How to read a horse racing form – A complete guide
When it comes to figuring out horse racing form there are so many ways you can go about it, but here we will equip you with the basics of what can help you on your journey to enjoying a day at the races.
As you read on you will be shown what all the information that is displayed on a race card means.
From the jockey to the horse's form, we will cover it all.
A quick look at a horse race card
On any race day, the layout may be slightly different from what you see below, but overall, they will all have the same information.
Below I have broken down all the main information that will be on display on a race day card and will go into more detail as we go.
To anyone new to horse racing it looks more like the Di Vinci Code than a race card, but as you read on it will all become clear as to what each highlighted section is for.
Silks
The silks or colours are what the jockey will be wearing while riding in the selected race. If an owner has more than one horse running in the same race then each jockey will wear a different colour hat
Age and weight
As you can see from the above image, the weight and age will be displayed next to each other on the race card. Races that are held in the UK and Ireland will always display the horse's weight in stones and pounds i.e 11-10 would be 11st 10lb.
Trainer and jockey
The trainer and jockey of the horse will always be displayed above and below each other on the race card with the letters ‘T’ for the trainer and ‘J’ for the jockey. The trainer is the person who trains the horse, and the jockey is the person who has been booked to ride the horse.
Betting forecast
The betting forecast can be found at the end of each race. These are the predicted odds of what each horse's odds may be on the day of the race. Prices will vary to what will be on show by each bookmaker.
Horse’s profile
A horse’s profile is where you can get all the information that you need to know about your horse.
Get all previous form, wins on the flat and over jumps, current and previous ratings, and so much more.
If there is anything you need to know about a horse, you will find it in their profile.
Racing Post Ratings
The Racing Post Ratings or RPR is a representation of how the Racing Post rates the ability of each horse. In theory, the higher the rating of a horse, the more ability he processes.
For example, in a race, if a horse is rated 124 and another horse is rated 120, then the 124 rated has shown more ability to that point than the 120-rated horse.
These ratings will always change throughout the horse racing career, but always use them as a guide and not factual information because as we know, horses will always improve at their own pace.
What do the abbreviations in horse racing mean
There are so many abbreviations in horse racing betting, and so many that it takes time to grasp what each one means.
But here we are going to break it all down for you in our easy-to-follow guide.
Race types
You are on the way to the races and you hear your friends talk about horses having form over hurdles and none over fences, but you are clueless as to what they are talking about. But not for much longer.
| Abbreviation | Term |
| Am | Amature |
| App | Apprentice |
| Auc | Auction |
| AW | All-weather |
| Ch | Chase |
| Cls | Class |
| Cond | NH conditional |
| Div | Division |
| Gd | Grade 1, 2, or 3 (jumps) |
| Gp | Group 1, 2, or 3 (flat) |
| Hcap | Handicap |
| H | Hurdle |
| List | Listed |
| Mdn | Maiden |
| NHF | National Hunt Flat race |
| Nov | Novice |
| Sell | Selling |
Sex and colours
The sex of the horse refers to if the horse is male or female, but also if the horse is gelded and the colour refers to the colour of the individual horse.
| Abbreviation | Term |
| b | Bay |
| bl | Black |
| br | Brown |
| ch | Chestnut |
| c | Colt |
| f | Filly |
| g | Gelding |
| gr | Grey |
| h | Horse |
| m | Mare |
| r | Rig |
| ro | Roan |
| wh | White |
Going
The going refers to the ground condition of the race i.e at one end of the scale we have firm ground would mean that the ground conditions are fast (jumps horse will not race on firm ground), and heavy which means the ground is extremely soft.
You will get in between goings like Good/Firm, Good (firm in places), and so on.
| Abbreviation | Term |
| Fm | Firm |
| Gd | Good |
| Yld | Yielding (only applies in Ireland) |
| Sft | Soft |
| Hvy | Heavy |
| Standard | Standard AW |
Distance
Horse races over a variety of distances, with the minimum distance being 5 furlongs (flat racing). But distance also comes into play with the winning margins.
Here we will look at both.
| Abbreviation | Term |
| dist | Distance |
| f | Furlong (200m per furlong) |
| l | Length |
| m | Mile (i.e 1m) |
| nk | Neck |
| nse | Nose |
| y | Yards |
Headgear
When you hear of a horse wearing headgear it means that the horse will have racing aids applied to him like blinkers or a hood for example.
But here we will take you through all the racing headgear.
| Abbreviation | Term |
| h | Hood |
| b | Blinkers (if blinkers are applied to the horse for the first or second time, 1 or 2 will be beside the letter) |
| p | Cheekpieces |
| t | Tongue-tie |
| v | Visor |
| e | Eye hood |
| Ht | Hood and tongue-tie |
| e/c | Eyecover |
| e/s | Eyeshield |
Form figures
Form figures are simply the finishing position on his previous 6 races which also include letters as you will see below.
If a number is highlighted ‘9’ this is their finishing position on the all-weather (flat), and point-to-point (jumps)
| Abbreviation | Term |
| 1 | 1st |
| 2 | 2nd |
| 3 | 3rd |
| 4 | 4th |
| 5 | 5th |
| 6 | 6th |
| 7 | 7th |
| 8 | 8th |
| 9 | 9th |
| 0 | Finished outside the top 9 |
| P | Pulled up |
| F | Fell |
| B | Brought down |
| C | Carried out |
| O | Horse ran out |
| V | Void race |
| U | Unseated his rider |
| S | Slipped up |
| D | Disqualified |
| R | Refused to race |
Other abbreviations
Now we look at some of the other abbreviations that you may find on a race card or online.
| Abbreviation | Term |
| BF | Beaten favourite last time out |
| Btn | Beaten |
| C | Previous course winner |
| C- | Co-favourite of 3+ |
| CD | Course and distance winner |
| J | Joint favourite |
| N/R | Non-runner |
| 1 or 2 (beside the trainer's name) | The horse is having its first or second race for that trainer |
| RTF% | The percentage of how the trainer's horses have been running to over the past 16 days. |
| TS | Topspeed |
| W1 | First run after having wid surgery |
| W2 | Second run after having wind surgery |
Live TV information
If you are going through a race card on your chosen online bookmaker or in your local newspaper you will see in the top right-hand corner where you can watch the race.
| Abbreviation | Term |
| ATR | At The Races |
| RTV | Racing TV |
| RTE 1 or 2 | RTE (Ireland) |
| ITV | ITV 1 Racing |
| ITV4 | ITV4 Racing |
Step-to-step guide to read a horse race card
Now that you have all you need to know about how to read a race card, you can now enjoy delving deeper into horse racing form.
1. Look at the race information
When looking at the race information you will now be able to get a grasp of all the information provided.
The header will display what track name the race is on along with the name of the race, the disciplines, and the distance of the race. It will also tell you if it is a maiden, novice race, hurdle, chase, and so on. Be sure to take note of this when looking back on the previous form of each horse as some will have better form over certain distances and may not be able to match that over the distance of the displayed race.
If you are wondering what the track layout is like, you will also find that on the race card as well as where all the hurdles and fences are placed if it is a jumps meeting.
2. Review individual horse information
Looking at a horse on your racecard take note of the number that they will be wearing on their number cloth as you will need to know this if betting on course with the rails bookmakers.
When it comes to your horse's odds, the shorter they are in the betting, the more chance they have of winning. But don't let the price of your horse put you off betting on it as you will always have the option of betting on it each way to enhance your chances of getting a winning return.
Pedigree is another vital component that will help you with your betting especially when betting on flat racing. The dam and sire of every horse can be key to your chances when racing on the flat. It takes a lot to grasp the pedigree of horses especially when you are new to horse racing, but it will come in time.
Lastly, when looking at race conditions be aware if it is a handicap or not. If you are having a bet on a handicap over jumps or the flat the higher the racecard number, the more weight that the horse will have to carry.
3. Check the horse’s performance in pace races
As you can see with the above graphic, you can see the form the horse has been in for his previous 6 races, but now some online bookmakers have the option of watching the full replays of each of their last 6 races. This is a great new addition that should be used to its fullest.
If you don't already have an online betting account, you can check out the best betting offers right here.
4. Use horse racing platforms to pick a winner
There is so much information available to us to help us pick your next winners. Platforms like Timeform, Racing Post, At The Race, and Racing TV are only a few that give you that little extra to help you beat the bookie.
You can get your hand on sectional times, speed bias track, ground, track alterations and so much more. Getting yourself familiar with these platforms is always a good way to stay a step ahead.
FAQ about how to read a racing form
1. Where can I find a horse’s racing form
You can find horse racing form on sites like the Racing Post, but you can also watch back their races on selected online bookmakers.
2. How do you find the best horse in the race?
Looking at the rating of a horse will help you find the best horse in the race.
3. Who wins the race, the best horse or the best jockey/trainer?
A combination of all three is vital to who wins the race. Obviously, the best jockey and trainer are likely to have the best horse.
4. What are the different types of tacks used in horse racing?
You have tracks that only hold flat racing i.e Newmarket, and tracks that only hold jumps racing i.e Cheltenham. But you also have racecourses that will hold both flat and jumps racing i.e Newbury.
5. Why is it important to read the horse racing form?
It is key to read horse racing form as it will give you the tools you need to see if the horse is in form and if it has performed well at the track before.
About the author
Andrew Halligan
My name is Andrew Halligan, horse racing pundit and founder of YouTube's . Horse racing is a thrilling spectacle that captivates audiences around the world with its blend of drama and excitement. Whether you're a jumps or flat fan, I will use my experience of working within the horse racing industry to bring the best of what this sport has to offer.
You can follow Andrew on X ().
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