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How to Read a Racecard: Every Column and Code on a UK Card
A racecard packs a horse’s career into a single line. This is how to decode it, from the draw and the weight to the headgear codes and the ratings, with an example runner taken apart field by field.
By Horse.bet Team · Updated 23 October 2026
The race
How to Read a Racecard: Start With the Race Header
Before you look at a single horse, read the line at the top of the race. It tells you what sort of contest you are betting on, and that shapes everything below it.
Time, course and race name. Races are known by their off time and venue, “the 2.25 at Haydock”, as much as by their sponsored title.
Race type and class. Group 1, 2 and 3 races on the Flat and Grade 1, 2 and 3 races over jumps are the top level, with Listed races just below. Flat handicaps run from Class 2 down to Class 7. A handicap will also show a ratings band, such as 0-70, which limits who can run.
Distance. Given in miles, furlongs and yards. A furlong is an eighth of a mile, 220 yards, so the Derby’s 1m 4f 10y is a mile and a half and ten yards.
Going. The official description of the ground, from heavy to firm on turf and standard-based descriptions on the all-weather. Our going guide lists them all.
Conditions and prize money. Age restrictions (two-year-olds only, three-year-olds and up), sex restrictions (fillies and mares) and the prize fund, which hints at the quality of the field.
Number of runners. This decides the each-way terms. Eight or more runners in a non-handicap means three places; a handicap of 16 or more usually pays four.
A five-runner Group race at Newmarket and a 20-runner sprint handicap at York are different betting propositions before you know a single name. In the first, the best horse usually wins and each-way value is thin; in the second, the draw, the weights and the place terms all come into play.
Field by field
Reading a Runner’s Line, Column by Column
Layouts vary between newspapers, racecourse programmes and websites, but the information is broadly the same. Here is what each part of a runner’s entry tells you.
Field
What it shows
Why it matters
Number (draw)
Saddlecloth number, with the starting stall in brackets on the Flat
The number is how you name the horse on course; the draw can decide races on some tracks
Silks
The owner’s colours, worn by the jockey
How you pick the horse out during the race
Form
Recent finishing positions, oldest on the left
Shows whether the horse is improving, consistent or out of sorts
Name and days
Horse’s name, often with days since its last run
A long absence can mean a setback or a planned break
Age
In years
Weight-for-age allowances help younger horses against older ones
Weight
Weight carried in stones and pounds
In handicaps, each pound reflects the handicapper’s view of ability
Headgear
Codes such as b, v, p, t, h
A first-time change (marked 1) can sharpen a horse up
Jockey (claim)
Rider, with any weight allowance in brackets
A claim reduces the weight the horse carries
Trainer
The licensed trainer
Stable form and patterns at the course
OR / TS / RPR
Official rating, Topspeed figure, Racing Post Rating
Proven at the track or trip; or a horse that let backers down last time
Example runner (invented for illustration)
4 (7) · Silver Saffron · 3-2141 · 14 · CD · 5yo · 9-4 · b1 · A. Rider (3) · OR 74 · TS 68 · RPR 79
Saddlecloth 4, drawn in stall 7. Form 3-2141: third on its last run of the previous season, then second, first, fourth and first this season, the most recent run on the right. Last ran 14 days ago. CD: has won over this course and distance. Five years old. Allotted 9st 4lb.
b1 means blinkers for the first time. The rider claims 3lb, so the horse actually carries 9st 1lb. An official rating of 74 means it would fit a 0-75 handicap. The Racing Post Rating of 79 suggests the private handicapper thinks it is better than the official mark, and the Topspeed figure of 68 shows how fast it has run against the clock.
Number and draw
Saddlecloth Number, Draw and Silks
The saddlecloth number is the horse’s number for the day. Ask for it in the betting ring (“£10 win, number 4”) and look for it on the screens. A horse marked NR is a non-runner and R indicates a reserve, which only gets in if others drop out.
The draw, shown in brackets, is the starting stall. It applies only on the Flat: jump races start from a tape with no draw. On tight, turning tracks such as Chester or in big-field sprints where one side of the course rides faster, a good or bad draw can be worth several lengths. Check past results at the course before writing off a wide draw.
Silks are the owner’s registered colours. They matter more than they seem: picking your horse out at the two-furlong pole is far easier if you know you are looking for green and white hoops.
The horse
Age, Sex, Weight and the Jockey’s Claim
Age is given in years, and every horse foaled in the northern hemisphere shares an official birthday on 1 January. Fuller cards add colour and sex codes: b (bay), br (brown), ch (chestnut), gr (grey), and c (colt), f (filly), g (gelding), h (horse), m (mare). A country code after the name shows where a horse was bred if it was not in Britain, such as (IRE) or (FR).
Weight is shown in stones and pounds and includes any penalty for a recent win. In a handicap the weights are the race: the British Horseracing Authority’s handicappers rate every horse, and each point of rating is worth 1lb. A horse rated 10lb higher than another carries 10lb more, in theory giving them an equal chance. Our handicaps guide covers penalties and horses running from out of the handicap.
A number in brackets after the jockey is a claim: a weight allowance for a less experienced rider. Apprentices on the Flat and conditional jockeys over jumps claim 7lb, 5lb or 3lb, the allowance shrinking as they ride more winners, and conditionals riding for their own stable can claim more while they are starting out. A 5lb claimer on a horse allotted 9st 7lb means it carries 9st 2lb. Trainers often book a good claimer to get a well-handicapped horse in lower.
The trainer line repays a closer look. Some stables target particular meetings, and a horse sent a long way for a modest race is usually there for a reason. Our racecards link through to trainer and jockey profiles with their recent runners.
The numbers
OR, TS and RPR: The Ratings Columns Explained
Three ratings appear on most British racecards, and each measures something slightly different.
OR (Official Rating). Set by the BHA handicappers, who publish a new list every week. The higher the figure, the better the horse. It determines the weight in handicaps and which races a horse can enter. A horse that runs above its mark goes up; one that keeps running below it comes down.
RPR (Racing Post Rating). The Racing Post’s own handicapper’s assessment, adjusted for the weight the horse carries in today’s race. Because it is calculated independently, an RPR well above the OR can point to a horse the official handicapper has underestimated.
TS (Topspeed). The Racing Post’s speed figure, based on the times a horse has recorded compared with a standard, adjusted for the going and the weight carried. It rewards horses that have run fast, not just horses that have beaten others.
Timeform publishes its own ratings, often with symbols attached: a small p means the horse is likely to improve, a large P that it is capable of much better, and ? that the rating is suspect. A two-year-old rated 119p after a big autumn win at Newmarket is one the experts expect to keep progressing, which is why such horses head the ante-post lists for the following year’s Classics.
No rating is a verdict on its own. They are most useful side by side: a horse whose RPR and Topspeed both sit above its official mark is the sort that wins handicaps, while one whose figures have dropped run by run may be on the downgrade.
Codes and symbols
Headgear Codes, C, D and BF: The Racecard Symbols
Headgear
Code
Equipment
What it does
b
Blinkers
Cups that block rear vision, to help concentration
v
Visor
Blinkers with a slit, allowing some side vision
p
Sheepskin cheekpieces
A milder version, fixed to the bridle
h
Hood
Covers the ears, used to calm a horse
t
Tongue-tie
Keeps the tongue in place to help breathing
e/s
Eyeshield
Protects the eyes
e/c
Eye cover
Covers an eye
A 1 after the code means the horse is wearing that headgear for the first time, such as b1 for first-time blinkers. Trainers reach for headgear when a horse is not putting its best foot forward, and a first-time application is one of the classic reasons for a horse to improve on paper. It does not always work, and some horses resent it.
Course, distance and favourites
C: has won at this course before.
D: has won over this distance, to the nearest half-furlong.
CD: has won over this course and distance in the same race.
BF: beaten favourite, usually on its last run. It was the market’s choice and lost, which can mean bad luck or that the horse is overrated.
Days since last run
The small number beside the name is the days since the horse last ran under the same code, Flat or jumps. A second figure in brackets shows a more recent run under the other code. Cards may also flag a first or second run after a wind operation, a procedure to help a horse’s breathing. The form figures themselves are covered in the form guide.
Putting it to work
Using Our UK Racecards Before You Bet
Our racecards for today carry the details you need to work through a race quickly: saddlecloth number with the draw in brackets, silks, jockey, trainer and recent form, with bookmakers’ prices for each runner side by side and the best price highlighted. Tap a horse for its profile, including runs, wins, place strike rate and its peak OR, RPR and Topspeed figures.
Read the header. Class, distance, going and number of runners. Decide whether this is a win race or an each-way race.
Scan the ratings. Which horses have the best OR and RPR, and is anyone’s RPR well above its official mark?
Check suitability. C, D and CD symbols, the draw on the Flat, and form on similar ground.
Look for changes. First-time headgear, a claimer’s allowance, a step up or down in trip, a long absence.
Compare prices. If two bookmakers differ, take the bigger price, ideally with Best Odds Guaranteed.
Tomorrow’s cards appear on the tomorrow’s racing page once the declarations are out, every course has its own page in the racecourse directory, and settled races go up on the results page. New to all of this? Start with how to bet on horse racing, and remember that betting is for over-18s only and should stay within a budget you set in advance.
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Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does the number in brackets mean on a racecard?
Next to the saddlecloth number, it is the draw: the starting stall on the Flat. After a jockey’s name, it is the rider’s claim, the weight allowance in pounds for a less experienced rider.
What does CD mean in horse racing?
The horse has won over this course and distance before. C alone means a course winner and D a distance winner, to the nearest half-furlong.
What does BF mean on a racecard?
Beaten favourite. The horse started favourite, usually on its last run, and did not win.
What do b, v, p and t mean on a racecard?
Headgear: blinkers, visor, cheekpieces and tongue-tie. A 1 after the letter, such as b1, means it is the first time the horse has worn that equipment.
What is the difference between OR and RPR?
OR is the official rating from the BHA handicappers, which sets weights in handicaps. RPR is the Racing Post’s own rating, adjusted for the weight carried in today’s race.
What does the small number next to a horse’s name mean?
The days since it last ran under the same code. A figure in brackets shows a more recent run under the other code, Flat or jumps.
Why is there no draw in jump races?
Jump races start from a tape rather than from stalls, so runners line up without allocated positions.
