Speed Young earns 1st G1 gong in President's Cup

SEOUL Speed Young finally tasted Group 1 success with his win in the 1 billion Korean won (S$910,000) President's Cup (2,000m) at Seoul Racecourse on Oct 19.

Trained by Bang Dong-suk, the Menifee five-year-old held out the Kim Dong-chul-trained Gangpungma (Jo Jae-ro) by just under a length. Success Baekpa (Jin Kyum) and the defending champion Global Hit (Kim Hye-sun) finished third and fourth respectively.

Speed Young's stablemate and 2024 President's Cup winner Global Hit had missed the international Group 3 Korea Cup (1,800m) on Sept 7 due to lameness, after he was beaten into second by Success Baekpa in the Group 2 KRA Cup Classic (2,000m) on Aug 3.

Still, the nine-time Group winner was sent off as the odds-on favourite for South Korea's richest open age race.

Though Global Hit settled fairly under Kim and took up a good position coming into the home straight, the five-year-old never threatened to win and was beaten a long way from home.

Instead, it was Speed Young ($26) who, having raced handy throughout with Jung Do-yun on board, took things up with just over a furlong to go and ran on to hold off the fast-finishing Gangpungma with ¾ length to spare.

Jung was elated after he secured his first Group 1 victory.

"I think we won because we rode a confident race today. I wanted to go forward and not to have to worry about what any other horse was doing," said the 29-year-old jockey to Korea Racing Broadcasting Channel.

"When you choose to be a jockey as your profession, winning Group 1 races is your ultimate goal. Now I have done that, I am so happy I can't express it in words.

"I really want to thank the owner for trusting me with the ride, the trainer for his guidance and the fans in Seoul for their support whenever I come here."

Speed Young won three of his first five races, and was Korea's champion juvenile in 2022.

But he won only another three races in the next 21 starts, with his biggest success coming in the 2024 Group 3 Owners' Cup (1,600m) at Busan.

The DRM City-owned galloper often ran in Group races, and has clocked in a number of top-four finishes at distances over 1,200m and 2,300m.

With his versatility and reliability, Speed Young has earned the nickname of "Swiss army knife".

He was the best locally trained runner in the 2024 international Group 3 Korea Sprint (1,200m) and the 2025 Korea Cup. He finished fourth in both contests.

It was a day to celebrate for owner Park Nam-sung, who owns Speed Young through his DRM City group, and also the first runner-up Gangpungma.

"I am very happy," said Park. "Of course, the victory had absolutely nothing to do with me but all the staff who made it happen.

"Finally, it's a victory. I bought Speed Young for 100 million Korean won. Since then, he has lots of top two and three and four finishes, and the occasional wins, but always in the best races.

"He was fourth in the Korea Cup, and now he makes a statement by winning the President's Cup. Let's try and win the Korea Cup next year."

Bang was entitled to feel bittersweat after Speed Young won the race, but Global Hit came in only fourth.

"Global Hit ran below my expectation, which was disappointing, but Speed Young winning is a new feeling," he said.

"I was so disappointed with the last race (KRA Cup Classic). Not to take anything away from Success Baekpa who beat us then, but today, Speed Young looked much more loosened up and Jung Do-yun said he wanted to go for it.

"With Global Hit, I will review the race again, talk to Kim Hye-sun, and obviously have the horse checked for his condition and hopefully, we can go again."

Post-race vet examination reported Global Hit was diagnosed with the same conditions he had in August - desmitis of the suspensory ligament and synovitis of the fetlock joint, both chronic but manageable ailments.

The son of To Honor And Serve will need to be cleared by the vets before being permitted to race again.

The President's Cup is part of the Korea Premier Series. While it is restricted to Korean-bred horses, the seventh and final leg - the Group 1 Grand Prix Stakes (2,300m) on Nov 30 - will also be open to foreign-bred and foreign-trained horses.

Japan's Yumeno Honoo, third behind Global Hit and Speed Young in the Group 3 YTN Cup (2,000m) on Apr 20, is expected to return to Seoul for another go. SKY RACING WORLD