The long-standing relationship between Singapore and Korean horse racing could not have been better cemented at the LetsRun Park racecourse in Seoul on Sept 5 by a jockey who is no stranger to these strong ties, Kim Yong-geun.

The 44-year-old was the winning jockey aboard Breedo Aqua in the 150 million won (S$141,000) Singapore Pools Trophy (1,200m), one of many international entities honoured by the Korea Racing Authority (KRA) at that prelude to their biggest race day, the Korea Cup meeting on Sept 6.

Kim was also part of a pioneering group of three South Korean jockeys who were invited to Kranji to ride at the inaugural KRA Trophy (1,200m) on July 26, 2015.

He rode Nobody Catch Me to the best Korean result with a sixth to the late Theo Kieser-trained Polytrack specialist, Super Winner.

“Back in 2015, during the first reciprocal race between South Korea and Singapore, I was riding in Busan and went to Singapore for the race (KRA Trophy),” said Kim.

“I still remember the time because it was a good memory. Even though many years have passed, I’m still thankful for that experience.”

A year later, Kim won the Singapore Turf Club Trophy (1,400m) with Raon Amos back on his home soil in Seoul.

The bond was at its pinnacle in those days, with the Singapore Turf Club and its Korean counterpart then the driving forces behind the exchange races, which, however, then became just domestic events with no international runners after 2018.

Perhaps the real catalyst to these close ties was Singapore’s very own El Padrino winning the inaugural Asia Challenge Cup (1,400m) – the precursor to today’s Korea Sprint – in Seoul in 2014.

Many other Kranji horses have gone back to Seoul since, but none have bean able to repeat El Padrino’s feat, most of them beaten by the notoriously deep sand.

Much water has flown under the bridge since then, including the closure of the Singapore Turf Club in October ...