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When you look at a humble horse racing card, you might think you need a degree in cryptography to work out what all of the different abbreviations mean.<\/p>\n
Well, wonder no more.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a guide to all of the different letters, symbols and abbreviations you will see on a racecard or hear said on a racing broadcast.<\/p>\n
Many of these are crucial to understanding more about a horse and their formline, so it\u2019s well worth bookmarking this page for future reference.<\/p>\n
After all, the better informed you are the more realistic your decisions and predictions are likely to be.<\/p>\n
For the most part, jockeys are considered to be professional sportsmen and women when they get paid for their endeavours. But others, such as the 2022 Grand National winner Sam Waley-Cohen, have retained their amateur status. Where you see \u2018AM\u2019 next to a jockey\u2019s name, this denotes that they are an amateur.<\/p>\n
Apprentice jockeys compete in their own designated races, but often you will see an apprentice compete against the pros on any given racecard. The \u2018APP\u2019 abbreviation confirms their apprentice status, and you may also see a number in brackets next to their name \u2013 this indicates the weight they are claiming, which differs depending on the number of winners they have had.<\/p>\n
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A horse can have all manner of abbreviations and letters next to their name on the racecard. B stands for blinkers, and denotes that that\u2019s the headgear a particular horse will be wearing.<\/p>\n
During a televised meeting, you will typically see the odds of the favourites displayed on screen. But those with less of a chance don\u2019t appear in such graphics, and instead will be grouped under bar status. When you see \u201820\/1 BAR\u2019 in large field races like the Grand National, it means that all horses not specifically mentioned are priced at 20\/1 or longer.<\/p>\n
When you examine a horse\u2019s form, you may see BD for a particular run. This means they were brought down by another runner, and didn\u2019t complete the race.<\/p>\n
The BF abbreviation is applied to horses that were the beaten favourite last time out \u2013 this is something used by punters to determine a horse\u2019s form and quality.<\/p>\n
![\"Best](\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/best-odds-guaranteed-765px.jpg)
Almost universally offered by bookmakers these days, Best Odds Guaranteed ensures you are paid out at the most agreeable price on winning bets. It could be the odds you take, first show or the SP (starting price).<\/p>\n
Quite simply, a horse with a \u2018C\u2019 next to their name shows they have performed well at this particular course before. Typically, a gold \u2018C\u2019 means they have won, while a silver \u2018C\u2019 confirms they have placed.<\/p>\n
Similarly to C above, a CD next to a horse\u2019s name confirms they have run well at this particular course and distance before.<\/p>\n
National Hunt racing typically has three types of renewal: bumper, hurdle and chase (races on the flat are also sometimes held during a jumps meeting). Chase racing typically takes take place over distances of two furlongs or more, and the fences are typically taller, wider and stiffer than hurdles.<\/p>\n
Races are run in different classes, and generally the lower the number the more prestigious the race, and its runners, are.<\/p>\n
See \u2018C\u2019 and \u2018CD\u2019 above.<\/p>\n
A simple shortening for favourite is FAV, and this is used to highlight the betting market\u2019s preference in a race.<\/p>\n
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An \u2018F\u2019 on a horse\u2019s formline confirms that they fell in that particular race.<\/p>\n
All UK jumps races are given a grade based upon their prestige and prize money. Grade 1 is the best, down through 2, 3, Listed and beyond.<\/p>\n
While races over fences are graded as above, those on the Flat are grouped instead. Group 1 renewals are considered the most prestigious, followed by 2, 3 etc.<\/p>\n
Races run under handicap rules may have \u2018hcap\u2019 to denote them as such on a racecard.<\/p>\n
![\"Horse](\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/horse-race-hurdle-765px.jpg)
A National Hunt race contested over hurdles will be denoted on your card by a \u2018H\u2019 or sometimes \u2018Hur\u2019.<\/p>\n
When discussing distances that a horse has recently won or lost by, \u2018Hd\u2019 confirms the distance was a head.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s rare, but occasionally two or more horses will be sent off at the same price. If they are the favourites, \u2018JF\u2019 confirms they are the joint market protagonists.<\/p>\n
A Listed race is one ranked just below Grade or Group standard, and can be run on the Flat or over obstacles.<\/p>\n
Punters use recent form as a guide in their betting, and on that note \u2018LTO\u2019 stands for Last Time Out.<\/p>\n
Quite simply, a maiden horse is one that has never won. Therefore, maiden races are open to those yet to get a victory under rules to their name.<\/p>\n
As mentioned, while the National Hunt is typically concerned with racing over obstacles, there are occasionally races run on the flat \u2013 often as the last of the day\u2019s action.<\/p>\n
Nk is an explanatory abbreviation that tells us a horse won by, or lost by, the distance of a neck.<\/p>\n
A novice is a race type for horses that haven\u2019t won in that sphere prior to the start of the current season. So, a horse that has won over hurdles can still be considered a novice when it goes chasing.<\/p>\n
![\"Non](\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/non-runner-765px.jpg)
A horse declared a non-runner is usually symbolised by NR on the racecard.<\/p>\n
The slenderest of margins, horse races can be won or lost by a nose. This is shown as \u2018Nse\u2019 on a racecard.<\/p>\n
To be used as a guide only, the OR is the Official Rating given to a horse by the handicapper based on their form and pedigree.<\/p>\n
A \u2018P\u2019 next to a horse\u2019s name confirms they are wearing cheek pieces. A P1 shows that this is their first start in the headgear.<\/p>\n
A horse\u2019s formline showing \u2018PU\u2019 reveals that they were pulled up by their jockey in that particular outing.<\/p>\n
An \u2018R\u2019 on a horse\u2019s formline shows that their race ended when they refused to jump a particular fence.<\/p>\n
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Not to be confused with a refusal, RR is used to show a horse that Refused to Race at all.<\/p>\n
The betting market is skewed by a non-runner in the majority of cases. Bets placed before the NR are known are subject to Rule 4 deductions, which will see you handed a revised payout based on the new odds for the field.<\/p>\n
A horse can win or lose by a short head \u2013 shown on a formline as \u2018Shd\u2019.<\/p>\n
![\"Starting](\"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starting-price-765px.jpg)
As you may know, betting odds fluctuate right up until the moment the horses are under starter\u2019s orders. At this point, the SP (starting price) is determined using data from numerous bookmaking sources.<\/p>\n
The presence of \u2018UR\u2019 on a horse\u2019s form guide confirms they unseated their rider in that run.<\/p>\n
The \u2018W\u2019 next to a horse\u2019s name on a racecard reveals that it has had wind surgery, which can sometimes precipitate better form. The number next to the W confirms how many races the horses has had since their surgery.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When you look at a humble horse racing card, you might think you need a degree in cryptography to work out what all of the different abbreviations mean. Well, wonder no more. Here\u2019s a guide to all of the different letters, symbols and abbreviations you will see on a racecard or hear said on a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":54,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-1718","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry"},"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1718"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1718\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2498,"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1718\/revisions\/2498"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/54"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rulesofsport.com\/betting\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}