Accumulator - A bet involving more than one horse with the winnings from each selection going onto the next.
Allowance - When a rider is inexperienced the horse is given a weight concession to compensate.
All-Weather or AW - The name given to the artificial surface tracks. These offer racing throughout the winter regardless of weather conditions.
Ante-Post - placing a bet during a period in advance of the date of a race, although not including the date itself.
Apprentice - Young jockey tied to a trainer whilst gaining race-riding experience. When racing against professional jockeys apprentices receive weight concessions to compensate for their relative inexperience.
Arbitrage Betting - Betting on every possible outcome to make a profit.
Banker - A selection that is fancied very, very strongly indeed. Will often be the cornerstone of combination bets.
Bar - This shows what the odds are of the horses not mentioned in the betting forecast.
Birthday - All northern hemisphere thoroughbreds have their official birthday on January 1st regardless of their original day of birth.
Board Prices - This refers to the currently available odds displayed on the boards of on-course bookmakers. It is from these that the starting price is derived.
Bumper - The informal term for a flat race for jump horses, in which they gain racing experience before going hurdling or chasing.
Claimer - Race where a horse is handicapped by its trainer, with the weight relating to the amount of money the horse would cost should someone claim it afterwards.
Classics - The collective term for the 1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas, Oaks, Derby and St Leger. These races are only open to three-year-olds, with the 1,000 Guineas and Oaks just for the female horses.
Clerk of the course - The person in overall charge of running the race.
Colours - Refers to the silk shirts worn by the jockeys. Each trainer/owner/jockey will have their own colours.
Colt - Ungelded, male horse up to four years old.
Conditional Jockey - Same as apprentice but it also allowed to jump.
Co-favourite - A horse that share its position at the head of the market with at least two other horses.
Connections - Usually refers to the owner and trainer of a horse, but also applies generally to anyone involved.
Course Specialist - A horse which is used to a track, and has either won or made good time on previous races.
Dam - The mother of a horse.
Distance - Can refer either to a) the length of a race; or b) the distance by which a horse has won or is beaten by a horse in front that has won.
Dutching - This involves placing money on several horses, just the horses most likely to win.
Draw - Refers to a horse's placing in the starting stalls. For flat racing only. Stall numbers are drawn at random.
Drift - When the price of a selection gets bigger, due to a lack of support. That selection is said to be "on the drift".
Each Way Bet - A bet made up of two bets, a win bet and a place bet.
Early Price - The odds offered when you place your bet. The price may be different to the Starting Price.
Evens, Even Money or 1/1 bet - When your stake brings equal winnings.
Filly - Female horse up to four years old.
Foal - In racing the term foal is more complicated than simply a 'baby' horse. It usually refers to either a male or female horse from birth to January 1st of the following year.
Furlong - 220 yards
Gelding - A male horse that has been castrated.
Going - Describes the condition of the racecourse. Ranks as: heavy - soft - good to soft - good - good to firm -firm.
Green - Refers to an inexperienced horse.
Guineas - Horses are still bought and sold at public auction in the UK in Guineas. A Guinea is the equivalent of £1.05 (one pound and one shilling).
Hand - Unit in which a horse's height is measured, at the shoulder. A hand is four inches
Handicap - A race where each horse is allocated a different weight to carry, the theory being all horses then run on a fair and equal basis.
Hunter Chase - A race restricted to horses that have hunted during the present hunting season. Not clear how this will evolve in a post-hunting world.
Joint favourite - When a bookmaker cannot split two selections for favouritism.
Jolly - The favourite in a race.
Judge - The official who determines the finishing order of a race.
Juvenile - Two-year-old horse.
Lay -Back a horse to lose a race.
Listed - A race just below group standard but above that of handicap and conditions races.
Glossary of Horse Racing Terms M-Z
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