What is a handicap in horse racing?
Handicap — A race where horses carry different weights, set by the handicapper, to give them an equal chance.
A handicap is a race designed to be competitive by making the better horses carry more weight. Each runner is assigned a weight by the official handicapper based on its ability, so — in theory — every horse has the same chance of winning.
The best horse carries top weight; lower-rated or less-exposed horses get less. As a rule of thumb, a pound of weight is reckoned to be worth about a length over a mile. Because handicaps deliberately bunch the field, they’re among the hardest — and most popular — races to bet on.
Non-handicaps (maidens, conditions and Group races) instead set weights by age and sex, not individual ability, so no official rating is in play — you’ll see a dash in the OFR column on our racecards for those.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Are handicaps harder to win?
For punters, often yes — the weights are set to bunch the field together, so they’re competitive by design.
Who sets the weights?
The official handicapper, using each horse’s official rating — a measure of its ability.
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