Yeonseung Daero, Namdo Jeap go down at Busan / Seonbongbulpae wins at Seoul

They really are the “nearly horses”. Yeonseung Daero and Namdo Jeap both spent much of last year running second when they really should have won. Today, facing each other at least one was always going to get beaten. In the event, both did.

That they were even running this afternoon is testament to the connections of both horses. Not content to be flat-track bullies hoovering up prize money in races restricted to Korean bred runners, both horses are frequently entered against overseas bred opposition. So it was today and it was at the hands of a late developing New Zealand born gelding that they came unstuck.

Dandi got injured in the summer of 2008 and reappeared in the Spring of last year only to immediately suffer another setback, his promising career seemingly cut short. He finally returned in January this year when he was a well-beaten fifth. Coming through the race was a triumph in itself, however, and today he showed what punters have been missing.

Yeonseung Daero and Namdo Jeap were at the front of the race throughout and going into the home straight, it looked as though they were set to fight it out between them. However, it was Dandi who had much the faster finish, coming past first Yeonseung Daero and then Namdo Jeap, setting a track record for nine furlongs in the process.

Dandi now has five wins from nine starts, spread over more than two years. His return is a very welcome addition to the top flight of racing at Busan. Meanwhile, Namdo Jeap and Yeonseung Daero will surely be back.

Class 1 Handicap (Foreign) – Busan Race Park – 1800M – March 7, 2010

1. Dandi (NZ) [Danroad – Fizzy Heights (Faltaat)] – You Hyun Myung – 6.7, 1.8
2. Namdo Jeap (KOR) [Ft. Stockton – Wandering Katie (Tejano)] – Lim Sung Sil – 1.3
3. Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] – Park Geum Man – 1.3
Distances: 1.25 lengths/1.25 lengths – 14 ran

Up at Seoul, Seonbongbulpae was given a third chance at running round two corners in the feature race. Last year’s champion two-year old had struggled in his two outings to date at longer distances. His habit of tearing out of the gate at breakneck speed being an asset at five furlongs but the opposite at the eight or more he’s going to need to do this year.

Motion Blur: Seonbongbulpae was too quick for everybody

Today, with Moon Se Young in the saddle for the first time, Seonbongbulpae was true to form and roared out of the gate. By the middle of the back straight he was ten lengths clear of a patient field. The crowd, who had kept faith with him and sent him off favourite, sighed and waited for the seemingly inevitable collapse.

It never came. Moon Se Young regained control of Seonbongbulpae as they turned for home and the colt had enough in him to make another effort in the home straight, eventually cruising to victory by six lengths. Seonbongbulpae’s sire, Newsprint died tragically young late last year. With Seonbongbulpae back in the Classic picture, and his other son Money Car very much there already, he may just have left a golden legacy.

Greetings From Seoul: It was an unusually clear day in the capital

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Big Sox Shocks / Jeju Abandoned

After failing last time out, Lucky Mountain justified punters’ continued faith in her by returning to the winner’s circle at a gloomy Seoul Race Park this afternoon. Sent off favourite for the nine and a half furlong handicap, the five-year old emerged from the middle of the field in the home straight under champion jockey Park Tae Jong to lead home New Rider by a length and a half.

Lucky Mountain sees off New Rider in the Seoul mist

Lucky Mountain [Silent Warrior – Myeonggaheui (Revere)], winner of the Selangor Turf Club Trophy in 2008 and NACF Chairman’s Cup in 2009, now has eight wins from her twenty-six starts and has only been out of the money on three occasions and with Top Point currently out of action, can claim to be the top filly or mare currently running in the capital city.

While Lucky Mountain’s race went to form, the second of co-feature races most certainly did not. While Yodongseong, Vicar Love and Seoul Teukgeup were all well-fancied, all flopped in the mist as 40/1 outsider Big Sox, without a win since June 2008 strode to a surprise win.

With the newly freelance jockey Yoo Seung Wan on board, Big Sox led from gate-to-wire to lead the field home by a length. The identity of those closest to him on the line were equally surprising as Soseono made a welcome return to form after a difficult class 1 debut last month by finishing second. In third place was Key To Success, the only British bred horse currently running at Seoul, making a promising top-level debut. The combination made for impressive payouts for some lucky punters.

Someone got lucky in race 11

Class 1 Handicap (Foreign) – Seoul Race Park – 2000M – March 6, 2010

1. Big Sox (USA) [Cimarron Secret – West Point Woman (Great Above)] – Yoo Seung Wan – 40.8, 5.9
2. Soseono (USA) [Aldebaran – Foreign Aid (Danzig)] – Moon Jung Kyun – 5.0
3. Key To Success (GB) [Mujahid – Shining Cloud (Indian Ridge)] – Choi Bum Hyun – 6.6
Distances: 1.5 lengths/1.75 lengths – 13 ran

* Racing on Jeju Island was abandoned after just two races today. The start of both of those races had been delayed as rain and fog severely limited visibility and, with the runners at the post for the third race but no break in the fog in prospect, the decision was made to call off the rest of the card.

On Sunday there is racing at Seoul from 11:20-18:00 and at Busan from 12:40-16:30.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

Ace Galloper, Bulpae Gisang beaten

Some reputations were left intact but some were in question at the end of a busy afternoon at Seoul Race Park. While Money Car continued his stately progress through the ranks, fellow hot property Ace Galloper went down to a shock defeat to break a five race winning streak.

Stepping up to class 2 and going half a furlong further than in any of his previous outings, Ace Galloper was nevertheless sent off the 1/5 favourite. Coming round the final bend in third place on the shoulder of the leaders, he looked set to justify that price and go clear. To everyone’s surprise, however, while early pace-setter Good Diva did indeed start to fade, second placed Brothers did not. Instead the four-year old kicked on and tied up with Ace Galloper in the home straight.

Ace Galloper was a joker in the paddock and folded on the track

On the line, the older horse got the better of the potential superstar by half a length to record an unexpected win. For Brothers, it was a fourth win from thirteen starts. For Ace Galloper [Chapel Royal – Explicitly (Exploit)], who was causing mischief in the paddock before the race, it was bad day.

There were no such problems in race 8 for classic hopeful Money Car. Park Tae Jong waited until the final furlong to ask the three-year old to make any effort but when he did, the colt abruptly jumped away from the field and was a confortable three-length winner. Since finishing second on his debut, Money Car [Newsprint – Pinocchio (Big Sur)] has now won five in a row.

Money Car (Park Tae Jong) won for the fifth time

Later, in the gathering gloom of a grey, waning afternoon, Bulpae Gisang went to post as the odds-on favourite in the feature handicap. He would be the second odds-on favourite to go down on the day though as he could only third place with Haengun Daewang leading from gate to wire. Four-year old Bulpae Gisang is generally recognised as the second best horse running at Seoul. Not on today’s performance.

Finally in the last race, it was the turn of another three-year old hopeful Dongbang Rose [Volponi – Night Mary (Strike Gold)] to put her unbeaten record on the line. She came through with no problems whatsoever, scoring a two-length victory over seven furlongs.

Down at Busan, there were co-feature races. Australian-bred Cheonseungmanseung [Way of Light – Mysterious Ransom (Red Ransom)] – a horse whose name looks much shorter in Korean than it does in English, took the first of these, a mile handicap for foreign bred horses, while an Australian trainer, Peter Wolsley, took the honours an hour later in the domestic event. His five-year old gelding Khaosan came home three lengths ahead of Isidae Gangja and Golden Appeal.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Three-year old goes five-for-five

Tough Win eased to a fifth straight victory at Seoul Race Park this afternoon and in doing so, ensured that in future he’ll only be running against the best as he qualified for the top level of Korean racing.

Making his second outing at over nine furlongs and against the best field he has faced so far, the three-year old Tough Win had to come wide from stall 14 to sit on the outside of the field for the first three quarters of the race. As they entered the home straight, jockey Cho Kyoung Ho kicked him on and Tough Win loped away from the rest to take a five length win.

Tough to pacify: Two handlers and a set of pacifiers keep Tough Win in check

While not as visually impressive as some of his earlier runs, given the company he was in, the time he recorded and the fact that jockey Cho still didn’t need to trouble the horse with the whip, today’s performance adds to the buzz there is about this horse.

Tough Win [Yonguska – Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] moves onto five wins from five runs.

In domestic three-year old news, Full Step, third in last year’s Herald Business, got the better of Kkonnam and Bonsol – who finished third and fifth respectively – to take victory in the last race of the day. The colt now has three wins to his name.

Although Tough Win and Full Step both landed reasonably good races, neither of them was the feature race of the day. That was won by Love Cat, the filly taking her first win since triumphing in the Sports Seoul Stakes last June. The four-year old just edged out Jeokdaejeok and Baengnyeonbong in a tight finish to the ten furlong handicap.

Racing returns to Seoul tomorrow when Bulpae Gisang, Money Car and Ace Galloper will be the star attractions. The first of eleven races will be underway at 11:20. Busan also hosts a Sunday card with the first of six races starting at 12:40.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

Florida Sox produced a commanding performance to take victory in the Segye Ilbo Cup at Seoul Race Park this afternoon – the first Stakes race of 2010 at the track. In doing so, the three-year old filly gave jockey Boo Min Ho the biggest win of his career to date.

Boo-tiful, A first Stakes win sinks in for Boo Min Ho

Sent off second favourite, Florida Sox led the anticipated cavalry charge out of the gate as they began the seven furlong race. Favourite Gippeumnuri came up alongside her as they left the back straight and looked well-place to kick on.

Instead though it was Florida Sox who had the extra gear, effortlessly going away from the chasing pack and ultimately putting seven lengths between her and second placed Jangjagang with Gippeumnuri trailing in third.

US bred Florida Sox made a low-key debut last autumn finishing sixth out of fourteen in a six furlong maiden race. Dropping back to five furlongs for her next outing though, she proceeded to come within half a second of the course record. She followed that up with another easy win over that distance last month. Any ideas that she might be unable to last more than a thousand metres were emphatically quashed today.

Florida Sox in the Segye Ilbo Winner's Circle

Segye Ilbo Cup (Stakes Listed) – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – Feb 21, 2010

1. Florida Sox (USA) [Woke Up Dreamin – Chordette (Dixieland Band)] – Boo Min Ho – 4.0, 1.8
2. Jangjagang (USA) [Buddha – Illusory (Skywalker)] – Park Tae Jong – 1.7
3. Gippeumnuri (USA) [Eurosilver – Regatta Queen (Danzig Connection)] – Moon Se Young – 1.3
Distances: 7 lengths/1.5 lengths
Also ran: 4. Hwansanguimulgyeol; 5. Golden Rose; 6. Nunbusin Seongjang; 7. Devilish Speed; 8. Fly Top; 9. Isanghwa; 10. Illicit Image; 11. Cheonsangcheonha; 12. Gwacheon Geojang; 13. Uigiyangyang; 14. Kentucky Nose

In other races, Khanui Jeguk, winner of last year’s Ilgan Sports, claimed his first victory in class 1 company, as he overcame Machine Gun and Gi Ra Seong in the feature handicap over nine and a half furlongs. Meanwhile, down at Busan, Yeongung Manse claimed the afternoon’s main event.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN