Guides
How to read a racecard
A racecard is the list of horses in one race. Each row is one horse. The columns are facts: who rides, how much weight it carries, and how it has finished lately. None of those facts is a promise that the horse will win. They let you compare the field without guessing at the abbreviations.
On PaddockForm the British and Irish card is open to read. This page walks through the columns in the order they usually appear. A blank cell means the information was not on the card. It is not a secret mark.
Number
The number is the saddle-cloth number, printed on the cloth under the saddle so you can match the horse in the paddock. It is not a rank. Horse 1 is not the best horse. When a horse is taken out, that number is not handed on.
Draw
The draw is the stall the horse leaves from, counted from the inside rail on most courses. It matters on the flat and on all-weather tracks, where the horses start from stalls. A low draw is near the rail. A high draw is toward the outside. On a tight track, or over a short trip, the wrong side can cost ground before the race has settled.
Over hurdles and fences there are no stalls, so the draw is usually blank. Do not invent a stall bias for a jumps race. Going and trip are in the race header.
Age
Age is the horse's age in years. A flat horse can race at two. Jumpers are usually older before they run over obstacles. A young horse is still learning. An older horse has more runs behind it. Age is a clue beside the other columns, not a rule that younger or older is better.
Weight
Weight is what the horse is set to carry, in stones and pounds. A stone is fourteen pounds. In a handicap the official rating becomes weight: a higher rating means more on the horse's back. The aim is a similar chance on the handicapper's numbers. It does not make the horses equal on the day.
You may see a small number in brackets after the jockey's name, such as (3), (5) or (7). That is a claim. An apprentice on the flat, or a conditional rider over jumps, is allowed to carry a few pounds less.
Official rating (OR)
OR means official rating. It is the handicapper's number for the horse. A bigger number means the horse has been rated more able. In a handicap the weights follow those ratings, so the higher-rated horse carries more. In a race that is not a handicap, the OR is still a useful way to see the class of horse in the line-up.
Ratings move after races. A strong finish against higher-rated horses tends to push the mark up. A poor run can bring it down. The figure on the card is the mark for this race. Two horses with the same OR can still differ on form, going and trip.
Jockey and trainer
The jockey is the person who rides. The trainer is the yard that prepares the horse. A trainer may aim a horse at a certain trip or ground. A booking tells you who rides today. If there is a claim, it is the bracket after the jockey's name. Neither name wins the race on its own.
Form figures
The form figures are a short string of recent results. The latest run is the character on the right. A 1 there means the horse won last time. A hyphen breaks seasons. Letters such as F or P mean the horse did not complete in the usual way. The full list is in the form figures guide.
The rest of the header
Above the runners you will see the course, the time, the race title, the distance and the going. The title tells you the type of race: a maiden, a novice, a handicap, a hurdle, a chase. The distance is the trip. The going is the ground. Those two have their own guide.
Field size is how many horses are declared. A big field means more traffic. A small field means each horse has more room. If a horse is a non-runner, it does not start. Leave it out of the comparison. The rows that remain are the race.
A calm way to read a row
Pick one horse and read across: number, draw if there is one, age, weight, OR, jockey, trainer, form. Then do the same for the next horse. You are looking for a difference you can name, such as a lighter weight, a recent win, or a trip the horse has already handled. If you cannot name a difference, the columns have not given you one.
PaddockForm also shows a model 1-2-3. The horse in first place on that list is the Top pick for that race. It is not the day's Nap. The Nap is a single selection for the day, explained on the page about how PaddockForm works. The columns stay visible either way.
Questions
Is the saddle-cloth number a ranking?
No. It identifies the horse. Horse 1 is not the model's first choice, and it is not the best horse.
When does the draw matter?
On the flat and on all-weather tracks, where the horses start from stalls. Over hurdles and fences the draw is usually blank.
What is the OR?
The official rating. A higher number means the handicapper has rated the horse more able. In a handicap that rating becomes weight.
Which form figure is the latest run?
The character on the right. A 1 there means the horse won last time.
What should I do with a non-runner?
Leave it out. It does not start, so it is not part of the comparison.
More guides
7 days free, then £10 for 30 days. It does not renew by itself. Full refund if you ask within 14 days of your first £10. Terms.
No card needed. Nothing to pay for 7 days, and it never renews by itself.