Betting at Goodwood

The person responsible for preparing a horse for the races. They plan everything, from the day to day feeding and exercise to the races in which the horse will run.

The backbone of racing, owners invest their hard-earned money in a horse and pay for it to be trained. They get the majority of the prize money.

The lads and lasses who work in stables looking after the welfare and exercise of the horses.

Racing’s unit of distance measurement. There are eight furlongs to a mile.

Horses are loaded into the stalls to ensure a clean start.

The underfoot conditions. This varies from ‘heavy’ to ‘firm’.

The area where the horses walk round before racing to warm up. It’s a great place to see the horses and make your selection.

Horses are afforded an official rating by the sport’s governing body (the BHA) according to their previous performances.

A handicap race is where horses are allocated different weights to carry according to their official rating. A higher rating = more weight.

These are the most prestigious races on the calendar, with Group One races being the pinnacle.

This occurs when there has been an interference in the race and the racecourse stewards are investigating. Bookies won’t pay out until the results of the enquiry are announced.

The stewards are happy that the race has been run fairly and by the rule book. Go and collect your winnings you lucky one!

A male horse four years of age or less.

A male horse over the age of four.

A male horse of any age who is no longer ‘entire.’ (The poor chap).

A female horse of four years or younger.

A female horse over four year of age.

A horse who tends to race from the front.

A horse who has never won a race.

The horse’s father and mother.

A piece of headgear worn by horses to help them concentrate. Alternatively, ‘Cheek pieces’ or a ‘Visor’ may be used.

This is when a jockey cannot make the specified weight and carries a few extra pounds. Don’t judge them too harshly, they’re probably already several stone under their natural bodyweight.

The coloured silks worn by the jockey to distinguish each horse. The colours are chosen by and registered to the owner.

An apprentice jockey is a rider under the age of 26 who is attached to a particular stable. They will claim a weight allowance according to the number of winners they have ridden. This allowance (7lbs, 5lbs or 3lbs) is taken off the horse’s allocated weight in a race and acts as an incentive for owners and trainers to use them over more experienced professionals. The allowance is in brackets next to their name in the racecard.

The rider who has won the most races in a complete season.