Haemaru defied the doubters to add the Herald Business Cup to his Stakes race haul at a blustery Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.
A five-year-old gelding, Haemaru won the Owner’s Association Trophy over 1200M last month and while five of his six opponents on Sunday were among the vanquished that day, he made those of us who insisted that Sotong Sidae would have his number at today’s 2000M look utterly foolish as he strode to victory by a full seven lengths.
Haemaru isn’t generally a front-runner but in today’s small field and with Sotong Sidae’s late speed such a danger, it was widely expected that jockey Choi Bum Hyun would opt to go forward on Haemaru. He did. Sotong Sidae also briefly appeared at the front early on before being restrained but that would be as good as it got for the market favourite who had nothing to give in the home straight as Haemaru ran on to win by a full seven lengths.
Herald Business Cup (L) – Seoul Racecourse – 2000M – April 17, 2016
1. Haemaru (KOR) [Vicar] – Choi Bum Hyun – 4.1, 1.9 2. Sotong Sidae (KOR) [Gold Money] – Park Byeong Yun – 1.3 3. Power City (KOR) [Archer City Slew] – Park Tae Jong Distances: 7 lengths / Nose Also Ran: 4. Goldholic 5. Singgereounachim 6. Seonbong 7. Gumaseok
There was big race action in both Busan and Seoul this past Sunday and it was Seoul Bullet who produced the performance of the day to down Macheon Bolt and Diferent Dimension to win the Gold Circle Turf Club Trophy and take his unbeaten record to six.
In what was a highly-anticipated clash, Peter Wolsley’s highly thought-of pair of Diferent Dimension and Macheon Bolt were sent off as the market favorites, the two three-year-olds having a 5kg weight advantage over the four-year-old Seoul Bullet.
In the end, that didn’t count for much as Seoul Bullet swooped home on the outside under in-form jockey Kim Yong Geun for a three-length win over Macheon Bolt and the fast-finishing Diferent Dimension who was suffering his first defeat.
Seoul Bullet was sent to Florida in advance of his two-year-old season, racing four times at Gulfstream Park with one third place among them – and managed to get himself claimed along the way. Korean horses who go to the US at a young age generally do very well on their return only to see the advantage they have erode over time. So far Seoul Bullet seems to be getting better and better.
1. Seoul Bullet (KOR) [Peace Rules -Wild Guess (Wild Rush)] – Kim Yong Geum – 4.7, 1.6 2. Macheon Bolt (KOR) [Old Fashioned – Beech Bag (Devil’s Bag)] – Lee Hee Cheon – 1.3 3. Diferent Dimension (USA) [Into Mischief – Pardon My Sarong (Souvenir Copy)] – Jo Sung Gon Distances: 3 lengths/Neck – 8 ran
At Seoul on Sunday the feature race was the Herald Business Cup which attracted a full field of fourteen. And at the end of the seven-furlong race it was US import Cheonmang who came out on top, a two-length victor over the similarly named Cheon Gu.
Cheonmang was winning his fourth race on his tenth start and it was a first big race win for up and coming jockey Lee Chan Ho.
Herald Business Cup – Seoul Racecourse – 1400M – May 24, 2015
1. Cheonmang (USA) [Noonmark – Boatman Road (Lord At War)] – Lee Chan Ho – 9.8, 2.5 2. Cheon Gu (USA) [Old Fashioned – So Much Fun (Speightstown)] – Kim Hye Sun – 2.3 3. Azul Fire (USA) [Notional – Tight Lipped (Kissin Kris)] – Moon Se Young – 2.0 Distances: 2.5 lengths/2 lengths – 14 ran
In other races on Sunday, down at Busan Rock Band maintained his 100% record with a very easy class 4 victory over 1400M. The full brother of 2013 President’s Cup and Grand Prix Stakes winner Indie band, the three-year-old Rock Band (Ecton Park) moved onto four wins from four starts.
This coming week at Busan, Cinderella Man is set to have his first start since moving to the Bart Rice stable. He is set to take on Gyeongbudaero, Nobody Catch Me and Spring Gnarly in what looks like yet another ultra-competitive class 1 race at Busan. Meanwhile it’s “Trainers’ Week” at Seoul and Sunday will see the running of a “Trainers’ Cup”.
So the Derby has been and gone but we’ve plenty to keep us occupied this weekend, including a small but ultra-competitive field for the Gold Circle Trophy at Busan on Sunday.
The big race of the weekend is at Busan
Only eight run in what is without doubt the feature race of the weekend but they include the unbeaten pair of Diferent Dimension (complete with deliberate spelling error) and Seoul Bullet as well as the highly promising Macheon Bolt, who comes in having won his past five races. They are joined by proven winners Vicar Gold, Yeongung Champ and Champ Line for the 1600M race.
Seoul also hosts a big race on Sunday afternoon when a full field of fourteen will contest the Herald Business Cup over 1400M. Like the GC Trophy, it is open to horses rated up to 105.
Horse Racing in Korea 