Glossary of Horse Racing terms
Accumulator - A bet involving more than one horse with the winnings from each selection going onto the next.
Allowance - When a rider is inexperienced the horse is given a weight concession to compensate.
All-Weather - The name given to the artificial surface tracks. These offer racing throughout the winter regardless of weather conditions.
Ante-Post - placing a bet during a period in advance of the date of a race, although not including the date itself.
Apprentice - Young jockey tied to a trainer whilst gaining race-riding experience. When racing against professional jockeys apprentices receive weight concessions to compensate for their relative inexperience.
Banker - A selection that is fancied very, very strongly indeed. Will often be the cornerstone of combination bets.
Bar - This shows what the lowest odds of the horses not mentioned in the betting forecast
Birthday - All northern hemisphere thoroughbreds have their official birthday on January 1st regardless of their original day of birth.
Board Prices - This refers to the currently available odds displayed on the boards of on-course bookmakers. It is from these that the starting price is derived.
Bottle - The 'tic-tac' term for 2/1
Burlington Bertie - The 'tic-tac' term for 100-30.
Bumper - The informal term for a flat race for jump horses, in which they gain racing experience before going hurdling or chasing.
Carpet - The 'tic-tac' term for 3-1. Double carpet is 33-1.
Claimer - Race where a horse is handicapped by its trainer, with the weight relating to the amount of money the horse would cost should someone claim it afterwards.
Classics - The collective term for the 1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas, Oaks, Derby and St Leger. These races are only open to three-year-olds, with the 1,000 Guineas and Oaks just for the female of the species.
Clerk of the course - The person in overall charge of running the race
Colours - Refers to the silk shirts worn by the jockeys. Each trainer/owner/jockey will have their own colours.
Colt - Ungelded, male horse up to four years old.
Conditional Jockey - Same as apprentice but it also allowed to jump.
Co-favourite - A horse that share its position at the head of the market with at least two other horses.
Connections - Usually refers to the owner and trainer of a horse, but also applies generally to anyone involved.
Course Specialist - A horse which is used to a track, and has either won or made good time on previous races.
Cockle - The 'tic-tac' term for 10-1.
Dam - The mother of a horse.
Distance - Can refer either to a) the length of a race; or b)
the distance by which a horse has won or is beaten by a horse in front that has won.
Draw - Refers to a horse's placing in the starting stalls. For flat racing only. Stall numbers are drawn at random.
Drift - When the price of a selection gets bigger, due to a lack of support. That selection is said to be "on the drift".
Ear'ole - The 'tic-tac' term for 6-4.
Enin - The 'tic-tac' term for 9-1.
Even Money or 1:1 bet - When your stake brings equal winnings.
Filly - Female horse up to four years old.
Foal - In racing the term foal is more complicated than simply a 'baby' horse. It usually refers to either a male or female horse from birth to January 1st of the following year.
Furlong - 220 yards
Gelding - A male horse that has been castrated.
Going - Describes the condition of the racecourse. Ranks as: heavy - soft - good to soft - good - good to firm -firm.
Green - Refers to an inexperienced horse.
Guineas - Horses are still bought and sold at public auction in the UK in Guineas. A Guinea is the equivalent of £1.05.
Hand - Unit in which a horse's height is measured, at the shoulder. A hand is four inches
Handful - The 'tic-tac' term for 5-1.
Handicap - A race where each horse is allocated a different weight to carry, the theory being all horses then run on a fair and equal basis
Hunter Chase - A race restricted to horses that have hunted during the present hunting season. Not clear how this will evolve in a post-hunting world.
Joint favourite - When a bookmaker cannot split two selections for favouritism.
Jolly - The favourite in a race
Judge - The official who determines the finishing order of a race.
Juvenile - Two-year-old horse.
Listed - A race just below group standard but above that of handicap and conditions races.
Maiden - A horse that has not won a race.
Mare - Female horse aged five and above
Monkey: - £500.
National Hunt - The traditional name for jumps racing.
NAP - The best bet of the day from a particular tipster
Neves - The 'tic-tac' term for 7-1.
No offers - When bookmakers are unwilling to offer a price on a horse.
Nursery - A handicap for two year old horses
Objection - A complaint by a jockey against another.
Odds On - Betting odds where the winnings are less than the stake.
Off the bit/Off the bridle - Describes a horse being pushed and losing contact with the bit in its mouth.
On the bit/On the bridle - Describes a horse pushing himself, still having a bite on the bit.
Open Ditch - Steeplechase jump with a ditch on the side facing the jockey.
Penalty - A weight added to the handicap weight of a horse
Photo Finish - A photo is automatically taken as the horses pass the winning line and when the race is too close to be judged the photo is referred to
Plate - Racing shoe worn by a horse
Pony - £25.
Racecard - A programme for the day's racing.
Rule 4 - If a horse is withdrawn and there is insufficient time to form a new market the remaining horses in the race are subject to a deduction if they win or are placed. These are calculated according to the starting price as follows: 3/10 or longer odds - 75p in the ?, 2/5 to 1/3 - 70p, 8/15 to 4/9 - 65p, 8/13 to 4/7 - 60p, 4/5 to 4/6 - 55p, 20/21 to 5/6 - 50p, Evens to 6/5 - 45p, 5/4 to 6/4 - 40p, 13/8 to 7/4 - 35p, 15/8 to 9/4 - 30p, 5/2 to 3/1 - 25p, 10/3 to 4/1 - 20p, 9/2 to 11/2 - 15p, 6/1 to 9/1 - 10p, 10/1 to 14/1 - unchanged.
Roof - The 'tic-tac' term for 4/1.
Schooled - A horse trained for jumping
Scope - The potential in a horse.
Selling Race - A race where the winner is sold by auction immediately afterwards
Sire - Father of a horse.
Spread a plate - When a horse loses a shoe
SP/Starting Price - An estimation of odds available when the race starts.
Stewards - The group of people (usually 4) who make sure the rules are adhered to.
Stewards Enquiry - An enquiry by the stewards into a race.
Tic-Tac - The hand signals, or sign language, used by bookmakers to converse with eachother.
Tissue - The betting forecast of how an on-course bookmaker thinks the betting on a race will open.
Under Starters Orders or Under Orders - Refers to the starting of a race. They're off refers to the horses leaving the stalls.
Walkover - A race involving only one horse and jockey.
Weigh In / Weigh Out - Where a jockey is weighed to make sure he is the required and stated weight.
Yearling - A horse of either sex during 1 January to 31 December following the year of its birth.
Xis - The 'tic-tac' term for 6/1.