Horse Racing Phrases

For all of those new to the sport, there may be a few phrases and general horse racing jargon that is unfamiliar.  Here is a list of common phrases and descriptions of some horse racing terms.

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

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

ALL WEATHER RACING flat racing which takes place on an artificial surface

AMATEUR (rider) a non-professional rider can be identified on any racecard as their title Mr, Mrs, Ms, Captain etc appears in front of his or her name

APPRENTICE JOCKEY a young jockey contracted to a trainer while learning how to race ride

BACKWARD a term used of a horse which needs time to mature

BANKER selection regarded as best of the day

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

BETTING RING area of the racecourse, from which most on-course bookmakers operate (also known as the jungle)

BISMARK a short-priced horse that professionals think will be beaten (the term is derived from the wartime instruction 'Sink the Bismark!')

BLINKERS a piece of equipment worn by the horse to prevent it 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, to give them the experience of a raceday

CALLING A CAB an expression used to describe a jockey when he waves his arm up in the air to help maintain his balance as his horse takes a jump, often making a mistake.

CHESTNUT 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 raceday

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, male, ungelded horse, up to four years old

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. It is also the jumping equivalent of an apprentice jockey

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

CONFORMATION the physical make-up of a horse

COURSE SPECIALIST refers to a 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 known as ‘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" the day before

DISTANCE the length of a race: Five furlongs is the shortest and four and a half miles (the Grand National) is the longest. Also refers to the margin by which a horse wins or is beaten. This can range from ‘a short head’ to ‘a distance’ which is in excess of 30 lengths; a 'length' is measured from the horse's nose to the start of its tail

DOUBLE CARPET betting slang for odds of 33-1.

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"

FIDDLING ITS FENCES describes a horse which clears the obstacles in a race, but with a muddling jumping action

FIELD The 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 a female horse up to four years old

FOAL horse of either sex from the time of its birth until January 1st 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 one-eighth of a mile (220 yards or 201 metres), originating from the old English 'furrow long' and is the distance in which races are measured

GALLOPING TRACK describes the type of track of a particular racecourse; generally a wide-open track that suits bigger horses with big strides e.g. Newbury or Ascot

GELDING a male horse of any age that has been castrated/neutered

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

THE GOING refers to the conditions underfoot on the racecourse. This is determined by the amount of moisture in the ground. Official Jockey Club going ranges are: heavy, soft, good to soft, good, good to firm, firm and hard

GRADED/GROUP RACE the top tier of races (Graded 1, 2, 3 over Jumps or Group 1, 2, 3 on the Flat)

GREEN refers to an inexperienced horse

GREY a 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 but are still referred to as "grey"

HACKED UP when a horse has won easily

HAND a unit of four inches in which a horse's height is measured from the ground to the withers. The average height of a racehorse is 16 hands

HANDICAP is a contest in which the weight each horse is to carry is individually allotted (by the official handicapper) according to past performance, the theoretical object being to equalise the chances of all horses in the race. Handicaps often provide thrilling finishes

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 a timber-framed obstacle interlaced with gorse and birch and measuring a minimum of three foot six inches high, the smaller of the two obstacles in Jump racing

JOLLY aka the favourite - the horse with the shortest odds

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

JUVENILE refers to 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 a horse which has not yet won a race or female horse that has never had a foal

MARE a female horse five years and over

MONKEY an expression in betting for £500

MORNING GLORY a horse which works well on the gallops in the morning, but is unable to reproduce that form on the racecourse.

NAP tipster's top bet of the day (derived from the card game Napoleon in which going nap undertakes capturing all five tricks)

NATIONAL HUNT the name for racing over hurdles and steeplechases (aka Jumping). The programme on any day's racing can include events known as Graded or Listed races, those designed exclusively for novices and beginners, hunter chases, as well as National Hunt Flat races

NATIONAL HUNT FLAT RACE 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

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

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

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 which is believed to have passed 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

PADDOCK area of the racecourse incorporating the pre-parade ring, parade ring and winner's enclosure

PARADE RING area of the paddock where the runners in a race are paraded before the public prior to the jockeys' mounting

PATTERN the elite races, divided in Flat racing into Groups One, Two, Three and Listed, and in jumping 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 particularly good style

PLATE lightweight horseshoe worn especially for racing

PONY betting expression for £25 or slang for odds of 25-1

REFUSED when a horse stops instead of jumping over a fence

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

RUN FREE describes a horse going too fast, usually early in the race

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 and will not be referred to as "green" (see above)

SCOPE potential for physical development in a horse, a horse that is likely to improve with age and as it grows into its frame

SILKS aka colours describes the coloured shirts worn by jockeys to identify a horse to a particular owner

SIRE father of a horse

SPREAD A PLATE when a racing plate (horseshoe) becomes detached from an the horse’s  hoof, this sometimes causes a delay while the horse is re-shod

SPRINGER/STEAMER a horse which shortens dramatically in the betting

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

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 term which comes from when horses used to race from one village steeple to the next.  A race run over distances of two miles and upwards in which horses are required to jump over a minimum of twelve closely packed birch fences ranging from 4ft 6in to 5ft 2in, a water jump (optional) and open ditch.

STEWARDS the group of people responsible for ensuring adherence to the rules of racing

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

TOUCH a successful gamble, often referred to as ‘landing a touch’

TIC-TAC the bookmaker's method of relaying odds information on the racecourse

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

WEIGH IN/WEIGH OUT weighing of jockey before and after a race to ensure that the correct weight has been carried; the announcement 'weighed in' signals that 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 a horse of either sex from January 1st to December 31st of the year following its birth