When you want to bet long-term on horse racing, you need to know how to interpret a racecard. Put simply, a racecard provides you with a summary of all the information you should know prior to a race and this includes the recent form of every horse, which means the previous performance of the horse.
The experience that comes with an analysis of a racecard may prove to be important when seeking an advantage on the betting sites. Although the term (form) is often used by many bettors to describe the previous performances of a horse, this is only one of the various details on a racecard.
In this article, we will concentrate on the racecard to understand recent performances of a horse often referred to as form. Novice betters refer to the racecard itself as form, in case you are not certain how to do it this guide is for you.
How to Read Racecard
A racecard must be read right-left, with the newest performance features being on the far right. Remember that form is deceptive at times. A series of 1s may indicate that a horse is supposed to be a huge favorite, yet when a race goes higher that string of 1s may not happen again.
- “1” means a horse won the race
- “2” represents the second place, and so on.
- “-” Indicate a season break.
- “0” indicates that the competitor did not come in the first 9.
- “R” stands to mean that the horse did not want to run.
- “U”: Jockey fell off the horse.
- “F” The horse fell.
- “P” The horse did not complete the race.
Racecard Terms
Learning how to read racecards helps you get comprehensive information that can be acquired with the help of racecards at online betting sites. After knowing the fundamentals, it is important that you broaden your knowledge prior to gambling.
Race Type
A race day typically consists of six or nine races, and there are many great varieties of various types of races. It is also good to know the different types of races and this is applicable when making a bet on a handicap where the runners are weighted based on the rating assigned to the runners.
Going
The going is a term that describes the state of the ground and is an important bit of information to be taken into account when assessing a race. The going is not really confirmed until the day of the race, when the course has been examined. The excessive rain on a meeting day may alter the track conditions not indicated on the racecard.
Distances
The following abbreviations show relatively tight finishes among the horses. You will also tend to come across a number which tells you the distance between horses and this is in all cases expressed in lengths. The number would be the distance separating a horse and the race winner.
Headgear
There are those horses which are equipped with headgear equipment to aid in their performance. These are standard abbreviations and they would make you know what a horse may be wearing to enhance its chances in a race.
Racecard Basics
- Race Number: The race number can be used when making a bet at the track.
- Draw Number: This is the number of a horse which is drawn in the stalls.
- Form: You will find a series of figures representing the position of the horse in the last races.
- Weight: In the case of handicap races, this value is the weights of horses given based on their handicap rating.
- OR: This is a British Horse racing Authority assigned numerical value used to indicate the ability of the horse.
- RPR: Acronym of Racing Post Rating. The figure considers a number of aspects such as weight and recent performances.
- Top Speed: This is a measure of the speed that a horse can run.
Also Read: Conquer How Non-Runner No Bet Works For Horse Racing
Racecard Tips
The course and distance (CD) means that the horse has won in that very course and in that very distance previously. It suggests that it is best to go beyond the racecard and into course and distance details. There are also quite a few flat racecourses and others that are more undulating.
Others also use anti-clockwise or clockwise routes around certain racecourses. It may not seem an important thing, but there are runners known to jump left handed or right handed when racing in the National Hunt. Distance also plays a key role and trainers will test horses on a variety of distances to decide whether they are suitable to make the journey.