Second Busan-Gyeongnam jockey to reach milestone... career win rate of 17.9%
103 wins this year, personal single-season record within reach
Jockey Seo Seung-un (37), who competes at Korea Racing Authority's Lets Run Park Busan Gyeongnam, reached 1,000 career wins Friday — 15 years after his debut.
Seo crossed the finish line first aboard Geum-a Adept in the ninth race at Lets Run Park Busan Gyeongnam on Friday, claiming his 1,000th victory since turning professional in 2011. The milestone makes him the fifth jockey in Korean racing history to reach the mark, and the second based primarily at the Busan Gyeongnam track, after retired jockey Yoo Hyun-myeong.
Seo has entered 5,607 races in his career, recording 1,002 wins, 798 second-place finishes and 726 third-place finishes. His career win rate stands at 17.9%, with a place rate of 32.1% and a show rate of 45.1%.
He posted a double-digit win rate in his very first season and has never fallen below 10% in any season since. From 2023 onward, he has maintained a win rate of around 20% each year, cementing his status as one of the leading jockeys at Busan Gyeongnam.
This year, Seo has recorded 103 wins from 513 races for a win rate of 20.1%, a place rate of 35.4% and a show rate of 49.5%. He has maintained consistent results even after the introduction of an integrated jockey system in June required him to ride at both Seoul and Busan Gyeongnam.
Named the best jockey at Busan Gyeongnam for four consecutive years since 2022, Seo is also closing in on his personal single-season record of 106 wins.
He has also excelled in graded stakes races, leading all active jockeys with 39 such victories. Particularly notable was his partnership with the celebrated horse Winner's Man, with whom he combined for nine graded stakes wins, including the President's Cup (G1), the Korea Cup (G1) and the Grand Prix (G1).
"I am grateful to the owners, trainers and stable hands who gave me the opportunity to ride, and to the racing fans who have shown their support over so many years," Seo said.
"Because we are working with living animals, there are many variables, so I try to study hard before every single race," he added. "I will keep building on my wins one race at a time, approaching it as if I am starting all over again from scratch."
yjc@heraldcorp.com
