Horse racing: what you need to know

There are two types of horse racing in Britain: flat racing and jump racing. Trotting races, where horses are harnessed to a cart, are not practised at a serious level here, and bets are not accepted on them.

In flat races, horses usually start competing at the age of two, and in jump races at the age of three or four. So what path leads horses to the Epsom Derby or the Cheltenham Festival?

A horse’s career in flat racing usually begins with maiden races. This term translates as ‘girl’. Maiden means that the horse has never won before. Horses can compete in maiden races an unlimited number of times. Some manage to win right away, while less talented ones ‘run in maidens’ for months or even years. The prizes in such races are not high – two or three thousand pounds.

After winning a maiden race – or completing several such races without winning, but somehow proving their professional suitability – racehorses are transferred to handicap races. This is the most popular type of horse racing.

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In a handicap race, each horse is given a certain weight load. This helps to equalise the chances of the participants. The most talented horse carries the most weight. The best horse with the heaviest load always goes in the race card under number 1. And then – in descending order. The horse at the bottom of the list carries the lowest weight and is considered the least capable.

Some players, by the way, bet exclusively on the first few numbers in handicaps. And this strategy works quite well.

Horses from the last lines do not win as often. Handicaps are divided into six classes. Class 1 is the highest, these are the highest quality horses. Class 6 is the lowest.

A horse can start in the lower handicap classes and gradually climb up.

Class 1 is the cream of British racing. These are the races that the whole country watches and discusses, and on which the biggest bets are placed.

Interestingly, Class 1 also has its own ‘ladder’.

The first class is divided into Listed, Group 3, Group 2 and Group 1 races. Listed races are a transitional stage from simple handicaps to prestigious Group 1, 2 and 3 races. To shine in such a race is an honour for any horse and says a lot about its talents.

And if you win in Listed races, you will make your way into Group races and win hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Group 1 races are the top of the pyramid. These include the Epsom Derby, some races in the Royal Ascot series, etc.

Group 2 and Group 3 races are slightly lower in level, but also extremely prestigious, and the prize money is very generous.

So, here it is, the path of a horse in flat racing: maiden => handicap => Listed => Group 3 => Group 2 => Group 1. Of course, few horses go through all the stages in their career. The ‘ceiling’ for most horses is middle-class handicaps. And prodigies can jump from ‘maiden’ races straight to Class 1.

The picture is similar in steeplechase racing. As in flat racing, most races here are also handicaps, and they are divided into six classes. There are also maiden and listed races. For the highest level of hurdle racing, the word ‘grade’ is used instead of ‘group’. The highest level of British hurdle racing is Grade 1.

The name of a hurdle race will always include the words ‘hurdle’ or “chase”. These terms refer to the type of obstacles. A hurdle is a low, flimsy fence up to one metre high. A chase is a race with high, solid barriers, known in Russian as a ‘stipelchiz’.

The only exception to the ‘either hurdle or chase’ rule is the National Hunt Flat Race category. This is a smooth race within the hurdle series – a preparatory race for beginners. Such races are held at hurdle racecourses around obstacles, usually at the end of the racing day.

For those who want to bet on hurdle races, it is also useful to know the words novices and beginner. These terms refer to newcomers, those with little experience – or few wins – in a particular type of race. In Britain and Ireland, there are many novices hurdle races, as well as beginners/novices chase races.