Fausto Durso, who rode at the International Jockey Challenge in Seoul last month, is set to return to Korea for an extended stay after being granted a short-term license at Seoul Race Park.
Back To Seoul: Fausto Durso
The 39-year-old has spent the last few years racing mostly in Macau and was representing the Macau Jockey Club on his previous visit, during which he won the feature race of the event, the YTN Cup.
A Sao Paolo native, who racked-up over 700 wins in Brazil before coming to Asia, Durso has ridden more than 600 winners in Macau and has won the Macau Derby. He has also ridden in Dubai and Malaysia.
He he is winning the YTN Cup on Choichoro, reeling in Noel Callow on Dongseo Daeryuk:
The move is one of an increasing number of interactions between Korean and Macau. Seoul’s champion jockey Moon Se Young spent 3 months riding there earlier this year and Busan champion Jo Sung Gon is set to go soon. Additionally, Korean trainer Seo Beom Seok (also known as Kenny Seo) has set up a stable in Macau with 12 horses which he runs alongside his one at Seoul.
In other foreign jockey news, Japanese rider Ikuyasu Kurakane has been granted a 6-month extension to his license beginning October 1. Down at Busan, Britain’s Darryll Holland has also been offered an extension. Meanwhile, Joe Fujii, winner of the Grand Prix Stakes, Korean Derby and Korean Oaks during his time in Korea so far, is in the process of applying to the JRA in his native Japan.
Lee Chan Ho shot to the top of his graduating class with a remarkable display of riding at Seoul Race Park this past weekend.
Winning: Lee Chan Ho
The 21-year-old apprentice, who debuted in June rode 4 winners on Saturday and added another on Sunday for a total of 5 wins from 11 rides.
He also managed 2 third-place finishes on Sunday.
Lee’s exploits take him to 10 winners from 79 rides in his short career so far and see him lose one of the 4-kilos of weight allowance that brand new apprentices are able to claim.
Still claiming the full amount are the three others who qualified with Lee. However, Kim Tea Hun, Song Jae Chul and Jo Han Beol are all also off the mark and it looks like we are seeing another good crop of young jockeys as the Seoul Jockey Academy continues to excel.
Another, altogether more experienced jockey, is also in a rich vein of form. Japan’s Ikuyasu Kurakane returned to Korea for a second spell earlier this year and a Sunday afternoon treble sees the 37-year old rise to 6th in the Jockey Championship with 37 winners.
Fellow Japanese rider Joe Fujii may be winning the big ones at Busan, but the workaholic Ikuyasu is bringing in the numbers at Seoul
They say you should never go back, but Ikuyasu Kurakane’s second stint at Seoul Racecourse is shaping up to be just as good – and maybe even better – than his first.
Ikuyasu Kurakane is into his second successful stint at Seoul Race Park
Japanese jockey Kurakane first rode at Seoul in 2007 and spent nearly 18 months in Korea, riding both in the capital and at Busan, scoring 106 winners in all.
He returned at the beginning of April this year and has quickly become the hardest working man at the track, riding in 188 races since – no mean feat when there are only 2 race meetings a week.
The horses he’s been riding haven’t necessarily been the best and it is rare for Kurakane to get on a favourite, however, this past weekend the 38-year-old partnered 5 different horses to victory. It takes him up to 22 since his return and puts him in 8th place in the 2013 jockeys’ championship.
Shortly before returning to Korea, Kurakane rode his 1500th winner in Japan. Prize-money and lifestyle in Korea is such though that there is plenty of competition among Japanese jockeys to ride here and many apply to return after they leave.
It does take a certain kind of jockey to succeed in what is a harsh weighing room environment for foreign jockeys and the workaholic Kurakane, who rides a full lot of trackwork every morning and never turns down a mount, fits it exactly.
In the winner’s circle: Ikuyasu has been in it more times than any other foreign rider at Seoul
While Japanese jockeys find things much easier than western riders, there have still been as many who haven’t been a success than have. At semi-foreigner friendly Busan, Toshio Uchida and Joe Fujii have, a couple of years apart, both become the track’s top rider. At Seoul, Ikuyasu has been the only one to break through to the top-tier of jockeys.
Currently there are 5 foreign jockeys licensed in Korea. Britain’s Darryll Holland – with 9 wins to his name so far – is the only non-Japanese. Another Japanese rider will start at Busan this month.
Meanwhile in foreign training terms, there really is only one Peter Wolsley. The remarkable Australian is closing in on 200 Korean winners and made it 190 on Sunday afternoon when Cheongchun Bulpae (Milwaukee Brew) took the first of Busan’s co-feature races.
Yongduseong hit the front in the very last stride to grab victory in the KNN Cup by the smallest of margins at Busan Race Park this afternoon.
Ttukseom Cup winner Useung Touch (Menifee) was the heavily backed pre-race favourite and, after early pace-setter Chowonuibyeol dropped out of contention entering the home straight, she seemed poised to add the second leg of the Queens Tour to her collection.
However, upon hitting the front she stalled allowing Joe Fujii to come roaring through on her inside on Pokpung Hero (Henny Hughes). Deep into the final furlong they seemed to have it won until seemingly out of nowhere on the stands side, Yongduseong (Concept Win) and Secret Whisper (Sea Of Secrets) began closing rapidly.
They swept past Pokpung Hero metres from the line, crossing it together, the photograph revealing Yongduseong to be the victor by a nose.
A late developer, Yongduseong only debuted mid-way through her 3-year-old season and then only made 4 appearances as a 4-year old. Fragile but very talented, today’s win was her 9th from 14 starts. For trainer Kim Young Kwan, it was yet another Stakes winner with a filly.
He trained Busan greats Luna and Sangseung Ilro and still takes care of current Grand Prix champion Gamdonguibada and Derby winner Speedy First. For 32-year old jockey Lim Sung Sil, it was his 3rd Stakes win
In second, the Pegasus Stables owned and bred Secret Whisper marked a decent Stakes race result for Australian trainer Peter Wolsley as he came so close to getting his second really big race win.
As for Useung Touch, she faded to 5th after a very slow final furlong. She did, however, beat every horse from Seoul. Indian Blue (Henny Hughes) in 6th was the best placed finisher in yet another dismal showing by the capital track’s representatives.
Distances: Nose/0.5 lengths Also ran: 4. Silver Classic (USA) 5. Useung Touch (KOR) 6. Indian Blue (USA) 7. Grand Teukgeup (KOR) 8. Empire World (USA) 9. Gumpo Yeowang (KOR) 10. Sangyu (USA) 11. Blueband Mama (USA) 12. Dangdae Jeonseung (CAN) 13. Imperial Girl (USA) 14. Dongteuja (KOR) 15. Chowonuibyeol (USA) NR: Kkakjaengi (USA)
* Up in the capital, the Sports Hankuk Trophy– a non-stakes trophy race – was the feature event. It ended in a comfortable win for 6/1 chance Real Victor (Biwa Shinseiki) who landed his 9th victory from 39 starts.
Real Victor and Ham Wan Sik win the Sports Hankuk Trophy at Seoul
Meanwhile, Japanese jockey Ikuyasu Kurakane followed up his double yesterday with another today, taking race 1 on Jilpung Haengjin (Ecton Park) and race 7 on Jeongsang Party (Exclusive Quality).
There’s no Stakes action next week although the aforementioned Gamdonguibada is slated to be in action at Busan on Sunday. She suffered a surprising defeat last time out and will be looking to get back in form in Busan’s feature race.
Two Japanese jockeys will be making their debuts this weekend as Ureshi Katsunori has his first Korean ride at Busan on Friday while Ikuyasu Kurakane, one of the most successful foreign jockeys in Korea has returned to the peninsula after a 4 year absence and will ride at Seoul on Saturday.
It’s set to be quite a low-key weekend of racing sadnwiched as it is between last week’s KRA CUp Mile and next week’s Owners’ Cup but nevertheless, there should be plenty to keep punters interested. Here’s what’s happening when and where:
Friday April 12
Busan Race Park: 10 races from 12:00 to 18:00 Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 13:30 to 17:30
Saturday April 13
Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:00 to 17:40 Jeju Race Park: 9 races from 12:30 to 17:20
Sunday April 14
Seoul Race Park: 11 races from 11:00 to 18:00 Busan Race Park: 6 races from 12:50 to 17:00
Ikuyasu Kurakane, who rode at Seoul and Busan for 2 years between 2007 and 2009 will return to Korea. The 38-year-old jockey has been granted a 6 month license to ride at Seoul Race Park beginning from April 6.
Coming Back: Ikuyasu Kurakane (KRA)
Along with countryman Nozomu Tomizawa, Ikuyasu joined the jockey ranks at Seoul in mid-2007 and quickly established himself among the top riders at the track, winning the NACF Chairman’s race on filly Pilseung Giwon (Silent Warrior), that autumn. After 18 months at Seoul, he moved to Busan in late 2008 and continued to be successful there, ultimately notching a total 106 winners from just over 1000 rides in Korea.
The jockey recently landed his 1500th career winner in Japan but had been looking for an opportunity to return to Korea for some time. He’ll join Yukio Abe at Seoul, who has had a quiet time since relocating from Busan last year but who recently extended his contract by another 4 months. At Busan, where foreign jockeys tend to have an easier time of things, Joe Fujii and Darryll Holland are the only 2 foreign riders.
Ikuyasu was one of the few foreign riders who did not struggle in the past to get rides at Seoul. His return, coming as it does at the same time that champion jockey Moon Se Young arrives back in Korea from his 3-month stint in Macau, means things could be about to get very competitive in the capital’s weighing room.
Horse Racing in Korea 