Crown Hamseong wired the field to walk off with the Segye Ilbo Trophy (1200M KOR-Listed) at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon. The four-year-old filly scored a first Stakes win for herself and in the process a maiden Korean Principal race win for jockey CC Wong.
Crown Hamseong and CC Wong have plenty in hand on Daemnagui Gil on the line (Pic: KRA)
It had been a day for pacesetters with all prior winners on the card having led practically from gate to wire and there was accordingly a cavalry charge to get the coveted leading position after the short run heading into the turn from the six-furlong start. Vincero Cavallo, Naol Sniper, Something Lost, Yeonggwangui World and Saenae Town all tried, but coming out of gate two, CC and Crown Hamseong were too quick for them all.
Opening up a lead of three-lengths into the home straight, Crown Hamseong made the closing stages a procession as the other front-runners fell away. Daemangui Gil and Speed Young would eventually emerge from the rear to get closest, albeit a full two-lengths back on the line. Crown Hamseong returned as the 9.9 fifth favourite in the local win pool.
It was perhaps a race too far for Vincero Cavallo, who showed close to the pace early, but ran out of petrol equally quickly and finished well down the field. The pre-race favourite had run every month since his 6th place in the Korea Sprint and it showed.
As for Speed Young, giving the prevailing track conditions were evidently favouring front-runners, it was always going to be a hard ask given his racing style and widest gate. Under a sensible Kim Hye-sun ride, he perhaps did well to run 3rd.
Veteran Daemangui Gil ran a super race to run 2nd, Kim Tae-hui threading her way through the field late to get closest to the winner. It was a pick-up ride for Kim after scheduled jockey Jung Do-yun suffered a broken shoulder in a fall at Busan on Friday. Jung is expected to be out for several months.
Crown Hamseong [Freedom Child – Choegoya Choego (by Menifee)] is a four-year-old filly who was purchased by her owner Hwang Eui-young for 30 Million Won as a yearling in 2022. Trained by Lee Gwan-ho, she came into the race boasting seven wins from ten starts, up to class 1 level and a mile. She skipped all three legs of the Triple Tiara series last year. She could be very interesting in this year’s Queens’ Tour.
For jockey CC “Jimmy” Wong, it was a 43rd win in Korea and his first in a Listed or Graded Stakes. After an initial very successful stint in the country early in 2024, he returned to Singapore to see out the final days of racing in the Lion City but returned in late autumn and is gradually picking up from where he left off.
CC Wong is part of a very strong visiting jockey group at Seoul that also includes Ruan Maia, Kozzi Asano and Harry Kasim, as well as long-time Korea based multiple Group winner Johan Victoire and former Champion Apprentice in Turkey, Furkan Yuksel.
Next weekend, attention turns to the three-year-old crop with Triple Crown Classic trials at both Seoul and Busan.
For the first time in more than two months Stakes race action returns to Korea as the Listed Segye Ilbo Trophy over 1200M takes place at Seoul on Sunday afternoon. There are 11 races at Seoul from 10:35 to 18:00 and 6 at Busan from 12:05 to 16:30. Here are the previews:
Last year’s Segye Ilbo was won by Vics Go, who doesn’t return to defend his title (Pic: KRA)
Seoul Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
(2) ROAD TO A SPUR has made steady progress across three starts so far, culminating in 3rd place over this distance on December 22nd. CC stays on, he draws well to lead and today can be the day. (11) SPARTAN has mixed his form across seven appearances so far with his best being a pair of 3rd places over this distance. He has the fastest time among these for the 1200M and while he has the challenge of the widest gate, he can be a danger. (8) BS STORM was a fair 5th on debut over 1300M on December 28th, starting well before getting shuffled right back but then running on. He should have come on for the run and be closer here. (9) STUNNING WORLD and (6) NONSTOP SERVE others who can be considered.
Selections
(2) Road To A Spur (11) Spartan (8) BS Storm (9) Stunning World
Next Best
6, 5
Fast Start
1, 2, 4, 10
Seoul Race 2: Class 6 (1300M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
Fillies only in this maiden and plenty look ready to win. (6) TURBO CHARGE ran 4th a couple of times before an improved 2nd over 1400M on January 4th when she led for much of the way around. She comes back slightly in trip, she draws well to lead again, and she can win. (2) MUNHAK BELL was 6th on debut before running 2nd at start number two over 1200M on January 5th, settling in the front end of midfield and running on. Third up she can be peaking fitness wise and has every chance. (5) RAON THE AFFIRMED ran 3rd in that January 5th race having also shown on the speed. She has two-and-a-half lengths to make up on Munhak Bell but looks good for at least another place finish. (7) GRAY PHANTOM and (4) GWANAKSAN WONDERFUL are among plenty of others who have shown potential.
Selections
(6) Turbo Charge (2) Munhak Bell (5) Raon The Affirmed (7) Gray Phantom
Next Best
4, 10
Fast Start
2, 5, 6, 9
Seoul Race 3: Class 6 (1400M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
(3) LADY BLUE beat three of these on her way to an improved 2nd place on January 18th, racing on pace throughout over 1300M. Like most of these, she comes up to1400M for the first time, she draws well to lead again, and she can go one better. (4) BLACK SMILE ran 5th in that January 18th race having gone well back and run on. That continued signs of her having started to figure things out and Maia climbing on means she can continue to make progress here. (5) YONGAM GIPPEUM also looks to be on the right trajectory and comes in off a 4th place at this distance last time out. He likes to settle back and run on, and he can be a danger late here. (8) HEEMANGBAND and (10) EAGLE WINGS are others who may improve.
Selections
(3) Lady Blue (4) Black Smile (5) Yongam Gippeum (8) Heemangband
Next Best
10, 2
Fast Start
2, 3, 6, 7
Busan Race 1: Class 6 (1200M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
Fillies only in this maiden. (9) KYUNGNAM DRAGON ran twice last summer for a 4th and a 2nd at 1000M and 1200M. She hasn’t raced since but she looked well when 3rd in a January trial and Seo Seung-un partnering with Bart Rice means she should be sent off as favourite. (8) RIGHT CHAMP has been getting closer in recent starts, most recently when 3rd at 1400M on January 19th. In this company, she can be on pace and has a chance (4) THE NOMINATE was 7th on debut last May and then didn’t reappear until January 19th when she was a solid 3rd place at this distance. She should strip fitter for that run and can press again here. (12) QUEEN TYCHE was 2nd in that January 19th race, her best so far and she can be in the mix again. (10) ILLUSION another place contender.
Selections
(9) Kyungnam Dragon (8) Right Champ (4) The Nominate (12) Queen Tyche
Next Best
10, 1
Fast Start
1, 8, 9, 12
Seoul Race 4: Class 5 (1300M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
It’s hard to go far past (1) ECLIPSE EDGE here. He got his maiden win at start three over this distance last November and then following a dodgy day at the office on his first try at this level, ran 3rd on January 18th, again over this trip. He likes to race on pace or handy and won’t need to improve much to win this. Plenty of others enter in form though. (5) BAEKDU ILSEONG is one for one having scored on debut over 1200M on November 11th. The way he ran on suggests the increase in trip can only suit and the class rise shouldn’t be a problem. (2) HAKSAN CAIRO was 5th behind Eclipse Edge on January 18th on his first try at this class. He comes into a much better gate today and can get closer. (6) ORANGE TIME and (3) EAST GANGJEOK are the other main chances.
Busan Race 2: Class 6 (1400M) Special Weight A / KRW 30 Million
(8) INDY GHOST has finished 3rd in both outings so far most recently in a slow (even by current standards) race at this distance on January 12th when midfield and running on. Third up she can be peaking, Munro is on, and she can win. (10) GOD NIKE has picked up in her latest two, with back-to-back 3rd places. She likes to settle back and run on so the wide draw shouldn’t be a problem, and she can get even closer today. (11) DOCTOR CASTLE has mixed his form across his four appearances so far. Three of those have been over a mile but he does have the fastest time at this distance (in as much as times are relevant presently with the slow track) and can be a danger here. (5) BARBELL TROFEO, who needs a line through his latest, and (1) RAON FLATTER are others in the hunt.
Selections
(8) Indy Ghost (10) God Nike (11) Doctor Castle (5) Barbell Trofeo
Next Best
1, 6
Fast Start
1, 5, 9, 10
Seoul Race 5: Class 5 (1700M) Handicap / KRW 45 Million
Wow Wow came from off the pace to score a 46/1 upset in the Segye Ilbo Trophy at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon, leaving the green colours of the hotly fancied “Raon” pair, Raon First and Raon The Spurt, back down the track behind him.
Wow Wow came from off the pace to win the Listed Segye Ilbo Trophy under Song Jae-chul (Pic: KRA)
After a year where owner Son Chun-soo’s Raon stable had dominated, his progressive four-year-old filly Raon The Spurt, was sent off as favourite for the Segye Ilbo (1200M KOR-Listed), the first Stakes race on the 2023 calendar, with stablemate and President’s Cup winner Raon First second in the market, ahead of Jeju Governor’s Trophy winning mare Wish Me.
While Raon First was slow out of the gate, Raon The Spurt cruised into the lead alongside fellow Group winner East Jet. But on a rare day at Seoul where the track was not kind to front-runners – nine of the eleven winners on the card emerged from the rear – the leaders were in trouble entering the straight and by the furlong pole, both had wilted.
Raon First launched a home straight challenge through traffic but the longshot pair of Wow Wow and Jangsan Laser were quicker, flashing down the outside with Wow Wow, who had settled right back in the pack in the early exchanges, coming home a length-and-a-quarter to the good. Raon First was 3rd.
With the race being restricted to Korean-bred runners, the Nasca organization’s Korea Sprint winning star Eoma Eoma was ineligible but they also own Wow Wow, a four-year-old colt by Cowboy Cal and out of the Forest Camp mare Jjak Kkung, who did her racing in Korea, winning six of twenty-six starts.
Wow Wow was on last year’s Classic trail and overcame gate fifteen to run 5th in the Korean Derby before an indifferent run in the final leg of the Triple Crown, the Minister’s Cup. Before Sunday, the highest level he had won at was class 4. He is trained by Song Moon-gil and was ridden by Song Jae-chul, who was winning just his third Stakes race after successes in the YTN Cup (then not a group race) in 2015 on Areumdaun Donghaeng and then guiding Saenae Town to victory in the Listed NACF Chairman’s Trophy last November.
There are no Listed or Graded races in Korea in February, with the next big events on the calendar the three-year-old Classic trials at Seoul and Busan on March 19.
Horse Racing in Korea 