With the 21th running of the prestigious Korean Derby to be held this Sunday,13 May in conjunction with the 37th Asian Racing Conference, the international Korea Cup has become the nation’s principal racing event run annually in September at Seoul Racecourse.
Sponsored by The Keeneland Association the Japanese again dominated in the 2nd Korea Cup run last September, an international invitational event for 3yo’s and older, carrying Korean Group 1 status, and contested on dirt over 1800m, carrying 1B₩ (A$1.2m) in prizemoney.
London Bridge, ridden by Yasunari Iwata for trainer Kazuya Makita, landed a comfortable Japanese one-two victory over the previous year’s winner Chrysolite. The American visitor Papa Shot, trained by Linda Rice, was 17 lengths away third with the Korean trained Triple Nine in fourth.
London Bridge took over one second of the track record in winning the Korea Cup in a time of 1:50.70, having previously broken the 1700m track record at Sapporo.
The international Keeneland Korean Sprint, for 3yo’s and older over 1200m, went the 7yo Japanese raider Graceful Leap, trained by Shinsuke Hashiguchi and ridden by Yutaka Take.
The local hero Power Blade was 1¾ lengths away in second with the Kenny McPeek US trained The Truth Or Else in fourth. The Hong Kong race favourite Luck Year finished near last.
In just its second year the Korea Cup Carnival has built on last year’s initial success. Television coverage expanded within Korea, with additional simulcasting to Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Malaysia, Australia and USA.
Wagering turnover rose to 5.12B₩ (A$6.24m) on the Korea Cup up 1.1% from 2016. The Korea Sprint handle increased marginally from 2016 to 4.39B₩ (A$5.35m) last year.
Some 39,910 Korean racegoers paid $2 each to witness London Town’s victory, down from 44,690 the previous year when racing was not conducted on the following Chuseok Thanksgiving holiday.
The Keeneland Association’s sponsorship of the Korea Cup and Korea Sprint highlighted the two-day meeting as a true global sporting event, with additional trophy races run in association with Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and Horse Racing Ireland.
Japan’s Chrysolite, ridden by ‘Joe’ Kanichiro Fujii, took out the initial running of the Korea Cup in 2016 with a six-length victory over fellow Japanese Kurino Star O. Korea’s Triple Nine and Power Blade were third and fourth respectively with France’s Moroccan-bred Famous Mark finishing fifth.
Hong Kong sprinter Super Jockey was outstanding in winning the Korea Sprint of 1200m by four lengths from the Korean outsider Macheon Bolt, trainer by former Australian Peter Wolsley, with the Japanese Good Brandy, a half-length away in third. The former duel US Group 1 winner Wild Dude was the unplaced even-money favourite.
Korea’s venture into international racing was highlighted in 2016 at the Dubai World Cup Carnival with Success Story finishing third to California Chrome, the 2014 US Horse of The Year and Kentucky Derby winner, in the Trans Gulf Electromechanical Trophy at Meydan.
In 2017 Triple Nine became the first Korean horse to race on Dubai World Cup night when unplaced in the Gr2 Godolphin Mile. Triple Nine had previously finished fifth in the Gr1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 while Power Blade was placed third in the Gr2 Al Maktoum Challenge R2 over 1800m.
Korea previously entered the international racing world in August 2014 with the inaugural running of the Asia Challenge Cup won by Singapore’s top-line sprinter El Padrino. In 2013 three Japanese runners from Ohi Racecourse competed against 11 Korean horses in the SBS ESPN Goodwill Cup, the first Korean invitational race.
The Korea Racing Authority has long intended ‘to host international races in order to provide high quality races for local racing fans, to produce stronger and faster Korean-bred horses and to promote horse racing as a sport, not just as a gambling medium.’