Masa Tanaka

Gamdonguibada Crushes KNN Cup Field

Gamdonguibada, New York Blue and Star Bolt were the quickest out of the gate – Joy Lucky was the slowest. And over the course of a mile nothing changed as Gamdonguibada proved a class apart from the rest, cruising to the 2nd leg of the Queens’ Tour at Busan this afternoon.

Gamdonguibada leads New York Blue in the home straight (screengrab - better picture to follow)

Gamdonguibada leads New York Blue in the home straight (screengrab – better picture to follow)

Sent off the odds-on favourite after her dominant display in the Ttukseom Cup and with Joe Fujii back in the saddle, 2012 Grand Prix Stakes winner Gamdonguibada didn’t for a single stride look like getting beaten.

She traded 1st place a couple of times with the young up-and-comer New York Blue but once they were in the home straight, 15 fillies and mares appeared to go backwards while Gamdonguibada strode away from them. The margin on the line was 11 lengths. It could have been 111.

Behind her New York Blue stayed on well for second under Masa Tanaka to make it a Japanese jockey 1-2. Star Bolt also stayed on for 3rd, a place ahead of 170/1 outsider Silver Classic.

Indian Blue was the best of the visitors from Seoul, picking up the last money spot of 5th on another dismal day for the capital contingent. Joy Lucky, so impressive two weeks ago at Seoul, could manage ni better than 15th in running and eventually finished last.

Gamdonguibada moves onto 11 wins from 19 starts, 5 of those wins coming in Stakes races. The Queens’ Tour reconvenes at Busan in October. She is likely to be heavy favourite to add the final leg to her collection too.

It’s yet another Stakes win for the remarkable Kim Young Kwan, fresh from training another filly, Queen’s Blade to win the Derby last month. For Joe Fujii meanwhile, it’s a 5th Korean Stakes win and his 128th overall in the country.

KNN Cup – Busan Race Park – 1600M – June 8, 2014

1. Gamdonguibada (USA) [Werblin – Radyla (Country Pine)] – Kanichiro Fujii – 1.6, 1.2
2. New York Blue (USA) [Candy Ride – Aim For The Moon (Deputy Minister)] – Masakazu Tanaka – 2.5
3. Star Bolt (USA) [Fusaichi Pegaus – Do’Oro Doll (Touch Gold)] – Kim Dong Young – 3.3

Distances: 11 lengths/3 lengths
Also ran: 4. Silver Classic (USA) 5. Indian Blue (USA) 6. Heba (USA) 7. Shining Future (KOR) 8. Black Dia (KOR) 9. Sangnyu (USA) 10 Nulpurunchongnyong (KOR) 11. Seungni Laser (KOR) 12. Chiming Vicar (KOR) 13. Kalma (USA) 14. Baedari Yeongung (KOR) 15. Seungbu Sinhwa (USA) 16. Joy Lucky (KOR)

Four-Timer Fujii Leads Magnificent Seven For Foreign Jocks At Busan

The 2014 Korean racing season got underway at Busan today and the track’s foreign jockeys were on fire as they helped themselves to 7 of the 12 races.

Smiling: Masa Tanaka (left) and Joe Fujii (Pic: Hiromi Kobayashi)

Smiling: Masa Tanaka (left) and Joe Fujii (Pic: Hiromi Kobayashi)

Masa Tanaka kicked things off with victory in race 3 on 6/1 chance Bada Gangja with Darryll Holland getting off the mark for the year in the next with a 2-length win on Thunder Ray. Race 5 saw Joe Fujii get in on the action as he guided US-bred gelding Smart Energy to a 6-length triumph.

Local jockeys Park Sung Kwang and Kim Jeong Woong grabbed the next two before Fujii completed a double with an unexpected win on 19/1 outsider Uribong in race 8.

Winning: Darryll Holland (Pic: Ross Holburt)

Winning: Darryll Holland (Pic: Ross Holburt)

Holland wrapped up a double of his own in race 10, piloting Peter Wolsley’s Vicar Sun home before Fujii took over once more and snatched the final two races of the day on Queen’s Blade and Cheonji Jeonseung to complete a remarkable four-timer.

Fujii, who turned 30 on New Year’s Eve, finished 2nd in the Busan Jockey Championship in 2013, winning both the Korean Derby and Oaks along the way. For Holland, it was a welcome return to the saddle and the winner’s circle after being forced to miss last weekend’s bumper cards through suspension. Meanwhile the ever-reliable Tanaka was continuing the good form he showed last week when he won his first Korean class 1 race.

Saturday sees opening day at Seoul where it’s not likely to quite as successful for the visitors among the capital jockey colony. Ikuyasu Kurakane is suspended leaving Fausto Durso as the only foreign jockey in action. On Sunday there is racing at both Seoul and Busan.

Masa Makes Good At Busan

Masa Tanaka landed his biggest Korean win to date as he rode Sand Hi to a comfortable victory in the class 1 feature race at Busan this afternoon.

Masa Tanaka (Pic: Busan Ilbo)

Masa Tanaka (Pic: Busan Ilbo)

It’s been a good year for foreign jockeys at Busan with the remarkable Joe Fujii notching his 100th winner last month and Darryll Holland also regularly scoring.

However, while less heralded, the 29-year-old Tanaka has performed well too and has ridden a steady stream of winners since debuting in June this year.

The Japanese jockey learned how to ride in his homeland but with few opportunities for young riders there, moved to New Zealand in 2005 and ended up staying for 7 years, riding several big winners including the Group 1 Thorndon Mile in 2011 on 16/1 shot Booming.

Not knowing a word of English when he arrived in New Zealand, Tanaka now speaks with a broad Kiwi accent and eager to settle in here, has set about learning some Korean in Busan.

From his 135 rides in Korea to date, Tanaka has 24 winners and 22 2nd places. Despite only being present for half the season, he lies in 11th place in the Busan Championship and earned trips to Seoul to ride in the Minister’s and President’s Cups.

Today, after breaking from the widest of 12 gates, Tanaka kept Sand Hi (Stormy Atlantic) close before going away in the final furlongs to win from 4 lengths. It won’t go down as one of the jockey’s toughest winners and, if he keeps going the way he is, it certainly won’t be his last.

Tanaka and fellow foreign riders Fujii and Jerome Lermyte (Holland is suspended) are back in action at Busan tomorrow in a bumper 13-race card.

Bundling up: Tanaka looked like he was off to rob a bank at Busan today (Pic: Hiromi Kobayashi)

Bundling up: Tanaka looked like he was off to rob a bank at Busan today (Pic: Hiromi Kobayashi)