How to Read a Racecard

What Is a Racecard and Why Is It Important?

A racecard is the place where you can expect to find all the information you may need in relation to the race/races taking place on a particular day at your choses racecourse.

Racecards can be found in a variety of locations – in most daily newspapers, online and in printed form at the racecourse. Wherever you find the racecard, it broadly will contain similar information pertaining to the days' action. Consulting the racecard before you bet on racing, or form an opinion on racing, is essential to your understanding.

How to Read Race Information and Conditions

Let's start with the basics – the race header information, including race number, track name, race time, distance, prize money, race conditions, and eligibility requirements.

Race number: On the top left hand side you will see the race number. These run sequentially. There are typically between 6-8 races at every race meeting in the UK or Ireland.

Race time: To the right, you will see the race time. This is the scheduled 'off time' when the race is expected to begin.

Track name: Inside the race time is the track name, where the race will take place.

Distance, class, conditions/eligibility and prize money: Beside the track/race time you will see details on the distance the race is being run over, the class of race, the conditions for age eligibility and the prize money offered.

Horse number: Each horse carries a number as well as their own individual colours. The numbers are listed on the left of the horse name and inside that (in brackets) is the draw for stalls in Flat races. Stalls can be vital to a horses' chance, if there is a bias towards high, low or middle draws.

Race Classification and Conditions

The Class of the race determines the quality of horses you can expect to find in it. Races are generally run from Class 1 to Class 6, with Class 7 a rarity.

Pattern-races or Stakes-races are those run at a higher grade. On the Flat, these include Listed and Group-races 1, 2 and 3. Over jumps, they are Grade 1, 2 and 3.

There are also conditions attached to certain races. Maidens are for those horses that have never won a race, handicaps are designed to give every horse an equal chance based on a theoretical rating that quantifies demonstrated ability and dictates the weight carried by each horse accordingly.

A claiming race is a low-grade contest where horses have an assigned price for sale and any licensed owner or trainer can "claim" (buy) a horse before the race.

Distance and Track Information

Distances are displayed in miles, furlongs and yards. There are eight furlongs in one mile. Races are run on the Flat from 5f (five furlongs) up to 2m4f (two miles and four furlongs) typically, with some exceptions over slightly longer.

Over jumps, races start at approximately 2m (two miles) – though some are run over slightly less – and go up to around 4m2f (four miles and two furlongs), again with some exceptions.

Anything under a mile is displayed in furlongs (5f, 6f, 7f) and anything more in miles and furlongs (1m2f, 1m4f, 2m etc.). In some cases, depending on track configuration, the distances are not perfectly conformed, so you might see 5f 96 yards, or with half-furlongs included (5½f, 2m4½f etc.)

Surfaces in UK and Irish racing are either turf or synthetic. The latter, often referred to as 'all-weather tracks' are in essence man-made surfaces designed to withstand varying weather.    

What Do the Form Figures Mean?

'Studying the form' is an oft-used racing term that refers to studying how a horse has performed in previous races. Doing this on the racecard requires the reader to understand the various numbers, symbols and abbreviations used in the form figures.

Understanding Form Numbers and Positions

Form Symbols and Abbreviations

Each digit or letter next to the horse's name represents one race, with the most recent result on the right.

Numbers: The numbers 1-9 represent finishing positions, while a 0 indicates 10th place or lower.

Seasonal separators (-): This represents a split in seasons

Gap indicators (/): This represents gap between runs, typically more than 60 days

Non-completion codes (P, PU, F, R, BD, U, UR): These letters mean the horse didn't finish a race for the reasons as follows: P/PU – Pulled Up, F – Fell, R – Refused to race, U – Unseated Rider, B – Brought Down (by another horse), S – Slipped Up, RO – Ran Out. These typically apply to jumps horses.

By using these indicators, you can determine the form a horse has shown and evaluate it positively or negatively.

Performance indicators (C, D, CD, BF): There are also performance indicators notated by letters which can provide details of past performances and previous course experience. C – Course winner, D – Distance winner, CD/C&D – Course and Distance winner, BF – Beaten Favourite last time.

How to Interpret Form Patterns

Reading form patterns can help punters identify a horses' recent levels of consistency and/or the chances of future performance levels.

For example, a horse with 5432 as form figures is seemingly progressive, i.e. getting better with each run, whereas a horse with figures of 32332 is consistent but finds it hard to win races. A horse going the wrong way, termed regressive, might show figures of 234690.

Over jumps, a horse with FFU is struggling to manage the obstacles, while a horse with 12P3P is one that is hard to rely on for consistency of effort.

Reading Horse Information and Statistics

There are many useful pieces of information and statistics on a racecard that can assist punters in making informed decisions before betting on a race. Some of them are detailed below.

Horse Identification Detail

Beside each horse on the racecard you'll see their colours (silks), age, weight and official rating. The colours show the silks the jockey will wear and are tied to the owner. Age is displayed beside the weight, given in stones and pounds – i.e. 11st 7lb – and the official rating. The rating is calculated by the relevant authority and is used to determine the weights in handicaps but is also a good barometer for ability shown previously.

What Do Career Statistics Tell You?

On some racecards you will see career stats, including number of runs, wins, places (1-2-3) and earnings (prize money won). The horses' strike-rate shows a percentage of races won from their overall starts. Punters should be encouraged by a horse with a positive strike-rate, which is generally assessed as anything near 20 per-cent.

Understanding Weight, Handicapping and Equipment Information

The top-weight in a race will typically be at the top of the racecard, No.1 on the card, and will have its weight shown. In handicaps, each subsequent runner is going 'down the handicap'.

Weight allocations in handicaps are designed to try and ensure equal opportunity for each horse, theoretically assuming if they all run to demonstrated ability, they should finish in a bunch.

In pattern/stakes races and maidens, each horse carries a set weight. There are penalties applied in some instances where horses have won a race previously.

There are also letters beside the horses' weight that indicate a certain type of performance aid is being applied, typically referred to as headgear as it may help the horse to focus. These include: B – Blinkers, V – Visor, H – Hood, C – Cheekpieces, ES – Eyeshields, T – Tongue-tie; all of which are displayed on the racecard by those symbols. The number one alongside indicates the headgear is being applied for the first time and it can be hoped to have a positive impact on performance.

How to Analyse Jockey and Trainer Information?

The jockey and trainer names for each horse are listed alongside the formlines etc. Online, you can click on a trainer/jockey to further investigate their recent form, strike rates and track records. You can also check out their strike-rates when teaming up. For some punters, following certain trainers and/or jockeys is a key factor, or more pertinently, when certain combinations of trainer/jockey appear they are keen to follow them based on past performance.

Jockey Statistics and Performance

Jockey stats on a racecard give you a quick insight into a jockey's recent form, strike-rate, and success with a specific horse or trainer. These typically include the number of wins/rides in a specified timeframe (14 days typically) and will include a win percentage or strike-rate. Anything close to 20 per-cent is considered good, while anything above is indicative of a rider in good form.

Trainer Records and Patterns

Similarly, trainer stats on a racecard give you a quick insight into a jockey's recent form, strike-rate, and success with a specific horse or trainer. These typically include the number of wins/rides in a specified timeframe (14 days typically) and will include a win percentage or strike-rate. Anything close to 20 per-cent is considered good, while anything above is indicative of a rider in good form.

Certain trainers are recognised for targeting races at certain tracks. These are often tracks close to where they are based, for example. Punters often try to hone in a trainer with a good record at a particular racecourse and then scour the racecard for their best hopes of a winner on a chosen day.

Race summary

In many cases, every race will have a summary or Spotlight on the racecard. This is where an expert has considered the form and given a comment as to the chances of every horse. This can be very useful and it will often contain a verdict – suggesting the likeliest winners and/or next best.

Step-by-Step Racecard Reading Process

Now that you understand what all the information on a racecard means, here is our quick guide to racecard reading in practice.

• Race overview – when, where and how far. Check the class of race.
• Assess the horses – Check the weights and ratings for each horse, stall position, age, headgear and previous course/distance form.
• Consult the form figures – Look at the form figures to see how the horse has been performing in recent times, looking for patterns of improvement or regression.
• Headgear – Consider if headgear is being applied. Horse performance can often take a spike when headgear is applied.
• Trainer & Jockey – Consider the connections, i.e. trainer and jockey. Look into their recent form and past form when teaming up as well as form at the track.
• Race summary – read the expert verdicts on each horse and take it into consideration.