Korean Derby Opens 37th ARF Conference

Final Boss, the Korean Derby winner and former Juvenile Champion. Photo courtesy Bernard Kenny.

By Bernard Kenny

The Seoul 37th Asian Racing Conference opens on Sunday 13 May at Seoul Racecourse with the ARF Commemorative Race being run alongside the nation’s principal classic event the 21st Korean Derby of 1800m for 3YOs, the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Will Conference delegates and guests experience such an exciting and dramatic Korean Derby as last year when Seoul racegoers witnessed race favourite Final Boss and jockey Choi Bum Hyun stage such a whirl-wind Derby finish.

Final Boss was sent out as the 2017 Derby favourite chiefly on the ease of his first two starts at 1700m and 1800m in this his 3yo classic season, and that he was Korea’s Champion Juvenile in 2016.

However racegoers were in two minds shortly after the Derby start when Final Boss was racing at the rear of the field, well up to the 400m mark. Connections had Choi Bum Hyum adopting similar tactics on Final Boss when a disappointing fifth as co-favourite in his previous start the KRA Cup Mile.

Termed the ‘Korean Guineas,’ the 1600m KRA Cup Mile is the first leg of the Triple Crown run at Busan Racecourse, with victory going to the outsider Indian King, ridden by Englishman Darryll Holland.

As the Derby unfolded, and with the main race contenders making their move on entering the home straight, it was Final Boss who was making ground from the rear of the field. Within the final furlong Final Boss skirted wide to the outside fence, gathering in the race leaders.

So exciting was Final Boss’s three lengths over Royal Ruby that 38-year-old jockey Choi Bum Hyun gave racegoers a true victory salute as it was his first Derby and Classic victory.

Trained by leading trainer Ji Yong Cheol, Final Boss is the fifth Korean Derby winner in succession sired by champion Korean-based US sire Menifree, who stands at the KRA Jeju Stud Farm on Jeju Island.

Menifree, by Harlan, won the Blue Grass Stakes and Haskell Invitational, having finished second in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Final Boss is the third winning foal of twice winning Japanese-bred mare Sinsok Dolpa, by Lindo Shaver.

On the strength of his Derby victory Final Boss was sent out favourite for the third leg of the Triple Crown, the Minister’s Cup of 2000m at Seoul, but could only finished fifth as the pedestrian race pace was unsuitable for his come from behind tactistics.

The race outsider Yeonggwanguihunter, jockey Lim Sung Sil, scored by a half-length over the KRA Cup Mile winner Indian Song, with a neck margin to Daeho Sidae in third. All first four place getters were trained in Busan with Final Boss the first Seoul trained runner in finishing fifth.

Successful trainer Lim Keum Man took his chance when Yeonggwanguihunter was placed third in a 1800m Class 4 event having never won higher than Class 4 and never beyond 1300m.

Sired by the AP Indy stallion Colors Flying, Yeonggwanguihunter was bred by Kim Hae Buk and is fifth winning produce of the Canadian-bred Cheers Again, by Awesome Again, who was a $17,000 purchase at the Keeneland 2007 Breeding Stock Sale.

In 2017 the Korea Racing Authority staged 96 Racing fixtures at both Seoul and Busan Racecourses, with a total of 1094 races run at Seoul and 805 races at Busan.

A total of 11,832 horses contested races in Seoul last year with 10.8 starters per race. Busan had 8,753 total starters with 10.9 runners per race.

Also, in Seoul last year 121,783M₩ ($AUS 146.1m) total prizemoney was distributed across 1094 races with an allocation of 111.3M₩ ($AUS 133,560) per race.

In Busan a total of 71,468 M₩ ($AUS 85.7m) was distributed at an average of 88.8M₩ ($AUS 106,560) across its 805 races.

Soul Racecourse registered 501 individual owners in 2017, with 52 trainers headed by Park Dae Heung with 61 wins and expatriate Djordje Perovic the most successful of 56 jockeys with 106 wins. Seoul employs 485 stable staff on-course.

Busan Racecourse had 340 owners, 32 trainers with Kim Young Kwan being champion with 96 winners, Jo In Kwen with 96 victories being the most successful of 35 jockeys, plus 281 stable staff.

The Korea Racing Authority hosts the Seoul 37th Asian Racing Conference commencing on Sunday 13 May with the running of the Korean Derby, and continuing through to Friday 18 May with the Jeju Island Post Conference Tour.

 

 

 

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