Speak the language of the turf.

A

A/E (Actual vs Expected)Form

A stat comparing the winners a horse, trainer or sire ACTUALLY produced against how many the market EXPECTED; a figure above 1.00 flags an angle the market underrates.

AbandonedRaceday

A meeting called off — usually waterlogged, frozen or unsafe ground — with bets voided. (Yes, it’s what our 504 page calls itself.)

AccumulatorBetting

A single bet combining four or more selections, where every one must win for it to pay out. Also called an ‘acca’. Big potential returns, low strike rate.

Advised priceFormdial

The odds available when a tip is issued. Our results are settled to the advised price (or Betfair SP where stated), so the record reflects what you could actually have taken. More →

All-weatherRace type

Racing on a synthetic surface (Polytrack or Tapeta) rather than turf. Runs year-round and is far less affected by the weather. More →

Also-ranIn-running

A horse that finished outside the places — in the race but not in the money.

AmateurConnections

An unpaid jockey, shown as Mr, Miss or Mrs on the racecard.

Ante-postBetting

Betting well in advance of a race — sometimes months — at bigger odds. The catch: if your horse doesn’t run, you usually lose the stake.

ApprenticeConnections

A trainee Flat jockey attached to a yard, claiming a weight allowance until they ride enough winners.

B

BackingBetting

Betting on a selection to win (or place). The opposite of laying.

BankerBetting

The selection you’re most confident in, often used to anchor multiple bets.

BankrollStaking

The total pot you’ve set aside for betting. We track everything in points so the record is independent of the size of your bank. More →

Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG)Betting

A bookmaker concession: take an early price and if the SP comes back bigger, you’re paid at the bigger odds — so taking a price never costs you.

Betfair SP (BSP)Odds

The starting price generated by the Betfair exchange at the off, often bigger than the bookmakers’ SP. We publish a BSP column alongside our advised prices. More →

BismarckSlang

A favourite the bookmakers are happy to take on, expecting it to be sunk.

BlinkersForm

Headgear with eye-cups that cut a horse’s side and rear vision to keep it focused; a first-time fit is always worth noting.

BottleSlang

Old tic-tac slang for odds of 2/1.

BounceIn-running

A flat run that can follow a hard previous effort, or a first start back after a layoff.

BumperRace type

A National Hunt Flat race — no obstacles — used to give jumps-bred horses raceday experience before they hurdle or chase.

C

CarpetSlang

Tic-tac slang for 3/1 (double carpet = 33/1).

ChaseRace type

A steeplechase: a jumps race over large, fixed fences. A step up from hurdling.

CheekpiecesForm

Sheepskin strips on the bridle’s cheek straps that sharpen a horse’s focus.

Claim (jockey’s)Connections

A weight allowance an inexperienced rider ‘claims’ off a horse’s back (e.g. a 3lb claimer) — not to be confused with a claiming race.

Class (1–7)Race type

British races are graded Class 1 (the best, including the Pattern) down to Class 7; the class tells you the company a horse is keeping.

ClassicsRace type

The five historic Flat races for three-year-olds: the 2,000 and 1,000 Guineas, the Oaks, the Derby and the St Leger.

Co-favouriteOdds

One of three or more horses sharing the shortest price (two sharing it are joint-favourites).

Coat coloursBreeding

How horses are described by colour: bay, brown, chestnut, grey, black and roan.

CockleSlang

Tic-tac slang for 10/1.

ColtConnections

An ungelded male horse aged four or younger.

ConditionalConnections

The jumps version of an apprentice — a trainee National Hunt jockey who claims an allowance.

Conditions raceRace type

A non-handicap where the weights are fixed by set conditions (age, sex, past wins) rather than by ratings.

ConnectionsConnections

The people behind a horse — chiefly the owner, trainer and jockey.

Course specialistForm

A horse with a standout record at one particular track — ‘horses for courses’ in action.

Course-and-distance (C&D)Form

A horse that has already won over both today’s track AND today’s trip — flagged ‘C&D’ on the racecard, and a strong positive pointer.

D

Daily DialFormdial

Our daily selections — the bets we’re actually having, staked and explained, then logged win or lose. The full public record lives on the results page. More →

DamConnections

A horse’s mother. The sire is the father.

Dark horseBetting

A horse thought capable of more than it has shown — one the shrewd money is quietly on.

Dead-heatIn-running

A finish the judge can’t separate; the placing and the stakes are shared, so a dead-heated winner is paid at half.

DebutantForm

A horse having its very first racecourse run — its ‘debut’, often written 1TO (first time out). The following start is 2TO, second time out.

Decimal oddsOdds

Odds shown as a single figure for the total return per unit staked — 4.0 is the same as 3/1. More →

DeclaredForm

Confirmed to run. Horses are declared at the overnight (or 48-hour) stage; until then a runner is only a possible.

Distance (winning margin)In-running

Confusingly, also a margin: a winning distance of 30 lengths or more, seen mostly over jumps.

DrawForm

The starting stall a horse is allotted on the Flat. On some tracks and trips a low or high draw is a real advantage — that’s draw bias. More →

Draw biasForm

A track-and-trip tendency for horses drawn in certain stalls (high or low) to win more than their share — one of the first things we check on the Flat. More →

DrifterOdds

A horse whose odds are getting bigger — the market is turning against it.

Drop in classRace type

Running in a lower grade than last time, usually an easier task — the opposite of a step up in class.

E

Each-wayBetting

Two bets in one: half your stake on the win, half on the place. The place part pays a fraction of the win odds (commonly a fifth or a quarter) if the horse finishes in the frame. More →

EvensOdds

Odds of 1/1 (2.0): a winning £1 returns £1 profit plus your stake back. More →

ExchangeBetting

A platform (such as Betfair) where punters bet against each other rather than a bookmaker, and you can both back and lay.

EyecatcherIn-running

A horse that caught the eye running better than its finishing position, and is worth following next time.

F

FavouriteOdds

The shortest-priced horse in the market — the one most money is for.

FestivalRaceday

A meeting run over several days, usually the highlight of its season — Cheltenham, Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood.

FieldBetting

All the runners in a race; in betting, ‘the field’ can also mean everything bar the favourite.

FillyConnections

A female horse aged four or younger.

Firm / Good / Soft / HeavyGoing

The going scale from fastest to slowest: Firm, Good to Firm, Good, Good to Soft, Soft, Heavy. Many horses have a clear ground preference. More →

Flat racingRace type

Racing on the level with no obstacles, on turf or all-weather. The Flat season peaks in summer.

FoalBreeding

A horse in its first year of life.

ForecastBetting

Picking the first two home in the correct order (straight forecast) or either order (reverse forecast).

Form figuresForm

The string of recent finishing positions beside a horse’s name: 1–9 for places, 0 for outside the first nine, with letters for non-completions (P, F, U, etc.). A ‘/’ marks a new season.

Front-runnerIn-running

A horse that likes to bowl along in front and set the pace; often well suited by a speed-favouring track.

FurlongDistance

An eighth of a mile, or 220 yards. Race distances are given in miles and furlongs — a ‘5f’ sprint is five furlongs.

G

GeldingConnections

A male horse that has been castrated — common in jumps racing to aid temperament.

GoingGoing

The official description of the ground’s condition, from Firm to Heavy. It shapes which horses are favoured and how a race is run. More →

GreenIn-running

Raw and inexperienced — a young horse still learning the job, often racing unprofessionally.

Group / Graded raceRace type

The elite tier. Flat: Group 1 (best), 2, 3, then Listed. Jumps: Grade 1, 2, 3. These are the championship races.

GuineasRace type

Shorthand for the 1,000 (fillies) and 2,000 Guineas, the season’s first Classics, run over a mile at Newmarket.

H

Hacked upIn-running

Won with plenty in hand — never out of second gear.

HandicapRace type

A race in which horses carry different weights according to their official rating, the aim being to give every runner an equal chance.

Handicap markForm

The official rating a horse runs off in a handicap; the lower the mark, the less weight it shoulders.

HandicapperConnections

The official who sets each horse’s rating and handicap weight — also the name for a punter who studies form for a living.

HeadgearForm

Equipment fitted to sharpen a horse’s focus — blinkers, cheekpieces, a visor, a hood or a tongue-tie. A first-time application is often noted.

Held upIn-running

Ridden patiently towards the back early, to be produced with a late run; the opposite of front-running.

HoodForm

Headgear covering the ears to muffle noise and settle an anxious horse.

Horses for coursesForm

The old truism that some horses simply run better at particular tracks.

HurdleRace type

A jumps race over smaller, flexible obstacles — the usual starting point before chasing.

I

In the frameIn-running

Finishing in a place that pays out each-way. The number of places paid grows with the size of the field.

J

JollySlang

Ring slang for the favourite — ‘the jolly’.

JuvenileRace type

A two-year-old, the youngest age group on the Flat; over jumps it tends to mean a young hurdler.

L

LayBetting

Betting that a selection will NOT win, acting as the bookmaker on an exchange. You win the backer’s stake but are liable for their winnings.

Left-handed / right-handedRaceday

Which way a track turns — anti-clockwise (left-handed, like Epsom) or clockwise (right-handed, like Ascot). More →

LengthDistance

The standard margin unit — roughly one horse’s body length between runners at the line.

LevyConnections

A statutory charge on bookmakers’ racing profits that funds prize money, integrity and the sport.

Lightly racedForm

A horse with only a handful of career runs, often still on the upgrade.

Listed raceRace type

The rung just below Pattern (Group) class — high quality, but not quite Group level.

Longshot ScottFormdial

The handicapper behind Formdial: fifteen years reading form, a value-and-longshot approach, and a public record kept honest since December 2025. More →

Lucky 15Betting

Fifteen bets on four selections: four singles, six doubles, four trebles and a four-fold — so a single winner still returns.

M

Made headwayIn-running

Gained ground on the field, usually in the closing stages.

Made the runningIn-running

Led and dictated the pace for all or most of the race.

MaidenRace type

A race confined to horses that have never won. A ‘maiden’ is also any horse yet to win.

MareConnections

A female horse aged five or older.

Missed the kickIn-running

Began slowly as the stalls opened, conceding early ground (also ‘slowly away’).

MonkeySlang

Punters’ slang for a £500 stake.

N

NapFormdial

A tipster’s strongest selection of the day — the one they’d back above all others. More →

National HuntRace type

Jump racing — hurdles, chases and bumpers; the winter game, often shortened to NH or just ‘the jumps’.

NeckIn-running

A short winning margin, about the length of a horse’s neck; shorter still are a head and a short-head.

NewcomerForm

An unraced horse with no public form to go on, assessed instead on pedigree, the gallops and the market.

Non-runnerForm

A horse that was declared but is withdrawn before the race — it doesn’t run, and win bets on it are refunded. (Yes, it’s also what our 404 page calls itself.)

Non-Runner No Bet (NRNB)Betting

An ante-post concession where your stake is refunded if your horse doesn’t run, rather than lost — it takes the usual ante-post risk off the table.

NoviceRace type

A horse in the early stage of its career over jumps, or a Flat race for lightly-raced types. Definitions vary by code.

NurseryRace type

A handicap exclusively for two-year-olds, run in the second half of the Flat season once juveniles have a rating.

O

ObjectionRaceday

A formal complaint, often by a jockey, that a rival broke the rules — which the stewards then weigh up.

Odds-onOdds

Odds shorter than evens, where you stake more than you stand to win — the market’s way of saying a horse is more likely than not to win. More →

Off the bridleIn-running

When a horse is being pushed along and asked for effort. ‘On the bridle’ means it’s still travelling easily.

Off the paceIn-running

Racing well behind the leaders — fine if there’s a strong gallop to aim at, awkward if it’s steady up front.

Official Rating (OR)Form

The mark assigned to a horse by the BHA handicapper, reflecting its assessed ability and setting the weight it carries in handicaps.

One-pacedIn-running

Honest but unable to quicken when the tempo lifts — runs the same gallop throughout.

OutsiderOdds

A long-priced horse the market doesn’t expect to win — one for the each-way thinker.

Over-roundOdds

The bookmaker’s built-in margin: add up every runner’s implied chance and the book totals more than 100%.

P

PacemakerIn-running

A horse run mainly to force a strong, even gallop, usually setting up a more fancied stablemate.

PatentBetting

A full-cover bet on three selections: three singles, three doubles and a treble — seven bets in all, so one winner still returns something.

PenaltyForm

Extra weight a horse must carry, usually for winning since the weights were published.

Photo finishIn-running

A finish too close to call by eye, settled by the photo. ‘Awaiting a photo’ precedes the result.

PlaceBetting

Finishing in one of the positions that pays out each-way — how many depends on the race type and field size. More →

Place termsBetting

How many places a bet pays and at what fraction of the odds (say a fifth, three places) — it varies with the field size and race type. More →

PlacepotBetting

The popular Tote pool: find a placed horse in each of the first six races at a meeting.

Points (pts)Staking

A staking unit, not a sum of money: betting ‘1 point’ means a consistent fraction of your bank. Tracking profit in points keeps the record meaningful whatever your stakes. More →

PonySlang

Slang for a £25 stake.

ProgenyBreeding

A stallion’s or mare’s offspring; their collective record is a pedigree angle — handy for first-timers with no form of their own.

Pulled up (PU)In-running

When a jockey eases a horse to a halt before the finish, usually because it’s out of contention or feeling something. Shown as ‘P’ in the form.

PullingIn-running

Racing too keenly and fighting the jockey’s hold, burning energy it needs for the finish (also ‘keen’).

R

RacecardForm

The programme for a meeting, listing each race’s runners, riders, weights and form.

ReappearanceForm

A horse’s first run back after a break or in a new season.

Reverse forecastBetting

A forecast covering two horses to finish first and second in EITHER order (two bets). More →

Rule 4Betting

A deduction from winnings to account for a horse withdrawn after betting opened — the bigger the non-runner’s chance, the larger the deduction per pound.

S

ScoreSlang

Slang for a £20 stake.

Selling / Claiming raceRace type

The lowest grade, where the winner is offered at auction (selling) or runners can be bought for a set price (claiming).

Short-headIn-running

The smallest official winning margin in British racing — closer than a head.

SilksConnections

The coloured jacket and cap a jockey wears, registered to the owner. Every set is unique — we keep our own silks library.

Silver RingRaceday

A racecourse’s cheapest public enclosure.

SireConnections

A horse’s father. Sire stats can hint at preferences for ground, trip or precocity.

Spread a plateRaceday

Lost or twisted a shoe (a ‘plate’) before or during a race — sometimes the reason a fancied horse runs flat.

SprintDistance

A short, sharp Flat race, typically five or six furlongs and over in little more than a minute.

StakeStaking

The amount risked on a bet. We advise stakes in points; on an each-way bet the stake is doubled (one part win, one part place). More →

StallionConnections

An entire (ungelded) male horse used, or retired, for breeding.

StallsRaceday

The starting gates Flat races break from; the stall a horse is allotted is its draw.

Stands-side / far-sideIn-running

On a wide straight course, the two groups a field can split into; ground or pace can favour one side over the other.

Starting Price (SP)Odds

The official odds returned at the off, set from the on-course market. Where we can’t take a price earlier, bets are settled to SP.

StayerDistance

A horse that’s at its best over long distances — a mile and a half and beyond on the Flat.

SteamerOdds

A horse being heavily backed, its odds shortening sharply. The opposite of a drifter.

Step up / drop back in tripDistance

Running over a longer (step up) or shorter (drop back) distance than last start; a key angle when a horse has been crying out for it.

Stewards’ enquiryIn-running

An official investigation into a raceday incident — interference, a rider’s use of the whip, or a disputed result — that can change the placings.

Strike rateForm

The percentage of runs that bring a win (or a place) — a quick read on how consistent a horse, trainer or angle really is.

T

Tattersalls (enclosure)Raceday

The main racecourse enclosure, home to the principal betting ring, a notch below the Members’.

ThoroughbredBreeding

The breed of horse bred for racing, every one traceable in the General Stud Book.

Tic-tacSlang

The vanishing hand-signal language on-course bookies once used to pass prices across the ring.

Tongue-tieForm

A strap holding the tongue down to aid breathing and stop a horse getting its tongue over the bit.

ToteBetting

Pool betting: all stakes go into a pool and the dividend depends on how much is bet and how many back the winner, rather than on fixed odds.

Tote JackpotBetting

A Tote pool needing the winner of six nominated races; it rolls over when nobody solves it.

TrebleBetting

Three selections in one bet, all of which must win.

TricastBetting

A bet naming the first three home in the correct order — hard to land, handsome when it does.

TripDistance

The distance of a race, and by extension the distance a horse is best suited to — its ‘optimum trip’.

Triple CrownRace type

A clean sweep of three set Classics in one season — for colts the 2,000 Guineas, Derby and St Leger; rarely landed.

TrixieBetting

Four bets on three selections: three doubles and a treble (no singles, so at least two must win to return).

Turn of footIn-running

The ability to quicken sharply off the pace — the weapon that wins the big races.

U

UnexposedForm

A lightly-raced horse whose limit isn’t yet known, so it may be a good deal better than its form so far suggests.

V

ValueFormdial

The whole point of the exercise: backing a horse at odds bigger than its true chance deserves. Win or lose on the day, value is the only edge that lasts. More →

VisorForm

Like blinkers, but with a slit in each cup that allows a little side vision.

W

WalkoverRace type

A race left with a single runner, which still has to go to post and pass the line to score.

Weighed inRaceday

The all-clear after a race confirming the jockeys carried the correct weight — bets are only settled once it’s announced.

WeightForm

The burden a horse carries, made up of the jockey, saddle and any lead needed to reach its allotted figure, plus any penalty.

Weight-for-ageForm

A sliding scale of weight allowances that lets younger horses race older ones on fair terms.

Well-handicappedForm

Rated by the handicapper below a horse’s true ability, so it carries a favourable weight — the value-hunter’s sweet spot.

Win-onlyBetting

A bet that pays out solely if the horse wins — no place portion, unlike each-way. More →

Wind operationForm

Minor breathing surgery (a ‘wind op’); the first run afterwards can bring sharp improvement, and is now flagged on the racecard.

Y

YankeeBetting

A full-cover bet on four selections — six doubles, four trebles and a four-fold, eleven bets in total.

YearlingBreeding

A horse in its second year (aged one) — the age most are bought at the sales.

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