If you are a casual gambler and just glance at the racecard before striking a bet, preferring to bet on the horse whose jockey is wearing your favourite colour silks, then reading and analysing a racecard is not something the amateur will do.
However, if you enjoy studying form, analysing whether a horse is advantaged by the Conditions of a particular race, or slowly been coming back to form after a lengthy layoff, then knowing what the letters in a racecard means would be worth taking the time to understand.
What do Letters Mean in Horse Racing Form – Form figures are the series of numbers and lettersthat appear to the left of the name of each horse on a racecard. Whether the racecard is printed in a small booklet or programme, as it is on the racecourse, or in a daily newspaper or displayed online, the form figures provide an at-a-glance snapshot of how a horse has performed in its recent races.
The Past Form of a Horse is Key
The form is a record of a horse’s performance in past races, and it is often regarded as a good predictor of a horse’s future success. By comparing horses’ forms, you should be able to predict who would perform best in a race.
It is often shown on the race card as a line of numbers representing finishing positions or abbreviations. The order of the races is from left to right, with the oldest races on the left and the most current on the right.
What do the Numbers on a Racecard Signify on the Flat
The numbers 1-9 represent the horse’s finish place in the race.
The number 0 denotes that the horse finished outside of the top nine.
The sign — distinguishes between racing seasons. The numbers before the – are from the previous season.
The sign / denotes a larger gap, such as if the horse missed a full racing season.
The letters P or PU indicate that the horse was pulled up by the jockey and did not finish the race.
What do the Numbers on a Racecard Signify over the Jumps
The letter F denotes that the horse fell.
The letter R denotes a horse’s refusal.
BD denotes that the horse was knocked down by another runner.
The letter U or UR denotes that the horse unseated its rider.
You may also see the following abbreviations:
C denotes that a horse has previously won on that course.
D denotes that a horse has previously won at that distance.
CD denotes a horse’s victory over course and distance.
The abbreviation BF refers to a horse that was a favorite in a race but did not win (a Beaten Favourite).
Explanation of Racecard Symbols (Letter and Numbers)
Understanding the different numbers and letters that appear next to a horse’s name on a race card is the first step in reading horse racing form. But it’s understanding what to do with those numbers that will help you identify winners and earn from horse racing betting.
The Numbers Next To A Horse’s Name
You’ll often notice a series of digits next to a horse’s name that looks like this: 05/472-1. The numbers are just the horse’s form or the places it finished in its races, with the number farthest to the right being the horse’s most recent race. In this case, this implies that the horse won its most recent race after finishing second, seventh, fourth, and fifth in its previous four. The 0 indicates that it finished tenth or below in that particular race.
There is also a dash in the horse’s form, indicating that the three prior races occurred in the previous season. The / before that indicates that the runs before that occurred two seasons ago. More /s in the form indicates that you’re going back one season for each /.
Other numbers you could see on a race card include the number of days since a horse last raced and a rating value granted to the horse by the official British Horse Racing handicapper. You could see a rating of 98, for example. These numbers aren’t always in the same place on the racecards, but they’re usually displayed in the Form Analysis Section.
More Letters – A Brief Undertanding
Several letters may exist in a horse’s Form Study.
D = Disqualified – The horse was disqualified due to an irregularity in the running of the race.
C = Carried Out – This normally happens when the horses enter the final straight running up to the finishing post, and a horse is moved off a straight line by another horse not running on a straight course.
F = Fell – This normally applies to Jump Racing when a horse does not negotiate a hurdle correctly and dislodges its jockey therefore not completing the course and of course the race.
L = Left At The Beginning – When the horse is racing on the flat, the starting stalls open and the horse does not jump on terms with the rest of the field. The horse will either lose lengths at the start or just stand in the stalls and not want to run.
P = Pulled Up – This could happen on either the flat or the jumps, where a horse for various reasons stops racing and the jockey will not persevere with this horse during the race and will just allow the horse to race to the finish in a canter or stop riding the horse completely and get off. The horse will then just be led to the unsaddling enclosure where it will be examined by the Vet on course.
A Summary (Please see below)
A summary of the most common abbreviations and their explanations have been included below for the Avid Form Studier to have at hand when required. It is titled How to Read Form and references one of the Stars of the South African horseracing fraternity, Do It Again. It is published with the kind permission of the Lance Benson of the Sporting Post, the most popular Horse Racing Publication in South Africa.
