On the 23rd, the Korea Racing Authority (Chairman Jeong Gi-hwan) held the '38th Sports Seoul Cup (L, 1400m, domestic OPEN, 3 years old, prize money of 200 million won) at Let's Run Park Seoul's 8th race course.
On that day, 'Chanpaymuseu' (Korea, 3 years old, male, chestnut, rating 37, trainer Shim Ho-cheon, trainer Seo Beom-seok), who had the lowest rating score, crossed the finish line with a record of 1 minute 27.9 seconds while saving energy for a sprint with jockey CC Wong (31, Malaysia).
'Triple Crown' series, which is characterized by being a preliminary race to select the best 3-year-old males and females, saw 13 3-year-old horses, which have recently attracted attention with good performances, announce their participation.
The horse that received the most attention before the race was 'One Punch Dragon.' As it was participating with jockey Moon Se-young, who is about to reach 2,000 wins, the interest among horse racing fans intensified, and it was predicted as a strong candidate for victory with odds of 2.5. The winning horse, 'Chanpaymuseu,' did not receive relatively high expectations, finishing as the 9th most popular with odds of 38.1.
As the start signal rang, 'Silver Rain' seized the lead with explosive speed. Following closely were 'Long Run Bull Pay' and 'Captain PK,' forming a leading group. The winning horse 'Chanpaymuseu' conserved its energy and started its race from behind, in line with its style as a closer. As they turned the fourth corner and entered the straightaway, 'Silver Rain,' who had been leading, began to slow down gradually, and in that gap, 'Long Run Bull Pay' widened the gap and regained the lead.
At that moment, just 200 meters from the finish, 'Chanpaymuseu' showed incredible speed on the inside and attempted to reclaim the lead. Ultimately, just 10 meters before the finish, 'Chanpaymuseu' succeeded in the upset, crossing the finish line first with a record of 1 minute 27.9 seconds. The margin of victory was only three-quarters of a length. Given that it had not received much attention before the race, cheers and gasps arose from the stands.
Jockey CC Wong showcased a big upset in the 'Sports Seoul Cup' just before the excitement of winning last week's target race faded away, becoming the star of this month's target race. After being named the best jockey in Singapore in 2022 and 2023, CC Wong returned to Korea in 2024 and is currently active.
Right after winning, jockey CC Wong stated, 'It seems that I was able to win because I believed in the horse's ability watching its recent good performances and gradual growth in each race, and I did my best.' He continued, 'Analyzing today’s race, I noticed that everyone was closing in to win and it was thanks to the strategy of running on the inside track that we achieved good results.' He also expressed gratitude, saying, 'I am very thankful to the horse racing fans, those who helped me, and the Korea Racing Authority officials, and I will strive to be a jockey who always does my best, so I ask for your support.'
Trainer Seo Beom-seok, who won the 'Sports Seoul Cup' again after 22 years, noted, 'The sprint strategy that I had previously agreed upon with CC Wong worked, and I believe the composure and calmness we maintained was the most crucial point for victory.' He added, 'I will continue to work hard without change to achieve good results in the Triple Crown races.'
The '38th Sports Seoul Cup,' with a total prize of 200 million won, drew about 20,000 spectators, who offered enthusiastic support. The sales volume recorded approximately 3.73 billion won, and the dividends were astonishingly large, with single win bets at 38.1 times, and both place and exacta bets at 170.2 times and 457.4 times, respectively.
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