Cheongdam Dokki

Victoire Pulls Off Spectacular Juvenile Win On Icheon Ssal As Records Tumble At Soaking Wet Seoul

Have a look at this – Johan Victoire bringing Icheon Ssal from last to first in the final furlong to win a valuable Juvenile race at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday.

Icheon Ssal (Capital Spending) provided Victoire with his first Korean winner on his first ever ride at Seoul just under a month ago. It was Incheon Ssal’s debut that day too and he reappeared on Sunday in a race exclusively for 2-year-olds who graduated from this Spring’s Jeju Breeze-Up Sales.

It was the ride that got the attention though, as French jockey Victoire brought Icheon Ssal from last to first in the closing stages to grab victory on the line.  Victoire’s performance was one of a number of impressive returns from foreign jockeys across the weekend with Antonio Da Silva at Seoul and both Franco Da Silva and JP Guillambert at Busan also being in top form.

Speaking of top form, Cheongdam Dokki has beenturning heads recently. An American import, 3-year-old Cheongdam Dokki (To Honor And Serve) ran out a 17-length winner over 1800M at class 2 last month, despite playing up in the parade ring and bolting on his way to the gate. The antics were limited this Sunday for what was his first try at both class 1 and 2000M. It went rather well:

Late nominations for the Korea Cup for locally trained runners open briefly on August 25…

Cheongdam Dokki would have broken the track record for 2000M had Kim Yong Geun not almost slowed him to a walk by the time they crossed the line but two record did fall on Sunday on a track that was racing exceptionally fast after 15 hours of continuous downpours. Those were at 1700M where Dangdae Geoljak (Peace Rules-So Original) set a new mark of 1:46.6 in race 8 and then at the Korea Sprint distance of 1200M which now has a new record of 1:10.6 following the efforts of Cheonjiga (Trappe Shot-What A Girl Needs) in the closing race 11.

At Busan, the feature race was won by Triple Nine’s little sister, the Thomas Gillespie trained Black Sapphire (Ecton Park-A Little Poke) while the 2yo Breeze-Up-grads race was won by Kim Young Kwan’s Classic Match (Hansen-Intouchable).

Perdido Pomeroy, Cheongdam Dokki Shine At Busan & Seoul

Last Sunday saw two standout performances as Perdido Pomeroy returned to the winner’s circle at Busan while Cheongdam Dokki dominated Seoul

Having won five of his first seven starts, culminating in the SBS Sports Sprint at Seoul in July of 2016, Perdido Pomeroy looked to be the next big sprinting star. A 4th in the Korea Sprint in September did nothing to dispel that idea but he has endured an up and down time since then with others seemingly turning out superior. He only beat three home in the Busan Ilbo Cup, the first leg of the Sprint Series, in May and was then an improved 5th in this year’s SBS Sports.

He was nevertheless, sent off as one of three very near co-favourites for Sunday’s six-furlong feature race at Busan along with Triple Five and Match Power. This two failed to fire but last year’s Oaks winner Ottug Ottugi made a race of it until the final furlong when Perdido Pomeroy pulled clear under 2kg claiming jockey Jung Do Yun, to record an emphatic three-length win. The win puts him back firmly in the frame among top sprinters.

Up at Seoul, Cheongdam Dokki had frustrated punters when sent off as favourite in each of his last two. On Sunday, he was favourite again and this time made absolutely no mistake.

It looked like he might for a while though. Cheongdam Dokki played up in the parade right to the point of almost losing a show. The farrier worked quickly though and once settled, he was able to join a small field of seven others in the gate.

The race was over right away with Cheongdam Dokki leading into the first corner and running away from the field. He came home in a time not too far shy of Power Blade’s track record, set in similar conditions in last year’s Korean Derby, almost three full seconds ahead of the 2nd place-getter. A $20,000 yearling purchase from Keeneland, Cheongdam Dokki moves on to four wins from eight starts. Needless to say, he’s one to watch.

This coming weekend sees the biggest race of the summer, the Busan Metropolitan City Mayor’s Cup. Right now, it looks like Triple Nine and Clean Up Joy are set to face each other.

Cheongdam Dokki, I’m Your Father Claim 2yo Prizes

Big prizes were on offer for imported two-year-olds at both Seoul and Busan on Sunday . 23/1 outsider Cheongdam Dokki took the honours in the Munhwa Ilbo Cup at Seoul while at Busan, jockey Francisco Da Silva continued his recent run of form, guiding  well-backed I’m Your Father to victory in the Gyeongnam Do Min Ilbo.

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Francisco Da Silva interviewed post-race

I’m Your Father (Tiznow) entered having won one of three starts so far with 2nd and 3rd places in the other two – all against older horses. Accordingly he was sent off as the slight favourite for the 1200M Gyeongnam Do Min Ilbo Cup, Busan’s most valuable race for imported juveniles. I’m Your Father, a $50,000 yearling purchase from the Fasig Tipton sale last autumn raced handy throughout, hitting the front early in the home straigth and running on to win by a dominant four lengths.

It was jockey Francisco Da Silva’s 11th Korean winner and he would quickly add another as he guided Main Stay to beat stablemate and Korean Oaks winner Ottug Ottugi and highly rated sprinter Perdido Pomeroy in the class 1 feature.

Seoul too hosted its most valuable race for juvenile imports on Sunday and if Busan’s was practically a procession for the winner, in the capital it was anything but. Spirit Of Hansen (Hansen) was sent off as a vulnerable favourite in the Munhwa Ilbo Cup but it was another 23/1 chance, Cheongdam Dokki (To Honor And Serve) who closed from 9th to 1st in the final furlong to snatch it on the line under Park Eul Woon.

Cheongdam Dokki cost just $20,000 at Keeneland’s yearling sale in 2015. The munhwa Ilbo was just his second lifetime start and he’s won both of them

Next week sees one of the biggest races of the season at Seoul in the shape of the President’s Cup. It’s Korea’s most valuable race of the season that’s restricted to domestic-bred horses.