Self Improvement wins the Korea Sprint at Seoul.

The JRA was denied a Korea Sprint three-peat by a hair as outstanding betting favourite Chikappa was tipped at the wire by Hong Kong raider Self Improvement on Sunday (September 7) in Seoul.

Chikappa fell short by half a length in the Grade 3 affair. The winning time was 1 minute, 10.5 seconds over 1,200 meters on good, clean dirt.

The Yutaka Take-ridden Chikappa, the 4-year-old colt by former Dubai Turf champion Real Steel out of Uni Chara, started from the outside gate, No. 13 of 13. He traveled slightly off the pace and found an inside lane turning for home to move out in front.

But the 6-year-old Self Improvement, trained by Ka Leung Manfred Man and ridden by Chun Lok Chau, gradually gained with each stride from the outside to turn it into a match race with 200m remaining.

Chikappa looked capable of hanging on for glory but with less than 50m left, gave in to Self Improvement who took the tape first. Remake from Japan had won the Korea Sprint the last two years.

Hopes had been high for the Kazuya Nakatake-trained Chikappa to win his first graded race, domestic or abroad, but that will have to wait for another day.
"He switched on too early at the fourth turn," Take told reporters after his ride came up short. "Which was unnecessary, unfortunately."

Also from the JRA, Tagano Beauty and Sunrise Hawk came in fifth and seventh, respectively.

Tagano Beauty, the 8-year-old veteran horse under Shu Ishibashi, was positioned mid-pack and tried to close but could muster no more than five-and-a-half lengths.

Six-year-old gelding Sunrise Hawk, ridden by Kohei Matsuyama and trained by Mitsunori Makiura, was among the leading pack early on but could not keep up.