There’s racing at all three tracks over the weekend. Busan started things off with nine races this afternoon and will run a further six on Sunday with the first off at 13:00. The feature race is the last at 16:10, an 1800 metre handicap worth 32Million won to the winner.  Jeju has nine races on both Saturday and Sunday.

Seoul gets underway at 11:00 on Saturday and Sunday mornings. There are 11 races both days. Race 10 is the feature race each day off at 16:50 on Saturday and 17:10 on Sunday both with a 34Million won first place prize.   After this week’s temperatures of -10, the weekend is expected to be warmer with temperatures perhaps even making it to the right side of freezing.

Today’s card is already underway at Seoul Race Park. A mild night has removed fears of yesterday’s snowfall freezing over and all looks set for a reasonable day. Only 11 races again today and tomorrow but the breaks look less brutal than last week so it should be a better weekend for racegoers. The most valuable race today is race 10 at 16:50. So far the short priced horses are coming in – Yoon, Dae Keun winning the first on the 2.2 favourite, Yang, Hee Jin took the second at 4.6 and Park, Tae Jong has just taken the third.

Warning: Unless you get up early, you won’t see much racing
Another 11 races start at 11:ooam Sunday but a day at the races can hardly be recommended given the race schedule tomorrow. All three tracks – Seoul, Jeju and Busan –  are running cards and this means that at Seoul there is 55 minutes between races during the peak afternoon time. So unless you enjoy watching a lot of TV racing then stay home tomorrow.  For those who do have the patience to venture out, the best advice is to get there for the first at 11:00am and then leave after Race 5.  The most valuable race of the day is not until 5:10pm and is a handicap over 2000 metres.  Overall though, the card looks rather thin.

Schedules like this are a prime example of why a day at the races in Korea doesn’t have mass appeal.  From 11:50 to16:40 there is a break of an hour between every race,  no wonder it’s only hard-bitten gamblers who attend.

The first race day of 2008 sees just 11 races at Seoul Race Park. The first is under orders at 11:00am and the last at 5:30pm. To celebrate the New Year, Race 6 is a big handicap worth 52Million won to the winner, an unusual prize fund for a Saturday race. It’s worth warning that as there are only 11 races, there are three hour-long gaps in the card instead of the usual two, with Jeju races being shown at 12:20pm, 1:20pm and 2:20pm. The big race is off at 2:50pm. However, after last weekend’s unbearably cold conditions, temperatures are expected to get the right side of zero and the sun should be out, which should make for a good day.

It’s got cold again. From the balmy highs of midweek, the temperature plummeted below zero on Friday evening and is expected to remain there throughout the weekend. There are 12 races in Seoul on both Saturday and Sunday. Start time is 11am both days. Compared to the Grand Prix last week, there are no outstanding prizes but there are big competitive fields on both days. Come racing, just remember to wrap up very very warm.

Aussie jockey makes second appearance
There’s a 12 race card with the first at 11:00 and the last at 17:20. There are no feature races but as ever, the final three are the most valuable. It’s a card of long races with every race from 7 onwards being over 1700 metres or further. After a Friday afternoon of thunderstorms and torrential rain, the track may be a little heavy but the day is expected to be dry and much warmer than recent days with temperatures of up to 10C. Australian jockey Danny Craven will make his second Korean appearance in the fifth race. Craven debuted last week with a winner. A quick check on Virtual Form Guide shows he has a record since 2003 of 115 winners from 1316 rides based in South East Queensland although he has also ridden in the past in Mauritius. He rides in races 5 and 9 so a further update tomorrow.

Winter is expected to get underway with a vengeance tomorrow with predicted highs of just 6C. Nevertheless there’s a 12 race card at Seoul Racecourse Park with the first under orders at 11:00 and the last at 17:20.  The most valuable race is Race 11 at 16:50 – a 2000 metre handicap worth 60,000,000won.  Only seven runners are declared though which means that place bets will only pay out on first and second – a rarity at Gwacheon –  so the entertaining betting looks to be earlier in the day.

It’s Pepero Day!!! There’s also a 12 race card at Gwacheon. The International Jockey Challenge concludes with the Macau Jockey Club Cup at 15:20 and another valuable race at 16:30. The first race is under orders at 11:00 and the last at 17:40.