that changed in a few dramatic minutes before the fifth when the skies darkened and the heavens opened unleashing a furious downpour.

This would be repeated between races right up until race 9. Remarkably while parading for all those races was done in torrential unpleasantness, the rain stopped each time the horses entered the starting gate.

Good Engine: Seongjang Engine and Han Sung Youl skip over the slop

In such conditions, surprises were always going to happen. Three odds-on favourites went down: Tracker, Namchonuichukje and Brown Girl were respectively beaten by Seongjang Engine, Battle Bingo and Gounjit.

Some favourites did do the business, however. Best Holls, the only Korean bred entrant in a Foreign-bred race claimed the spoils in race 7 while Cheonji Jangsu cruised past the field to claim victory in race 10. The US bred five-year old is very much a late-bloomer but now looks likely to join the elite on his next outing.

Racing returns to Seoul on Sunday with 11 races from 14:30 to 21:00. Busan also runs a 6 race card from 16:20 to 21:00. The weather forecast is something like hot and sunny with cloudy periods and regular thunderstorms. Oh, and the odd gale-force gust of wind. It’s going to be fun dressing for that.

Class 1 Handicap – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – August 14, 2010

1. Holy Dreamer (KOR) [Duality – Nice Weather (Future Storm)] – Jo In Kwen – 9.3, 2.8
2. Gi Ra Seong (KOR) [Precise End – Dauntless Cat (Mountain Cat)] – Choi Bum Hyun – 1.9
3. Taepungchukje (KOR) [Future Quest – Change In Time (Time For A Change)] – Boo Min Ho – 2.4
Distances: 1 length/0.75 lengths – 13 ran

Kept Raining A lot

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

Weekend Preview

Nice Choice, Top Point in action as Seoul returns

Picking in advance which are going to be the hottest two weeks of the year is not easy. However, this year they got it right and racing relaxed while Seoul sweltered. Indeed, it’s been so hot in the capital for the past month that at one point Gyongmaman seriously considered switching from red wine to white, just so he had an excuse for having an ice-bucket on the table. That is not a decision he takes lightly.

Nice Choice

They’ll be back in action at Seoul this weekend though as the Summer Festival resumes. There’s no Stakes action on offer but nevertheless, plenty to keep punters occupied as they return to the pari-mutuel windows.

Last year’s President’s Cup winner Nice Choice looked a shadow of his former self when he returned in June following a five month lay-off through injury. We’ll see if another two months of rest has benefitted him when he heads Saturday’s feature race at Seoul. Gi Ra Seong, Holy Dreamer and Machine Gun will be among those looking to stop him.

Sunday’s feature sees a welcome return for former champion filly Top Point. Now six, she’s been out of action since November last year when she injured herself, just two months after claiming victory in the KRA Cup Classic, Seoul’s biggest race for fillies and mares. She’s not taking it easy in her re-appearance as she takes on foreign horses including Bulpae Gisang and Vicar Love.

On a weekend of returns, jockey Choi Bum Hyun is back after a long spell on the injured list.

Friday August 13

Busan Race Park: 10 races from 15:00 to 21:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:30 to 21:15

Saturday August 14

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 14:30 to 21:00
Jeju Race Park: 10 races from 16:30 to 21:30

Sunday August 15

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 14:30 to 21:00
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 16:20 to 21:00

Isn’t it a Wonder?

With the summer break continuing at Seoul, Busan Race Park took centre stage on Sunday with a ten-race card. And under the lights on another hot and sweaty evening, it was filly Wonder Unicorn who galloped off with the biggest prize of the night.

Park Geum Man partnered Wonder Unicorn to victory

The four-year old was yet to win since moving up to class 1 at the beginning of this year but showed at the front throughout the mile-long feature race, pulling away in the final furlong to secure victory by an impressive six lengths. Behind her was the favourite, another filly, Mulbora who herself was four lengths in front of third placed Dandok Gangja. For Wonder Unicorn, it was a fifth win from fourteen starts, while it was another big race win for Derby winning jockey Park Geum Man, who is enjoying far and away his best season as a professional.

In other races, Dangdae Bulpae, third in the Derby, showed that he is not to be discounted when the nation’s top three-year olds reconvene for the Minister’s Cup in October. Sent off favourite, he was in a different class to the rest of the field in the final race as he cruised to a thirteen length victory.

Earlier, late-developing colt Quantum scored his fourth win from five outings while yesterday, there was a second straight win for Australian import Gaeseon Gangho.

Next week, Seoul is back!

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Weekend Preview

Well it’s been a while. Last weekend Gyongmaman took a walk, did some shopping, went to a football match and saw a movie. He even talked to a girl who wasn’t a jockey or a pari-mutuel clerk! He had a total break from racing and for all he knows, Zenyatta could have been relocated to Korea for a tilt at the Grand Prix instead of the Breeders’ Cup.

Seoul Race Park remains dark this weekend, but Busan gets back in the swing of things a couple of hours from now with a rare Saturday card. South coast punters have a Sunday to savour as well as ten races will be run at the track tomorrow. There’s nothing to get too excited over though.

Today’s big race is a handicap featuring the likes of Dandi, Hwanggeumbit Taeyang, Ajua Joa and Jungwon Jepae among a field of fourteen. Tomrrow Mulbora, Muhan Daeseung and Baekjeom Manjeom head a less than inspring main event.

There is quite a bit to update on over the next few days. Busan has a new foreign trainer while we are just two weeks away from the International Jockey Races at Seoul. For now, here’s what’s going on today and tomorrow:

Saturday August 7

Busan Race Park: 6 races from 16:00 to 21:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 15:00 to 21:00

Sunday August 8

Busan Race Park: 10 races from 16:00 to 21:00

Cho Kyoung Ho Does It Again

Geumgangi Wins The Munhwa Ilbo

It was another big race win for Cho Kyoung Ho as Geumgangi swept to victory in the Munhwa Ilbo Cup at Seoul Race Park this evening. And the jockey followed it up by guiding long-shot Victory Town to an unlikely victory in the Seoul Kyeongje Sinmun Cup just thirty minutes later.

Back in the Winner's Circle: Geumgangi won the Munhwa Ilbo

Geumgangi was sent off fourth in the betting in a race which was marred by chaos at the start after Blooming reared in the gate bringing down Daehanbobae in the neigbouring stall. Both were ruled unfit to start after being checked by the vet. When the remaining twelve did get underway, there were further distressing scenes as Mr. Swing broke down rounding the final turn. Meanwhile, at the front of the race Cho and Geumgangi got their act together in the home straight to get the better of a pair of outsiders, Choedaepungseok and Tamnaseontaek who filled out the placings.

It was a third consecutive win for the improving Geumgangi. Once the ceremonies were complete, Cho re-emerged for the Seoul Kyeongje Sinmun and pulled off an unexpected win when the appropriately named Victory Town comfortably got the better of odds-on favourite Angus Empire by three lengths.

Jung Ki Yong, far side, allows himself a wry glance as Lee Shin Young (No.5) comes through to land race 5

That completed a treble for Cho, who is now closing in on Moon Se Young at the top of the jockeys’ championship, after he also won on favourite Balhaemyeongjang in race 6. Lady rider and trainer-in-waiting Lee Shin Young scored a battling victory on Nike Seven in race 5 while four-year-old gelding Bichui Adeul finally broke his maiden at the twenty-sixth time of asking in race 8.

Racing on the peninsula now takes a (very) short summer break and actress Kim Tae Hee was on hand once more to see punters off on their holidays. Kim and actor Yang Dong Geun were filming the final race-day scenes for their movie “Grand Prix”.

Actress Kim Tae Hee was also in attendance

Weekend Preview: Seoul Goes Solo

Busan and Jeju take a break as Seoul hosts the only racing on the peninsula this coming weekend. And everything’s set for another big weekend under the lights. Sunday’s Munhwa Ilbo Stakes is the most valuable race of the weekend though the category 2 field, while setting the pulses racing, is certainly competitive with Luxury Jewang heading a full field of 14.

Another Stakes Winner Will be in the Seoul Winners' Circle on Sunday

On Saturday, Ace Galloper renews hostilities with fellow three-year old Seonbongbulpae with Lucky Mountain, Love Cat and Free Woody joining them in what looks like a cracking handicap. Meanwhile, after the Munhwa Ilbo on Sunday, Serendipper makes her first appearance since her shock win in the Owner’s Cup last month.

Saturday July 24

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 14:30 to 21:00

Sunday July 25

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 14:30 to 20:50