KOrea Racing Report

Korea Racing Report: May 29-31

AT SEOUL ON SUNDAY THE 2300M START WAS IN USE FOR THE FIRST OF THREE TIMES ANNUALLY AND THE PRINCIPAL RACE ON THE CARD WAS WON BY THE HORSE THAT WAS BY FAR THE BEST STAYER ON THE DAY IN SATANG SONYEO for Jeong Jeong-hee and Luigi Riccardi (writes Luke Humphreys).

Satang Sonyeo (Girvin) has always looked a long-distance type and as per usual she showed little to no early speed but under encouragement from Jeong Jeong-hee eventually took a role closer than normal just behind the pacesetters, who did too much down the straight on the first occasion. Satang Sonyeo struck the front at the top of the straight the second time around, and the 3.2 favourite held off the challenge of the 4.8 third choice Pepper X who was a game 2nd with East West eleven-lengths away in 3rd.

The victory of Satang Sonyeo completed an outstanding weekend for trainer Luigi Riccardi after multiple successes twenty-four hours earlier.

Kim Tae-hun had a riding treble on the card beginning with TRIPLE S (Revolutionary) who got up late on to win Race 3 (1400M Class 6) by a head as the 9.3 third pick, over the 5.7 second choice Jechuk Sanjiro with the 1.4 popular pick Saenae Rania only 5th. POWERFUL PRADO (Colors Flying) the got the better of her co-favourites to land Race 5 (1300M Class 5) by a neck as the 6.2 third choice with Nuni Olkkayo, 2.7 popular pick, beaten a neck into 2nd and Brown Mamma, 2.8, a head away in 3rd. DONGGANGUI STAR (Old Fashioned) was the last of the trio in Race 6 (1700M Class 5) getting up in the concluding stages to win by a half-length.

The victory of Powerful Prado was the beginning of a double for trainer Lee Joon-chel as in Race 9 (1800M Class 3) KEIDRAGON (Goldencents) was an eye-catching winner from the top by eleven-lengths under Kim Yong-geun. The four-year-old Canadian bred gelding was having his third run this time in and ran his rivals off their feet. The two favourites in Airforceone, 3.0, and Major Crown, 2.6, were disappointments in 6th and 8th places respectively with the former losing his chance after a slow start whilst the latter didn’t stay.

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KOREA RACING REPORT: MAY 22-24 – Roshe, Knicks Go Won

A BUMPER CROWD OF 27,000 PEOPLE SHOWED UP AT SEOUL ON SUNDAY, AND THEY SAW A TEN RACE CARD WHICH CONCLUDED WITH A 1200M CLASS 2 WHERE FLYING DAY continued her consistent run of form by making it six wins from fourteen starts with a last gasp victory over longtime leader Nice Force (writes Luke Humphreys).

Roshe (Pic: KRA)

Flying Day (Race Day) at her previous victory had run down last year’s top juvenile filly Chief Star in the last couple of strides and ran down another smart sprinter in the closing stages with an extending half-length victory over Nice Force who just about returned to his best form that saw him start an odds-on favourite in the KRA Sprint on Grand Prix Day last year.

Flying Day paid 5.3 on the Korean tote with Nice Force being the 4.3 second favourite, whilst the 3.9 popular pick Eldorado Nolbu ran his usual consistent race without winning leaving himself too much to do in the run and he ended up finishing a never nearer 3rd. Blue Lemon was the other one in the market at 7.1 and finished 5th.

30 minutes earlier Kozzi Asano landed Race 9 (1200M Class 4) on GOOD MORNING COME (Freedom Child) who returned to the winners list after being around the mark against solid opposition at her previous three starts. Following her three-quarter length victory as the 3.0 favourite she has now won three races from nine starts. Hwasangwihwan was 2nd with Fedaykin, 4.8 third choice, 3rd and Chumchuneunjangmi, 4.6 second pick, in 4th.

The Luigi Riccardi prepared three-year-old filly WILD MAGIC (Triple Nine) made it back-to-back front-running wins in Race 7 (1800M Class 4) as the 2.5 favourite with a one-and-three-quarter length victory over the 3.5 second market choice Ghost Chrysol. Wild Magic continues to progress, and the domestically bred filly is one to keep following.

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Korea Racing Report: May 15-17

AT SEOUL ON SUNDAY BORN DIA LED THROUGHOUT TO WIN THE COUNTRY’S BIGGEST LOCAL SPRINT RACE BUT THERE WAS PLENTY OF GOOD ACTION ON THE UNDERCARD. MUSKET DAY was the winner of the supporting Sports Chosun Trophy (KOR-LR) over 2000M by five-lengths in a race dominated by the backmarkers (writes Luke Humphreys).

Musket Cleaver won the Listed Sprots Chosun (Pic: KRA)

Musket Day (Musket Man) came into the race with very consistent form and won easily under Jang Chu-youl as the 4.3 second favourite over Wonderful Northern who was best of the group of six that broke away up in front, ridden the most conservatively of them, finishing 2nd. Taepyeong Hero was 3rd with Zetta Master from his standard rearward position making late ground for 4th. Daeseong Star, 2.9 favourite, could only manage 5th after racing on the pace with the 2024 Derby winner Eunpa Sarang blowing his chance at the start with a horrible beginning and was a never nearer 6th. No Problem could only run 7th after being one of those that was prominent whilst Mandaero was 8th in the final ride in Korea before returning to Malaysia for Harry Kasim.

The victory of Musket Day completed a training double for Moon Byeong-ki after PANGPANG DAERO (Frosted) landed Race 4 (1200M Class 5) by three-lengths and in doing so broke his maiden at the sixth time of asking.

Elsewhere on the card the concluding 1400M Class 3 was landed by the admirable seven-furlong specialist CLUB Q (Revolutionary) who made it six wins from ten starts with a one-and-a-quarter length victory as the 3.1 favourite over Orion Alpha with the up in trip Cheonmahoryeong finishing 3rd                                                                                                                     

GLOBAL CHAMP (Gaon Champ) continued his progression in Race 6 (1600M Class 4) following up his late closing win on April 18 with an eight-length romp under CC Wong at generous odds of 2.2. He has now won four races from six starts and the locally bred Jeon Seung-gyu prepared gelding is one to keep watching.

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Korea Racing Report: April 24-26

THE GIRLS TOOK CENTRE STAGE AT SEOUL ON SUNDAY WITH THE COUNTRY’S PREMIER RACE FOR OLDER FILLIES AND MARES BUT IN OTHER RACES THE MAIN RACE WAS THE VERY LAST AND THE CONSISTENT J S ROAD, after chasing home Geudaemaniddamyeon and Eclipse Berry at his previous two starts, recorded his first win since December 2024 getting the better of Wonpyeong Sket and More Than Joke in a close finish between the three popular picks.

J S Road (Twirling Candy, under a perfectly timed ride from gun apprentice Woo In-cheol grabbed the long-time leader and talented but stamina-challenged three-year-old filly Wonpyeong Sket in the dying strides to win by an extending half-length with More Than Joke a neck away in 3rd.

The victory of J S Road completed a training double on the day for Song Moon-gil, who also prepared the progressive URUS SABBIA (Overanalyze) to make it two wins from two in Race 3 (1400M Class 5). The victory was by five-lengths, but it could have been even further had he not been so green in the home straight the same as on his debut. He needs to improve his manners, but the ability is there.

Kim Yong-geun rode a race-to-race double on the card and that began when BREEDO CALEY (Revolutionary) led throughout to win Race 4 (1800M Class 5) by four-lengths after two 2nd places at his prior two starts. That race saw the 2.5 favourite Fighter finish a well beaten 8th after effectively being beaten from the halfway stage. Fifty minutes later Kim rode SLING STAR (To Honor And Serve) to land Race 5 (1700M Class 4) by one-length as the 1.9 favourite. Sling Star completed a hat-trick of victories and continues to progress.

Race 8 (1600M Class 3) saw the impressive MAEUM HANA (Gaon Champ) somehow start the 5.2 third elect but despite being written off by punters he made it four consecutive wins going up in grade by one level on each occasion. With Geudaemaniddamyeon, the country’s highest rated three-year-old at present, out for the remainder of the season and his future career in doubt, Maeum Hana may just be one to keep things ticking over in the classic ages ranks for the combination of CC Wong, Choi Yong-geon and Woo Tae-yul. The race saw Free The One and Best Pitch, 3rd and 4th in the Sports Seoul Trophy respectively, start the 2.3 and 4.4 popular picks but they were both bitter disappointments with Best Pitch always towards the rear finishing 8th whilst Free The One knocked right up and was last of the 10 runners to complete the course.

Maeum Hana was the second impressive winner of the day for Choi Yong-geon as NAOL AURORA (Musket Man) was a smart winner of Race 2 (1400M Class 6) leading throughout to score by six-lengths.

In Race 9 HANGANG PERFECT (Old Fashioned) landed a competitive 1800M Class 3 as the 6.8 fourth market choice accounting for the incredibly consistent Morning Wonder by a head. The 2.5 favourite Dragon Killer could only manage 7th after being unable to lead and therefore working hard in the run.

MEANWHILE DOWN AT BUSAN ON THE SAME DAY THE CLOSING CLASS 2 LOOKED A VERY COMPETITIVE HANDICAP BUT 1400M SPECIALIST BRUG KINGMAN made the race anything but as he roared away in the closing stages to land the spoils by five-lengths.

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Korea Racing Report: April 17-19

AT SEOUL ON SUNDAY SUCCESS BAEKPA WAS THE ONE THAT MADE THE MOST OF NOT HAVING TO COMPETE WITH CLEAN ONE IN THE YTN CUP BUT ON THE UNDERCARD THE CLOSING CLASS 2 WAS THE MAIN HANDICAP AND TRAUM KING completed a treble on the program for jockey Jang Chu-youl .

Traum King (To Honor And Serve) was 5th at LR level in the Ilgan Sports Trophy last year prior to three runs at Class 2 level for a 3rd, 7th and 8th however broke through at attempt four recording his fifth win from nineteen starts with an extending three-length victory. Blue Lemon did the chasing in 2nd whilst the 2.9 favourite Eldorado Nolbu ran his usual honest race but was a never nearer 3rd ahead of Silver Rain in 4th.

RAON FLORENCE (Musket Man) was sent off a short-priced favourite at 2.5 in Race 8 (1200M Class 3) but confirmed his favourite status however only just, with victory in the last couple of strides by an extending half-length. Star Trek was ridden confidently from the front by Johan Victoire but was collared in the dying stages by Raon Florence whilst the 4.3 second choice Cheonmahoryeong was a further half-length away in 3rd. Raon Florence and Cheonmahoryeong have had a good rivalry, and the score is now 3-1 in favour of the former.

WONDERFUL LORD (J P’s Gusto) came from the second half of the field to grab victory late in Race 9 (1400M Class 3) by one-length over Seobu Champ with the 4.6 favourite Gold Catcher being caught late in 3rd after attempting to lead throughout under Johan Victoire.

Trainer Kang Sung-o, on the back of winning half of the program at this meeting seven days ago, had a race-to-race-to-race treble early in the card with DAEHAN COCO’S (Mischieviously) leading throughout to win Race 3 (1400M Class 6) by three-lengths before ECLIPSE THE QUEEN (Shackleford) followed up her course, distance, and grade victory last month with another 1400M Class 5 victory in Race 4 as the 3.1 favourite. The horse to complete the treble for Kang was DAEHAN POWER (Power Blade) who came from well back to storm home and win Race 5 (1300M Class 5) by four-lengths, not quite in the manner of his extraordinary March 21 victory but impressive, nonetheless. That gave his owner Lee Jong-su a double, owner of Daehan Coco’s, as well as being the second of the three victories on the day Jang Chu-youl who started the treble in the opening 1200M Class 6 when scoring on board LAST K (Cowboy Cal).

3kg apprentice Kwon Jung-seok was the winning jockey on the aforementioned Eclipse The Queen and followed up in Race 6 (1800M Class 4) on board THEME TANSAENG (Take Charge Indy) which led throughout to score by one-and-a-half lengths. 7.6 fourth pick Black Sidae was the best of the four horses in single digits in the betting finishing 2n with 5.9 third choice Fashion Star in 3rd. The 2.3 favourite Ghost Chrysol and 4.5 second market choice My Munnings never got warm finishing 5th and 7th.

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