Horse racing is one of the sports that many bettors want to put to the test, especially if they are just getting started. With millions of fans in countries like South Africa, the UK, Australia, and other parts of the world, horse racing is incredibly popular and attracts tons of people.
Despite the sport’s massive audience, not everyone knows how to place bets on it. Unlike other options, such as football, horse racing has concrete terms and jargon that users must be familiar with. Moreover, the sport also often comes with special race cards that bettors can access.
Learning more about the race cards is easier said than done, but the team at Efirbet.com will try to show you all the info you need to know. We will walk you through all of the specifics so you know what to expect next time you see a horse racing race card.
The colors of jockeys
There are many types of racing cards, but most will include the same elements. The jockey colors are one of them, and it’s the first thing to pay attention to.
Generally speaking, these colors are not related to anything specific other than indicating who the horse’s owner is. In other words, if you notice that some horses have the same jockey colors, it means that they belong to the same owner.
Draw and Race Number
If you look next to the jockey colors, you will usually find different numbers (usually between 1 and 9). These numbers represent the specific horses, and many bookies use the numbers to indicate which horse is the favorite. The latter is usually at the top.
Alongside the race numbers, most race cards also have draw numbers. These numbers show the specific draw from which the horse will start the race. Some of you may think this is unimportant, but it can have a crucial role in situations where the race is shorter or the field is larger than usual. Many studies focus on this aspect of horse racing, so feel free to learn more details about each one.
The Form
Besides the numbers mentioned so far, most race cards also have another set of numbers that often looks something like 11-1151 or something similar. In most cases, these numbers are found on the left of the given horse’s name, and they indicate its form so far.
The first two numbers (in our case – 11) reveal how the horse performed in its last races. The very last number (again, in our case – 1) shows the horse’s specific placement in its last race. If the number is from 1 to 9, it shows the horse’s position, but if it is 0, it means that it was not among the top 9.
After that, you have the – (dash), which is used to show the different racing seasons. The numbers located before the dash are for the previous season.
As for the numbers on the dash’s right side, they show how the horse finished its races this year. Depending on the situation, you may see a slash (/) symbol, which is used in situations when a given horse missed a specific racing season.
The form also contains different letters, and each one means a different thing:
- F – This shows the horse fell
- R – The horse’s refusal
- PU (or P) – This is when the horse was pulled by the jockey, meaning it did not compete in the race
- UR (or U) – The horse unseated the jockey
- BD – It’s used when the horse has been brought down by someone
The name of the horse
The horses’ names are one of the most intriguing parts of horse racing, especially for people making their first steps. If you pay close attention to the names, you can see several numbers after them. This shows the days when the horse had its last race.
You can also see different abbreviations depending on the horse racing event or the specific horse. For example, a C means that the horse has already won on the current course.
In some instances, there is also an abbreviation next to the horse’s name. This indicates the country where the given horse was born.
Weight and Age
Another information you can see on the race card is the horse’s age and weight. The problem is that the weight is usually in imperial units, which means it’s not ideal for bettors who do not use this system.
We won’t go into much detail about weight and age, but they can have an important role when betting. There might be the so-called “weight-for-age races”, where each horse has a specific weight that it needs to carry.
Jockey and Ratings
The different horse racing cards will also display the jockey who will ride the specific horse. In some cases, you can also see each horse’s rating. This rate is given after the horse takes part in several races.
It’s worth knowing that some bookies may have their own rating systems. You can usually find more details about this by contacting the company’s support department.
Other Information
As mentioned, every bookmaker and race is different, so you can find other information on the race card. One of them is related to things like wins, prize money, places, and more. You could also find information about the trainer and the owner.
You may also find details about the specific race course, such as the AW indication. AW means All-Weather, and many different tracks fall into this category.
These are all critical aspects related to horse racing that you should be aware of. Horse racing is fun to watch and one of the go-to betting options for a reason, so we hope that the information here will help you.
