Home > Gambling Guide > Horse Racing > Glossary

Glossary of Horse Racing Terms

• Accumulator - An accumulator bet is a single stake, betting on the outcome of four or more selections in different events, all of which must be correct in order to win the bet. The amount of money that you could win with an accumulator bet is substantial, but the chances of winning are low.
• Ante-post - A bet that is made on an event well before the date on which the event takes place. For example, if you wanted to bet on the outcome of The Grand National twelve months before it happened, this would be classed as an ante-post bet.
• Bar - When bookmakers or horse racing commentators list the odds for horses in a race, they often only list some of them. The horses with the lowest odds are not included and are said to be “bar”. This means that their odds are the same as or longer than the last odds quoted in the list.
• Classics - The 1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas, the Oaks, the Derby and the St. Leger are known as the “Classics”.
• Flat race - A type of horse race where the horses race over a course with no jumps.
• Form Form - refers to a horse’s previous performance. Form guides can be used to help you choose which horse to be on.
• Furlong - A furlong is the measurement of distance used when referring to the length of horse racing tracks. A furlong is 220 yards and there are 8 furlongs to a mile.
• Going - The “going” relates to the state of the ground. The classifications used to describe the going are: Hard; Firm; Good to Firm; Good; Good to Soft; Soft; and Heavy. The going on British racecourses is usually measured by putting a stick in the ground. Individual racehorses prefer different types of going, and therefore its essential to study a horse’s form.
• Handicap - In handicap races, horses are given a weight handicap depending upon their ability in order to make them equal.
• Nap - A horse racing expert’s best tip of the day.
• Odds Betting - odds tell you how much you will be paid if your bet wins. They are expressed as a ratio, for example 2:1. If the odds are 2:1 and you bet with a £10 stake, then you would win £20 and also have your stake returned.
• Rule 4 - This is the betting rule determining what happens if a horse is withdrawn from a race shortly before the race starts. It states that winning bets on the remaining horses will be subject to a deduction. The amount of the deduction depends on the horse’s odds.
• Steeple Chase - A type of horse race in which the horses jump over fences, open ditches and water jumps.
• Tic-tac - This is the system of hand signals that bookmakers at a racecourse use to communicate with each other about the changing odds on the horses.
• Totepool - An on-course betting system established by the government in which all the stakes placed on a race goes into a pot, which is shared out amongst the winners. You can make different types of tote bet in the same way that you can make different types of bet with bookmakers

Visit our top horse racing bookmakers page for up to date introductary offers. find out which other bookmakers are offering great offers including a free £10 bet.

Add to del.icio.us