You might hear some interesting terminology whilst you’re at the racecourse and you might use the following guide to swot up and impress your friends with your new found lingo.
Age – All racehorses have the same birthday which is January 1st
Also-ran – a horse that finishes out of the prize money
Apprentice Jockey – a trainee Flat jockey that receives a weight allowance depending on experience.
At the Post – when all the horses have arrived at the start they are said to be “at the post”
Backstraight – the straight part of the track opposite to the finish line.
Banker – the horse expected to win – often a short priced favourite
Blanket finish – when horses finish so close together at the finish line you could throw a horse blanket to cover them all
Bottle – bookmaking term for the odds 2-1
Bumper – a flat race run under Jump Rules, to educate horses before they tackle fences or hurdles.
Colt – ungelded male horse under the age of 5
Covered Up – when a jockey settles their horse behind others in
Dam – a horse’s mother
Dead-heat – a tie between two or more horses for first or another finishing position
Double Carpet – bookmaking term for the odds 33-1
Draw – a horses starting position in the stalls allotted in races on the Flat
Each-way – a betting term when half the stake is for win and half is for a place
Filly – female horse, four years or younger
Going – the condition of the racing surface which can range from heavy to firm
Green – a term to describe an immature or inexperienced horse
Hacked-up – describes a horse winning easily
Layer – an alternative term for a bookmaker, someone who lays or accepts bets
Length – a unit of measurement for the distance between each horse at the finish of a race
Maiden – a horse that has yet to win a race
Minimum Trip – the shortest race distance – 5 furlongs for the flat 2 miles for jumps
Nap – the best bet of the day made by a tipster
Nose – smallest distance a horse can win by
Objection – a complaint by one jockey against another regarding the running of a race
Off the bridle – describes a horse being pushed along and losing contact with the bit in its mouth
On the nose – placing a win bet
Outsider – a long priced runner in a race considered unlikely to win
Paddock – the area of the racecourse that incorporates the parade ring and winner’s enclosure
Pulled up – a horse that drops out of a race and does not finish the course
Punter – a person who gambles or lays a bet
Rails – white plastic rails are used to mark out the track on the racecourse
Spread a Plate – when a horse loses or damages a horseshoe before a race.
Starter – racecourse official responsible for starting the horse race
Stewards’ Enquiry – a hearing held by the stewards into a race to determine whether the rules have been broken
Stick – a jockey’s whip
String – all the horses from a particular training stable
Tic-tac – the sign language used by bookmakers to communicate prices between each other
Trip – another term for the distance of a race
Turn of foot – a horse’s ability to accelerate in the closing stages of a race
Under starters orders – the moment a race is about to start
Valet – a person employed to help prepare the jockey’s equipment in the weighing room
Visor – similar to blinker but with a slit in them to allow some lateral vision
Walkover – a race involving only one horse. The horse and jockey have to walk past the finish line
Weight cloth – a cloth with pockets for inserting lead weights worn under the saddle
Weighed In – the official declaration of a race result when jockeys have had their weight checked
