Our glossary will help you find and understand a huge array of horse racing terms, varying from common sayings to technical terminology. A race meeting which has been cancelled due to bad weather. All bets placed on abandoned races are fully refunded. Each winning selection then goes on to the next horse bet. All selections must be successful to win any money back. Inexperienced riders apprentices, conditionals and amateurs are allowed a weight concession to compensate for their lack of experience against their colleagues.
An artificial racing surface. There are five all-weather racetracks in Britain Chelmsford, Kempton, Lingfield, Southwell, Wolverhampton and one in Ireland Dundalk , and they stage race meetings throughout the summer and winter. There are three types of surface โ Fibresand, Polytrack and Tapeta. A non-professional jockey who does not receive a fee for riding in a race, denoted on the racecard by the prefix Mr, Mrs, Miss, Captain etc. Some races are restricted to amateurs-only.
For many major races you can place your bet well in advance of the day. In the case of the Classics or big National Hunt races such as the Grand National this could be a year or more before the race takes place.
The price of the horse you bet on is usually bigger than you would expect to see on the day as it reflects the fact the horse is not guaranteed to line up in the race. You can place an antepost bet until the final declaration stage of the race. A trainee Flat jockey connected to the stable of a licensed trainer.
Apprentices have a weight allowance when they ride in races against professional jockeys and can compete for the annual Apprentice title, given to the winner of the most races during the season. For two-year-olds sold at public auction as yearlings or two-year-olds, for a price not exceeding a specified figure. Type of auction, usually for two-year-olds, at which the horses for sale run for a short distance to allow prospective buyers to assess them.
