Hangang Class

HANGANG CLASS DEMOLISHES OWNERS’ CUP FIELD IN TRACK RECORD EFFORT

Hangang Class smashed his own track record for the mile in the process of demolishing a strong field on a lightning quick track in the Owners’ Cup (1600M KOR-G3) at Busan Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

Hangang Class goes clear of Clean One in the Owners’ Cup (Pic: KRA)

Two months ago, on a similarly fast day, Hangang Class had broken Blue Chipper’s track record for the mile, set in this race in 2019. On Sunday, under Kim Hye-sun, he took a further second off it, to set a new mark of 1:34.8.

It was a day of front running records. In race 3, the track record for 1300 was lowered while a class 6 race over 1200M was completed in a Korea Sprint winning time and a class 5 at 1400M was significantly faster than the vast majority of class 1 races over that distance.

That boded badly for Speed Young, a come from behind horse who likes to work his way into the race, regardless of the distance. Yet punters still sent the defending champion off as the 1.6 odds-on favourite. He was never a factor and finished in 9th.

Clean One showed the way early with Black Mamba being ridden hard from a wide draw to be on the pace too. Meanwhile, Hye-sun kept 15/1 chance Hangang Class handy to the leading two and ready to launch. Once they took off in the home straight, none could match them. Despite Win came up for 2nd place, while Clean One held on for 3rd.

Hangang Class is a four-year-old colt by Musket Man and out of Daehan Cheonwang (by Forest Camp). He is owned by Kim Jo-eun and trained at Busan by Gu Min-sung. Hangang Class was champion juvenile in 2023 when he won four of his five starts, including the G2 Breeders’ Cup Rookie in December of that year. After some setbacks and layoffs, he didn’t win again until winning that Jockey Club of Turkey Trophy in track record fashion in April. He moves on to six wins from fifteeen starts.

Lala K Bounces Back in Style at Seoul While Hangang Class is all Class at Busan

Lala K brushed off his first career defeat a month ago and showed his formidable late speed to return to the winner’s circle in the second leg of the Juvenile Series, the NACF Chairman’s Trophy (1200M KOR-L) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon. But at Busan, hot favourite Baekduui Kkum suffered a shock defeat as Hangang Class secured victory in the southern track’s equivalent race, the Gimhae Mayor’s Trophy (1200M KOR-L).

Lala K dominated the NACF Chairman’s Trophy (Pic: KRA)

Lala K’s come from behind win in the Rookie Stakes at the end of August bizarrely went around the world even beyond racing circles, but the eccentric grey youngster couldn’t follow up when sent off as favourite for the opening leg of the Juvenile Series proper, the Munhwa Ilbo Trophy, on October 8th. However, with that day’s winner and runner-up, Nice Time and Eclipse Berry, both absent, Lala K once more began the prohibitive favourite.

This time there was no mistake. Lala K was slow to begin but there was no panic from jockey Yoo Seung-wan who kept him inside with cover as Flying Star set the early pace. Once the field straightened up, jockey Yoo unleashed Lala K down the centre and he proved far too strong, running on to win by a full five-lengths from Ziggurat in 2nd and the previously unexposed Geuma Momentous in 3rd.

NACF Chairman’s Trophy finish (Pic: KRA)

“Lala K has become somewhat famous, so I admit I was nervous.” Jockey Yoo Seung-wan, one of the quieter members of the weighing room who is known for his self-deprecation, told in-house broadcaster KRBC after the race. “But (Nice Time and Eclipse Berry) were absent so it was easier this time. There was a lot of early speed in this race so my idea was to get out as forward as possible. It didn’t work out like that but just like in the Rookie Stakes, the horse was able to save energy.”

“(Lala K) is two years old. We don’t want to do too much or try to force things.” Yoo continued. “We want him to run at three and at four and five, so if you ask too much of them as a juvenile, they get injured or sick. So, we are just training and looking ahead to the future.”

At Busan there was a surprise as Baeukduui Kkum, the dominant winner of both the Rookie Stakes and the Areumdaun Jilju Stakes, the latter the first leg of the Juvenile Series on the south coast, came unstuck in the Gimhae Mayor’s Trophy. The filly was sent off the 1.6 favourite, but it was Hangang Class, a 10/1 chance, who won on debut but was 4th in the Areumdaun Jilju, who took a comprehensive five-length win.

“What particularly pleased me today was how he dealt with the kick back” winning jockey Park Jae-I told KRBC. “He hadn’t experienced that before, and it is a true test when they receive that sand. He came through it well.”

Doctor Kingdom, 2nd in both the Busan Rookie Stakes and Areumdaun Jilju Stakes took a third consecutive runner-up finish as Baekduui Kkum could only manage 3rd.

Seoul and Busan will come together for the concluding leg of the Juvenile Series in the Breeders’s Cup Rookie (1400M KOR-G2) at Busan on Sunday December 10th. Lala K and Hangang Class will be there.