RacingQuestions.co.uk

Gambling on horse racing is an activity that stretches across millennia. Our ancestors did it, and it is plain to see why. Horses are majestic beasts, and watching thoroughbreds race each other is a sight one is not likely to forget. It is one of those activities that are exhilarating to behold while also being relatively harmless. This is why horse racing is accepted even in countries that are strict about gambling.

Despite its very strict gambling laws, Sweden enjoys horse racing tournaments. The sport is referred to as harness racing there. However, the country enacted some new laws in 2019 that severely lessened the barriers to gambling, opening up the market for the bästa casino på nätet. With this monopoly ended, Carlos Norberg brings you the important racing jargon you need to know to enjoy the sport! You won’t find a better guide to horse racing, so follow him here. For now, let’s get started!

Handicap

Depending on their overall rating, some races give different weights to different horses. Better horses are given more weight than their less capable competitors in the hope that all competitors have the same chance of winning.

Furlong

In a mile, there are 8 furlongs, which are about 200 metres each. It takes a mile and a half to run 12 furlongs.

Horse Races

All-weather, national hunt, and flat are three different types of horse races. When you race on a flat surface without any jumps, it’s called “all-weather racing.” Only a few races offer this kind of racing surface. People who like to watch horses race over obstacles instead of on the ground call their favoured format “jump racing.”

Apprentice

An apprentice (or “conditional” in jump racing) is a new rider who is still learning the ropes. They will only be able to ride with a weight allowance if they win a certain number of races. (7), (5), or (3) are added to a jockey’s name on a racecard when the jockey is an apprentice.

Rails

The rails are the white constructions that surround the course and prevent riders from veering off track. They’re made of malleable plastic, so they’ll move if hit by a horse. This is to ensure the safety of both the horse and the rider.

Does a Draw Affect a Horse?

When visiting some racetracks, being drawn to a specific spot is crucial. The ground is better in one spot than another in some races.

Bit or Bridle?

These terms indicate that a horse is in good condition and that the jockey is not moving. Horses that are ‘off’ the bit or bridle are being pushed along by the rider and may be struggling; on the other side, horses that are ‘on’ the bit or bridle are having a hard time.

What Is the Meaning of Steward’s Question?

It’s possible that there was interference or something else that gave one horse an unfair edge. The Stewards have decided to investigate the results. This is stated over the tannoy on a racetrack, so spectators are aware.

Walkover

It’s known as a “walkover” when only one horse shows up, and no one bets. To collect its money, the horse, on the other hand, must demonstrate that it is healthy by trotting a furlong.

Black-Type Race

The finest races, as well as any race that reads “Listed” or “Group,” can be found on this list (or Grade for jump racing). Sales catalogues are referred to as “black-type.” In these catalogues, horses that have won or placed in these races are highlighted in bold.

Horse Terminology

• A colt is different from a gelding, a filly, and a mare because they are young. A young male horse is called a colt. It is between the ages of two and four.
• A gelding is a male horse castrated.
• A filly is a young female horse between two and four years of age. A mare is a female horse that is at least five years old.
• A yearling is a young animal that has recently been born, a one-year-old horse that can’t race.

Green

This word refers to a horse that isn’t very experienced and shows it by running across the track and not obeying the jockey.

What Is a Tongue-Tie?

This piece of gear mostly helps the rider keep control of a horse, but it also helps the horse breathe. They can be hard to handle if their tongue gets in the way of the bit.

What Distinguishes Cheekpieces, Blinkers, and Hoods?

All of this equipment helps maintain a horse’s attention.

“Cheekpiece nosebands” are fluffy fabric pieces on either side of a horse’s ears or nose.

Blinkers are devices that cover a horse’s eyesight, directing it forward rather than around.

A hood conceals a horse’s ears and is typically used on horses that dislike crowds or new settings. Some trainers use earplugs for a more practical effect.

Conclusion

Now that you know all the important horse racing lingo, you should have no trouble understanding what’s happening, navigating the gambling aspect, and, most importantly, having a good time!

 

Greyhound racing isn’t as popular as other sports in the UK, such as football, but it certainly has a dedicated and loyal following who tune in to as many races as they can and have their favourite runners and trainers in the sport. When assessing the variety of trainers in greyhound racing, it highlights the overall strength of the sport, with some of the best handlers making a real name for themselves over the years. Even going as far back as Norah Wilmot, the first female trainer in Britain to officially train a winner, trainers have always received the plaudits and have been respected figures in greyhound racing.

After all, not everyone can be a greyhound trainer. It takes a special type of person. They’re generally highly knowledgeable operators who strive to produce the best greyhounds possible, obviously with the aim of putting a winning run together eventually, be it with one particular project or a yard full of dogs who have the potential to reign supreme. Greyhound trainers need to know everything, too, from a dog’s behavioural patterns to their dietary requirements. All greyhounds are carefully managed to produce the goods and be a reliable proposition when it comes to betting on greyhound racing. With some of the top greyhound trainers registering success at the likes of Newcastle, Towcester and Romford, let’s take a look at a selection of standout names in the sport.

Nick Savva

Regarded as a trainer who has the know-how when it comes to producing winners, Nick Savva is a four-time Greyhound Derby winner who has recorded a string of successes over the years. The Cypriot trainer is training 18 runners at the time of writing and will undoubtedly be keen to build on some of his past success stories, namely his 25 winners from 2019 and his 55 victories from 2018. Savva has also managed to win the Trainers Championship on four different occasions too, helping to contribute to his overall glowing reputation in the sport.

P. W. Young

Avid followers of greyhound racing will instantly recognise the name P. W. Young. A highly successful trainer, P. W. Young had a memorable 2019 in particular, recording a massive 662 winners across the year out of 4,095 runners at Romford, creating an impressive 16.16% win rate in the process. Similar success was accomplished in 2019, too, when Young’s 5,842 runners managed to come out on top in 950 races.

Mark Wallis

One of the most respected trainers in the sport, Mark Wallis has managed to finish as the champion trainer every year between 2012 and 2018, highlighting the undoubted impact he has had on the sport. Wallis is known for his expertise in this particular area and his record speaks for itself, earning himself a 17.84% win percentage after clocking up 226 winners from 1,267 runners in 2019, while also recording a prestigious Greyhound Derby win. Most of Wallis’ runners race at both Crayford and Henlow.

Seamus Cahill

 

Boasting an extremely powerful yard that is regularly training large amounts of dogs throughout the year, Seamus Cahill is a former winner of both the Greyhound Trainer of the Year and Trainers Championship awards, after recording plenty of wins at the likes of Hove and Romford. Cahill is said to have around 186 runners in training at the moment, with the respected trainer hoping to produce another Astute Missile, a runner who managed to win the Greyhound Derby title at a massive price of 28/1 and further prove Cahill’s credentials as a result.

Angela Harrison

A winner of the Trainers Championship in 2019, Angela Harrison is yet another trainer with a great deal to offer to the sport in terms of winning runners. In fact, Harrison managed to get 258 wins from 1,572 runners at Newcastle in 2019, earning herself a solid success rate of 16.41%. Notable runners include Droopys Expert, alongside a whole host of other talented dogs Harrison is helping to nurture.

Other successful greyhound trainers include John Mullins and H. F. Williams.

Horse racing is hugely popular in the US and fans flock to meetings throughout the year all across the country. There are a number of big meetings that always attract a lot of attention and have become a major part of the sporting calendar.

 

With online sport betting laws and regulations making it much easier for the American public to take a punt on the big races, these meetings have, if anything, become even more popular. The ‘sport of kings’ continues to hold a special place in the hearts of the American public, so here is a rundown of the biggest races and meetings that the country has to offer.

 

Kentucky Derby

 

This is the biggest and most famous race of them all. Much like the Grand National in the UK, the Kentucky Derby has transcended horse racing and become a major part of the sporting year. Even people with no interest in horse racing stop to take notice of the Kentucky Derby – and it really is an event like no other.

 

Almost always taking place on the first Saturday of May, the race tops the bill at the Kentucky Derby Festival at Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY. This Grade I race is a one and a quarter mile gallop around the famous racetrack and offers a cool $2 million in prize money. The best three-year-old thoroughbreds compete for the prestigious title that is the maiden leg of the famous American Triple Crown.

 

John Velazquez rode his second winner in two years when he finished first on Medina Spirit this year, after triumphing on Authentic in 2020.

 

Preakness Stakes

 

If the Kentucky Derby kicks off May in great style, the Preakness Stakes continues the elite horse racing just two weeks later at the Pimlico Racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland. This is the second leg of the American Triple Crown and attracts the finest three-year-olds and is run over 9.6 furlongs on dirt.

 

First held way back in 1873, the Preakness Stakes predates the Kentucky Derby by two years and still ranks second in North America. If the winner has previously won the Kentucky Derby at the beginning of the month the horse racing world gets very excited at the prospect of a single horse claiming the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing.

 

Flavien Prat rode Rombauer to victory in 2021, just two years after winning the Kentucky Derby on Country House.

Belmont Stakes

 

Horse racing fans have to wait until June for the final leg of the American Triple Crown, as Belmont Park in Elmont, New York welcomes the very best thoroughbreds. The Belmont Stakes is run over one and a half miles (or 12 furlongs) on dirt and offers a purse of $1.5 million.

 

Only 13 horses have actually ever won all three prestigious races in a single year to claim the Triple Crown, with Justify the most recent in 2018. Mike Smith was the jockey on all three occasions. But even he would be hard pushed to beat the Belmont Stakes record set by Ron Turcotte who won the race known as the ‘The Test of the Champion’ by an incredible 31 lengths back in 1973.

 

Breeders’ Cup

 

The biggest event in American horse racing outside the Triple Crown is probably the prestigious Breeders’ Cup, a series of Grade I thoroughbred horse races that now take place over two days at different venues each year.

 

The purse for each race ranges from $1 million to $6 million and attracts huge crowds wherever it is held. Keeneland in Lexington Kentucky is the destination for the 2022 event.