Aid novice punters, we include the below terms to help them understand the fascinating world of horseracing. Happy betting!
Accumulator: A bet that requires all the punter’s selections to win or get a place.
All Weather: An artificial racecourse that can be run on in any weather.
Amateur Jockey: a jockey that is not yet qualified.
Apprentice: A jockey in training until they earn their stripes.
Banker: A horse that will definitely win.
Boxed-In: A horse boxed in by other horses during a race.
Classics: Major horse races that take place annually.
Colours: The outfit worn by the jockey during the race.
Colt: A name for a male horse that is under five years of age.
Course Specialist: A horse that has run and won on a specific course before.
Dam: Mother of a horse
Dead Heat: When two horses finish the race at exactly the same time.
Distance: Term to explain how long the race is.
Favourite: The horse that is most likely to win.
Filly: A female horse under 4 years old.
Form: The horse’s state is before entering into the race.
Front-Runner: The horse that is in front in a race.
Gelding: A castrated male horse.
Hand: To measurement a horse’s height.
Jackpot: A bet that requires the punter to correctly pick the winners of all listed races.
Jockey: The person riding the horse.
Juvenile: A race for horses under two years of age.
Key Race: Race of the day featuring the best horses.
Left-Handed: A racecourse that runs anti-clockwise.
Length: Literally a ‘full horse’ i.e .the length from the nose to where the tail starts.
Maiden: A horse that has yet to win a race.
Mare: A female horse over five years of age.
Non-Runner: A horse that doesn’t run in a race after being listed.
Novice: A young horse that has already won one or more races.
Photo-Finish: A photo is taken of two horses crossing the line at the exact same time. This will determine which one won the race.
Place: Finishing within the top few horses.
Punter: Person who places a bet on a horse.
Right-Handed: A racecourse that runs clockwise.
Sire: Father of a horse.
Sprint Race: A short race run at a fast pace.
Stake: The money placed on a bet.
Stall: A box that horses start from during a race.
Trainer: The person who has trained the horse.
Void: When a bet is declared invalid and a punter’s bet is returned.
Weighed-In: When all jockeys have been weighed after the race.
Win: When a punter believes the horse will finish first in the race.
Withdrawn: When a horse is removed from the race before it starts.