Talk like a pro with all the know how from Autumn Racing Carnival Glossary

• up to 20 winners: 3kg
• up to 40 winners: 2kg
• up to 60 winners: 1.5kg
• 80 and over no claim

Acceptor: used to describe a horse, which has been declared to run in a race.

Bandages: protective of support bandages used on some horses legs.

Bit: usually two pieces of steel rod that fits in to the horses mouth and is connected to the bridle and reins. The bit is used to steer of or slow down the horse.

Bleeder: A horse that bleeds from both nostrils due to blood vessels rupturing under pressure. First - time bleeders are banned from racing for six months and second time bleeders are banned for life.

Blinkers: hood which fits over a horse's head with part-eye cover to prevent rear and side vision of the horse and to encourage concentration.

Bookmakers: a person licensed by a race club to conduct betting at a race meeting. Bookmakers display odds for each horse in competition with other bookmakers and the totalisator.

Box: Totalisator term describing selection of three of more horses in a multiple bet in any order.

Bridle: horse's head-gear, which holds the reins and bit.

Broken-down: When a horse sustains serious leg or other injury.

Broodmare: mare used for breeding.

Check: interference suffered by a horse during a race

Chute: extension of the racetrack used to provide a straight run for race starts.

Clerk of the course: official dressed in hunting red, riding a grey horse. Duties include leading fields to the start, assisting with difficult horses and capturing runaway horses.

Clerk of scales: official who checks weight of jockeys with saddles against allocated weights before and after each race.

Colours (silks): owners' or trainers' coloured jacket and cap worn by jockey to distinguish them from other riders in a race.

Colours (club): substitute colours when owners' or trainers' colours are not available. The first Sydney Turf Club set is white with STC logo and black cap, second set are pink green armbands and cap.

Colic: horse's stomach disorder, which can develop into a serious illness.

Colour: horse's coat colour, which can be grey, black, bay, brown, or chestnut.

Colt: Male horse, up to three years of age, who has not been gelded.

Committee: elected club members who administer the Sydney Turf Club.

Correct weight: signalled when all placed jockeys have correctly weighed in and there is no protest. Tote and bookmakers pay out on the correct weight.

Dam: Mother of a horse

Dead-heat: when two or more horses finish the race in a tie.

Emergency acceptor: reserve horse for a race in which there are more intended runners than the barrier limit permits. The emergency will make the field when a runner in the field has been scratched.

Farrier: person who fits shoes to horse' feets for training and racing purposes.

Favourite: the horse who is most fancied to win the race and therefore at the shortest price.

Filly: Female horse up to three years of age.

Fixed Odds Betting = Dividends are fixed at the time of placing the bet. Customers know what they will collect if they win

Foal: Newborn horse.

Form: past performances of the horse.

Gelding: A male horse that has been castrated.

Group race: the nation's highest quality races are graded in to three levels of importance with group one being the principal events.

Hand: height measurement for a horse; 4 inches or about 10cm measured from the horse's wither (shoulder top) to the ground. Most horse's stand between 15 and 17 hands.

Handicapper: official who handicaps races allocating weights to horses in a race that will give every horse in the race an equal winning chance.

Hanging: when a horse does not run straight as it comes under pressure during a race, usually at the finish. The jockey must make all endeavours to ensure his mount runs in a straight line. Horse: term used to describe a male horse four years or older.

Jockey: licensed person to ride in races.

Jockey Weights: thin slabs of lead carried under the saddle, when the jockey is lighter than the horses allocated handicap weight. The lead is usually carried in a special lead-bag.

Judge: official who judges the finish of a race. He notifies the results of winning and placed horses, their placed margins and race times.

Leg: A race that forms part of a double in betting.

Length: term used to describe the distance between horses during and at the finish of a race. A horse's length is from nose to tail approximately 3 metres.

Listed Races: races that are not of sufficient quality to qualify as Group Races but are above standard of average events.

Lugging-Bit: metal ring attached to the bit to assist the jockey to control a wayward horse.

Maiden: a horse of either sex that has not won a race. Also a race restricted to horses that have not won a race.

Moveable Running Rail: at race meeting the running rail can be moved out to protect the true racing surface from overuse.

Middle Distance: a race of more than 1200 metres and up to 2000 metres.

Mare: a female horse four years and over.

Mud-Runners ("Mud-Larks"): A horse who performs well on heavy (rain-affected) tracks

Near Side: The left-hand side of the horse, from which the jockey always mounts.

Odds: The betting price offered by a bookmaker about a horse in a race. A horse at 2/1 is considered more likely to win than a horse at 20/1. $1 win bet a 2/1 returns a profit of $2, while at 20/1 it returns a profit of $20.

Odds-on: when a horse's price is less than even-money; eg, 9/10 (bookmaker), $1.90 (tote).

Official: Person employed by a racing club to perform duties in relation to a race meeting; eg, Stipendiary Steward, Starter, etc.

Off Side: Right-Hand side of the horse.

"On the Bit": When a horse is galloping easily and is not being ridden hard by the jockey. Owner: person who owns a racehorse. For racing purposes, a person who leases a horse is also regarded as the owner.

Pacifiers: head-hood with gauze eye-cover to quieten nervous horses and protect the eyes from injury.

Parade: on leaving the Saddling Enclosure, the horses parade in front of the main grandstand before going to the start.

Pari-mutuel = A system of betting on races whereby the winners divide the total amount bet, after deducting management expenses . Or simply a form of betting where investments are pooled. Dividends are calculated by dividing the pool (less commission) by the number of successful bets

Photo-Finish: camera used to determine the result of a close finish. A mirror housed in the winning post, also reflects the image of the finish from the inside running-rail.

Plates: light, thin horse-shoes, usually aluminium used for racing.

Pool - any communal combination of funds; "everyone contributed to the pool" - the total money invested

Pre-Race Blood Testing: blood samples taken from the horses for analysis before the race. Any irregularities are reported to the Stewards and may result in a horse being withdrawn from the race.

Principal Club: the major club in each state or district which govern racing in that area. The club is a member of the Australian Conference of Principal Racing Clubs which controls racing nationally.

Protest: If it is considered that interference during a race has cost a horse to win or a place, a protest may be lodged with a Steward by the owner, trainer or rider of the horse. Official results and "weight" are with-held until the subsequent inquiry is completed (Refered to in England and the USA as "Objection").

Punt: a bet

Punter: a person who bets

Race Caller: person who calls the running of a race. Employed by race clubs as the official racecourse broadcaster or by radio stations.

Rules of Racing: official set of rules which govern racing nationally and are supplemented by the Local Rules of Racing for each state.

Saddle-Cloth: cloth under the saddle which displays the horses number in the race. This number corresponds with the racebook and totalisator board.

Saddling Enclosure: area in front of the main grandstand where all horses competing in a race are paraded before the race. Immediately after each race the jockey rides the horse back to the Saddling Enclosure to unsaddle.

Scratched: when a horse is withdrawn from a race

Shin-sore: soreness of the shin (cannon) bone. Usually occurs in young horses and requires the horse to be rested.

Shoe: a u-shaped metal plate nailed to the horse's hoof.

Sire: father of a horse.

Skull Cap: protective helmet worn by all jockeys in a race. The jockey's coloured cloth caps cover the skull caps.

Sprint: a race of 1200 metres or less.

Stone Bruise: bruising sustained by the horse's unprotected soft sole. Caused by a sharp object, usually a stone.

Starter: official who starts the race.

Starting Barrier: a mobile frame construction containing a number of stalls into which the gorses are positioned at the race start. Each horse has a separate stall allocated by a ballot. The starter presses a button and the horses are released simultaneously when the front gates spring open.

Starting Price: last betting odds available for a horse at the start of a race.

Starting Time: the time appointed as the time at which the race will get under way. There are usually 35 minutes between each race, and the interstate or provincial events.

Staying: a race 2000 metres and over. In Australia the maximum flat race distance is 3200 metres

Steward's Observation Towers: located at strategic positions around the track enabling the stewards to have a closer view of the race in progress.

Steward's Patrol Film: recorded video film to assist stewards, and show head-on and lateral views of the race field.

(Stipendary) Stewards: Officials appointed by the Principle Club to run race meetings in accordance with the rules of racing. Stewards have the power to fine; suspend or disqualify and licensed person for contravening the rules. Stewards can also inquire into the conduct of persons connected with horses or attending racecourses. Stewards determine all protests at race meetings and decide when a race is clear for announcement of correct weight. Their decisions are subject to appeal by an independent two-tier system.

Straight: straight part of the track stretching from the home turn to the finishing line.

Strapper: person employed by a trainer to attend to a horse ie., feed, groom, ride and lead at the races.

Swab: post-race urine sample taken from a horse for analysis to detect the presence of drugs or other illegal substances in the horse's internal system.

Tack: any gear of a horse.

Tip: Freely given advice on probable race winners.

Tips: Half racing plates worn by some horses for a race.

Tongue-tie: Tape or a strap used to tie a horse's tongue to prevent the horse from getting it over the bit or by choking.

Totalisator (Tote) = TAB STANDS FOR Totalisator Agency Board – not surprisingly shortened to ‘tote’ - it is the computer that registers bets and divides the total amount bet among those who won. The business that operates the pari-mutuel pools. ‘Old timers’ will still visit ‘the tote’ and signage at many racecourses still uses this term.

Trackman: a person who times horses at training sessions. Sometimes referred to as a clocker.

Training Tracks: tracks used to condition horses for racing, usually located adjacent to the main racetrack. They consist of turf tracks, sand, dirt, woodchip and synthetic Equitrack (sand mixed with polymer binding agents).

Track Conditions: most tracks are fully turfed and on race days the track condition is classified as either:-

Turnover: amount of money invested on a race or race meeting.

Weanling: a foal who has been weaned (taken away) from its mother.

Weigh-in: each winning or placed jockey is weighed-in after each race to check if he/she has carried the correct weight.

Whip: regulation racing crop used by jockeys to steer, control and encourage a horse's performance during a race.

Yearling: A horse which is one-year old. The horses' birthday in Australia is 1st August.