On Saturday, the 29th of last month, jockey Moon Seyoung achieved a monumental milestone of 2,000 career wins by claiming victory in the 9th race at Let's Run Park Seoul, operated by the Korea Racing Authority (Chairman Jung Kiwhan).
Moon Seyoung displayed remarkable prowess by winning 4 out of the 5 races he participated in that day. Far from being hindered by superstition, he reached his 2,000th win so quickly that even officials barely had time to prepare their congratulations.
With this, Moon Seyoung, known as the "Crown Prince of Horse Racing," now shares the 2,000-win record that was previously held solely by Park Taejong, the "President of Horse Racing," in the history of Korean horse racing.
Debuting in 2001, Moon Seyoung is undeniably Korea's top jockey, boasting 48 major race victories and 9 Most Outstanding Jockey awards. Unsurprisingly, he continues to firmly hold the Leading Jockey title this year as well. His career record stands at 9,342 races and 2,000 wins. Notably, over the past year, his win rate is 13.9%, and his place rate (finishing in the top 3) is 55.0%. This means that if you bet on Moon Seyoung's horses to place, you would win about once every two times.
Moon Seyoung commented, "Honestly, I thought it would be nice just to get one win today, so I'm delighted to have reached 2,000 wins thanks to some good fortune. To be honest, it feels a bit surreal. When I was waiting for my 1,500th win, I was nervous and kept blaming myself, wondering 'why isn't it happening?' But approaching 2,000 wins, I didn't feel as much pressure as before."
When asked about his goals as a jockey, he replied, "Honestly, I don't have any. Some people say I must break Park Taejong's record and then become a trainer, but for now, I'm just focused on doing my best each day. I am grateful for both the support and criticism from horse racing fans. I hope you'll continue to come and watch, and I'll keep showing you my best."
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