Busan

Tough Win vs Smarty Moonhak – The Preview

It’s time! The race that we’ve been waiting for all year will take place under the floodlights at Busan Race Park this Sunday evening as Tough Win and Smarty Moonhak square-off in the Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Cup. Informally billed as the Summer Grand Prix, it’s the climax of the first half of the season in the same way that the actual Grand Prix – at Seoul in December – rounds off the year.

Tough Win takes the Grand Prix (KRA)

It was in the Grand Prix that Tough Win and Smarty Moonhak met for the first and only time to date. Tough Win won that day, with the late Mister Park beating the then two-year-old Smarty Moonhak into third place. Seven months on and things could very well be different this time.

It’s not a match-race. Last year’s winner Yeonseung Daero returns to try to defend his title while double President’s Cup winner Dangdae Bulpae is also among a field of twelve who will contest the 2000 metre race on Sunday.

Here is a full run-down of all the runners, starting with the big two (gate, name, pedigree (runs/1/2/3) sex, age, weight to carry):

Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Stakes (K.G3) – Busan Race Park – 2000M – Sunday July 22, 19:40

Tough Win (KRA)

6. Tough Win (USA) [Yonaguska – Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] (21/17/2/0) G 5 58Kg – Cho Kyoung Ho (Seoul)
Reigning Grand Prix champion and the best horse in Korea at the moment. He won this race as a three-year old in 2010 but then last year inexplicably got sucked into an early speed duel with Dangdae Bulpae and was exhausted by the time he reached the home straight.

That’s unlikely to happen this time as Cho Kyoung Ho has tended to keep him well back in the early stages of recent races. Tough Win suffered his first bleeding attack last time out while carrying a ridiculous 64kg and while the weight won’t be an issue here, just how much that race took out of him might be. He’s worked well though and is the one to beat.

Smarty Moonhak (KRA)

9. Smarty Moonhak (USA) [Smarty Jones – Maderira M’Dear (Black Tie Affair)] (10/8/1/1) C 3 55Kg – Park Tae Jong (Seoul)
We still have no idea how good this colt is. Aside from his debut, the only time he has had to work in a race was in the Grand Prix and, bearing in mind the distance of the race and his tender age at the time, he wasn’t pushed. His races this year have been little more than public workouts.

This will be his first run at Busan where the back straight is more undulating and the home straight longer than that at Seoul and how he deals with these will be key. With regular jockey Moon Jung Kyun injured, Park Tae Jong, who has ridden more winners than anybody else in Korean racing history, gets the ride. With no disrespect intended to Moon, this can only help his cause. In Korea, jockeys wear their own colours, so Park will be wearing blue.

1. Lion Santa (USA) [Lion Heart – Santa Fe Strip (Phone Trick)] (13/10/1/0) C 4 58Kg – Gerrit Schlechter (Busan)
Won his first nine starts but has only won once from three tries this year and has never even attempted further than 1800M. In Gerrit Schlechter, he has the track’s in-form jockey in board and the South African has picked this one over two others.
2. Cheonjidolpung (USA) [Tactical Cat – Luminate (A.P.Indy)] (34/5/0/4) G 7 58Kg – Seo Do Soo (Seoul)
His third consecutive year running in the race, he took advantage of the favourites’ mistakes to finish fourth last year. He will be hard pushed to equal that this year.
3. Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat – Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] (42/16/8/5) H 6 55kg – Choi Si Dae (Busan)
A wonderful horse, one of the best ever at Busan. Took full advantage of Tough Win and Dangdae Bulpae’s mistakes last year to claim a career capping victory and his been winning since. He can never ever be counted out.
4. Adam One (USA) [Sligo Bay – Toddles (Real Courage)] (30/3/3/3) G 5 58Kg – Lee Gi Hweoi (Seoul)
Smarty Moonhak’s work and stablemate, he’s here because there was space both in the race and in the horsebox on the way down. The only horse in Ko Ok Bong’s stable who can keep up with Smarty Moonhak in trackwork, he’ll not be able to in the race.
5. Jeonseong Sidae (AUS) [Stromberg Carlsen – Jessie’s Journey (Crown Jester)] (13/6/4/3) C 4 58Kg – Jo Chang Wook (Busan)
Without a win this year but with plenty of talent. However, an outside chance of a place at best.
7. Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki – Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] (24/15/2/1) H 5 55Kg – Jo Sung Gon (Busan)
Last year’s favourite and the two-time President’s Cup winner. An in-form Dangdae Bulpae should be able to live with anybody, including Tough Win and Smarty Moonhak. Whether he can beat them though is another question entirely. Looking at it objectively, the conclusion must be that he can’t.
8. Sangseung Geotap (USA) [Indian Charle – Mirta (Theatrical)] (19/7/2/1) F 4 56Kg – Kanichiro Fujii (Busan)
The only filly in the race won the KNN Trophy last time out but the fact that Gerrit Schlechter has decided to get off her may say somethng about her chances here.
10. Smoking Gun (USA) [Hat Trick – Desdemona’s Dream (Announce)] (5/4/1/0) C 3 55Kg – Yukio Abe (Busan)
The wildcard. Lightly raced but very impressive, this may appear to be too much too soon. However, with Yukio Abe on board and a confident trainer (who also trains Lion Santa), he may be worth an outside bet for a place.
11. Jumong (USA) [Johar – Foreign Aid (Danzig)] (30/9/7/4) H 5 58Kg – Ham Wan Sik (Seoul)
A very solid competitor and half-brother to the late Subsidy, Jumong runs in all the big races. He looks overmatched but has every chance of finishing in a moneying position.
12. Ghost Whisper (KOR) [Gotham City – Emmy’s Lullaby (Unbridled’s Song)] (11/7/3/0) G 4 56Kg – Kim Yong Geun (Busan)
Australian trainer Peter Wolsley lets his new stable star take his chance here, the grey was disqualified last time but otherwise was on a run of three straight wins inclusing two at class 1. Kim Yong Geun is an able rider and he may be worth backing for a place.

Verdict: Tough Win is a very strong competitor and most believed that it would not be until later in the year that Smarty Moonhak would be able to challenge him. Neither has put a foot wrong this year but his progress has been such that Smarty Moonhak can be the one who leaves Busan with the title “Best Horse in Korea”.

* Last year’s Busan Metropolitan was a disaster for jockeys Cho Kyoung Ho and Jo Sung Gon on Tough Win and Dangdae Bulpae respectively. They both get a chance to put things right this year – here’s what happened:

New Jockeys Beat The Odds

Ahn Hyo Ri, Park Hyun Woo, Kim Hyun Joong All Win

Two apprentice jockeys scored their first ever career winners in the unlikeliest of circumstances at Seoul this past Saturday.

Park Hyun Woo and Ahn Hyo Ri demonstrate traditional awkward Korean poses after their debut wins at Seoul (Pic: Ilgan Sports)

Park Hyun Woo and Ahn Hyo Ri both graduated from the KRA Jockey Academy this year and debuted last month.

Neither had won on from their few rides to date coming into last weekend but that changed as first Park and then later Ahn both rode long priced winners.

Race 2 saw Park ride 280/1 chance Misojanchi to a half-length victory, overtaking champion jockey Moon Se Young on Jeilgosu in the final furlong. It was the longest priced winner at Seoul for some years and an encouraging performance in the saddle from Park who looked very much at home in the finish.

Late on in the afternoon, it was Ahn’s turn. Her win came in race 8 on 53/1 chance Time Zone. Always well-placed, the pair overtook early pacesetter Vicar Summit in the final furlong and went on to record a relatively comfortable length and a half victory.

Winner at Busan: Kim Hyun Joong (Pic: Ilgan Sports)

Down at Busan another new apprentice was also riding a long-priced winner last weekend. Kim Hyun Joong, who debuted at the same time as Ahn and Park, got his second career victory on Sunday.

And it was an impressive performance as, on 48/1 Busan Prince, he beat out South African rider Gerrit Schlechter riding odds-on favourite Gwangsok Engine by a nose in a photo finish.

It’s early days but it seems we have another talented crop of young apprentices. With young jockeys these days being given much more of an opportunity to prove themselves than they once were – owners and trainers knowing that they’ve been better trained than their predecessors – no doubt there will be plenty more visits to the winner’s circle for all of them

Weekend Preview

Jigeum I Sungan (Ingrandire) makes his first appearance on the track since winning the Korean Derby in May as he heads the field in Sunday’s Munhwa Ilbo Cup at Seoul Race Park.

Derby winner Jigeum I Sungan makes his re-appearance on Sunday

The 1400 metre race is the main event of what looks set to be a very wet weekend on the peninsula. Here’s what’s happening when and where:

Friday July 13

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

Saturday July 14

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 11:00 to 17:20
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 12:30 to 17:20

Sunday July 15

Seoul Race Park: 10 races from 11:00 to 17:45
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:15 to 16:15

Schlechter’s Nobel Prize

Nobel Pokpung In Minister’s Cup Frame As Gerrit Schlechter Rides Second Korean Stakes Winner

Nobel Pokpung was a convincing winner of the Gyeongnam Do Min Ilbo Cup at Busan Race PArk this afternoon, to put him firmly among the top contenders for the Minister’s Cup, the final leg of the Korean Triple Crown.

And his win was under a fine ride by South African jockey Gerrit Schlechter, who not only landed his second Korean Stakes race victory but also scored three winners on the day.

Nobel Pokpung and Gerrit Schlecter in the winner’s circle (Pic: Gyeongnam Do Min News)

Sent off as the 3/1 favourite on the back of his second place in the Korean Derby, Nobel Pokpung was kept towards the back for the first half of the 1800 metre race, which featured some of Busan’s best three-year olds.

Schlechter asked him to improve rounding the final turn and although they had to go very wide, Nobel Pokpung was far too strong for any of his rivals. Third favourite Predict under Yukio Abe put in a brief challenge in the final furlong but Nobel Pokpung saw him off comfortably, winning by a length on the line, with 30/1 outsider Sangseung Mode a surprise third.

Disappointment of the race was filly Grand Teukgeup. Sent off as second favourite, she led the field for the first half of the race but disappeared from view as they entered the home straight, finishing back in seventh.

Nobel Pokpung and Gerrit Schlechter make their move entering the home straight (Pic: Gyeongnam Do Min News)

Remarkably this was Nobel Pokpung’s first win of the year and only his fourth overall. However, given a few extra strides, he may have won the Derby and as the distances get bigger, so do his performances. He looks like a colt with plenty more to give and the extra furlong in the Minister’s Cup back at Seoul in the autumn should be ideal for him.

Hopefully Schlechter will still be with him then. With his treble today the South African now has 24 wins since debuting earlier in the year.

Gyeongnam Do Min Ilbo Cup – Busan Race Park – 1800M – July 8, 2012

1. Nobel Pokpung (KOR) [Didyme – Shar Baby (Talinim)] – Gerrit Schlechter – 3.6, 1.6
2. Predict (KOR) [The Groom Is Red – Muhanseungni (Big Sur)] – Yukio Abe – 1.9
3. Sangseung Mode (KOR) [Vicar – Variety Lady (Variety Road)] – Kim Young Min – 6.6

Distances: 1 length/1.5 lengths – 13 ran

Weekend Preview

Gyeongnam Do-Min Ilbo Stakes could offer Classic Clues

A couple of years ago the Korean Meteorological Administration said there was no point in it trying to predict when it’s going to rain during monsoon season as it’s easier to pick a winner in a maiden pony race on Jeju Island. Or words to that effect. That season began in spectacular fashion last Friday night and we lost a day’s racing at Seoul last Saturday as a result.

It shouldn’t look like this at the weekend but don’t bet against it

We should therefore be cautious about the forecast that predicts a bright and sunny weekend. We can but hope though as Busan Race Park on Sunday plays host to what should be an entertaining renewal of the Gyeongnam Do-Min Ilbo Stakes.

Nine three-year olds join four older horses in the 1800 metre test which serves as a trial for the remaining Classics. Grand Teukgeup (Menifee), Joiner Peace (Menifee) and Over Power (Ft. Stockton) are being run with next month’s Korean Oaks in mind while colts Predict (The Groom Is Red), Nobel Pokpung (Didyme), Dream Tower (Forest Camp) are among those looking towards the Minister’s Cup in three months’ time.

Here’s what’s happening when and where:

Friday July 6

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

Saturday July 7

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 11:00 to 17:20
Jeju Race Park: 8 races from 12:20 to 16:50

Sunday July 8

Seoul Race Park: 10 races from 11:00 to 17:45
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:15 to 16:45

Tough Win, Smarty Moonhak Set For Busan Metro Showdown

Dangdae Bulpae, Yeonseung Daero, Lion Santa, Smoking Gun Also Go In “Summer Grand Prix”

It’s been confirmed that Grand Prix Stakes winner and current top-rated horse in Korea Tough Win (Yonaguska) and the horse considered his closest challenger, Smarty Moonhak (Smarty Jones), will both travel to Busan on July 22nd for the Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Stakes.

The “Troika”: Tough Win (centre) will be up against Smarty Moonhak (left) in the Busan Metropolitan. The late Mister Park (right), who split them in the Grand Prix, is sorely missed

The race, the south coast’s richest is also known as the “Summer Grand Prix” and it will see Tough Win and Smarty Moonhak face each other for the first time since last December when the then two-year-old Smarty Moonhak finished third behind the victorious Tough Win in the nation’s most prestigious race.

Tough Win was a narrow winner of this race as a three-year-old in 2010. However returning to Busan last year and sent off as the heavy favourite, he inexplicably became involved in an early speed duel with Dangdae Bulpae. This left both horses exhausted in the home straight and allowed Yeonseung Daero to come through for the win.

Yeonseung Daero (Creek Cat) will also be back this year as will Dangdae Bulpae (Biwa Shinseiki), now a two-time President’s Cup winner. Aussie-bred Jeonseong Sidae (Stromberg Carlson) will be there as will prolific winner Lion Santa (Lion Heart) and young US import Smoking Gun (Hat Trick).

While this race is the biggest of the year so far and the clash between Smarty Moonhak and Tough Win the most eagerly awaited since Tough Win himself then the upstart, faced Dongbanui Gangja in the same race two years ago, there is nevertheless a touch of sadness surrounding the occasion.

Were it not for the break-down and death of Mister Park during his tune-up race last month, this would have been a three-way rematch from the Grand Prix. We still have a great race but we will also be remembering the record-breaking champion.

Here are the entries:

Busan Metropolitian City Stakes – Busan Race Park – 2000M, July 22, 2012

Jeonseong Sidae (AUS) [Stromberg Carlson-Jessie’s Journey (Crwon Jester)] (13/6/4/3) Busan
Yeonseung Daero (KOR) [Creek Cat-Sensationalkris (Cryptoclearance)] (42/16/8/5) Busan
Sangseung Geotap (USA) [Indian Charlie-Mirta (Theatrical)] (19/7/2/1) Busan
Smoking Gun (USA) [Hat Trick-Desdemona’s Dream (Announce)] (5/4/1/0) Busan
Lion Santa (USA) [Lion Heart-Santa Fe Strip (Phone Trick)] (13/10/1/0) Busan
Dangdae Bulpae (KOR) [Biwa Shinseiki-Indeed My Dear (Alydeed)] (24/15/2/1) Busan
Gamdonguibada (USA) [Werblin-Radyla (Country Pine)] (7/4/2/1) Busan
Smarty Moonhak (USA) [Smarty Jones-Madeira M’Dear (Black Tie Affair)] (10/8/1/1) Seoul
Tough Win (USA) [Yonaguska-Maggie May’s Sword (Sword Dance)] (21/17/2/0) Seoul
Adam One (USA) [Sligo Bay-Toddles (Real Courage)] (30/3/3/3) Seoul
Jumong (USA) [Johar-Foreign Aid (Danzig)] (30/9/7/4) Seoul
Cheonjidolpung (USA) [Tactical Cat-Luminate (A.P.Indy)] (34/5/0/4) Seoul

Weekend Review: Washouts & Winners

The monsoon season finally arrived in Seoul with a vengeance on Friday evening. The rain was so hard that Gyongmaman struggled to keep his red wine dry. It all proved too much for Seoul Race Park’s drainage system and with no let-up on Saturday morning, the decision was made to call off the day’s racing.

Uh oh: The Seoul track was designed to cope with the monsoon but it couldn’t cope on Saturday (Pic: Ilgan Sports)

The monsoon season happens every year and racing continues even during the most extreme downpours, however, this time the 15 hour deluge was overwhelming and the track was deemed unsafe to race.

The rain stopped mid-afternoon Saturday and Sunday was a glorious day at both Seoul and Busan. The pick of the action was on the South Coast and the foreign jockey contingent was in fine form. South African Gerrit Schlechter got things rolling with a win on Peter Wolsley’s promising filly Sangseungdaecheong (Ft. Stockton) in race 1.

Winners: Yukio Abe

Yukio Abe took race 2 on US import Kellan (Cape Town) before he and fellow Japanese rider Narazaki Kosuke took the honours in the two feature races. Kosuke rode hot favourite Tamna Hwangje (Montbrook) to a comfortable six-length victory in race 5 before Abe and five-year-old Saeroun Taeyang (Volponi) upset KRA Cup Mile winner Gyeongbudaero in the finale.

With Joe Fujii coming in second to Abe twice today, the foreigners continue to do well down in Gyeongnam

* Up at Seoul, the feature race went to favourite Prime Galloper (Strodes Creek), with a dominant 8 length win. It was a fourth straight victory for the four-year old who, if he continues his current form, could find himself competing for some very big prizes later in the season.

Weekend Preview: Hands In Pockets Time

Punters will need to stump up an extra 200 won to get into the track from this weekend as the Korea Racing Authority raises the admission fee to the three racecourses for the first time in ten years. The new fee of 1000 won will also apply to all off-track betting facilities.

KRA Cup Mile winner Gyeongbudaero goes on Sunday (Pic: KRA)

More on that less than Earth-shattering news in a little while but given that it’s still cheaper than a basic subway fare, it is perhaps safe to assume that most punters won’t notice – especially as most use their subway card to get in.

KRA Cup Mile winner Gyeongbudaero (Menifee) makes his first appearance at Busan since running third in the Korean Derby just over a month ago. The colt goes in the second of co-feature races at the southern track on Sunday afternoon against a field of eminently beatable older horses over 2000 metres.

Among them is Peter Wolsley’s old warhorse Khaosan (Sunday Well) and Wolsley saddles another fancy in the earlier co-feature as Secret Whisper (Sea Of Secrets) takes on a very competitive field over 1400 metres.

Up at Seoul there aren’t any stars on show altough both Saturday and Sunday’s feature races are competitive class 1 handicaps.

There’s a chance the monsoon season will begin at some point this weekend so it may be best to pack a raincoat just in case. Here’s what’s happening when and where:

Friday June 29

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

Saturday June 30

Seoul Race Park: 12 races from 11:00 to 17:40
Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 12:20 to 17:00

Sunday July 1

Seoul Race Park: 10 races from 11:00 to 17:40
Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:15 to 16:40

Japanese Jockey Joe Fujii Mounts-Up At Busan

There’s another new Japanese jockey on the South Coast. Kanichiro Fujii will have his first rides at Busan Race Park this coming weekend.

Kanichiro “Joe” Fujii debuts at Busan this weekend

Fujii – who goes by Joe – was born in Nara, Japan but went to Australia at the age of 15 to train as a jockey. He debuted in 2001 and spent the next five years riding mainly in New South Wales, finishing 2nd in the State’s Apprentice Jockey race in 2006.

In 2007, Fujii spent nine months in Singapore where he won the Listed Chairman’s Trophy and rode third-placed finisher Jade in the Group 1 Emirates Singapore Derby.

After Singapore, Fujii went to Europe where he rode work in France for, amongst others, Criquitte Head before returning to Australia in 2008.

In 2009 he went to the USA and rode work at Belmont Park before relocating once more to Australia, this time to Queensland where he has been riding until recently. To date, he has ridden just shy of 300 winners.

Fujii is married and became a father for the first time earlier this month.

Riding on an initial four-month license and joins fellow Japanese riders Narazaki Kosuke and Yukio Abe as well as South African Gerrit Schlechter in making up the foreign jockey contingent at Busan. He will make his racing debut this Friday in race 7.

He told Korea Racing that he became interested in riding in Korea after speaking with Japanese riders Nozomu Tomizawa, Yoshi Aoki, Hiro Hamada and Akane Yamamoto – all of whom rode in Korea and have strong Australian connections, as well as Aussie jockey Garry Baker who rode at Busan from 2005 until 2007.

Not Much Power In Sports Seoul Cup

Powerful Miss G Wins Seoul Oaks Trial / Dangdae Bulpae Downs Dongteuja

Less than two months away from the Korean Oaks, we’re no clearer to finding a winner if today’s disappointing renewal of the Sports Seoul Stakes was anything to go by.

Although the winner, 11/1 chance Powerful Miss G, can hardly be blamed, there were few other positive performances.

As a filly who finished seventh in the Derby in her last start, Powerful Miss G perhaps should have been given more respect by punters. Instead they opted to make the undoubtedly talented but frustratingly inconsistent Cheoneun close to even-money favourite.

Unfortunately for those punters, while she and Jjak Kkung looked great sprinting for the first corner, the pair of them looked less great when they inevitably paid for their exertions in the home straight, weakening badly as Powerful Miss G led home a train of fillies down the outside.

It was short train though. All In Win was eased out of the race in the last furlong while Recent High lost interest in the back straight. There was nothing wrong with her as when Cho Kyoung Ho finally got her moving in the right direction she recorded the fastest final furlong time. Probably due to being well-rested. Both All In Win and Recent High will receive a ban and neither will feature in the Oaks.

Trailing Powerful Miss G by 7 lengths was Dolpung Jilju, a return to form of sorts for a filly who was great as a 2-year-old but has been dreadful this term. Speedus, who has at least been consistent, albeit in being consistently average, grabbed third.

While a match-up between Powerful Miss G and Busan’s Grand Teukgeup will be worth watching, this year’s Oaks, which will be run at Busan in August, is not yet setting the pulse racing.

Sports Seoul Cup – Seoul Race Park – 1800M – June 24, 2012

1. Powerful Miss G (KOR) [Revere – Miss Geology (Jade Hunter)] 0 Shin Hyoung Chul – 11.7, 2.0
2. Dolpung Jilju (KOR) [Didyme – Alder Gulch (Gulch)] – Ham Wan Sik – 3.9
3. Speedus (KOR) [Menifee – Tourney’s Gold (Ten Gold Pots)] – Jo In Kwen – 1.5

Distances: 7 lengths/1 length
Also Ran: 4. Dodo Gongju 5. Cheoneun 6. Jjak Kkung 7. I Love You DQ. All In Win (beaten 100 lengths) DQ. Recent High (beaten 100 lengths)

There was disappointment for another filly at Busan today as Dongteuja (Montbrook) saw her unbeaten record end at 6 in emphatic style. Not that it was any surprise or disgrace for the 3-year-old half-sister of double Grand Prix winner Dongbanui Gangja.

Back to his best: Dangdae Bulpae ended Dongteuja’s unbeaten record

Dangdae Bulpae (Biwa Shinseiki) looked back to his devastating best as he strolled to a 9 length victory with Dongteuja a well beaten fourth. Dongteuja has time on her side though and was up against a classy field of older horses.

Having been born in Korea but sired overseas, Dongteuja can’t run in the Oaks. If she could, tonight she would be the overwhelming favourite