Beginners' Guide to the Races
Will your visit to Doncaster Racecourse be your first ever experience of a day at the races? If so you will find our beginners' guide an invaluable companion.
If you are new to racing, or just new to Doncaster follow these easy steps below to make sure you know what's going on around the course.
1. The Weighing Room - 30 minutes before the
race
Whilst you are looking at your race card, deciding who to bet on,
the jockeys' will be 'weighing out'. Their total
weight, including the saddle, must meet a set limit for a
particular horse in a particular race. After the race, the
jockeys' must also 'weigh in' to ensure that the weight
remains the same. This is also the base for the stewards, who are
the Jockey Club officials who work behind the scenes at every race
meeting to ensure that every race is run according to the
rules.
2. The Pre-parade Ring - 20 minutes before the
race
As part of their pre-race preparation, the horses will be brought
from the stables to the pre-parade ring and led around by their
grooms. This is to help them stay warm and focused and gives
racegoers a chance to see the horses before they are saddled and to
assess their fitness attitude.
3. The Parade Ring - 15 minutes before the race
Also known as the Paddock, this is a must for all
racegoers to see the horses close-up before the race and to
hopefully pick the winner! Here you will also see all the
'connections' of each horse; the owners, trainers, stable
staff etc
4. Place your bets - 10 minutes before the race
There are a variety of places to bet at the course, the tote
windows run along the front of the main stand and also around the
Clock Tower stand, whilst Ladbrokes are inside the main stand in
both the County and Grandstand enclosures and the bookmakers in the
betting ring in front of the main stand in the Grandstand
Enclosure.
5. The Racecourse - during the race
The actual race can be viewed from different positions around the
course although in order to be level with the winning post you will
need to be in the County Enclosure. It is a good idea to watch from
different points around the course to get varying perspectives of
the race. Full details of each race can be found in a race card,
which you can purchase when you enter the course for only
£2.50.
6. The Parade Ring - after the race
After each race, the horses all come back into this area and are
met by their grooms. They will be unsaddled so that the
jockeys' can go and 'weigh in' and all the unplaced
horses are taken back to the stables to be washed down. The first
three placed horses are kept in the Parade Ring and circulated by
the markers relevant to their position so that Press and Media can
take photographs and conduct interviews with its
'connections'. When all the jockeys' have 'weighed
in' you will hear a call of 'horses away' from the
weighing room - this gives the all clear for the remaining horses
to return to the stables. The Parade Ring is also where the winning
owners and sometimes the trainer and jockey, will be presented with
their trophy by the race sponsor.
ACCUMULATOR bet involving two or more selections in different races: winnings from one are placed on the next
ALLOWANCE when a rider is an apprentice, the horse is given a weight concession of up to 7lbs to compensate. Other weight allowances are given to younger colts or fillies racing against older horses, or to female horses racing against males.
ALL WEATHER RACING flat racing which takes place on an artificial surface
AMATEUR (rider) on race cards, their names are prefixed by Mr, Mrs, Captain, etc., to indicate their amateur status
APPRENTICE young jockey tied by annually renewed contract to a licensed trainer while he or she is learning the business of race-riding
BACKWARD used of a horse which needs time to mature
BLINKERS headgear with cup-shaped attachments near the eyes to limit sideways vision. Blinkers help the horse to concentrate during the race. A visor is similar to blinkers but less restrictive
CHEEK PIECES the sheepskin bands found on each side of the bridle that help keep the horse focused, in a similar way to blinkers or a visor
CLAIMER of a race: a claiming race; of a jockey: an apprentice
COLT ungelded male horse, aged four years old or younger
CONDITIONAL JOCKEY the jumping equivalent of an apprentice
COURSE SPECIALIST horse which tends to run well at a particular track
DAM mother of a horse
DISTANCE the length of a race: 5 furlongs is the minimum and the 4 1⁄2 miles of the Grand National the longest. Also, the margin by which a horse wins or is beaten by the horse in front: this ranges from a short head to 'by a distance' (more than 30 lengths); a 'length' is measured from the horse's nose to the start of its tail
DISTANCE an unmarked point 240 yards from the winning post (thus 'below the distance' means closer home than that point)
DRAW for flat racing only, describes a horse's position in the starting stalls, drawn randomly the day before
EVENS or EVEN MONEY when your stake exactly equals your winnings - thus £5 at evens wins a further £5
FILLY in thorough-bread racing, a female horse of four years and younger
FOAL horse of either sex from the time of its birth until exactly one year thereafter
FURLONG a measurement of distance used when referring to the length of racetracks. A furlong is 220 yards (approximately 200 metres) and there are eight furlongs to a mile
GELDING a male horse that has been castrated. This is normally done as the temperament of the colt is usually not ideal for an extended racing career
GOING the description of conditions underfoot on the racecourse. Official Jockey Club going reports progress as follows: Heavy - soft - good to soft - good - good to firm - firm - hard
GREEN (of a horse) inexperienced
HAND unit of four inches in which a horse's height is measured, at the shoulder
HANDICAP a race in which each horse is individually allocated a certain weight to carry on its saddle by the official handicapper. The exact weight is determined by their past performance, to make the chances of all horses more equal
JOLLY betting parlance for the favourite in a race - the horse with the shortest odds
JUDGE official responsible for declaring the finishing order of a race and the distances between the runners
JUVENILE two-year-old horse
MAIDEN a race for horses that have not yet won a race
MARE female horse five years and over
MONKEY betting parlance for £500
NAP a horse racing expert's best tip of the day, or meeting
OBJECTION a complaint by a jockey against another regarding breach of rules during a race
ODDS ON odds where the winnings are less than the stake (which is of course returned to you): thus a winning £2 bet at 2-1 on wins you £1
OFF THE BIT/OFF THE BRIDLE describes a horse being pushed along by his jockey, losing contact with the bit in his mouth
ON THE BIT/ON THE BRIDLE describes a horse going well within himself, still having a grip on the bit
OVER THE TOP where a horse is said to have gone if he has passed his peak for the season
PACE 'up with the pace' means close to the leaders; 'off the pace' means some way behind the leaders
PADDOCK/PARADE RING area of the racecourse where horses can be viewed before a race. At Doncaster this also is referred to as the Winners Enclosure
PATTERN the elite races, divided in Flat racing into Groups One, Two, Three and Listed, and in jumping into Grades One, Two and Three
PENALTY weight added to the allotted handicap weight of a horse which has won since the weights were originally published
PHOTO FINISH electronic photographic device which determines minimal distances in a close finish
PLATE shoe worn by horse for racing
PONY betting parlance for £25
RATINGS these are a guide to each runner's chance of winning a particular race, taking a number of factors into account
RULE 4 if a horse is withdrawn before the 'Under Starter's Orders' signal; and there is not enough time to form a new market, then 'Rule 4' applies. The other horses in the race are subject to a deduction if they win or are placed, depending on their odds.
RUN FREE describes a horse going too fast, usually early in the race, to allow it to settle
SCOPE the potential for physical development in a horse
SIRE father of a horse
SPREAD A PLATE when a racing plate or horseshoe becomes detached from an animal's hoof, this sometimes causes a delay while the horse is re-shod
SPRINGER/STEAMER a horse which shortens dramatically in the betting
SP/STARTING PRICE the official price of a horse at which bets are settled in the betting shops
STEWARDS the panel of men and women - usually a total of four - who are responsible for seeing that the Rules of Racing are adhered to
STEWARD'S ENQUIRY an investigation into any incidents during the race or suspected infringements of the Rules of Racing
TIC-TAC the bookmaker's method of relaying odds information on the racecourse, by means of hand signals
TONGUE STRAP a piece of elastic or tape bandage tied over the horse's tongue to keep it in place during a race to help it breathe more easily
UNDER STARTER'S ORDERS the starting of a horse race,followed by the comment' .... and they're off' when the horses actually leave the
WEIGHED IN/WEIGHED OUT the certification, by the clerk of scales, of a rider's weight before and after a race to make sure the horse carried the correct weight. A jockey weighs in with all equipment except for helmet, whip and body protector. The 'weighed in' announcement means all bets can be settled.
YANKEE combination bet involving four selections in different races: six doubles, four trebles and one four-horse accumulator - eleven bets
YEARLING horse of either sex from 1 January to 31 December of the year following its birth.
