There are few more popular sports to bet on than horse racing, with major events on the calendar such as the Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Breeders’ Cup attracting those that wouldn’t typically place a wager to get involved.
During these times of the year, a huge number of beginners take advantage of the welcome offer available at TwinSpires before placing their wagers on significant races.
But, getting started when betting on horse racing can often be daunting to a beginner. Therefore, you can learn everything that you need to know about studying a race card here.
Reading the Form
Arguably the most important piece of information on race card comes in the form of the numbers next to the name of a horse. This will represent their previous past performances.
A ‘1’ will indicate a win, while ‘2’ to ‘9’ will represent their finishing position. Horses that have a ‘0’ in their form will indicate that they finished outside of the top ten on that appearance.
Horses with proven winning records will always stand the best chance of winning, and therefore, they will typically be found toward the top of the betting.
What Other Characters Are Found in the Form Figures?
As well as the numbers that indicate a previous result, there are also other characters that a beginner must understand when studying a race card. For example, a hyphen ‘-‘ will indicate a new season or year.
Importantly, a ‘/’ is slightly different, as they will show that a runner has taken a lengthy break since their last start. This could be due to an injury setback, meaning that they may lack fitness and could need a run to build to a bigger target. Letters can also be found in the form, and these can typically be a negative when betting on a horse.
For example, ‘F’ indicates a fall, ‘P’ represents a runner that was pulled-up, and an ‘UR’ shows a runner that unseated its rider. One of the biggest negatives is a ‘R’, which shows a horse that refused to race.
Key Symbols Found on a Race Card
As well as the form figures, there are other symbols that can be found on a race card that should be considered. A ‘C’ next to a horse’s name represents a runner that has previously won at the track, while a ‘D’ indicates a runner that has won over the same distance.
A typically clue for helping to find winners comes in the form of ‘CD’, which shows a horse that has won over the exact track and distance previously.
These horses will typically be common selections, as they will have proven experience of handling the track, while also having winning form over the same distance, ensuring that all conditions will suit their chances.
Race Conditions
All races are slightly different, meaning that it is important to understand the difference. Horses can race on turf, dirt, and synthetic surfaces, meaning it is important to assess which terrain a horse performs to their best level on.
It is also important to consider the conditions of the ground for their winning form, as some turf horses will typically prefer to race on heavier ground and then struggle when the turf is too quick. While many of the world’s most famous races are graded affairs, there are also competitive handicaps, which will see higher-rated horses carrying more weight.
Handicaps are typically weighted to give every runner involved the same chance of winning, but carrying extra weight can often be a negative for horses at the top of the handicap.
Key Jockey/Trainer Information
One of the key factors that could impact the performance of a horse is the jockey/trainer combination. This can be found on the race card, as well as the strike-rates of those connected to the horse.
Trainers in reliable form will always stand a better chance of having a winner, while those in poor form could struggle, as there may be something amiss in the stable. Finally, the last piece of form available on a race card is the equipment that a horse will be wearing. This can often be very important to consider, especially on runners that were beaten on their latest start. Abbreviations such as ‘V’ represents blinkers, ‘H’ is for hood, and ‘P’ is for cheekpieces.
All headgear will be worn to eek out improvement from a runner, as it will allow a horse to feel more calm and also focus on their racing. Crucially, a ‘1’ will be found next to those runners wearing headgear for the first time, which can typically be the green flag that many bettors look for, as an immediate response with the extra focus aid is likely.