Horse racing terms A–Z: a glossary of racing and betting jargon

Racing has a language of its own, and most of it turns up on a racecard or a betting slip sooner or later. Here are the terms you will meet most often, explained in a sentence or two, with links to the full guides where there is more to say.

A

Accumulator (acca) — A multiple bet on four or more selections in different races. All must win. See doubles, trebles and accumulators.

All-weather — Racing on a synthetic surface, such as Tapeta or Polytrack, rather than turf. Wolverhampton, Southwell, Kempton, Lingfield, Chelmsford City and Newcastle race on all-weather tracks.

Ante-post — A bet placed before the final declarations, often weeks or months before the race. See ante-post betting.

B

Banker — A selection you are confident about, used in every line of a multiple or Tote bet.

Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG) — A concession that pays the bigger of the price you took and the starting price. See Best Odds Guaranteed betting sites.

Blinkers (b) — Headgear that limits a horse’s vision to help it concentrate. Shown as “b” on a racecard; “b1” means first time.

Book — The full set of prices on a race. Add up the implied chances of every runner and you get the size of the book, usually above 100%.

C

C, D, CD — On a racecard: has won at this course, over this distance, or over this course and distance.

Chase — A jumps race over fences, also called a steeplechase.

Class — British races run from Class 1 (the best, including Group and Graded races) to Class 7.

Combination forecast / tricast — Every order of finish among three or more selections. See forecast and tricast bets.

CSF — Computer Straight Forecast, the dividend used to settle straight forecasts.

D

Dead heat — Two or more horses finishing together. Stakes are divided between them. See dead heats and place bets.

Declarations — The confirmation of runners for a race. After the final declarations, ante-post rules no longer apply.

Double — A multiple bet on two selections in different races; both must win.

Draw — The stall a horse starts from in a Flat race. On some courses a low or high draw is an advantage.

Drifter — A horse whose price lengthens before the race, for example from 4/1 to 8/1.

E

Each-way — Two bets: one to win and one to be placed. See each-way betting.

Evens — Odds of 1/1: you double your money. See how to read horse racing odds.

Exacta — The Tote’s bet on the first two in the correct order.

Extra places — A bookmaker promotion paying more places than the standard each-way terms.

F

Favourite — The horse with the shortest price. “F” after an SP; “JF” for joint favourite.

Flat — Racing without obstacles. The main turf Flat season runs from late March to early November.

Forecast — A bet on the first two finishers. Straight (in order) or reverse (either order).

Form figures — The numbers before a horse’s name showing recent finishing positions, most recent last. “1” won, “0” means outside the first nine, “F” fell, “P” pulled up, “U” unseated rider, “-” separates seasons.

Furlong — An eighth of a mile, 220 yards. Races in Britain run from five furlongs to over four miles.

G

Going — The condition of the ground: from heavy, soft and good to soft, through good, to good to firm and firm. All-weather tracks are usually standard.

Group and Grade — The top tier of races. Group 1, 2 and 3 on the Flat; Grade 1, 2 and 3 over jumps. Listed races sit just below.

H

Handicap — A race where horses carry different weights, set by the official handicapper, to give them all an equal chance in theory.

Hurdle — A jumps race over hurdles, lower and lighter than fences.

I

Implied probability — The chance of winning suggested by a price. Divide 1 by the decimal odds: 3/1 (4.0) is 25%.

J

Jackpot — The Tote bet on the winners of six nominated races. See Tote betting.

Joint favourite — Two or more horses sharing the shortest price.

L

Length — The main measure of distance between horses at the finish. Shorter margins are a nose, short head, head, neck and half a length.

Listed — A race just below Group or Grade level.

Lucky 15 — Fifteen bets on four selections: four singles, six doubles, four trebles and a four-fold. See Lucky 15, Yankee and Trixie.

M

Maiden — A horse that hasn’t won a race, or a race restricted to such horses.

Morning price — A price taken before the race, as opposed to the starting price.

N

Nap — A tipster’s best bet of the day.

National Hunt — Jumps racing: hurdles, chases and National Hunt Flat races (bumpers). The main season runs from October to April.

Non-runner — A horse withdrawn after being declared. Stakes on it are returned on race-day bets but lost on standard ante-post bets.

Non-runner no bet (NRNB) — An ante-post concession that refunds your stake if your horse doesn’t run.

Novice — Over jumps, a horse that hadn’t won over that type of obstacle before the current season.

O

Odds-on — A price where you win less than you stake, such as 4/6 or 1/2.

Official rating (OR) — The handicapper’s assessment of a horse’s ability, used to set weights in handicaps.

Overround — The bookmakers’ margin: how far the book adds up to more than 100%.

P

Pattern race — Collective name for Group and Listed races on the Flat.

Placepot — The Tote bet on a placed horse in each of the first six races at a meeting.

Price boost — A bookmaker promotion offering a bigger price than normal on a selected horse or bet.

R

Reverse forecast — Two straight forecasts on the same pair, so they can finish first and second in either order.

Rule 4 — A deduction from winnings when a horse is withdrawn late. See Rule 4 deductions.

RPR — Racing Post Rating, a private measure of the best performance a horse has run.

S

Single — A bet on one selection.

Starting price (SP) — The official price of each horse when the race starts. If you don’t take a price, you are paid at SP.

Steamer — A horse whose price shortens sharply because of weight of money.

Stewards’ enquiry — An inquiry into possible interference or rule breaches. The result can be amended; bets are settled on the official result after the weighed-in signal.

T

Tote — Pool betting, where stakes go into a pool and winners share it.

Tricast — A bet on the first three finishers in the correct order.

Trifecta — The Tote’s bet on the first three in the correct order.

Trixie — Four bets on three selections: three doubles and a treble.

W

Weighed in — The announcement that confirms the result. Bookmakers settle bets on the result at the weigh-in; later disqualifications don’t change bets.

Weight for age — The allowance younger horses receive when racing against older ones.

Y

Yankee — Eleven bets on four selections: six doubles, four trebles and a four-fold.

Put any bet through our horse racing bet calculator, or see every guide on the betting guide page.

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