Mr Kim Jin-Young, the first president of the Korea Busan Kyungnam Racehorse Owners Association, had his appetite for the talents of New Zealand bred racehorses well and truly whetted through an early ownership involvement in a New Zealand bred gelding named Whaling Ship.
Sourced by the Korean Racing Authority from New Zealand and raced by Mr Kim under their auspices, the gelding became a prolific winner in his homeland. Through the rapid development of the Korean Racing scene in the last decade the way has been paved for enthusiasts like Mr Kim to come to New Zealand and purchase horses in their own right now, which he and another member of the Busan Group, Mr Lim Kyo-Chui, took full advantage of last week.
"This is our first visit to New Zealand and we have been most impressed by what we have seen so far," said Mr Kim.
"We have had the chance to visit a number of stud farms and operations as well as take in the sale and we have thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
"Racing in Korea is experiencing rapid growth. Our organisation was formed in 2005 and I am very proud of how much our racing at Busan has developed since then.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to come here and buy some of the quality horses you produce so I'm very excited to do that."
Mr Kim swung into action late on day two of the sale when he outlaid $20,000 for Lot 546, a Burgundy gelding from prolific mare Tricia Ann. Included in the gelding's extended family is 2016 Australian Derby winner Tavago.
Mr Lim had taken his opportunity earlier in the day when he went to $34,000 for a Bernardini colt from the Diamond Lodge draft. A director of one of the many operational areas involved in the Owner's Association activities, Mr Lim was also full of praise for his first New Zealand experience.
"I have been very impressed with what I've seen, especially what I would call the kiwi way with the horses," he said.
"Everything is so professional and it is quite inspiring to witness. "
Both horses will be sent to Korea as part of a shipment heading there in the next few weeks, where they will have the chance to race for some serious prizemoney. The stakes structure in the country has leapt ahead in recent times with pinnacle Group/Grade One races worth NZ $1million, Group Two races at NZ$700,000 and so on down to the lower ranks who can compete for a minimum of NZ $35-40,000.
While the majority of their time was spent on the racing side of their visit both men found time to enjoy the local tourist attractions including a trip to the Korean War Memorial site in Parnell, Auckland.
"We especially wanted to visit the memorial and pay our respects as part of our time here in New Zealand," said Mr Lim.
"It was quite an emotional moment for me, with a few tears, but something very special that we could experience." – NZ Racing Desk
