Beginners guide to racing

[thephysician]

I've been reading a bit recently about various sports betting (my real interest is Football and American Football), but have a friend or two who likes the horses and we occasionally have a flutter on the horses. Seeing as I'm doing it a bit, I'd like to read up on the sport (rather than the betting) to understand at least some of the lingo (the races, the handicaps, understanding the form guides etc), but can't find a idiots guide to racing anywhere. Any pointers?

[arthurcollins]

Re: Beginners guide to racing Something I posted a while back on our sister site: http://www.expertbettingadvice.co.uk/arthurcollinshorseracingguide.html ;) ;)

[Mike]

Re: Beginners guide to racing hi the physician Here we go Please visit this link for a quick rundown on reading the form. http://www.sportinglife.com/racing/racecards/Wednesday/Cheltenham/1400/ Im not sure how much you want on form etc but here it goes.... We will use the horse called Keepthedreamalive. To the right of the horses name is the form always read so the first number by the horses name is the most current and so on ntil the number furthest away is the least current. Whenever you see form like this 3411-3 the - means that everything before the - is last season or lasy years form everything after that is current form. Races A quick run down of races are. Flat: Maidens: Horses running here are those that have not yet won a race Handicap: This race is a race where the horses running have there weights set by the handicap in sych a way that its supposed to create a level playing field Jumps: Maidens: Again the same as above Novice or beginner: These are races that have horses that are not yes experienced hurdlers or chasers Thats its for starts as im a bit to p!ssed for anything to heavy please post if this is any help of if you have any other questions etc

[thephysician]

Re: Beginners guide to racing

Something I posted a while back on our sister site: http://www.expertbettingadvice.co.uk/arthurcollinshorseracingguide.html ;) ;)

Nice one, sir, gives me a lead! Though you'd think someone might have written a book on the subject, there's masses of info out there. :)

[thephysician]

Re: Beginners guide to racing Questions : Mrjt : What does all the gubbins mean about prize money on the form guides (10,000 added, penalty value 6,890?). Should I care? And how do horses move up and down the divisions? Anyways, thanks for the info, now booked two tickets for me and my knowledgable friend to the Cheltenham Open next month. :unsure

[Mike]

Re: Beginners guide to racing I think the penalty value is added to the handicappers weights or something like :o The horses move up by wining races, some races will be restricted see here

Pattern; the top races, Group 1, 2, 3. Listed; races just below pattern standard. Rated Stakes; valuable handicaps. Conditions Stakes; non-handicaps intended for horses just below class A. Classified Stakes; non-handicaps with maximum rating, for horses that have run at least three times, or run twice and won at least once. Standard Handicap Maiden Handicap; for 3yo + maidens, max rating of 70, that have run at least four times. Open Maiden General Definitions; Handicap: weights are determined by official ratings. Flat horses are rated on a scale of 0-140 and most handicaps have specified ability range. Nursery: handicap for 2yo. Claiming Race: connections of the horse nominate the minimum price for which the horse can be claimed. This determines the weight to be carried. Selling Plate: for low class horses (often called platers). The winner must be offered for auction. Maiden: horse that has not won a race.

Good on ya mate. Once you go to a racecourse you'll get the buzz they go a lot quicker than you think when you watch them on tv. Good luck mate :ok Hope the above helps a bit if not post again :)

[whoneedsrio]

Re: Beginners guide to racing If a horse wins a race & then reappears in another race before the official handicapper has had chance to re-assess it's handicap rating then it will carry a penalty. In most cases this will say something like, winner after October 31st, 5lb extra. Some races like the big handicaps for which the entries close early will say winner of a race worth £7,000, 3lb extra, winner of a race worth £15,000 6lb extra, so the more valuable the race won the bigger the penalty, this is the penalty value. When a horse is entered in a race the owner pays the entry fee, there are usually other stages where more fees are paid, the five day declaration stage & the final declaration stage for example. this gives the basic prize money for the race. If it says £10,000 added this is further prize money added to the entry fees to give the total prize fund for the race. One of the best books for a novice horse punter is Braddock's complete guide to horse race selection & betting. This covers just about everything you'd want to know for both flat & jump racing. I believe there is a new updated version due to be published sometime soon. Have you read Martinthevets questions & advice thread a bit lower down? There may be some stuff of interest to you in there. Rio.

[thephysician]

Re: Beginners guide to racing Thanks, that helps. I read the Indy most days a scan the Horse Racing section there just for interest, and in there the openalty value seems to be quoted as a monetary value, not a weight (the weight would make much more sense). I'll see if I can find that book and have a read. Cheers all!