Whether you enjoy a cheeky flutter on the Grand National each year, or you’re a regular at the your local race track, millions of people enjoy a bet on the horse racing. When it comes to the sport of kings it’s never been easier to get all the information you need to make an informed decision. But when it comes to ‘studying the form’ what does all of that info mean? If you’ve got questions. take a look at our simple guide on how to read a horse racing form to help you feel more informed.

 

The form book can appear to be a random collection of numbers and symbols to beginners, but it doesn’t take long to master how to read horse racing form. Once you’ve got the hang of reading every runners ‘form’ profile in a race, you’ll have all the info you need to make your next bet. 

 

What is a race card? How it can help and what to analyse

 

A race card is essentially your itinerary to a day at the races, which will tell you everything you need to know about both the racecourse as well as the races that are scheduled to take place on the day. Much like a programme at the football or the theatre, they’re a popular choice for people looking to get the most out of their day (or for those who would like a souvenir!)

 

Essentially, the race card will tell you everything you could possibly want to know about each race. At the top you will find things like the time of the race, its name, the distance and the number of runners. Underneath you will find each runner in number order.

 

Next to each horse you will find lots of details about them, including the jockey and trainer as well as the silks they will be carrying. There are also lots of more intricate details, such as the weight which the horse will carry as well as a guide to their recent performances – this is known as a form guide. Reading the form can seem daunting to beginners as at first glance it can look like a collection of random numbers, letters and symbols, but it doesn’t take long to get familiar with everything.

 

The idea is that you use all of the information in the race card to help you choose a horse that you would like to bet on and hopefully pick a winner! The majority of race cards in the UK and Ireland will include a brief synopsis on each runner for you as well as a verdict at the bottom to help you out.

 

How to read a horse racing form

 

Space is often at a premium in race cards, meaning that a lot of information needs to be conveyed as briskly as possible. This means that there are lots of abbreviations in each horse’s form guide, which can be difficult to understand if you’re new to trying to read it.

 

If you have a printed out race card, you should be able to find a guide at the front of your race card, but we have listed everything you could possibly need to know about how to read a horse racing form for you below.

 

Name, time, distance and class of the race

 

The first step to understanding how to read a horse racing form is to understand the details of the race itself. The name and time of the race will be right at the top. Next up is the distance of the race, which is measured in miles, furlongs and yards. For example, if the race distance is ‘2m1f 186y’, the horses will be running a total distance of two miles, one furlong and 186 yards in the contest. Not sure about your furlongs from your yards? Check out our guide to terms. 

 

The final info in this section is the type of race that is being contested. There are many different types and classes of races, giving you a clue as to the level or type of racehorse that you are dealing with. We have listed some of the most common race types for you below:

 

Group or Graded races – This is the highest level of racing, with Group races taking place on the Flat and Graded races taking place on the Jumps. They are separated into three classes, with Group or Grade 1 races being the highest, followed by Group or Grade 2 races and Group or Grade 3 races.

 

Listed races – A prestigious race that is a step below Group or Graded level and is usually used as a stepping stone between handicap races and Group or Graded races.

 

Handicap races – The most common type of horse race, where each horse carries a weight based on their ability relative to the others in the field. The best horses on ratings will carry the most weight and the inferior horses on ratings will carry the least. Handicaps are ranked on ‘Class’, which are generally ranked from Class 1 – Class 7 in the UK and Ireland.

 

Maiden races – These races are for horses who have yet to win a race under Rules and generally involve runners of a lower ability.

 

Selling races – These races generally feature lower ability horses. They are used as a springboard for runners who have yet to show very much in their careers, with the winner going to auction after the race.

 

Claiming races – This is a similar concept to a selling race, except each horse is available for sale after the race. The connections will nominate the amount that the horse will be available for after their run and the amounts can often be higher than in selling races.

 

Chase races – This is a type of Jumps race, in which horses will jump over fences.

 

Hurdle races – This is a type of Jumps race, in which horses will jump over hurdles.

 

National Hunt Flat Race or ‘Bumpers’ – This is a type of Jumps race for inexperienced horses. It is essentially a Flat race, as no obstacles will be jumped, and horses can only run in these races on a limited number of occasions.

 

Name, number and colours of the horse

 

This is the most simple information you will see about the horse and it is essentially your guide to spotting your selection during the race. The jockey booked will be wearing the silks shown in the little graphic next to the name, while the horse will have a saddle cloth with their number on. Obviously the name is what you will hear the commentator say during the race! (hopefully alongside ‘our winner is…!)

 

Colour, sex and pedigree of the horse

 

These three details usually follow underneath the name of the horse and they give you some basic details about them.

The first thing you will see is the horse’s colour, which is often shortened into an abbreviation and should be one of the following:

 

b – bay

bl – black

br – brown

ch – chestnut

gr – grey

wh – white

 

After this you will see the sex of the horse, which is again shortened into the following abbreviations:

 

c – colt: a male horse that is aged four and under

f – filly: a female horse that is aged four and under

g – gelding: a castrated male horse

h – horse: a male horse over the age of four

m – mare: a female horse over the age of four

 

Finally you will see the breeding or pedigree of the horse, in the order of the sire, the dam and the dam’s sire. For example, for Frankel you would see ‘Galileo (IRE) – Kind (IRE) – Danehill’.

 

Sire – The father of the horse. The country code in brackets next to their name is where they were bred.

Dam – The mother of the horse.

Dam’s sire – The father of the mother of the horse. Some mares are unraced, meaning that the identity of their father can give a better clue about the horse’s pedigree.

 

Draw, days since last race and recent form

 

There are several numbers around the name of the horse which will tell you plenty of details about the runner in question.

 

The first thing to note is the horse’s draw, which is only applicable for Flat racing. The number will often appear in brackets next to the horse’s number in the race card and it tells you the stall which the horse will be starting from.

 

You should also be able to see a small number in italics, which indicates the number of days since the horse’s last run. This is worth taking note of for horses that are being quickly turned back out after a recent run, or those who have had a long lay-off from the track.

 

After this we have the horse’s recent form, which is arguably the most important thing in the race card. The typical race card will show you how each horse has performed in their last six outings, with each number between 1-9 indicating where they finished in the race.

 

For example, a ‘1’ would show the horse won that race, while a ‘2’ would be for a second placed finish and so on. If you see a ‘0’, it means that the horse finished outside the first nine planes.

 

On top of this there are several symbols which can add extra detail to the horse’s profile. We have listed the most common symbols for you here:

 

If you see a ‘-‘ between the numbers, it is indicating a change of year. For example, if a horse had form figures of ‘1223-45’, the first four runs came in one year and the most recent two came in the current year.

 

Similarly, if you see a ‘/’ between the numbers, this indicates a new season. Essentially, each number to the left of the symbol is from the previous season.

 

B – brought down

C – carried out

D – disqualified

F – fell

HR – hit rails

L – left at the start

O – horse ran out

P – pulled-up

R – refused to race

S – slipped up

U – unseated their rider

V – voided race

 

Age and weight

 

The age of the horse is pretty self-explanatory, but can be a useful tool to indicate if your fancy is due to take on older rivals, which can be particularly important on the Flat.

 

The weight of the horse tells you how much the horse will carry on their back, including the weight of the jockey. This is particularly important in handicaps, as the best horses will have to concede weight to inferior horses based on their ability. However, it can also be a factor in Group or Graded races if there are penalties for winning certain events in place.

 

In British and Irish racing, weight is shown in stones and pounds. For example, if you see 11-02, your horse has to carry 11 stone and 2lbs in the race.

 

Jockey, trainer, owner and breeder

 

This is all pretty self-explanatory, but this section of the race card will tell you everyone who is involved in the horse. It can be helpful if you’re dealing with jockeys and trainers that you’re not overly familiar with, as you can then go and look each person up separately.

 

In order to learn how to read a horse racing form, check out the listed abbreviations:

 

J – The jockey of the horse

T – The trainer of the horse

O – The owner(s) of the horse

B – The breeder of the horse

 

Equipment

 

Some horses will be fitted with certain bits of headgear to help them during the race. Each have their own different effects and the abbreviations for the most common pieces of equipment are here:

 

h – hood

b – blinkers

cp – cheekpieces

t – tongue-tie

v – visor

e – eye hood

 

Relevant race statistics

 

The last thing that you may spot are letters which indicate whether a horse has a relevant statistic that can be applied to this race, such as being a beaten favourite last time out:

BF – The horse was a beaten favourite last time out

C – The horse is a previous course winner

CD – The horse is a previous course and distance winner

D – The horse is a previous distance winner

 

What to analyse before a race

 

Once you have got your head around how to read a horse racing form, it’s time to use all of that information to help you pick out a winner. In short, there are a myriad of different things you need to consider when trying to pick out a winner, which is what makes betting on horse racing so exciting.

The most important thing to consider is a horse’s form and once you have mastered the art of the form guide numbers, you can go a step forward by looking at the horses that your fancy has raced against. You are likely to start to see lots of crossovers as you start to read more and more races, with the form lines between horses crossing over constantly.

 

A solid place to start is by looking for a horse who has placed well on their most recent start, along with having course form. For example, if you see a horse with a ‘1’ as their most recent form figure and a ‘CD’ on their profile, this will tell you that the horse has won their most recent start and has also won over course and distance during their career. 

 

Trying to find a horse that ticks as many boxes as possible is a good starting point in terms of finding a winner, but there is no sure-fire guide to this. The best thing to do is to watch as much horse racing as possible and to read as much form as you can and you will slowly build a profile in your mind of what you want to look for when selecting a winner.

 

Conclusion

 

In short, this guide should hopefully provided you with a solid start in terms of how to read horse racing forms. The world of horse racing is one that is full of data and statistics, meaning that finding somewhere that can explain horse racing form is no easy task!

 

A race card is the most valuable ally that a punter can have, as it can quickly tell you everything you need to know about each runner in a race. It takes a little while to master the art of how to read horse racing forms, but once you know what to look for, you can quickly build a profile of each horse in the race and hopefully find a runner who ticks your boxes. 

 

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Please note that the information provided in this article is for entertainment purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided. Any action you take upon the information on this article is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any losses and damages in connection with the use of our article. We do not encourage gambling and remind you to gamble responsibly.

 

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