Horse Racing Terms
The racetrack, like any other sport, has developed its own language over the years. If the phrase 'betting a monkey on the accumulator' leaves you staring blankly into space spend a few minutes catching up on the horse racing terms below:
Accumulator: Placing a double bet where the winnings for the first race are used as the stake on the second.
Allowance: When a rider is inexperienced the horse is given a weight concession to compensate.
All Weather Racing: in horse racing terms this means racing that takes place on an artificial surface Amateur (rider): if a rider is an amateur when their name is written down, for example on race cards, they are prefixed by Mr, Mrs, etc.
Ante-Post: placing a bet during a period in advance of the date of a race, although not including the date itself.
Apprentice: a trainee jockey apprenticed to a licensed trainer - usually by annual contract. An apprentice will generally ride only flat races.
Backward: Describes a horse that is either too young or not fully fit.
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/jockey will have their own colours.
Colt: in horse racing terms this means an ungelded, male horse up to four years old.
Conditional Jockey: Same as apprentice but it also allowed to jump.
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.
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.
Distance, the: an unmarked placing 240 yards from the winning post.
Draw: refers to a horse's placing in the starting stalls. For flat racing only. Stall numbers are drawn at random.
Even Money or Evens: or 1:1 bet. When your stake brings equal winnings - for example £10 evens wins £10
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.
Hand: unit in which a horse's height is measured, at the shoulder. A hand is four inches
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
Jolly: the favourite in a race
Judge: the official who determines the finishing order of a race.
Juvenile: two-year-old horse.
Maiden: a horse that has not won a race. Mare: female horse over five years old.
Monkey: £500.
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.
Over the Top: when a horse is considered to have hit its peak for that season.
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.
Run Free: a horse going too fast
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
Short runner: a horse who barely stays, or doesn't stay, the full distance of a race.
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.
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.
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Page Last Updated: 29/04/2009 18:04:44
