It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning to bet on the Cheltenham Festival, the Grand National or a weekday racecard at Newton Abbot, it’s important to know all the horse racing betting terms used by the sport and bookmakers so you’re better informed.
Below, we’ve put together an A-Z of the horse racing terminology to add to your own glossary for betting on the gee-gees.
Accumulator
An accumulator is one of the most popular horse racing bet types. Also known as an ‘acca’, this is bet on four or more selections, all of which must win to pay out as a winning bet.
All-Weather
An all-weather race track is an artificial surface, installed to enable racecourses to stage horse race meetings in year-round weather conditions. It’s a cost-effective installation, requiring less upkeep than turf and dirt race tracks.
Ante Post
Ante-post betting markets are the earliest futures bet open for major races. Ante-post markets typically list all potential runners in a future race. You can usually get favourable odds, but be mindful if your selection doesn’t eventually run, your bet will stand as a loser.
Boxed In
When a horse is boxed in during a race, it means they are surrounded by other horses, preventing it from overtaking or changing its race path. A boxed in horse can struggle to make headway.
Bumper
A bumper horse race consists of thoroughbred horses who are running in a flat race (with no hurdles or fences) for the first time. Bumpers are reserved solely for first-time flat racers. The Champion Bumper is an iconic bumper race, which is staged as part of the Cheltenham Festival.
Brought Down
The term brought down is shown as ‘B’ or ‘BD’ in a horse’s race history. When a horse is brought down, they fall and unseat their rider after being impeded by another racehorse. This is usually through no fault of its own.
Chase
A chase is short for steeplechase in the world of horse racing. A chase is a type of distance horse race featuring a string of obstacles and fences of varying heights and depths. Chases benefit horses with strong stamina and jumping technique. The Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup are two of the most notable chases in UK horse racing.
Classic
There are five ‘Classic’ races on the UK horse racing calendar. These are Group 1 flat races which attract some of the biggest prize money in the season, including the 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and the Epsom Derby.
Connections
A racehorse’s ‘connections’ relate to those who have a say in their career. This includes the horse’s trainer and its owner(s).
Dead Heat
When two or more race horses cross the finish line at the same time, the race is classified as a dead heat. It means no individual horse can be named the race winner following a photo finish.
Declared
A horse is considered declared when it is entered into an upcoming horse race at the final stage for declarations. It’s the last stage for a jockey or racehorse owner to withdraw a horse from participating.
Draw Bias
A draw bias in a racehorse relates to the advantage (or disadvantage) they may receive from their draw in the race stalls. For instance, some race tracks may favour low draws and others may favour high draws where horses can hug the outside rail.
Fences
A fence is a type of obstacle used in steeplechase races. Fences are usually of wooden or steel construction, filled out with real or artificial birch and bound together to create a hard-wearing jump.
Flat Turf
A flat turf race in horse racing is held on a flat race track with no ditches or obstacles. It’s also raced on a turf circuit, as opposed to a dirt or all-weather race surface. Iconic turf racecourses in England include Cheltenham, Newmarket, Goodwood, Royal Ascot and Aintree.
Form
Form is a formal record of a racehorse’s performance in past races. Experienced horse racing bettors and tipsters will utilise a thoroughbred’s form to decide how they are likely to perform in their next race.
Furlong
A furlong is a form of measurement used in horse races. A furlong is a traditional unit of 220 yards or an eighth of a mile. Racecourses use numbered posts to display how many furlong jockeys are from the finishing post on the home straight.
Gelding
A thoroughbred racehorse described as a gelding is one that’s been castrated. Racehorse owners typically castrate a horse to improve them. That’s because some ungelded horses (colts) are mischievous, unfocused and less likely to achieve their potential.
Going
The going of a race meeting relates to the condition of the racecourse surface. It’s most influential on turf racecourses. Turf tracks with a ‘heavy’ going are saturated with rainwater and hard underfoot. At the other end of the spectrum, turf tracks with a ‘good’ going offer the fairest turf condition and are much drier and faster overall.
Graded Race
A graded race is the highest-class of National Hunt horse race. There are six class bands in National Hunt racing. The top band consists of three grades – Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3. The Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe are both Grade 1 races. The Liverpool Hurdle at Aintree is a popular Grade 2 race, while the Grand National and Scottish Grand National are both Grade 3 races.
Handicap
A handicap race in horse racing is one where horses of mixed abilities are pitched against one another. Weights are used on the best horses to, in theory, slow them down and level the playing field.
Hurdles
A hurdle race is one which involves thoroughbred horses jumping over obstacles called hurdles. These tend to be much smaller than fences, but are still three-and-a-half feet high or greater and still offer a stiff test of technique and stamina.
In-Play
In-play is the term used to describe when a horse race is in-running. Bettors can sometimes wager on live sporting events in play, although horse racing is one sport where this is not the case, particularly with traditional bookmakers.
Listed Race
A listed race is not quite the same level as Group races, but they are just as popular. Listed races act like handicap races in that the horses with the highest ratings are handicapped with additional weight.
Maiden
A maiden horse race is reserved exclusively for thoroughbred racehorses which haven’t yet won a race. Maidens can be raced in many conditions and over multiple race distances. The odds on maiden races are most volatile due to the lack of information on said horses.
Nap
A nap is considered a tipster’s best pick of a race card. Think of it as the banker bet of the day. The more naps a horse has from multiple tipster sources, the more likely it is to run well.
National Hunt
National Hunt racing is a form of horse racing in the UK, Ireland and France. There are two distinct classifications of National Hunt races – hurdle races and steeplechases. The difference between the two is the type of obstacles and fences, with bigger fences and ditches facing steeplechasers.
Non-Runner
If a horse is classified as a non-runner in a horse race, it means they were either withdrawn before post time or withdrawn at post time. Late withdrawals can occur when a horse plays up before the race to the point that it won’t go into the stalls or obey the jockey at the start line.
Outsider
An outsider is one of the most popular horse racing betting terms known by punters. It means a horse that’s given little chance of winning or performing well and has some of the biggest betting odds in the race.
Pulled Up
If you find on a horse’s race history that it’s been pulled up in a previous race, it means the jockey opted to pull the horse out of a contest mid-race. The horse may have struggled to maintain the pace from the outset or exhibited signs of ill health or distress.
Racecard
A racecard is the horse racing jargon used to describe the list of races to be staged in a single race meeting.
Silks
The silks of a racehorse are the colours worn by the jockey. This makes the horse and the jockey easily identifiable mid-race.
Steward’s Inquiry
If a race goes to a steward’s inquiry, this is due to concerns from the race stewards about the fairness of a completed race. A review of the behaviour of one or more horses and their jockeys will occur to ensure no foul play compromised the chances of a rival winning.
Triple Crown
The Triple Crown is a British horse racing feat when a colt or filly wins the 2,000 Guineas, the Epsom Derby and the St. Leger Stakes in the same season.
Undulating Track
An undulating race track in the world of horse racing means a racecourse doesn’t have a perfectly flat race surface. The course has an undulating camber, which can make it a stiffer test of technique and stamina for some horses.
