Racing Glossary | A to Z Racing Glossary on Australian Racing

The A-Z Guide of Racing Betting Glossary terms

Acceptor - A runner that has been paid up an acceptance fee by the connections to start in a race.

Approximates - The approximate odds on the totes before the final pool is closed.

Back - To bet or wager on a runner.

Barrier Draw - The ballot held by the race club to decide the position a runner will start from in the barrier stalls.

Blanket Finish - When the horses finish so close to the winning line you could theoretically put a single blanket across them.

Blinkers - A hood worn by the horse to limit his peripheral vision. This helps to prevent him from swerving away from distracting objects or other horses on either side of him.

Bolter - A winning horse at very long odds.

Box - A wagering term denoting a combination bet where all possible numeric combinations are covered.

Boxed (in) - To be trapped between other horses.

Bookmaker (Bookie) - A person registered and licensed to accept bets from the public.

Card - Racing fixture or meeting.

Checked - A horse progress was momentarily impeded during running.

Colours - Racing silks, the jacket and cap worn by jockeys.

Colt - An ungelded (entire) male horse three-years-old or younger.

Correct Weight - Horses must weigh in with their allocated weight before dividends are declared paid.

Daily Double - To pick winners of two two nominated races on a race card.

Daily Treble - To pick the winner of three nominated races on a race card.

Dead Heat - A tie. Two or more horses finishing equal in a race.

Dead Track - Racing surface lacking resiliency.

Deductions - When a horse is scratched from a race after betting on that race has already started, deductions are taken out of the win and place bets at a rate in proportion to the odds of the scratched horse.

Derby - A stakes event for three-year-olds.

Dividend - The amount paid by the TABs for a winning or placed horse for every $1.00 invested.

Double - Selecting the winners in two specific races.

Draw - Refers to a horse's placing in the starting stalls.

Drift (Ease) - In betting, odds that 'Lengthen', are said to have drifted, or eased.

Each Way - Betting on a horse to win and/or 'Place'. An each way bet is when you have the same amount on the horse for a win and for a place. Bookmakers will give you one quarter of the win odds for a place in fields of eight or more. In fields of five, six and seven horses, only first and second placed horses will get a return. Place bets are not accepted in a field of four or fewer.

Even Money Bet (or Evens) - A 1:1 bet. A $10 wager wins $10.

Exacta - A wager that picks the first two finishers in a race in the exact order of finish.

Exotic (wager) - Any wager other than win, place or show.

False Favorite - A horse that is a race favorite despite its lack of credential to win the race

Fast (track) - Condition of track where fast times are recorded.

Favourite - The most popular horse with lowest odds in a race. The horse is deemed to have the best chance of winning the race.

Field - All the runners in a race.

Filly - Female horse three years-old or younger.

First Up - The first run a horse has in a new racing campaign or preparation.

Fixed Odds - Your winning wager is fixed at the odds when you placed your bet.

Flat race - Raced on level ground as opposed to a jump race (Hurdle or Steeplechase).

Form - Statistical analysis of previous performance and comments as to the expected current performance of a runner, useful in deciding which runner to bet on.

Front-runner - A horse with early gate speed usually attempts to lead from the start and win the race.

Furlong - Measure of distance. One-eighth of a mile or 220 yards or 660 feet (approx. 200 meters). Obsolete in Australia.

Gate - Another term for barrier, or position a horse will start from.

Gelding - A male horse that has been castrated.

Going - The condition of the racing surface (fast, good, dead, slow or heavy).

Good (track) - Condition of racing surface. A firm, resilient surface.

Group Race - An elite group of WFA and Handicap races run each season.

Hand - Four inches. A horse's height is measured in hands and inches from the top of the shoulder (withers) to the ground. Thoroughbreds typically range from 15 to 17 hands.

Handicap - A race for which the track handicapper assigns the weights to be carried. Each horse is allocated a different weight to carry, the theory being all horses then run on a fair and equal basis.

Handicapper - The official who allocates the weights to be carried in handicap events.

Hand and Heels - The jockey rides a horse with movement of hands and legs without using the whip.

Head - A winning (losing) margin between horses in photo finishes.

Heavy (track) - Wettest possible condition of a turf course.

Horse - A "Horse" is referred to an ungelded (entire) male four-years-old or older.

Impost - Allocated weight carried by a horse.

In The Money - Finishing first, second or third.

Judge - The person who declares the official placing for each race.

Jumper - Steeplechase or hurdle horse.

Juvenile - Two-year-old horse.

Lay Off - Bets made by one bookmaker with another bookmaker, in an effort to reduce his liability.

Length - A measurement approximating the length of a horse (approx. 3 metres) used to denote margins between horses in a race.

Lengthen (Eased) - Refers to a runner's odds getting longer, that is, more attractive to the bettor.

Listed Race - A stakes race just below a group race or graded race in strength and quality.

Long Shot - A Horse that attract little interests and support form punters, consequently, the horse will be at long odds.

Lug In (Out) - Action of a tiring horse, bearing in or out, failing to keep a straight course.

Maiden - A horse that has not won a race.

Maiden Race - A race for non-winners.

Mare - Female horse four-years-old or older.

Market - The list of all horses engaged in a race and their respective odds (prices).

Middle Distance - Broadly, from 1600 metres (1 mile) to 2000m (1-1/4 miles).

Morning Line - Approximate odds quoted before wagering begins.

Mudlark - A horse that races well on rain affected tracks especially in heavy conditions.

Mug Punter - A punter that loses habitually.

Neck - Unit of measurement approximately the length of a horse's neck.

Nominations - The list of horses entered by owners and trainers for a race.

Nose - Smallest margin a horse can win by. Also called a “short half head”.

Oaks - A stakes event for three-year-old fillies (females).

Odds - Prices which a bookmaker or totalisator offers.

Odds Against - Odds of even money or longer. If the horses wins, the bettor wins equal to or more than his stakes.

Odds-On - Odds shorter than even money. This a bet where you have to outlay more than you win.

On The Nose - Betting a horse to win only.

Outlay - The money a bettor wagers is called his or her outlay.

Out Of The Money - A horse that finishes worse than third.

Outsider - A horse that is not expected to win. An outsider is usually quoted at the very long odds.

Overlay - The odds being offered for a horse is much better than it should be based on that horse's past performances.

Pacifier - A hooded device with meshed goggles worn by the horses to protect their eyes. Also said to have calming effects on horses.

Paddock - Area where horses are saddled and kept before post time.

Penalty - A weight added to the handicap weight of a horse.

Photo Finish - When the race is too close to be judged the photo is used to determine the order of finish.

Place - Finish in the top three in a race or event in fields of eight or more horses. If there are only six or seven runners the horse must finish first or second to place.

Price - The odds.

Protest - When a jockey, owner, trainer or steward alleges interference by one party against another during a race that may have affected the outcome of a race. If a protest is upheld by officials, the runner that caused the interference is placed directly after the horse interfered with. If a protest is dismissed by officials, the original result of the race stands.

Punt - Another term for bet or wager.

Punter - Bettor or investor.

Quadrella - Selecting the winner of four specifically nominated races.

Quinella - Wager in which the first two finishers must be picked in either order. Payoff is made no matter which of the two wins and which runs second.

Ratings - Tipsters may determine a set of ratings which reflect, in their opinion, each runner's chance of winning a particular race taking a number of factors into account when preparing them.

Restricted Races - Races which only certain horses are eligible.

Return - The dividend you receive on a particular bet.

Roughie - A horse which is considered to have a 'rough' chance of winning a race.

Scratch - A horse is said to be “scratched” when it was taken out of a race. Trainers usually scratch horses due to adverse track conditions or a horse's adverse state of health.

Shadow Roll (Nose Roll) - Usually a lamb's wool roll half way up the horse's face to keep him from seeing his own shadow.

Shorten (Tighten) - When the odds of a horse decrease, usually because a lot of money has been wagered on that horse.

Short Price - Low odds, meaning a punter will get little return for their initial outlay.

Sire - Father of a horse.

Slow (track) - A racing strip that is wet on both the surface and base. Between good and heavy.

Spell - The resting period between preparations or racing. Usually three months.

Sportsbook - The person, shop or website who accepts bets.

Sprint - Short race, less than one mile (1600 metres).

Stake - The prize money for the winning horses paid to the owner (eg. trophy or prize money).

Stakes - The sums of money deposited or guaranteed by the parties to a bet.

Stakes-Placed - Finished second or third in a stakes race.

Stakes Horse - A horse whose level of competition includes mostly stakes races.

Stallion - A male horse used for breeding.

Starter - 1. Participating horse in a race. 2. The official responsible for starting a race.

Starting Price (or SP) - An estimation of odds available when the race starts.

Stayer - A horse that can race long distances.

Steeplechase - A race in which horses are required to jump over a series of obstacles on the course. Also known as a 'Chase'.

Stewards - The group of people who control the day's racing by ensuring that every runner competes on its merits and imposing penalties for any breach of the rules of racing.

Stick - A jockey's whip.

Stipes - Another term for the Stewards. (Or Stipendiary Stewards)

Straight out - Betting to win only.

Strapper - Also known as an attendant. A person who assists the trainer, cares for the horse or helps to put on its equipment.

Stretch (home-Stretch) - Final straight portion of the racetrack to the finish.

Stud - 1. Male horse used for breeding. 2. A breeding farm.

Superfecta - A bet placed on four horses to cross the finish line in exact chosen order (also known as First Four).

Sure Thing - A horse which a punter or tipster believes is unbeatable in a race.

TAB - Totalisator Agency Board. The body appointed to regulate off-course betting.

Thoroughbred - Thoroughbred is a breed of horses bred specifically for the purpose of modern day horseracing.

Tipster - A person who makes selections for a race, providing tips on which horses they believe will win the first three places.

Top Weight - Horse allocated most weight in a race (Horse has the number one saddlecloth).

Totalisator (Tote) - The system of betting on races (an automated system that dispenses and records betting tickets, calculates and displays odds and payoffs and provides the mechanism for cashing winning tickets) in which the winning bettors share the total amount bet, minus a percentage for the operators of the system, taxes etc.

Track Condition - Condition of the racetrack surface. Fast; good; Dead; Slow; Heavy.

Track Record - Fastest time for a distance at a particular track.

Trail - Racing immediately behind another horse. A trail is also known as a sit.

Trifecta - A wager picking the first three finishers in exact order.

Trifecta Box - A trifecta wager in which all possible combinations using a given number of horses are bet upon. The total number of combinations can be calculated according to the formula (x3)-(3x2)+(2x), where x equals the amount of horses in the box. The sum of the formula is then multiplied by the amount wagered on each combination.

Underlay - Odds offered for a horse is shorter than it deserves by its past performances.

Under Wraps - Horse under stout restraint in a race or workout.

Wager - Another term for bet.

Walkover - A race in which only one horse competes.

Warming Up - Galloping horse on way to post.

Weigh In (Out) - The certification, by the clerk of scales, of a jockey's weight before (after) a race. A jockey weighs in fully dressed with all gears (saddles and lead bag) except for his/her helmet and whip.

Weight-For-Age - The purpose of weight-for-age is to allow horses of different age and sex to compete on equal terms. The weight a horse carried is allocated on a set scale according to its sex and age.

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