Horse Racing: Terms and Jargon

What Is Horse Racing

One of history’s oldest sports, the thrill of horse racing has stood the test of time. The premise is simple — at least two horses, ridden by jockeys, race along a set distance to be first across the finish. Modern horse racing started around the 18th century, and remains immensely popular, with a vast number of races happening all over the world on a daily basis. 

Horse racing can be split into a few different types. In the UK and Ireland, the most popular types are flat racing and National Hunt. On this page, we’ll break down what these involve and a number of other useful terms to help you with your horse racing betting. To kick things off, here’s a quick rundown of the UK’s biggest horse racing events. 

Cheltenham Festival

One of the most important events in the National Hunt racing calendar, four days in March make up Cheltenham Festival. This prestigious meeting attracts the best horses, jockeys, and trainers and is known for its electric atmosphere, culminating in the famous ‘Cheltenham roar’. 

Grand National

The Grand National is arguably the pinnacle of steeplechase horse racing, taking place at Aintree Racecourse in April. It features 16 fences over roughly 4 miles and 2½ furlongs, and it’s widely considered to be the ultimate test of a racehorse. 

Royal Ascot

Each year in June, Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire plays host to Royal Ascot, one of the most glamorous flat racing events. Almost as much attention paid to the outfits of racegoers as the racing itself, with members of the British royal family often in attendance. 

Epsom Derby

Often simply just called ‘the Derby’, this flat race is held at Epsom Downs in Surrey and is one of the oldest of its kind. The Derby is run over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards, and is known for its challenging course, which includes the famous Tattenham Corner.

Glorious Goodwood

The late summer is when racegoers can look forward to Goodwood Festival, a five-day event set across the beautiful backdrop of the South Downs in West Sussex. Much like Royal Ascot, the festival is known for its superb fashion and style, along with top-quality flat racing including the Sussex Stakes and Goodwood Cup.

Flat Racing

The most common form of horse racing, flat racing is where horses compete on a smooth, level racecourse without any obstacles or jumps. The goal is to cover a specific distance, usually ranging from a few furlongs to several miles or more. Thoroughbred horses are the most commonly used breed in flat racing due to their speed, agility, and stamina.

A few big flat races in the calendar include:

• The Kentucky Derby in the USA
• The Epsom Derby in England 
• The Melbourne Cup in Australia 
• The Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in France

National Hunt Racing

Along with flat racing, National Hunt is another important fixture in the British and Irish racing scene. This category includes various types of races, such as hurdle races where horses jump over lower, more flexible obstacles called hurdles, and chase races where they leap over more substantial and rigid fences. Due to these obstacles, National Hunt racing requires a different skill set to flat racing, and the horses that compete are typically older and more durable. 

Some of the most prestigious National Hunt races in the UK include:

• The Cheltenham Gold Cup
• The Grand National
• The Champion Hurdle
• The King George VI Chase

All-Weather Racing

All-weather racing is a type of horse racing that takes place on tracks with surfaces designed to be consistent and weather-resistant, such as Polytrack (a mixture of silica sand and fibres made of recycled carpet, spandex, and rubber) or Tapeta (a mixture of sand and rubber fibre covered with wax).

There are six all-weather race tracks in the UK:

• Lingfield Park
• Kempton Park
• Wolverhampton Racecourse
• Southwell Racecourse
• Chelmsford City Racecourse
• Newcastle Racecourse

Group/Graded Races

Group and graded races are classifications used in flat and National Hunt racing based on their quality and competitiveness. There are three tiers in each. In flat racing, Group 1 is the most prestigious category and represents the highest quality of racing — often accompanied by the biggest prize purses.

What Is A Handicap?

In handicap racing, horses carry lead weights based on their perceived ability and past performance in order to level the playing field and make the race more competitive. Horses deemed stronger or more likely to win are assigned a higher weight, giving weaker horses a better chance of winning. 

What Is Rule 4?

Rule 4 is a standard betting rule used in horse racing betting. It’s applied when one or more horses have withdrawn or are non-runners, balancing out the odds and payouts to account for the increased chance of the remaining runners winning. 

Rule 4 deductions are based on the odds of the withdrawn horse, with larger deductions made for horses with higher odds. Here are some common percentages, although it does depend on your sportsbook:

• SP of withdrawn horse 5/1 or shorter: 5% deduction
• SP of withdrawn horse 5/1 – 10/1: 10% deduction
• SP of withdrawn horse 10/1 or longer: 15% deduction

Stewards’ Enquiry

In the bustle of a tight race, horses sometimes interfere with one another. If it seems as though a horse or jockey’s actions may have hindered another competitor, a stewards’ enquiry may take place to ensure the race was run fairly and no rules were broken. Depending on the findings, placings can then be adjusted or the offending horse disqualified, although this is fairly rare in UK racing.

What Does Weighed In Mean?

Depending on the race, horses must carry a certain amount of weight. Before they run, each jockey must ‘weigh out’ — and once the race is over, they ‘weigh in’ to confirm the horse ran with the correct weight. Once this is complete, the results are finalised and bets are paid out.

Types Of Bets?

All the best horse racing betting sites offer many types of wager. This can be a little daunting to newbies — but it’s easier than it looks! Here’s a quick rundown of the most popular options.

Win

The simplest bet you can make, this is where you pick the horse you think will win the race. For your bet to come good, it must be first across the line.

Place

A place bet is a bit like a win bet, but with a little more wiggle room. Here, your horse needs to finish within a certain position. The number of places paid depends on the type of race and how many runners there are. It’s typically around three for daily racing but can be as many as eight for big events like the Grand National. In that instance, your bet will succeed if your horse finishes eighth or better. 

Each Way

An each-way bet is popular with many punters because it combines a win and a place bet into one, with your stake divided between the two. You’ll get the largest return if your horse goes on to win, but will still pick up a smaller return if it places. 

Forecast

A forecast bet predicts which horses will finish first and second, in that order. You can also bet on a reverse forecast, where you pick two horses but it doesn’t matter which order they finish, as long as they occupy first and second place. Tricasts and reverse tricasts work the same way but require three picks. 

Double

To place a double, you’re simply combining two win, place, or each-way bets across two separate races. Both must succeed for the bet to come good.  

Treble

A treble is the same as a double but with one more selection. Fancy more risk for potentially more reward? You can go beyond trebles and place an accumulator instead, which is comprised of four legs or more. 

Yankee

Yankees are a type of combination bet consisting of 11 separate wagers across four events — six doubles, four trebles, and one four-fold accumulator. You need at least two of your picks to win to land a return, with winnings varying based on the accuracy of your predictions. 

Lucky 15

A Lucky 15 is another popular combination bet consisting of four selections, but features 15 bets in total — four singles, six doubles, four trebles, and a four-fold accumulator. Here, you’ll make a return if just a single pick wins.

What Is A Favourite?

Put simply, the favourite is the horse the bookies deem most likely to win the race. Thus, this is the horse with the shortest odds. While you’ve got a good chance of winning if you bet on this horse, the potential profit is comparatively small.

Frequently Asked Questions