| Accumulator: |
Double the bet when the winners on the first race are used on the second as the stake. |
| All Out: |
When a horse races at the top of his ability. |
| Allowance: |
A weight concession given to compensate when a rider is inexperienced |
| All Weather Racing: |
An artificial surface is used for the race. |
| Ante-Post: |
Placing a bet during a period in advance of the date of a race, although not including the date itself. |
| Backstretch: |
The straight way on the far side of the track. |
| Backward: |
When a racing horse is too young or not in full fitness. |
| Bad Beat: |
A losing wager owing more to misfortune, unfortunate circumstances or sheer terrible luck than poor handicapping or analysis. |
| Blanket Finish: |
When the horses finish so close for the win you could theoretically put a single blanket across them. |
| Course clerk : |
A person who has overall charge of running the race |
| Colours: |
The jockeys silk shirts. Each trainer/jockey team will have specific colours. |
| Connections: |
Anyone involved with the racing horse but it usually applies to the horse's owner and trainer. |
| Course Specialist: |
When a horse has accustomed to a track, is doing well or has won on it. |
| Distance: |
A track's length or the distance between first and second horses. |
| Draw: |
A horse's placing in the starting stalls. For flat racing only. Stall numbers are drawn at random. |
| Even Money or Evens: |
When your bet returns the same amount you risked. |
| Filly: |
Up to four years old female horse. |
| Foal: |
It usually refers to either a male or female horse from birth to January 1st of the following year. |
| Furlong: |
Two hundred and twenty yards |
| Going: |
The race track condition can be ranked as: firm - good to firm - good - good to soft - soft -heavy. |
| Green: |
A horse with little experience.. |
| Hand: |
Horses height is measured in hands, 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. |
| Jolly: |
A race's favorite horse. |
| Juvenile: |
A 2-year-old horse. |
| Mare: |
Female horse over five years old. |
| Nursery: |
A handicap for two year old horses |
| Objection: |
A jockey complaint against another. |
| Odds On: |
Betting odds where the winnings are less than the stake. |
| Open Ditch: |
Steeplechase jump with a ditch on the side facing the jockey. |
| Over the Top: |
When a horse reaches his maximum performance for a season. |
| Penalty: |
More weight is added to the handicap of a horse |
| Photo Finish: |
A photo which can be referred when the race finish is to close. |
| Run Free: |
When a horse si going too fast. |
| Schooled: |
A horse trained for jumping. |
| Scope: |
A horse potential. |
| Selling Race: |
A race with an immediate auction afterwards where the winner is sold. |
| Short runner: |
A horse who doesn't stay, or barely stays, the full distance of a race. |
| Sire: |
A horse’s father. |
| Stewards: |
A group of four people who observe the following of the rules.. |
| Stewards Enquiry: |
An enquiry by the stewards into a race. Tic-Tac: the hand signals, or sign language, used by bookmakers to converse with each other. |
| Under Starters Orders or Under Orders: |
refers to the starting of a race. They're off refers to the horses leaving the stalls. Walkover: a race involving only one horse and jockey. |
| Yearling: |
A horse of either sex during 1 January to 31 December following the year of its birth. |
