Clean One makes a mess of Grand Prix opponents

SEOUL – Clean One pulled off one of the most comprehensive demolition jobs in Korean racing history at Seoul Racecourse on Nov 30.

The three-year-old led from gate to wire to win the 1 billion won (S$882,000) Grade 1 Grand Prix (2,300m) by nine lengths, the biggest winning margin recorded in the traditional final Grade 1 of the year in 30 years.

Gangpungma was the distant second, with Speed Young and Japanese visitor Yumeno Honoo a strung-out third and fourth respectively.

Relatively unexposed with a third place in June’s Grade 3 Owners’ Cup (1,600m) as his only previous Grade experience, Clean One entered the race with four wins from eight starts, taking on 15 rivals at lukewarm odds of $61.

The market elect was Yumeno Honoo. Making his second visit to Korea after his third place in April’s Grade 3 YTN Cup (2,000m), the Kochi star’s adeptness at staying distances persuaded punters to send him off just the right side of even money.

With Seo Seung-un and Global Hit tracking his every step, Yumeno Honoo and Yoshihara Hiroto settled midfield.

While Yumeno Honoo got a bit closer around the final turn, he did well to ultimately run into fourth place in a tumultuous race, losing nothing in defeat.

Gangpungma (Jo Jae-ro) had been slow away but grew gradually into the race, sitting midfield after the back straight and running on quicker than all but the winner.

Speed Young (Jung Do-yun) sat in midfield early before steadily improving, and finished as well as ever.

Behind Yumeno Honoo, the recently out-of-form Tuhonui Banseok (Seo Gang-ju) put in a spirited fifth ahead of Wonpyeong Storm (Ruan Maia) and Global Hit.

The gap from first to fifth was 26 lengths. Clean One simply ran them off their legs.

Jockey Franco da Silva took Clean One straight to the lead from gate 11 and, by the time they were halfway home, they already held a two-length lead.

This would be stretched to four with 600m to run and five into the home straight. Still full of running, he kept extending, completing the final furlong in a quicker time than any, including Gangpungma.

Not since Ka Shock Do landed the second of her two Grand Prix in 1995, had a horse won the big race by such a margin.

Only Po Gyeong Seon in 1985 and 1986 has exceeded it (in all three of those races, the Grand Prix was contested at a shorter distance).

“I don’t have many words because I’m speechless,” da Silva told KRBC.

He promptly found some: “The plan was to always go with the horse’s speed, without worrying about anybody else.

“I talked to the trainer, and he let me ride very freely, so I told him if I go to the front, it shouldn’t be a problem or if the pace is too fast, I can sit second.

“I was lucky, I got an easy lead and from there, I just had to control the pace and make sure nobody can catch me.

“I’ve always known he was a very talented horse since he was two years old. Unfortunately, I didn’t ride him for his first few starts, so I’m lucky he’s shown his potential now.”

As for how far Clean One can go, the Brazilian-born Irish jockey sat on the fence.

“I think he’s a really special horse, I still think he has plenty in the tank although, of course, we never know for sure,” he said.

Clean One is owned by the Healing Farm Union and trained at Busan by Moon Hyeon-cheol, a third-year trainer who scored his first Grade race win just last week with Supex Winner in the Breeders’ Cup Rookie.

The juvenile was also ridden by da Silva who, with Clean One, registered his ninth Korean Grade race success and second Grade 1. The 46-year-old is just shy of 540 Korean winners overall over nine seasons in the country.

An American-bred, Clean One is by Bernardini and out of No Fault (by Blame). He was a US$22,000 (S$28,000) purchase out of the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. KOREA RACING AUTHORITY