Horse Racing Glossary

Find below an Australian glossary of used horse racing terms. Please contact us here with other common words used within the industry. We will place them within the list.

Also Ran: A horse who finishes out of the money.

Apprentice Rider: normally under contract to a stable, learning to ride.

Apprentice Claim: Weight concession to an apprentice rider.

Bandage: Strips of cloth wound around the lower part of a horse's legs for support or protection against injury.

Box Trifecta:  Usually four or five horses are "boxed" in a trifecta. If three of the horses selected all finish in the first three placings, the punter collects for a winning trifecta.

Bleeder: Horse who bleeds during or after a workout or race due to ruptured blood vessel

Blinkers: Device to limit a horse's vision to prevent him from swerving from objects or other horses on either side of him.

Bolted: During the race the horse has ran many lengths in front of the field or has won the race by many lengths. "He has bolted in."

Broken Down: When a horse suffered an injury; lameness.

Checked: A horse which receives some type of interference.

Correct Weight: Placings in a race are official.

Daily Double: Select the winner in two races.

Dead Heat: Two or more horses finishing in an exact tie at the finish line.

Distanced: Well beaten, finishing a great distance behind the winner.

Dwelt: Tardy in breaking from the gate.

Eased: The horse is backed off usually to find position in the race.

Each way: Have equal amount of money on the horse for a win and for a place.
Each way odds: usually is four to one, you receive all your money back if it comes second or third as long as eight or more runners in race.

Eligible: Qualified to start in a race, according to conditions

Exacta: Select the first two horses in a race in the finishing order.

First Four: Select first four horses in the correct order in a pre selected race.

Flat Race: Contested on level ground, not a hurdle race or steeplechase

Front Runner: A horse who usually leads the field for as far as he can.

Gallop: A fast canter.

Gelding: Castrated male horse.

Good Track: Condition between fast and slow.

Handicap Race: for which a handicapper assigns weights to be carried.

Heavy: Next level up from slow. A rain affected track.

Hurdle Race: Contested over obstacles. A jumping race over lower fences than steeplechase races.

In Foal: Pregnant mare

Length: A horses length from nose to tail.

Maiden: A horse who has not won a race.

Maiden Race: A race for non winners.

Mudlark: A horse that excels on wet tracks.

Near side: Left side of a horse.

Odds on: Odds of less than even money.

Off Side: Right side of horse.

On the nose: To back a horse for the win only.

Photo Finish: A result so close it is necessary to use a finish-line camera to determine the winner.

Place: This is when a horse runs either 1st, 2nd or 3rd and you receive a dividend. There must be eight runners or more.

Protest:

Quadrella: Select the winner of 4 pre nominated races on the card.

Quinella: Select the first two horses in a race in any order.

Running Double: Select the winner in two consecutive races.

Saddle Cloth: -Cloth under the saddle displaying the horses number.

Scratched: To be taken out of the race.

Slow: Rain affected track. Better than heavy.

Stewards: Racing officials responsible for enforcing the rules of racing.

Straight Six: Select the winner of six consecutive pre nominated races.

Weight for Age: Fixed scale of weights to be carried by horses.

Win: Your selection crosses the line first and correct weight it given.