Every term, in plain English.

Racecard

The full list of runners for a race, with each horse's jockey, trainer, weight, draw, and form figures - published ahead of racing.

Meeting

All the races run at one course on one day - usually 6-8 races, each roughly 30-40 minutes apart.

Going

How firm or soft the ground is, from Firm through Good to Firm, Good, Good to Soft, Soft, to Heavy. Big effect on how a race is run and which horses are suited.

Furlong

An eighth of a mile (220 yards / 201 metres) - the standard unit for race distances, e.g. "a 6-furlong sprint".

Class

The grade of a race, from Class 1 (best) to Class 7 (lowest) on the Flat, roughly matching the quality of horse expected to run.

Group / Listed race

The very top tier, above the numbered classes - Group 1 is the highest quality race in the sport, down through Group 2, Group 3, then Listed.

Flat racing

Racing on a level track with no obstacles to jump - pure speed and stamina over distances from 5 furlongs to over 2 miles.

National Hunt (Jumps)

Racing over obstacles - hurdles or fences - run mainly through the winter. Jumping ability and stamina matter as much as raw speed.

Hurdle

The smaller of the two jump obstacles, a springy birch fence a horse can brush through - the entry point into jump racing for most horses.

Chase (Steeplechase)

The bigger jump obstacle - solid fences that have to be jumped properly, not brushed through. Generally seen as the tougher, more senior test.

Maiden

A race for horses that have never won before. Once a horse wins, it can't run in a maiden again.

Novice

A race restricted to horses in their first or second season of jumping (or, on the Flat, their first season racing) - a step up from maiden company.

Handicap

A race where each horse carries a different weight based on its official rating, designed to bring the whole field as close together as possible at the line.

Nursery

A handicap race specifically for two-year-olds, run once enough of them have raced to be given an official rating.

Conditions race

A race where the weight each horse carries is fixed by set conditions (age, sex, past wins) rather than an official rating - usually a step above handicap company.

Official Rating (OR)

A numerical rating given to every horse by the official handicapper, used to set handicap weights - higher means better.

Draw

A horse's starting position/stall on the Flat, allocated randomly. Can be a real advantage or disadvantage depending on the course and going.

Silks

The colours and pattern worn by the jockey, registered to the horse's owner - the quickest way to spot your horse mid-race.

Yard

Informal term for a trainer's stables/training establishment, e.g. "the Ballydoyle yard".

Form figures

A horse's recent finishing positions, most recent last, e.g. "3-1142" - a 3rd, then a win, a 1st, a 4th, a 2nd. A 0 means unplaced, a P/F/U means pulled up/fell/unseated.

Blinkers

Headgear that blocks a horse's peripheral vision, helping it focus forward - often tried on a horse that's been looking around mid-race.

Cheekpieces

A lighter version of blinkers, restricting side vision less - a common first step for a horse that needs sharpening up.

Hood

Covers the ears as well as applying some blinkering effect - often used on a nervous or easily-distracted horse.

Visor

Blinkers with a small slit cut in each cup, giving a little peripheral vision back - a middle ground between blinkers and cheekpieces.

Tongue tie

A strap holding the tongue down, stopping it from getting over the bit - helps a horse breathe freely at racing pace.

Non-runner

A horse withdrawn from a race after the final declaration stage - triggers a Rule 4 deduction on any ante-post bets already placed on other runners.

Starting Price (SP)

The odds a horse is officially returned at when the race starts, based on the on-course betting market - the default price for a bet unless you took an earlier price.

Photo finish

Used when the placings are too close to call by eye - a photograph at the line determines the exact finishing order.

Short-head / Neck / Length

Standard winning-distance measurements, smallest to bigger - a short-head is barely anything, a length is roughly a horse's own body length.

Weigh-in

Jockeys are weighed after the race to confirm they carried the correct weight - a result isn't final ("weighed in") until this is confirmed.