Racing has a language all its own. Once you know the words, the whole sport, and the betting, makes far more sense. Here are the terms you'll meet most often, split into betting terms and racing terms.
Betting terms
- Each-way, two bets in one: half on your horse to win, half on it to place (finish in the top few).
- Accumulator, a single bet on four or more selections, where the odds multiply and every leg must win.
- Starting price (SP), the official odds at the off; bets at SP are settled at that final price.
- Ante-post, betting well in advance for bigger odds, with the risk that your stake is lost if the horse doesn't run.
- Non-Runner No Bet, terms under which your stake is returned if your selection is withdrawn.
- Rule 4, a deduction from winnings when a horse is withdrawn after you've bet.
- Odds-on, odds shorter than even money (e.g. 1/2), meaning you stake more than you stand to win.
- Nap, a tipster's most confident selection of the day.
- The places, the positions (often first to third or fourth) that pay out on the place part of an each-way bet.
Try the numbers yourself with our free bet calculator.
Racing terms
- The going, the condition of the ground, from firm to heavy. It hugely affects which horses run well.
- Handicap, a race in which horses carry different weights, set by the official handicapper, to even up their chances.
- Furlong, a unit of distance equal to one-eighth of a mile (220 yards). Race distances are given in miles and furlongs.
- Colt, filly, gelding, mare, a colt is a young male; a filly a young female; a gelding a castrated male; a mare an older female.
- Maiden, a horse (or a race for horses) yet to win.
- Novice, over jumps, a horse in the early stage of its hurdling or chasing career.
- Bumper, a flat race run under National Hunt rules, for young jumps horses not yet introduced to obstacles.
- Form, the record of a horse's recent finishing positions, read right to left for most recent.
- Steward's enquiry, an official review of an incident in a race that may change the result.
Where to go next
With the language under your belt, our how to bet on horse racing guide puts it all into practice, and the bet types section goes deeper on each kind of bet.