Handy Phrases
Here's some helpful jargon that you can slip into conversations to make you sound like a well seasoned racing guru!
Stayer:
A horse who can handle long distances. The Stella Artois Auckland Cup is a staying race.
Mud-lark:
A horse that likes rain-affected tracks
Maiden:
A horse or rider who has not yet won a race
Birdcage:
Actually for horses not parrots…the horses head to the track via the birdcage and the jockeys dismount here after the race. In the birdcage is where you'll spot important trainers and owners.
Photo finish:
The finish of a race which is so close that the judges need to examine a photograph to determine the winner.
Spelling:
Leave the dictionary at home…a horse will typically race until it needs a rest or is injured and then it will be turned out in a paddock to recuperate or 'spell' (if a horse had spelled recently it will be marked in the horse's form in the racebook as an 'X')
Flutter:
A small bet
Plunge:
Not a dress neckline, but a very big bet
Blinkers:
Although as you girls know batting your eyelids is a great flirting technique, blinkers on the racetrack serve to improve a horse's concentration by limiting their vision of the other horses running. The racebook will indicate which horses are wearing blinkers.
Blaze:
A long white marking on the face of a horse
Scratched:
When a horse is withdrawn from a race before the start
Length:
Describes the distances between horses in a race. Horses can win by anything from a nose to a head to a length or a number of lengths. A length is approximately 3 metres, the length of a horse from nose to tail. (Any winning margin over 5 lengths is commonly known as 'daylight'.)
In the money:
When a horse finishes first, second or third
The toppie:
Horse number one usually has the most weight, which means it was typically the first to qualify for the race and will be carrying the most kilograms of extra weight
Group I:
A Group I (one) race is the best type of status race there is. This is followed by Group II, Group III and Listed races.
Favourite:
The winner of the popularity contest for that race. Also known as 'a certainty', 'the banker' or a 'sure thing', it means that all of those in the know expect this horse to win. The favourite will be paying the shortest odds. Be warned: there is no skill in backing favourites but if anyone mocks you for playing it safe just say: "Better a short-price winner than a long-price loser".
Roughie:
A roughie is more than just someone who has had a late night! Also known as 'a long shot' or 'a rank outsider', it is a horse with very long odds. Backing a long shot that wins takes a whole lot of luck and skill but if you win on a roughie, you will be basking in the glory all day.
