Ssonsal

SUPER SSONSAL SCORES SENSATIONAL SROA SPRINT SUCCESS

At the age of seven, Ssonsal hit the heights he had always promised as he swept home late to clean up Eoma Eoma and Raon First in the shadow of the post to win the SROA Chairman’s Sprint Trophy (1200M KOR-G3), the third leg of the Sprint Series, at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday afternoon.

Pic: KRA

Ssonsal had come home in 3rd place in both of the first two legs of the Sprint Series, the Busan Ilbo Sprint and the SBS Sports Sprint. But with the dominant winner of both those races, Raon The Fighter, absent the door was left open for the rest. Most pundits, as well as the punting public, believed that would be Eoma Eoma, last year’s Korea Sprint winner, who ran 2nd in the SBS Sports Sprint and was sent off the odds-on favourite ahead of Ssonsal and the President’s Cup winning mare Raon First.

From wide draws Raon Tap Man, a 48.8 outsider, and Lord Ban (21.5) flew across at the earliest opportunity to join Raon First on the early speed. That seemed to rattle Eoma Eoma who having drawn gate nine was, after the attack, neither able to lead nor save ground and was stuck somewhat in no-man’s land out wide. Ssonsal meanwhile, as is his style, settled towards the rear under a calm Franco Da Silva.

Into the home straight and Raon Tap Man and Lord Ban did not capitulate although Raon First and Eoma Eoma started to assert their superiority as they entered the final furlong. But then arrived Ssonsal, who had been quietly making progress since the two-furlong pole and he and Da Silva swept by to strike,  going away. Raon First was 2nd, a head in front of Eoma Eoma in 3rd while the early pacesetters Raon Tap Man and Lord Ban were rewarded with very solid 4th and 5th places.

“I’m very pleased to get back to Seoul and win a big race,” winning jockey Franco Da Silva told in-house broadcaster KRBC. “It’s very special because this racecourse is so full of life, with the fans all cheering, so I am very pleased to get a big winner here.”

Da Silva said he was always confident about Ssonsal. “Always I expect this horse to do much better than he sometimes does because he has a very special mind. Sometimes, he doesn’t want to run to his potential, but the last three races he has done his best, so before the race, I was expecting to get the win today because Raon The Fighter was not there. So, I thought he would be the best horse today.”

Pic: KRA

As for future plans, Da Silva is keen for Ssonsal to move up in trip. “We don’t know what’s after this, because I always know this horse can get a longer distance. The owner and the trainer pointed him to shorter, but I prefer him to go longer because I know if he stays behind in the pack, he has very strong power in the last three hundred (metres), so if the owner and trainer agree, we can put him (up to) a little bit longer distance.”

Winning trainer Lee Sang-young was tasting Group race victory for the first time in his sixteen-year career.  “It’s like a miracle.” Lee told KRBC. “I was a bit worried about the gate number (12) but Ssonsal stays on and with so many front-runners in this race, I guessed they wouldn’t all stick on as well as he (Ssonsal) can.”

Lee also paid tribute to his jockey. “We could win this race thanks to the jockey. I really appreciate Da Silva. I love him!”

Pic: KRA

Ssonsal is a seven-year-old American entire by Adios Charlie and out of Wink At The Boys (by Graeme Hall). He was bred by Dee-Ellen Cook and Suzette Parker and was purchased for $8500 by KOID out of the OBS October Yearling Sale in 2017. He is now owned by Hong Kyung-pyo. Ssonsal was recording his thirteenth career win on his thirty-fourth start and has amassed in excess of a Billion Korean Won’s worth of prize money.

Next week attention shifts to Busan and filly and mare division with the KNN Cup (1600M KOR-G3) on Sunday afternoon. Ttukseom Cup winner Raon The Spurt heads the nominations.

Masashi Ueda Rides First Korean Winner & Ioannis Poullis Claims Four As Racing Makes Tentative Return

After a second prolonged shutdown, Korean racing took its first steps back toward resumption on Friday with behind-closed-doors/no wagering cards at both Seoul and Busan. They may have been racing for significantly reduced prize money but there was no shortage of competitiveness as Ioannis Poullis rode four winners at Busan while Japanese jockey Msasahi Ueda landed his first Korean winner at Seoul.

The very good Ssonsal (Adios Charlie) was the pick of Ioannis Poullis’s four winners on the ten-race card at Busan. The four-year-old Bart Rice trainee moved on to seven wins from thirteen starts as he outlasted two-time SBS Sprint winner Doraonpogyeongseon and regular rival Seobu Cat in the 1400M class 1 feature.

At Seoul there were 15 races and while Tiz Plan was scratched from the feature, there was still plenty of interest in the 1800M Class 1 affair. Ultimately it would be won by Cheongdam Jewang (Shackleford) ahead of the progressive Australian import Brigadier General (Tapit).

While it was a relief for everybody involved to be out and racing, albeit in somewhat surreal circumstances and for vastly reduced prizes, for Masashi Ueda it was no doubt especially so.

Japanese jockey Ueda was licensed early this year but his arrival was delayed first by the initial Covd-19 shutdown and then by Japan and Korea’s tit-for-tat entry bans. He finally arrived in mid-August and completed his mandatory quarantine only for racing to then immediately shut down again before he had managed a single ride.

Ueda kept busy riding work and trials throughout September and early October and his reward came in race 5 as he made all on Most Speed (Federalist) to secure his first Korean victory.

Another set of these low-stakes/no broadcast meetings will take place next Friday. If Covid-19 restrictions remain at their current “level 1” grade, then there is a chance of more normal racing resuming in November.