25/02/2021. Breaking News: KOREA/Jeju Friday: Race-By-Race Preview (February 26) – (UK) G1SW Pastoral Pursuits Passes at 20 – (USA) Kentucky Derby – Goffs February Weanlings Go Online – John Gosden Talks Saudi Cup Win, Enable, California Training Roots and More (by : TDN)
Just like last week, the three Korean tracks will take it in turns to race this weekend with Jeju on Friday, Busan on Saturday and Seoul on Sunday. Racecourses and OTB’s in the south of the country will be open to spectators with advance reservations (made through the MyCard app) at 20% of the indoor seated capacity. The open locations are Jeju Racecourse and Busan Racecourse as well as the off-track betting centres in Busan (both of them), Changwon, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju and Cheonan. Seoul’s Sunday meeting will be behind closed doors and all betting locations in the Greater Seoul area remain closed. Jeju kicks things off with a 10-race pony meting on Friday. Here is the preview for those so-inclined:
Jeju Ponis kick off the weekend’s action on Friday (Pic: KRA)
Race 1: Class 6 (800M) Allowance / KRW 9 Million
1
YANGDAEBAK – Offered little in three starts so far. Big outsider.
2
EOLLUKBOBAE – Began career well with 2nd and a 3rd. Need to forgive latest outing on a muddy track and down in weights he can be a place chance here.
3
TEAYANGSINGONG – 2nd and 5th in two starts so far and beaten by the two favourites here. Decent speed and placing chances.
4
NAEONYEOSIN – 2nd on debut before winning on January 15th beating three of these in the process. His times haven’t been that special but he is clear 2nd favourite here.
5
SANGGODAE – A long last on debut and. Any improvement today a plus.
6
BONGSEONGYEOJE – Offered little in two starts to date.
7
OHRAYEOGEOL – Won her first two outings very smartly indeed before narrowly failing to complete a hat-trick when 2nd last start. Has run consistently fast times and should lead gate to wire here. Strong favourite.
8
TEUKBYEOLSUSADAE – Best finish of 8th was on debut and little to recommend today.
9
BIYANG – Solitary debut-maker, looked competent when trialing and could be in the placing mix first up here.
10
BONGGAEJARANG – Improved across three starts so far and was 3rd behind Naenyeoshin on January 15th. Wide draw not a problem and placing chances again.
DUMOAK – Consistent over five starts so far finishing 3rd to 5th and running into a couple too quick each time. Similar today.
2
JAGEUNBYEOL – Good winner over the distance on January 12th making all. Well drawn to lead again and while this is tougher, she’s firmly in the hunt again.
3
NAKCHEONGISANG – Best finish was a 5th in debut. Yet to show she is capable of running the kind of time that can trouble the scorers.
4
JANGGUNDAEJWA – Best finish of 5th. Has tended to get a bit too far back in races. 5th would be a realistic aim here.
5
MYUNGINHWANGJAE – First time starter who trialed up ok. Others favoured but no reason she can’t go well.
6
SARAGONGJU – Promising 5th on debut at this distance last November. Can match or build on that here.
7
CHACALL – 5th and a 9th from two starts so far. Well back behind the winner on both occasions and not among the favourites here.
8
EUTTEUMYEONGWUNG – First-time starter. Looked well in his trial and with an in-form jockey aboard, is sure to have plenty of backers first-up. Place chance.
9
IMMYEONGJANG – 2nd and 3rd in her first two starts she blotted her copybook somewhat with a poor effort in January on a sloppy track. Worth another chance today but only for a place.
10
MYUNGSEONGYEOGEOL – The likely favourite. She has a win and a 2nd from two starts and the fastest time among these. Front-runner, if she crosses the field to lead, she will be hard to beat.
JUNGMUNSINHWA – Recent form has been consistent. Settles midfield and runs on well with a place a realistic target here.
2
CHUGYEOKJEON – Ran 2nd to Nokwonjeil in December before beating three of these on his way to 3rd over this distance last start. Yet to win in twenty-three attempts a place looks more realistic again.
3
HWANGGEUMJEGUK – Got his maiden win at start thirty-one in December before running 4th behind Chugyeokjeon last month. Outside chance of placing.
4
SEOBUPYEONGJEONG – Found himself overmatched but not disgraced when 9th of 12 in Stakes company last time. He has the fastest time at the distance and is the highest rate. Giving weight away but his class may see him through. Big chance.
5
GANGNAMJAEBEOL – Still lightly races, she should benefit from returning to the distance at which she recorded her only win to date. Others may be favoured but can go well.
6
BIRYONGGISANG - 4th in each of her latest three outings, all of them at 800M. This looks a tougher ask and she’d do very well to match those finishes today.
7
GOSUCHEONHA – Beaten by plenty of these in recent outings and while he occasionally snatches a money finish, he has plenty of form to overturn today.
8
SINHEUNGYEOSIN – Class and distance winner last start, he can mix his form but while he is up in weights and this is a tougher race, he should be in the hunt again.
9
NOKWONJEIL – A win and two runner-up finishes from his last three. He steps up an additional half furlong today but he should be able to cope with that. A real chance.
10
YONGSEOLLAN – Super experienced and along with Sinheungyeosin, is the only one to have won at this distance. Not too far away in recent outings but others surely favoured.
Pastoral Pursuits winning the July Cup | Racingfotos.com
Group 1 winner Pastoral Pursuits (GB) (Bahamian Bounty {GB}-Star {GB}, by Most Welcome {GB}) passed away after covering a mare at Norton Grove Stud on Tuesday. The 2005 G1 July Cup winner was 20.
“It is with great sadness we have to say we lost Pastoral Pursuits yesterday,” Christina Pople, daughter of Richard and Maggie Lingwood of Norton Grove Stud, announced via Twitter. “Sadly, he died after covering a mare due to a rupture in a major vessel in his chest, a symptom of his age. We are all deeply saddened by his death. It will be a great loss to us. He was a lovely character.”
Bred by Red House Stud, the April foal was snapped up by trainer Hugh Morrison for 24,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2002. Under Morrison’s tutelage Pastoral Pursuits would be named the English Highweighted Older Horse at 5-7 furlongs in 2005. Besides his July Cup win, the son of Star also saluted in the G3 Sirenia S. at two and the G2 Park S. at three. He retired with a record of 10-6-2-0 and $463,817 in earnings.
During his stallion career, Pastoral Pursuits spent 11 seasons at the National Stud (2006-2016), one season at Ladyswood & Snailwell Stud the next year and his final years (2018-2021) at Norton Grove Stud.
The full-brother to G1 William Hill Sprint Cup winner and G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest second Goodricke (GB) has sired 13 black-type winners to date, led by G1 Commonwealth Cup third Ventura Rebel (GB), a winner of the G3 Renaissance S. at The Curragh and fellow group winners Pastoral Player (GB), Rose Blossom (GB) and Ipompieridiviggiu (Ity). As a broodmare sire, he has group winner Abel Handy (Ire) (Arcano {Arcano {Ire}}), as well as a trio of stakes-placed runners, among them G1 Prix Morny third Rhythm Master (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
A half-sister to Pastoral Pursuit has already thrown GII San Gabriel S. hero Desert Stone (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and the SW Handassa (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), with the latter the dam of European highweight Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), a winner of both the G1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S. and the G1 Falmouth S. (fonte : TDN)
Point values increased from the Feb. 13 Risen Star S. (G2), and Mandaloun likely guaranteed his Kentucky Derby participation by posting a 1 1/4-length victory.
John Fradkin and Diane Fradkin’s homebred Rombauer earned 10 points on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series following his neck victory in the $101,350 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate on Feb. 13.
LA PEROUSE POWERS TO JAPAN ROAD LEADERSHIP IN HYACINTH
Triple Crown-nominated La Perouse was slow to begin in Sunday’s Hyacinth S. at Tokyo, but rolled late to take leadership of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.
A Kentucky-bred daughter of Empire Maker, Mnasek has earned her ticket back stateside after a dominant victory in Thursday’s $125,000 UAE Oaks (G3) at Meydan.
Following the extension to the current Covid restrictions announced by the Irish Government, Part 2 of the Goffs February Sale will now be held as a live online sale on 11th March.
Vendors will be asked to upload conformation films and veterinary information to the Goffs website so that potential purchasers can make as informed a decision as possible prior to bidding. Every weanling will be presented with a veterinary certificate against which purchasers can re-examine within 48 hours of the fall of hammer to give added confidence to bidders whilst the online information will provide a farm location where applicable should local buyers wish to arrange a socially distanced pre-sale inspection.
Announcing the decision, Goffs Group Chief Executive, Henry Beeby said:
“Whilst this is not our first choice, an online option offers an opportunity to trade and several vendors implored us not to simply cancel the sale. We recognise it will not suit some and that buyers would prefer a physical sale, as would we, but we must react and adapt to the latest Government directives. At this stage we simply cannot say with any degree of certainty when we could hold a physical sale that is both safe and compliant in the short term, and vendors need certainty as they plan their year rather than yet more delays”.
Goffs Online has successfully hosted three live online sales so far including last November’s Autumn Yearling Sale which returned a lively trade for the catalogue presented with the average and median prices actually advancing by 10%. Part 1 of the February Sale also returned better than expected results and a top price of €100,000. Since its inception in July last year the platform has supported physical sales to which overseas buyers could not travel, hosted live online sales with no horses or clients on site and run two buoyant timed online sales with prices of up to £300,000. To date nearly 7,400 bids have been received on Goffs Online from 22 countries with over €7.6 million of business successfully concluded.
John Gosden Talks Saudi Cup Win, Enable, California Training Roots and More (by : TDN)
Three days after racking up yet another monumental win in a career chock full of them, legendary trainer John Gosden joined the TDN Writers’ Room podcast presented by Keeneland Tuesday morning. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Gosden explained how he got Saudi Cup hero Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) to be as brilliant on dirt as he is on turf, what made his five-time champion Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) such a phenomenon, how his roots of training in California in the 1980s informed the rest of his career and much more.
Asked about what it takes to get a horse to perform at a top level on multiple surfaces as Mishriff has done, Gosden said, “I think you’ve got to have the individual. You’ve got to have a horse that obviously handles the surface, but also the one that has the courage to face the kickback. And I think that’s very much the issue. I had many good turf horses in California that could work a mile in a great time on the main track on their own in the morning, but put them in a race in the afternoon and they couldn’t tolerate the dirt. They lose their breathing, their rhythm, everything. So, you need a horse with courage.”
On what he’s looking at for the rest of Mishriff’s campaign and whether or not it will include a shot in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, Gosden said, “We plan obviously to be running him here in races like the Eclipse Stakes. We may even consider looking at a race at the end of the year like The Arc. As regards to Del Mar, of course, that’s to be discussed on the agenda. Having trained and had a lot of fun at Del Mar, I know it very well. The track and the finish line is quite a long way away from the clubhouse turn. It’s quite a short straight. So that would probably be something that would be a positive for horses like Knicks Go and Charlatan and maybe not such a positive for us.”
Elsewhere on the show, the writers conducted their 2021 fantasy 3-year-old draft, checked in with TDN European Editor Emma Berry for more on the Saudi Cup and, in the West Point Thoroughbreds news segment, reacted to the huge news of three top stallion farms suing The Jockey Club over its 140-mare cap.
