The official promotional poster for racing movie “Grand Prix” starring Kim Tae Hee and Yang Dong Geun was released last week. And here it is:
Grand Prix Publicity Poster
Interestingly, while Kim Tae Hee has her own specially designed green, white and pink racing silks, the leading lady also wears all time leading jockey Park Tae Jong’s silks and leading man Yang wears those of young jockey Choi Won Joon – to whom he bears a passing resemblence. More official stills from the movie can be seen here.
Tough Win New Number One as Champion Veers Out / Wangson Wins SBS Cup
Dongbanui Gangja’s reign as the undisputed best horse in Korea came to a crushing and ignominious end in the Busan Mayor’s Cup this evening. The five-year old, always a handful for his jockey, careened out of control as the field entered the home straight, lurching across the width of the entire track until he reached the grandstand rail while the race went on without him.
New Number One: Tough Win
He’d done this in his last race two months ago but that day was up against sufficiently weak opposition for it not to make a difference to the result. Today was different. Moon Se Young had brought the champion into contention in the back straight and was perfectly placed to launch his usually devastating late charge. However, as they turned for the final time, it became clear that Moon was fighting a battle with his mount that he was destined to lose.
It is then the three-year old Tough Win who emerges from the race as both the victor and new Number One on the peninsula. For the first time in his eight race career though, it was a very tough win. Even after Dongbanui Gangja had excused himself from the business end of proceedings, an epic battle was fought in the final furlong.
Tough Win, always towards the front, had grabbed the lead two furlongs out but early leader Vicar Love, in a surprising return to form, stayed on to keep fighting until the final strides. Even more threatening was Yeonseung Daero storming up the rail. One of just two Korean bred horses in the field, the four-year old was finishing the fastest but couldn’t quite get up. Tough Win and Cho Kyoung Ho held on to win by a neck with Vicar Love a further head back as they crossed the line together.
So it’s eight out of eight for Tough Win. He was pushed but he didn’t crack, however, many will wonder what Dongbanui Gangja have done if he had stayed straight. Tonight, that is irrelevant. Tonight we have a new champion.
Busan City Mayor’s Cup (G.III) – Busan Race Park – 2000M – July 18, 2010
1. Tough Win (USA) [Yonaguska – Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] – Cho Kyoung Ho – 3.0, 1.3 2. Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] – Park Geum Man – 2.8 3. Vicar Love (USA) [Vicar – Canberra (Silver Hawk)] – Jung Ki Yong – 8.0
It wasn’t just at Busan where the shock was felt. Punters at Seoul Racecourse gasped as the horse they’ve seen dominate for the past two years went walkabout.There was still a stunned atmosphere in the air thirty minutes later as the field went to post for the SBS Cup, one of the track’s floodlit summer highlights.
While 2008 winner Baekpa was sent off the even-money favourite, her customary late-run came too late to catch Wangson who, in another close finish, hit the line a neck ahead of Baengnyeonbong with Baekpa a further half-length back in third. It was a second big race win for Wangson and Kim Young Jin after their 2009 victory in the Sports Chosun Cup.
Wangson in the SBS Cup Winner's Circle
The ever popular Baekpa will surely be back to fight another day. She just couldn’t make up the ground in time. The recriminations over Dongbanui Gangja’s performance, however, will be longer and more bitter.
SBS Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1900M – July 18, 2010
1. Wangson (KOR) [Distilled – Eastern Tide (Far Out East)] – Kim Young Jin – 4.7, 1.9 2. Baengnyeonbong (KOR) [Al Naba – Sansovino Art (Mister C.)] – Oh Kyoung Hoan – 3.6 3. Baekpa (KOR) [Revere – Grey Crest (Gold Crest)] – Park Tae Jong – 1.2
Distances: Neck/0.5 lengths Also Ran: 4. Triple Seven 5. Hongji 6. Daesahyeong 7. Natural Guy 8. Geumbit Gangja 8. Hallyu Star 9. Khanui Jeguk 10. Khanui Jeguk 11. Siinui Norae 12. Natural Nine 13. Namchon Party 14. Indiana Dream
Korean racing’s unstoppable force collides with its immovable object at Busan Race Park this evening as Dongbanui Gangja, double Grand Prix winner and unbeaten in twelve races, meets Tough Win, two years his junior and victorious in all seven of his starts.
The Race: Busan City Mayor’s Cup (G.III Stakes Listed) – Busan Race Park – 2000M, 19:10
The Headliners
Dongbanui Gangja (USA) [Broken Vow – Maremaid (Storm Bird)] Five-year old horse. 24 starts, 17 wins, 4 seconds, 2 thirds. Winner Grand Prix 2008, 2009; Owner’s Cup 2009. Jockey: Moon Se Young (58 kilos)
Tough Win (USA) [Yonaguska – Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] Three-year old gelding. 7 starts, 7 wins. Jockey: Cho Kyoung Ho (55 kilos)
This could be the first of a series of meetings between the pair and, all things being equal, Dongbanui Gangja should win. This time. Nevertheless, he’s only raced twice this year and last time out drifted so far wide in the home straight that he was very lucky to beat the unheralded Big Sox. Jockey Moon Se Young, stepping in for the injured Choi Bum Hyun will need to make sure there’s no repeat of that against a much classier field on Busan’s punishing and unfamiliar track.
The Others: Don’t rule out a surprise. Neither of the two favourites have run at Busan before and Seoul horses have a less than stellar record at the track. Seonnyang Yongsa is in top form while the seven-year old Crafty Louis looks back to his best. Meanwhile two domestic bred horses will take their chances. Yeonseung Daero and Yeongung Manse have both successfully mixed it with the foreigners before. Whether they can take on the likes of Dongbanui Gangja and Tough Win though is another matter.
The Busan City Mayor’s Cup is race 4 of a six race card at Busan today which runs from 4:30pm to 9pm. The big race is off at 7:10pm and will be simulcasted live at Seoul Race Park.
Baekpa will step out onto a sodden Seoul Race Park on Sunday evening returning to the race which saw arguably her greatest triumph, as she bids to regain the SBS Cup. As a four-year old in 2008, the grey came up against two-time President’s Cup winner Myeongmun Gamun, then at his zenith. She never gave him a look-in as she led from gate-to-wire.
Baekpa can land the SBS Cup
What followed for Baekpa was unfortunate. Sent to the USA as part of the KRA’s ill-judged experiment with sending domestic bred horses to the US. She looked uncomfortable and was humiliated in all her races. Lame on her return home, she was sidelined for nearly a year but, like her older brother Baekgwang a year ago, she made a remarkable return this Spring. After finishing fourth in the Ttukseom Cup, she would go on to win a big Allowance race in June which has now set her up for the SBS.
Top Ranked: Triple Seven
Winning the Ttukseom Cup that day in April was Triple Seven. Currently ranked the top domestic-bred horse on the peninsula, he will be out to stop Baekpa tomorrow. Baekpa should be favourite though. The mare has a seven kilo weight advantage and loves the dirty conditions. It is by no means a two-horse race, however. Last year’s shock winner Hallyu Star returns while Wangson, Bengnyeonbong and Khanui Jeguk are all dangers.
However, both the smart and sentimental money will be on Baekpa.
The SBS Cup is race 9 at Seoul Race Park and is off at 7:40pm. There are eleven races at Seoul on Sunday with the first at 2:30pm and the last at 9:10pm
The lights will be on at all three tracks this weekend as four weeks of “twilight” racing get underway. And Sunday especially is set to be a massive day with the SBS Cup at Seoul and the big showdown in Gyeongnam in the Busan Mayor’s Cup taking place within thirty minutes of each other just after 7pm.
The usual light shows and performances will be taking place over the four weekends of night racing, which are split by a two week break at the end of July and beginning of August. Here’s what’s happening this weekend:
Friday July 16
Busan Race Park: 11 races from 14:30 to 21:00 Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:30 to 21:15
Saturday July 17
Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 14:30 to 21:00 Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 16:30 to 21:10
Sunday July 18
Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 14:30 to 21:10 Busan Race Park: 6 races from 16:30 to 21:00
This really is the big one. Double Grand Prix winner Dongbanui Gangja, unbeaten in two years, puts everything on the line against the young challenger Tough Win, yet to be tested in seven starts. Alongside them, the supporting cast contains a number of horses rightly considered stars in their own right.
The Busan Mayor’s Cup is at Busan Race Park under the lights this coming Sunday evening and it is unquestionably, the biggest race in recent Korean history. We’ll have plenty more on it before Sunday. For now, here is the line-up in full (Name/Record/Jockey):
Busan Mayor’s Cup (G.III) – Busan Race Park – 2000M – July 18, 19:10
1. Purely Spontaneus (USA) (19/8/1/1) – Yang Young Nam 2. Captain Sir (USA) (10/5/3/0) – Chae Gyu Jun 3. Vicar Love (USA) (23/10/1/4) – Jung Ki Yong 4. Dongbanui Gangja (USA) (24/17/4/2) – Moon Se Young 5. Geumbittuhon (USA) (37/3/5/3) – Jung Pyeong Soo 6. Tiffanyuikkum (AUS) (25/5/1/2) – Shin Dae Jun 7. Kahnui Jeonseol (NZ) (21/2/5/4) – Choi Won Joon 8. Yeonseung Daero (KOR) (22/10/3/3) – Park Geum Man 9. Larrycat (USA) (10/4/3/2) – Bang Choon Sik 10. Seonnyang Yongsa (AUS) (23/9/5/4) – Jo Sung Gon 11. Yeongung Manse (KOR) (23/10/4/3) – Hitomi Miyashita 12. Tough Win (USA) (7/7/0/0) – Cho Kyoung Ho 13. Crafty Louis (USA) (39/15/5/3) – Jo Chang Wook 14. Cheonjidolpung (USA) (22/5/0/3) – Boo Min Ho
Seoul Race Park took a very rare visible step in bringing itself in line with international racing recently as now for the first time, punters are able to see horses and jockeys returning to scale after each race.
Cho Kyoung Ho unsaddles
Up until now, on conclusion of a race, runners and riders would disappear back into their subterranean lair, with only Stakes winners re-emerging for the crowd. Several months ago, construction began on a new enclosure just beyond the winning post for horses to return to immediately after each race, along with a building for jockeys to weigh-in before taking elevators back underground. Now, win or lose, every jockey has to unsaddle in front of whoever wants to watch with all the associated celebrations, recriminations and confrontations open for all to see.
Shin Hyoung Chul returns a winner
It’s given punters an opportunity to show their appreciation (or otherwise) to the jockey who has just made them temporarily rich (or otherwise) and allows the curious a close up glimpse of exactly how shattered both runner and rider are after a race.
Most of all though, it has allowed a special window into the camaraderie that exists between the jockeys. Choice exchange of the weekend came after race 9 on Sunday – forgive Gyongmaman’s approximate translation:
Yoon Tae Hyoug: “Sang Woo. You’re a f*****g a******e” Park Sang Woo: (mumbled) “Go f**k yourself”
Fun for all the family.
Moon Se Young stalks moodily away after a rare setback
We already knew she was a special filly, yet today Sangseung Ilro scored arguably the most impressive win of her illustrious career as she overcame the Busan mud and a host of foreign bred rivals to win the Gyeongnam Do Min Ilbo (Citizen News) Cup.
One of only two Korean bred starters, Sangseung Ilro and jockey Lim Sung Sil were slow away as Jo Sung Gon – who had spurned the ride on the 2009 Derby winner – bolted for the rail on Useung Geotap. The field battled through the backstretch in driving rain and as they turned for home, Lim found himself on the rail with nowhere to go.
Useung Geotap launched into the stretch while Sangseung Ilro was turned this way and that, looking for an opening. Each time a door seemed to open though, it was immediately slammed shut. Finally, with a furlong to go, more in desperation than anything else, Lim checked Sangseung Ilro – who was still in sixth place – almost bringing her to a stop, and dragged her to the wide outside. Finally she had a clear run, but surely it was too late.
It was anything but. With Useung Geotap tiring, Sangseung Ilro relentlessly ran her down, hitting the front with thirty metres to go and remarkably pulling away for a two length win. Behind her, Brown Beauty edged out Useung Geotap for second.
Winner of the KRA Cup Mile and Korean Derby, second in the Korean Oaks and third in the Minister’s Cup in 2009 and now winner of the KNN Cup and Do Min Ilbo Cup, Sangseung Ilro is rapidly becoming one of the most decorated horses in Korean racing. Whether it’s males or foreign bred horses, she has now beaten them all.
Gyeongnam Citizen News Cup – Busan Race Park – 1800M – July 11, 2010
1. Sangseung Ilro (KOR) [Concept Win – Ms. Whiskey (Whiskey Wisdom)] – Lim Sung Sil – 1.8, 1.1 2. Brown Beauty (JPN) [Jolie’s Halo – Big Paradise (Timber Country)] – Mun Jung Won – 3.0 3. Useung Geotap (USA) [Dehere – Answer To Me (Peteski)] – Jo Sung Gon – 1.4
Distances: 2 lengths/Neck Also Ran: 4. Mighty Hero, 5. Annika Queen, 6. Daejiui Yeosin, 7. Ilchul Gwangya, 8. Jilju Hara, 9. Double The Gold, 10. Ima Firecracker, 11. Smart As Me
Up at Seoul the weather was better even if the racing wasn’t. Jockeys’ Union Chairman “Comrade” Kim Dong Kyun completed a good weekend by grabbing his second winner on Complete Power, a horse appropriately named given the status of his organisation.
Complete Power: Chairman Kim Dong Kyun (3) takes the lead
Meanwhile, leading jockey Moon Se Young endured a frustrating day before winning race 9 on up and comer Thewon Thewon.
Flat Out: Boo Min Ho drives Hwa Jin to the finish
A number of long-standing also-rans finally broke their maidens. Hwa Jin was the first of two winners for jockey Boo Min Ho while Golden Cat made it nineteenth time lucky in race 6 and Cherokee Man got his first win in twenty attempts in race 8.
Four New Jockeys for Seoul while Jo In Kwen and Lee Sang Hyeok Go Free
South African Martin Wepner has left Korea and has been replaced in the Busan jockey ranks by Japanese rider Katsuya Sameshima. The 47 year-old has a professional record of 3,839 wins from 18,337 rides over a career spanning thirty years. Nicknamed “King Shark”, Sameshima arrives with a formidable reputation, with Japanese “twitter” commenter Mitochunagon describing him as “…(riding) horses better than Mr Pink”. That of course being a reference to Toshio “Mr Pink” Uchida who in six dominant months at the track, was loved by punters and loathed by his rivals in equal measure.
Ketsuya Sameshima
Although slightly less prolific, Martin Wepner was similar. In a sixteen month stint at Busan, he recorded 49 winners from 483 mounts, landing some major prizes along the way. Things were never simple with Wepner though. After a breakdown in communication over a pre-Derby dinner he walked away from the ride of Namdo Jeap in the Derby the next day. Shin Hyoung Chul would step in to guide Namdo Jeap to second place while it seemed Wepner was on the way to the airport.
Feeling he had been treated unfairly and possibly recognizing talent, trainer Kim Young Kwan stepped in and offered Wepner the role of stable-jockey which the South African accepted and the two formed a formidable partnership throughout the summer of 2009 culminating in victory for Namdo Jeap in the Minister’s Cup, the final leg of the Korean Triple Crown at Seoul Race Park in October. Their relationship would break down later in the year though and although Wepner kept riding winners both men would, for different reasons, go on to have a sobering time in 2010.
Wepner is expected to return to Malaysia where he rode successfully for a number of years before coming to Korea. Ultimately his time here must be judged a success and proof that jockeys with talent and perseverance can make it in the undoubtedly harsh environment of the Korean weighing room. Here is that win on Namdo Jeap:
With Sameshima joining Hitomi Miyashita at Busan, Kunihisa Hirase has made the unenviable trip up the Gyeongbu Expressway to Seoul. He’s not the only new-boy at the capital track as four graduates from the KRA Jockey academy are making their debuts this month. Lee Kang Seo, Kim Jung Jun, Jang Chu Yeol and Park Jong Mi will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Jo In Kwen and Lee Sang Hyeok, both of whom have recently turned freelance after riding out their apprenticeships.
The quality of newly licensed riders has increased greatly in recent years and hopefully this year’s new recruits will go on to have long, successful and safe careers.
From left: Lee Kang Seo, Kim Jung Jun, Park Jong Mi, Jang Chu Yeol (Picture: KRA)
Three more for Cho / Mystery Boy easy at Busan
We’re about to embark on two weekends of top class racing on the peninsula with next week’s Gyeongnam Do-Min Ilbo Cup followed by a golden Sunday evening on July 18th with the SBS Cup at Seoul and the Busan Mayor’s Cup down South. Today was a little more low-key but there was still plenty of note at both Seoul and Busan.
Raon Chamber & Cho Kyoung Ho return to scale after victory
At Seoul, jockey Cho Kyoung Ho scored a double-header of big wins. First up he shepherded Raon Chamber to her fifth win from nine starts, the three-year old having no problems seeing off a small field of fellow fillies in race 9. Race 10 was a little less routine, but he managed to coax Suseong TX to the tightest of victories in the feature race. The favourite just edged out long-time leader Ganghan Speed as they hit the line.
Cho didn’t have it all his own way, however. Earlier he had been on the receiving end of a final strode turnaround as Lee Sang Hyeok and Cheondomalli got the better of Cho and favourite Wink in race 6.
Park Jong Mi parades for the first time at Seoul
In between, there was a smart win for US import Deosen over hot favourite Seoului Gangja in race 8 as well as a racing debut for new lady jockey Park Jong Mi. Twenty-five year old Park is one of four young jockeys who will make their debuts during July. She was scheduled to have her first ride yesterday but her horse was withdrawn so instead she took her bow on fillu Geumjaru in race 5. Despite showing at the front during the race, Geumjaru weakened to sixth – one place outside the money – in the home straight.
Down at Busan, there was new jockey drama as Japanese rider Ketsuya Sameshima found himself demoted to third in the last race after his mount Sunshine Halo collided with Ecton Legacy as they battled for second place. Both, however, were well-beaten by the impressive Mystery Boy [Ecton Park – Mysterious Moll (Bates Motel)] who was recording his fourth win from five starts. As well as the demotion, Sameshima picked up a three-day ban for his troubles.
There was less drama in Busan’s most valuable race of the day as favourite Daldeongi held off Gunham for a narrow win.
Horse Racing in Korea 