P RLEZ-VOUS R CING? ESSENTIAL RACING PHRASES FOR THE BEGINNER It could be easy to be put off by the weird and wonderful words and phrases banded around the racecourse, but in fact, its all part of the fun. Like a tourist in a foreign country, the novice racegoer soon picks up enough of the language to get by, and then rapidly becomes fluent.
The following terms will provide any newcomer, keen to enhance their language skills, with just enough of the jargon to sound like a ‘local’: RACING SPEAK
ENGLISH
ALLOWANCE:........................ The weight concession the horse is given to compensate for its rider’s inexperience. AMATEUR:.............................. (Rider) on racecards, their names are usually prefixed by Mr, Mrs, etc. to indicate their amateur licence holder status. ANTE-POST:........................... Betting (usually for the most important races) days or even months before the race is due to take place. APPRENTICE:......................... Young jockey tied by annually renewed contract to a licensed trainer while they are learning. BACKWARD:.......................... Young horse which needs time to mature. CLERK OF THE COURSE:.... Official in charge of running the racing programme, at York it is William Derby. CLERK OF THE SCALES:..... Key in the delivery of a successful racing operation. Wayne Burnell is the man this afternoon. COLOURS:..............................The racing silks worn by the jockeys. COLT:....................................... Male, ungelded horse, up to four years old. CONNECTIONS:....................The owner and trainer of a racehorse. COURSE SPECIALIST:.......... Horse which tends to run well at a particular course. DAM:........................................Mother of a horse. DISTANCE:.............................The length of a race. DISTANCE, THE:.................... An unmarked point 240 yards from the winning post. DRAW:..................................... Describes a horse’s position in the starting stalls, drawn two days before a flat race. FILLY:....................................... Female horse up to four years old. FOAL:....................................... Horse of either sex from its birth until 1 January the following year. FURLONG:..............................220 yards (one eighth of a mile). GELDING:................................Castrated horse. GOING:.................................... Description of the course conditions under foot. Check for the latest updates here. HAND:...................................... Unit of four inches in which a horse’s height is measured at the shoulder. JOLLY:..................................... Betting term for the horse with the shortest odds (the favourite). JUDGE:.................................... Official responsible for declaring finishing order and distances between horses. Di Clark is in the hot seat this afternoon. 8
