Corners (1C, 2C, 3C, 4C)

In Korean race results, 1C, 2C, 3C, and 4C are points where the field passes the racecourse corners. C stands for corner, and each marker is defined by its distance from the finish.

Where are the corners?

Label	Position
1C	First corner — 1,680 metres before the finish
2C	Second corner — 1,400 metres before the finish
3C	Third corner — 810 metres before the finish
4C	Fourth corner — 530 metres before the finish

Because these are distance-based points, a shorter race may not pass the earlier corners at all. A 1,200-metre race, for example, cannot pass a marker located 1,680 metres before the finish. A blank corner field in the results is therefore not necessarily an error.

What can you learn at each corner?

The field often changes shape around the turns. Reading a horse’s positions from S1F, the opening 200 metres, through the corners and then G3F, the final 600-metre point, helps show how it travelled through the race.

• 1C to 2C — position after the early contest for a place in the field
• 3C — 810 metres from the finish, as runners begin preparing their challenges
• 4C — 530 metres from the finish, just before the final straight

The difference between fourth-corner position and final placing can be especially informative. A horse that was well back at 4C but finished much higher made up ground in the straight; the reverse indicates that it lost places.

What the figures do not show

A corner rank records position, not speed. Being in front does not by itself mean a horse was running fast, particularly if the overall pace was slow.

Position also does not reveal whether a horse travelled around the inside or covered extra ground on the outside. The rank alone cannot capture that difference in distance. For a guide to connecting these points with sectional figures, see S1F and G3F explained.