Racing Phrase Book

ACCUMULATOR bet involving two or more selections in different races: winnings from one are placed on the next.

ALLOWANCE is the eight concession the horse is given to compensate for its rider's inexperience.

AMATEUR (rider) on race cards, their names are prefixed by Mr, Mrs, Captain, etc., to indicate their amateur status.

APPRENTICE young jockey tied by annually renewed contract to a licensed trainer while he or she is learning the business of race-riding.

BACKWARD used of a horse which needs time to mature.

BAY The colour of a horse which has a brown body and black mane and tail

BLINKERS This is a type of hood that fits over a horse's head to prevent the horse from seeing sideways and helps it concentrate its attention ahead during a race

BLOWN UP When a horse starts to drop out of contention in a race due to lack of fitness

BROKEN DOWN When a horse sustains an injury - normally a tendon/soft tissue injury requiring a long rest to recover

BUMPER A flat race for young National Hunt horses yet to race over hurdles or steeplechases and that have not run under the rules of Flat racing

CHESNUT The colour of a horse with a "ginger" body, mane and tail

CLAIMER An apprentice flat race jockey

CLERK OF THE COURSE The person responsible for the overall management of a racecourse during the race day

CLERK OF THE SCALES The person responsible for checking a jockey's weight against the allocated weight the horse is allowed to carry

COLOURS Shirts or 'silks' worn by jockeys to identify a horse to a particular owner

COLT - A young, ungelded (see gelding) male horse aged four years old or younger

CONDITIONAL JOCKEY A young National Hunt jockey (under 26) who receives a weight allowance for inexperience until he has ridden a certain number of winners

CONDITIONS The make-up of a race, as in the number of runners, the ground conditions, if it's a sharp or a galloping track, etc. Different conditions suit the physique and running style of different horses

COURSE SPECIALIST horse which tends to run well at a particular track.

CUT IN THE GROUND A description of the ground condition, when there is give in the surface, also called 'soft going'

DAM mother of a horse.

DECLARE When a trainer formally notifies the authorities that he/she intends to run a horse in a certain race. The runners and riders for each meeting are "declared". Declarations are 24 hours before in jump racing and 48 hours before in flat racing

DEXTER BIT The Dexter Ring Bit is widely used in racing, and is useful for strong horses. The ring on the dexter bit is also useful for safely leading a high spirited horse whilst tacked up.

DISTANCE the length of a race: 5 furlongs is the minimum and the 41⁄2 miles of the Grand National the longest. Also, the margin by which a horse wins or is beaten by the horse in front: this ranges from a short head to 'by a distance' (more than 30 lengths); a 'length' is measured from the horse's nose to the start of its tail.

DRAW for flat racing only, describes a horse's position in the starting stalls, drawn randomly the day before.

EVENS or EVEN MONEY when your stake exactly equals your winnings - thus £5 at evens wins a further £5.

FAVOURITE The horse (or horses - if there is a joint favourite) in a race with the shortest (smallest) odds. Other phrases used to describe the favourite include "market leader" and "the jolly"

FIELD Term for the runners in a race, for example "a field of 8 are on their way to the start for the next race"

FILLY female horse four years old or younger

FOAL horse of either sex from the time of its birth until 1 January the following year

FORM A horse's race record. Denoted by figures next to its name in a racecard e.g. 1=1st, 2=2nd etc

FURLONG The unit of distance measurement in horseracing. One eighth of a mile or 220 yards or 201 metres

GALLOPING TRACK Generally a wide-open track that suits bigger horses with big strides e.g. Newbury or Ascot

GELDING Refers to horses who have been castrated ("gelded") as the temperament of a stallion is usually not ideal for an extended racing career

GET THE TRIP Usually said of a horse that stays the particular distance of the race

GOING The conditions underfoot on the racecourse. Official Jockey Club going ranges are: heavy - soft - good to soft - good - good to firm - firm - hard

GREEN A horse is described as "green" or "running green" when he or she shows signs of inexperience

GREY horse with a coat that is a mixture of black and grey hairs. It's mane, tail and legs may be either black or grey unless white markings are present. As grey horses get older they become lighter in colour, almost white - they too are still referred to as "grey"


HACKED UP When a horse has won easily

HAND unit of four inches in which a horse's height is measured, at the shoulder.

HANDICAP A handicap race in which the weight each horse is to carry is individually allotted (by the official handicapper) according to past performance to make the chances of all horses in the race more equal

HANDS AND HEELS Riding a horse without using a whip

HANDY A description of a horse who is in a prominent position during a race

HURDLE The smaller of the two obstacles in Jump racing, typically about 3'6" in height

JUDGE official responsible for declaring the finishing order of a race and the distances between the runners.

JUVINILE A two year old horse (Flat) or a three year old horse (National Hunt)

LENGTH The length of a horse from its nose to the start of its tail. Also used to describe the winning margin, although winning distances are given out in lengths, they are in fact measured by time. Due to the greater speed in Flat racing 1 second is equal to 5 lengths, whilst in Jump racing 1 second is equal to 4 lengths

MAIDEN horse which has not won a race.

MARE female horse five years and over.

MONKEY betting parlance for £500.

NATIONAL HUNT This covers racing over steeplechases and hurdles - often referred to as Jump racing

OBJECTION A complaint by one jockey against another regarding breach of rules during a race

ODDS-ON Where the potential winnings are less than the stake e.g. £5 at 4/5 wins £4, although your stake is returned

OFF THE PACE When a horse isn't keeping up with other horses in a race

OFF THE BIT/OFF THE BRIDLE describes a horse being pushed along by his jockey, losing contact with the bit in his mouth.

ON THE BIT/ON THE BRIDLE describes a horse going well within himself, still having a grip on the bit.

OPEN DITCH A steeplechase fence with a ditch on the take-off side

OVER THE TOP A horse past his peak for the season

PACE The speed at which a race is run. Up with the pace means close to the leaders, off the pace means some way behind

PARADE RING The area where horses can be viewed prior to a race

PATTERN The elite races, divided in Flat Racing into Groups One, Two, Three and Listed and in National Hunt into Grades One, Two and Three

PECKED/NODDED When a horse's head nearly lands on the ground after jumping a fence

PENALTY Additional weight carried by a horse on account of previous wins. In a handicap, penalties are added to the allotted weight of a horse if it has won since the weights for the race were published

PHOTO FINISH Electronic photographic equipment which decides who has won in a close finish

PING "To ping" is a verb often used to describe when a horse is jumping in particularily good style

PLATE shoe worn by horse for racing.

PONY betting parlance for £25.

RACING PLATE Lightweight horseshoes specially fitted for racing

REFUSED When a horse stops instead of jumping over a fence

RUN FREE A horse going too fast too early, which then can't settle into the race

RULE 4 betting rule covering deductions made from winning bets if a horse is withdrawn after the betting market has been formed but before the 'under starter's orders' signal; the amount deducted depends on the price of the withdrawn horse.

SP/STARTING PRICES The official price of a horse at which bets are settled in betting shops

SADDLE Equipment that enables a rider to sit on a horse

SCHOOLING Teaching a horse to race or jump. A "well-schooled" horse is less likely to show signs of inexperience or "greeness" (see above)

SCOPE A horse is said to have scope if it is likely to improve with age and as it grows into its frame

SPREAD A PLATE When a racing plate or horseshoe comes off, sometimes causing delay as the horse is re-shod

STARTING STALLS Used to accommodate horses in a line at the start of a race. Used in flat racing only

STAYERS Horses who have a lot of stamina and are more likely to show up best over 3 miles, rather than 2 miles over jumps and over 2 miles on the flat

STEEPLECHASE A horse race over fences, open ditches and water jumps

STIFF TRACK A track that requires a lot of stamina, such as one with a long home straight or an uphill finish, such as Cheltenham

SIRE father of a horse.

SPRINGER/STEAMER a horse which shortens dramatically in the betting.

STEWARDS the panel of men and women - usually a total of four - who are responsible for seeing that the Rules of Racing are adhered to.

STEWARDS' ENQUIRY enquiry by the stewards into the running of a race.

TIC-TAC the bookmaker's method of relaying odds information on the racecourse, by means of hand signals.

TIGHT TRACK Generally a narrow track with tight turns that suits smaller, nippier horses e.g. Cartmel or Kelso

VALET A person responsible for looking after a jockey's equipment

WEIGH IN/OUT Weighing the jockey before and after the race to make sure the horse carried the right weight. The 'weighed in' announcement means the result is official and all bets can be settled

WEIGHT CLOTH A cloth with pockets for lead weights placed under saddle

WEIGHTS Lead strips placed in a weight cloth to bring the jockey and tack up to the handicap weight

YANKEE combination bet involving four selections in different races: six doubles, four trebles and one four-horse accumulator - eleven bets.

YEARLING horse of either sex from 1 January to 31 December of the year following its birth.