What Is Post Position in Horse Racing?

Post position is the American name for the starting stall a horse breaks from. In British and Irish racing this is simply known as the draw, where each horse in a Flat race is drawn to start from, out of a numbered stall with a starting gate.

In theory, it ensures all the participants break/start simultaneously in the fairest manner possible.

The same mechanisms are used the world over. In America they are known as starting gates, in Australia the term of choice is barriers and in Britain/Ireland they are commonly known as stalls. In all jurisdictions they have assigned numbers.

On all British courses, the stalls are numbered from the inside rail outward — stall 1 nearest the rail — regardless of whether the track is left or right-handed.

How the Draw Is Decided

Every horse race on the Flat in Britain sees each runner being assigned a stall by a random draw that is administered by Weatherbys, the official administrator of British racing. 

National Hunt racing has no stalls and therefore no draw.

Low draws and high draws are variable, depending on field sizes, which can run past 20 at wide tracks such as York, Ascot, Goodwood and Newmarket, so the highest draw varies race to race.

Why the Draw Can Matter: Draw Bias

Draw bias identifies the tendency for horses drawn in certain stalls to perform better (or worse) than would be expected purely by chance. This is established by analysing results of races at each track over many years.

For example, on tight, turning tracks a low draw saves ground on the bends; on straight courses the bias is usually about the going (a fresher or faster strip of turf) and where the expected pace horses are drawn as it can be a tactical advantage to follow them.

Draw bias is often strongest in sprints (less time to recover from a poor break) and in big fields when runners are spread across the track and traffic becomes a concern.

The Factors That Govern the Draw

Some of the variables that contribute to draw bias include: track shape, race distance, field size, going and pace.

British Courses Where the Draw Bites

Some courses are more liable to draw bias than others. Some key British tracks are listed below, but punters are always advised to check current course data, as factors like rail moves and surface work shift biases.

Using the Draw Sensibly

Draw bias is a real factor for punters to consider but it is never universal: it is specific to course, distance, field size and going on the day, and it can be cancelled out by a horse's pace, a rail move or a fresher strip. 

Experienced punters treat the draw as one factor to weigh up when assessing a race — alongside form, ground, pace and price — not a shortcut to the winner.