News

Super Soo and Korea always a Winner

27th Jul 2015

Singapore Turf Club - Michael Lee - Sunday, 26 July 2015

The first edition of the Korea Racing Authority Trophy open to Korean horses was a hotly-contested affair which eventually went to the home team with Super Winner sprinting away to a handsome victory on Sunday.

The $250,000 race over 1200m on Polytrack saw Nobody Catch Me, Gamdonguidaba and Cheon Gu along with trainers, jockeys and owners ply the Busan and Seoul – Singapore route to become the first Korean horses to ever compete in Singapore. Though they came as unknown quantities, they did not go completely unnoticed with Cheon Gu (Yoo Seung Wan) taking on the pacemaking role from the outset before weakening out of it only in the last 300m while Nobody Catch Me (Kim Yong Geun) came from the ruck to finish sixth at long odds of $530 for the best finish of the Korean trio.

Regardless of the outcome, the friendly match-up between the two Clubs and countries was a resounding success and has certainly set the tone for more of such reciprocal events.

But all honours to Super Winner whose previous record of five wins from eight runs, had long set him apart as something out of the box for trainer Theo Kieser, but a recent setback did dampen the mood a little ahead of the race, especially with the presence of another up-and-coming sprinter in My Lucky Strike in the line-up.

Nonetheless, jockey Soo Khoon Beng went into the race like he was riding the best horse in the race and that was exactly how it eventuated in the end. Sitting outside surprise leader Cheon Gu, the Kaphero three-year-old stayed in that berth for the longest time until the field straightened up for the judge.

Super Winner easily swept past the fading Cheon Gu to open up what looked like a decisive break. Favourite My Lucky Strike (Manoel Nunes), who took the box-seat run from the start, was still lurking in his shadows but it was clear he was not quickening well enough to upstage Super Winner.

Wimbledon (Corey Brown) tried to peg back Super Winner as well, but Kieser’s flying machine was in no mood to surrender as he reached the wire with 1 ¼ lengths to spare from My Lucky Strike, who in the end managed to outstrip Wimbledon by a neck. The winning time was 1min 11.06secs for the 1200m on the Polytrack.

Known for being a dab hand with two-year-olds but also with speedsters (Goal Keeper, Yin Jie, Yin Xin), an emotional Kieser was enjoying a rare moment in the limelight. Even if the KRA Trophy is not a Group race, the South African-born handler felt just as thrilled as he was at his one and only ‘black type’ win when Goal Keeper won the Group 3 Paititi Gold Trophy (1200m) last year.

“This is just super. He’s a cracking horse and he fully deserves that win,” said Kieser.

“We have been thinking about running him in this race for a while now, but there was a question mark when he was scratched at his last start.

“He had some mucus in his throat after a gallop and had to be scratched. He needed the run before going into today’s race and I was a bit concerned because of that.

“I don’t think he’s just a Polytrack horse as he ran second to Affleck at his first time and at his second run on turf he pulled a muscle in his back.

“We have given him a couple of workouts on grass since and KB told me he was doing very well.”

If Kieser, normally quite a placid man after a win, had a shaky voice at the post-race interviews, Soo was lapping up the moment with his infectious celebrations and frenzied jabbering at the microphone.

He had even more reasons to be extra jubilant as the Land of the Morning Calm was once his adopted land.

“I rode in Busan and I had a lot of success and a good time there. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Korean people for looking after me there and for organising this race in Singapore today,” said the Penang-born rider.

“I went back in 2012, but in Seoul to ride at the Seoul International Jockey Challenge. I won one race (Sangnyu). So yes, Korea has always brought luck to me as now I’ve won the KRA Trophy with all the Korean horses, jockeys and trainers here. It’s fantastic!”

But the more emphatic “fantastic” epithet was reserved for the fleet-footed conveyance he has now partnered to all six wins and two seconds.

“I’m very happy I’ve won this race with Super Winner. He was always travelling well and I always had plenty in hand,” said Soo who has been associated with a few top horses like Terfel (2005 Singapore Gold Cup) and Lim’s Objective (2007 Raffles Cup).

“Whoever can run the last 600m in 34.4 seconds has to be a fantastic horse. He’s also such a simple horse to ride.”

Super Winner has now taken his total earnings past the $370,000 mark for his owner, Mr Soh Seng Lye.

Super Winner (Kaphero x Millie Rose) was a $35,000 purchase by Theo Kieser from the draft of Basinghall Farm at the 2013 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.