Horse Racing Glossary
Every racing and betting term you’ll meet on this site — explained plainly, no jargon.
I write these the way I’d explain them to a mate at the track: what the term actually means, and why it matters when you’re reading a card or placing a bet. Start with the nap if you’re new — it’s the whole idea behind the site — then dip into the rest as you need them.
Betting
Rule 4
A deduction from winning bets when a horse is withdrawn late and the market can’t be reformed.
Dead heat
When two or more horses finish exactly level and can’t be separated, so stakes are split.
Starting price
The official odds returned on a horse at the moment the race starts.
Each-way
Two bets in one — half on your horse to win, half on it to place.
Ante-post
Betting on a race in advance — bigger odds, but you usually lose your stake if your horse doesn’t run.
Racing
Furlong
A unit of race distance — one eighth of a mile, or 220 yards (about 201 metres).
Handicap
A race where horses carry different weights, set by the handicapper, to give them an equal chance.
Maiden
A race for horses that have never won.
Going
The condition of the ground a race is run on, from Firm to Heavy.
Official rating
A number given by the handicapper reflecting a horse’s ability, used to set handicap weights.
Tipping
Nap
A tipster’s single most confident selection of the day.
NB
A tipster’s “next best” — their second-most-confident pick after the nap.
Frequently asked questions
What is a nap in horse racing?
A nap is a tipster’s single most confident selection of the day. See our full explainer for where the term comes from and how ours is chosen by data.
Where do these definitions come from?
They’re written in plain English by the team behind the site’s data ratings — the same racing knowledge that feeds every pick we publish.
Are the tips on this site free?
Yes — the Nap of the Day, the racecards and the full results record are free. The glossary is here to help you read the cards and bets with confidence.
📧 Get the free Nap in your inbox
One email a day: our Nap of the Day, plus how yesterday's got on. Free, unsubscribe anytime.