Symbolism Strong for Asia Challenge Cup

There are few, if any, horses you’ve heard of, and the winner won’t have assured himself a stud deal with victory. But Sunday’s running of the $340,000 Asia Challenge Cup, going 1200 meters over the sand track at Seoul Race Park, marks an important step toward the goal of internationalizing the Thoroughbred industry in Korea.

For just the third time, and second in its current form, the Cup finds foreign invitees battling Korean-trained horses, and a victory for the home team would be reason to open a few bottles of soju and celebrate. Leading the charge for the foreign invaders is last year’s winner El Padrino (NZ) (Mr. Nancho {Arg}), one of three horses from Singapore to make the trip, and one of two trained by Alwin Tan. Owned by One Eight Eight Stable, El Padrino sat a mid-pack trip in a 2014 event contest over 1400 meters, forged to the front in upper stretch and held the staying-on Wonder Bolt (Desert Warrior) by two lengths. Subsequently named Singapore’s champion older horse, El Padrino was still firing on all cylinders in March, when he flew home to be a close-up fourth to Secret Circle (Eddington) in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. The 7-year-old gelding hasn’t been at his best lately, however, missing the board in turf sprints in May and July in Singapore, but a return to the main track could get El Padrino going again for jockey Oscar Chavez.

The best chance for a local upset is Choegang Schiller (Artie Schiller), a winner of six of 12 lifetime starts. Bred in Kentucky by Runnymede Farm and the Peter J. Callahan Revocable Trust, and sold by Runnymede for $25,000 at the 2012 Keeneland September Sale, Choegang Schiller won a quickly run Class 1 event over this trip May 23, and returned to just miss in the Mun-Hwa S. July 12. Choegang Schiller is trained by Ji Young Hun and will be ridden by Lee Chan Ho.

Wonder Bolt is back in the hopes of doing one better from a year ago. The 5-year-old gelding returned from a six-month respite to run fourth, beaten three lengths, at even money June 28, and figures to be tighter here. A New York-bred, Wonder Bolt was bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds. Ends Well sold him for $20,000 at the 2012 OBS June Sale.

Japan has two in the race, Taisei Legend (Jpn) (King Kamehameha) and Kogyo Douglas (Jpn) (Sterling Rose {Jpn}). Neither would be a surprise.

Hyun Myung Kwan, chairman of the Korea Racing Authority, welcomed the participants of the event during a gala dinner Saturday night at the Intercontinental Coex, and admitted to lofty aims for the Challenge Cup. The target this weekend, said Hyun, is, “to make a contribution to he growth of the international horse racing industry, and at the same time get us driven to build the public image [of racing] in Korea, and I believe hosting this kind of international event will be a shortcut to deliver such an objective.”