APPRENTICE
A young jockey tied by annually renewed contract to a licensed trainer while learning the business of race-riding.

ALLOWANCE
This is the weight concession the horse is given to compensate for its rider's inexperience.

BACKWARD
This describes a horse which needs time to mature

BAY
colour of a horse: brown, with black 'points' (muzzle, mane, tail and extremities of the legs)

CLAIMER
a claiming race; also, a term for an APPRENTICE

CLERK OF THE COURSE
racecourse official responsible for running the raceday

COLT
male, ungelded horse up to four years old

CONDITIONAL
the jumping equivalent of an apprentice

CONDITIONS RACE
(or WEIGHT-FOR-AGE) the horses carry specified weights according to such factors as age, sex, whether they have won before or the nature of the races they have won.

DAM
mother of a horse

DISTANCE
the length of a race: 5 furlongs is the minimum and the 41/2 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 ' a distance' (more than 30 lengths)

EVENS
or EVEN MONEY when your stake exactly equals your winnings -- thus £5 at evens wins a further £5

FAVOURITE
the horse in the race with the shortest (smallest) odds

FILLY
female horse up to four years old

FOAL
age of a horse of either sex from birth until 1st January the following year

FURLONG
220 yards (one eighth of a mile)

GELDING
castrated horse

HAND
unit of four inches in which a horse's height is measured, at the shoulder

HANDICAP
race in which the weight each horse is to carry is individually allotted (by the official handicapper) according to past performance, the theoretical object being to equalise the chances of all horses in the race. A NURSERY is a handicap for two-year-olds. A RATED STAKES on the Flat or a LIMITED HANDICAP in Jumping is one in which the range of weights is kept narrow: this encourages the participation of higher-class horses, who will not have to make as large weight concessions to other runners.

HUNTER CHASE
a race for horses which have been hunting regularly.

top of page 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
horse which has not won a race

MARE
female horse five years and over

MONKEY
betting parlance for £500

NATIONAL HUNT FLAT RACE
(also known as a 'bumper'), a race without obstacles for inexperienced, prospective Jump horses

NOVICES' RACE
(hurdle or steeplechase), for horses which have not won a hurdle or chase respectively before 1 May of the current season

OBJECTION
complaint by one jockey against another regarding breach of rules during a race

ODDS-ON
odds where the potential winnings are less than the stake, e.g. a winning £5 bet at 4-5 returns £9 (£4 winnings plus £5 stake)

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

OPEN DITCH
steeplechase fence with an artificial ditch on the take-off side

OVER THE TOP
a horse said to have passed peak form

PADDOCK
area of the racecourse incorporating the pre-parade ring, parade ring and winner's enclosure

PATTERN
races for top horses, divided in Flat racing into Groups One, Two, Three and Listed and in Jump racing 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

PLATE
shoe worn by horse for racing

PLATER
horse which usually runs in SELLING RACES (selling 'plates')

PONY
betting parlance for £25

RULE 4
betting rule which makes deductions from winning bets when a horse is withdrawn before the race but too soon before the start of the race for the betting market to be adjusted; the amount deducted depends on the price of the withdrawn horse

RUN FREE
describes a horse going too fast, usually early in the race, to allow it to settle

SCHOOLED
trained to jump

SCOPE
the potential for physical development in a horse

SELLING RACE
where the winner is directly offered at public auction immediately after the race- an interesting and entertaining sight for racegoers.

SIRE
father of a horse

S.P.
(Starting Price) the odds of a horse at the start of the race; the vast majority of bets are placed at SP

SPREAD A PLATE
lose a horseshoe

STEWARD
racecourse official responsible for ensuring that the Rules of Racing are adhered to

STEWARDS' ENQUIRY
by the stewards into the running of a race

UNDER STARTER'S ORDERS
or UNDER ORDERS occurs when the race is off; an announcement that the horses are 'Under Starter's Orders -- they're off' is made as the horses leave the stalls (or start in jump races): if a horse is withdrawn all bets are refunded

WALKOVER
'race' with only one runner 'race' with only one runner

WEIGH IN/WEIGH OUT
weighing of jockey before and after a race to ensure that the correct weight has been carried; the announcement 'weighed in' signals that the result is official, and 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 1st January to 31st December of the year following its birth