Seoul Sunday Selections

From a sporting perspective, Gyongmaman is finding it hard to get excited about the racing this weekend. It’s just three weeks until the Derby and all that entails, while even next weekend has Sangseung Ilro, last year’s Derby winner, going for the Gukje Sinmun Stakes at Busan.

But this week it’s distinctly low-key. Luckily it’s by far the most beautiful weekend so far this year weather-wise so Gyongmaman will be at Seoul Race Park again tomorrow and he’s in a punting mood. These are what he will be losing his money on:

Race 1: Open contest in that most runners are equally bad. Hwa Jin (Number 7) should offer value as well as a decent each-way chance.
Race 2: Legal Lady (8) will be heavy odds-on.
Race 3: Any of five or six could win, one of whom is Ilson (6).
Race 4: Capture Enemy (5) can win at last.
Race 5: Competitive race in which a number can be expected to improve. One of them is Chicken Game (1) but he’ll have to beat Bada Olle (4).
Race 6: Fortunata (2) should be winning this all fillies race.
Race 7: Big things were expected of Bonsol (10) and Oh My Sun (11). Both have better chances than Choegang Combi (6) but that is who Gyongmaman will be on.
Race 8: Dream Heart (4) can break his maiden at the twenty-fourth attempt. Old favourite To The Champ is there too but won’t feature at the finish.
Race 9: Hushtilled (2) needs to win to get back in the Oaks picture.
Race 10: Difficult to call between Money Teukgeup (2) and Daesahyeong (1) so let’s go for an outsider in the shape of Cheongnyeongsaji (9).
Race 11: A thirteen runner conundrum to end with. Suseong Equus (5) is the logical answer.

* On Saturday at Seoul Race Park, Free Woody was the surprise winner of the feature handicap. The five-year old just beat-out Machine Gun and Hwangnyongsaji by a neck on the line.

Weekend Preview

It’s almost the weekend and that means racing is back. Busan kicks things off on the peninsula on Friday with ten races and Miss Ecton, Golding, Nuri Choegang, Hardride and Dandi will be among those looking to get back among the winners in a competitive feature race.

Busan also sees the pick of Sunday’s action with Derby hopeful Cheonnyeon Daero getting his last prep-race in before the big day at Seoul next month. He’ll be tested over the Derby distance in class 1 company.

Like last week, it’s a reasonably low-key weekend at Seoul. The feature race is on Saturday when Gi Ra Seong heads the weights in a handicap also featuring regular winners Good Day and Machine Gun.

Friday April 23

Busan Race Park: 10 races from 12: to 18:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 13:30 to 17:30

Saturday April 24

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 11:20 to 17:40
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 12:10 to 17:20

Sunday April 25

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:20 to 18:00
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:40 to 16:30

Lee Shin Young To Be First Female Trainer?

She was only the second Korean woman to be granted a jockey license, now Lee Shin Young could make history by becoming the first female trainer in Korea. Lee was one of a small number of jockeys who took exams for the Trainer’s License last month. Comfortably passing both the theory and practical elements, she will be able to make the move from the track to the barn when a training vacancy opens up.

Lee Shin Young (Picture: KRA)

Lee Shin Young, who will turn 30 in April, gained her jockey’s license in 2001 and has ridden a creditable 86 winners from 855 rides since then. Known for an aggressive riding style that has earned her both praise and criticism, she has ridden more thoroughbred winners than any other lady rider in Korea.

If the weighing room is a male-dominated world, the backstretch is even more so. If Lee does indeed take charge of her own barn then it will be a landmark event in Korean racing. That could be some time away, however, and in the meantime, Lee has returned to race riding after a long lay-off through injury.

Chulgigi had a full write-up on this story (in Korean) last month.

Weekend Review – Bally Brae Wins Again

Saeroun Taeyang & Dongbang Rose go down / Hanramyeongseng wins Jeju Halla Ilbo

Bally Brae continued to roll back the years and produced a commanding performance to land the weekend’s feature race. But while the old boy was on-form on Saturday, there were disappointments on Sunday for Classic hopefuls Dongbang Rose and Saeroun Taeyang.

Bally Brae: A winner again

Just a few months ago, Bally Brae looked to be entering the endgame of his career. For the first time in his career he went consecutive races out of the money and only finished sixth in the season-ending Grand Prix. Following his great rival Subsidy into retirement seemed only a matter of time.

Nevertheless, he came back out as an eight-year old and ran an encouraging third in his season opener back in January. Three weeks later he was in the winner’s circle and that’s where he’s been ever since. On Saturday he once more led from gate-to-wire and was three lengths clear on the line from regular rivals Dankee’s Pal – to whom he was giving eight kilos – and Vicar Love. Bally Brae now has a record of eighteen wins from thirty-six starts.

It wasn’t such a good weekend for this year’s Classic hopefuls. Down at Busan, Saeroun Taeyang was sent off favourite but, after a disastrous start, failed to place in a race over the Derby distance of nine furlongs, placing in doubt her chances of travelling to Seoul for the Derby next month.

Meanwhile in the capital, the previously unbeaten Dongbang Rose, thought to be the pick of sire Volponi’s first Korean crop, slumped to her first defeat. The filly was sent off the odds-on favourite for the 1700 metre race 8 but ould only manage third as fellow three-year old filly Cheonun strode to a four-length win.

Perhaps the most meaningful race of the weekend though was on Jeju Island, where the favourite, Hanramyeongseng, carrying a back-breaking 75 kilos, won the Halla Ilbo Cup.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Weekend Preview

Bally Brae at Seoul / Ponies go for the Halla Ilbo on Jeju

After the excitement of the Ttukseom Cup a week ago, there’s a slightly lower-key weekend of racing on the peninsula ahead. Nevertheless, there’s still plenty to maintain the interest.

Bally Brae heads the field in the feature race of the weekend, which takes place at Seoul on Saturday. The former horse-of-the-year once more faces regular rivals, Vicar Love, Baekjeonmupae, and Dankee’s Pal among a thirteen strong field.

Down at Busan, Friday sees the track’s 2009 champion juvenile Night Moves make her first attempt at class 1 – she’ll carry top weight over seven furlongs against a field which includes a pair of horses from last year’s Derby trail, Impeccable and Sandeomi. In terms of this year’s Classic hunt, Saeroun Taeyang makes his first appearance since finishing fifth in the KRA Cup Mile two weeks ago when he goes in race 5 on Sunday over the Derby distance of nine furlongs.

On Jeju Island, the Jeju ponies will run for the Halla Ilbo Cup, one of the biggest races of the year. Topping the weights with a whopping 75 kilos to carry are the two four-year olds Hwanghaemyengsan and Hanramyyeongseng.

Friday April 16

Busan Race Park: 10 races from 12:00 to 18:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 13:30 to 17:30

Saturday April 17

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 11:20 to 17:40
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 12:10 to 17:20

Sunday April 18

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:20 to 18:00
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:40 to 16:30

Another Jockey…and Pro-Gamers On The Take

As another Korean jockey has his license revoked for allegedly passing on inside information, professional video game players are now under suspicion of being involved with illegal gambling rings.

The Korea Racing Authority (KRA) recently announced that jockey Lee Jung Sun has been suspended pending police investigation into supposed “inside information” being passed to illegal betting syndicates.

Lee’s suspension follows that issued to jockey Park Soo Hong last year, while Seoul jockey Lee Jung Seob (“L Mo”) is currently under investigation as was a Busan jockey last year.

Lee Jung Sun

The information, such that it is, is allegedly passed to organizations who operate in the illegal betting market – not the maximum $100 stakes with the KRA – and it is in these markets where the latest Korean gambling scandal seems to have taken place.

This time it is in the almost uniquely Korean world of professional video gaming. In Korea, video games – or to be be more precise “Massively Multi-Player Online Role Playing Games” are big business. A quick scan of Gyongmaman’s cable tv shows three stations currently showing videogames – of these Starcraft is traditionally the most popular. Now, according to what has been described as “a series of track-backs and hat-tips” several of the top professionally Starcraft players have been involved in a n illegal betting scam.

The story goes that the players either threw games or provided “replay files” to the betting syndicates. The “scandal” reportedly involves most of the great and good of professional gaming including Ma Jae Yoon, the renowned “sAviOr“. See GamePron or Kotaku for more information.

This news comes in the same week that the Korean government is set to crack down on online games in general which, apparently are keeping the youth of Korea up at night. The government wants to prevent youngsters from playing after a certain time and is prepared to legislate to enforce it.

It’s well known that the majority of gambling in Korea is done illegally with a blind and impotent eye turned by the authorities. Meanwhile it is the easy target of legal betting on racing that attracts the vast majority of government attention. It would be no surprise therefore if, after a “scandal” in the video game world, it was innocent gamers who were to be punished.

KRA Closes Foreigner Lounge

The Korea Racing Authority (KRA) has decided to stop offering a special lounge for overseas visitors to watch the races at Seoul Race Park. The popular “Foreigners’ Lounge”, arguably the best facility of its kind at any racetrack anywhere, provided seating, English racecards and translation services in English, Japanese and Chinese all free of charge. However, it is to close with immediate effect.

View from the lounge

Overseas guests can no longer enjoy these views

An information desk manned by English and Japanese speaking staff will continue to operate but there will no longer be a reserved seating area with the current lounge opened up to all racegoers from this coming Saturday.

The decision means that a trip to the races will become a far less attractive proposition for overseas visitors to Korea. With nowhere to sit, except in the smoke-bound outside area of the grandstand, there will be little to recommend to the casual visitor.

The KRA did not respond to email requests for comment for the reasons behind the decision.

It’s not been a good week for the KRA’s “internationalization”. While their English langauge results service has been a positive development, it erroneously reported that Triple Sinhwa won the KRA Cup Mile at Busan last weekend. The reason for this was that the actual winner of the race, Money Car, is from Seoul and therefore not on the system that they use to generate the Busan results. They fixed this but evidently too well – the KRA’s official website now shows that Money Car won every single race at both Seoul and Busan this past weekend:

Forget the Triple Crown - Money Car won every race this weekend!

He’s good, but not that good.

Triple Seven Strikes Ttukseom Cup Jackpot

Lucky Mountain second as returning Baekpa is fourth

Baekpa produced an exciting late run but it was favourite Triple Seven who sprinted to victory in the Ttukseom Cup at Seoul Race Park this afternoon. Under Choi Bum Hyun, the five-year old first overcame Gangho Jewang and then held off Lucky Mountain and Baengnyeonbong in an action-packed final furlong.

SBS Cup winner Hallyu Star set the pace early on before Gangho Jewang took command with a furlong to go. The big guns came from the back, however, and it was Triple Seven who was the quickest, coming wide to take the lead and hit the line a length and a half clear of second favourite Lucky Mountain.

Fourth by the narrowest of margins was the returning Baekpa. After a year and a half away – which had involved an ill-fated three race stint the US – few gave the 2007 Oaks winner any chance in a race that used to form part of the Korean Triple Crown.

Baekpa back in the paddock at last

Entering the home straight she was practically last but then, with Yoo Seung Wan – a jockey who also spent much of last year in the States – on board, she started to motor and overtook horse after horse before the line came just a little too soon. Her talent is still there and we can hopefully look forward to seeing much more of Baekpa as the season progresses.

As for Triple Seven, third in last year’s President’s Cup, his ninth win is by far the biggest of his career.

Triple Seven and Choi Bum Hyun in the Winner's Circle

Ttukseom Cup (KOR.G.III) – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – Apr 11, 2010

1. Triple Seven [The Groom is Red – Impudence (Grand Lodge)] – Choi Bum Hyun – 1.9, 1.2
2. Lucky Mountain [Silent Warrior – Myeonggaheui (Revere)] – Park Tae Jong – 1.4
3. Baengnyeonbong [Al Naba – Sansovino Art (Mister C.)] – Oh Kyoung Hoan – 2.1

Distances: 1.5 lengths/0.5 lengths

Also Ran: 4, Baekpa; 5. Gangho Jewang; 6. Lucky Seven; 7. New Rider; 8. Namchonuijijon; 9. Khanui Huye; 10. Giant Rose; 11. Holy Dreamer; 12. Grandzif; 13. Hallyu Star; 14. Indiana Dream

Down at Busan, Yeonseung Daero got back to winning ways in the feature race. As ever, the four-year old was matched against overseas-bred opposition and, under a patient ride from Park Geum Man, comfortably saw off the rest of the field over 2000 metres.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

FULL RESULTS FROM BUSAN

Dongbanui Gangja, Northern Ace Keep Winning

Dongbanui Gangja made it twelve wins in a row at Seoul Race Park this afternoon as he came with his characteristic late run to overcome Big Sox in the final few metres of the ten furlong feature handicap. It looked as though for once he had been allowed to drift far too wide in the home straight, but Choi Bum Hyun was able to get enough out of the five-year old to just sneak home.

Meanwhile, Derby hope Northern Ace breezed to his fourth win from four starts against a hopelessly mismatched class 4 field. Significantly, it was Northern Ace’s first effort around two turns and he now goes on to challenge the KRA Cup Mile winner Money Car in the big showdown in May.

FULL RESULTS FROM SEOUL

Weekend Preview – Baekpa Is Back

Baekpa, Triple Seven, Lucky Mountain go for Ttukseom Cup

After Baekgwang made a glorious return to the track last year with his career seemingly cruelly cut short, it’s the turn of little sister Baekpa to make her own comeback after an absence of nearly a year and a half.

The 2007 Korean Oaks and 2008 Sports Seoul winner will line up for the Group 3 Ttukseom Cup at Seoul Race Park on Sunday afternoon. She last appeared in the Grand Prix race back in 2008 before being sent for an ill-advised and ill-fated stint in the USA.

The now six-year old grey will have an uphill task to claim a race that used to be considered as the first leg of the Korean Triple Crown. Lucky Mountain, Triple Seven, Namchonuijijon, Baengnyeonbong and Holy Dreamer are among a very competitive field going to post for the race named after the former home of Seoul Racecourse.

The Ttukseom Cup is the highlight of a weekend which also sees Seoul’s best horse in action. Dongbanui Gangja goes in race 11 on Saturday.

Full list of Ttukseom Cup runners and riders (Name/pedigree/age/sex/record/Jockey):

Ttukseom Cup (G.III) – Seoul Race Park – 1400M – Sunday April 11, 2010, 17:00

1. Triple Seven [The Groom is Red – Impudence (Grand Lodge)] 5-H-(25/8/3/6) – Choi Beom Hyun
2. Giant Rose [Pacific Bounty – Kiss My Goldie (Candie’s Gold)] 5-M-(22/5/3/3) – Moon Jung Kyun
3. Baekpa [Revere – Grey Crest (Gold Crest)] 6-M-(22/8/5/2) – Yoo Seung Wan
4. Lucky Mountain [Silent Warrior – Myeonggaheui (Revere)] 5-M-(26/8/7/7) – Park Tae Jong
5. New Rider [Road Of War – Flyin Kristen (Exclusive Gem)] 7-H-(48/6/6/3) – Moon Se Young
6. Baengnyeonbong [Al Naba – Sansovino Art (Mister C.)] 4-C-(16/6/1/5) – Oh Kyoung Hoan
7. Namchonuijijon [Concept Win – Intriga (Lord At Law)] 6-H-(30/6/8/4) – Jung Ki Yong
8. Indiana Dream [Buster’s Daydream – Momento’s Pride (Momento)] 5-H-(24/5/4/3) – Jo In Kwen
9. Khanui Huye [The Groom Is Red – Noble Michelle (Flow Technology)] 4-C-(16/5/3/1) – Ham Wan Sik
10. Lucky Seven [Didyme – Agent Flirt (Double Agent)] 8-G-(31/5/7/2) – Lee Sang Hyeok
11. Holy Dreamer [Duality – Nice Weather (Future Storm)] 4-G-(11/7/0/1) – Shin Hyoung Chul
12. Hallyu Star [Sharp Appeal – Angel (Land Rush)] 7-G-(41/7/6/3) – Choi Won Joon
13. Grandzif [Mujaazif – Knight Blues (Knight’s Choice)] 5-M-(26/4/7/3) – Kim Dong Min
14. Gangho Jewang [Road Of War – Chinsongwon (Glorify)] 5-G-(21/5/2/5) – Yoo Sang Wan

Friday April 9

Busan Race Park: 10 races from 12:00 to 18:00
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 13:30 to 17:30

Saturday April 10

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 11:20 to 17:40
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 12:10 to 17:20

Sunday April 11

Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:20 to 18:10
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:40 to 16:30

Baekpa’s Oaks: