How To Understand A Race Card

Step 1: Race information

Check your newspaper for the race listings for that day's meetings. There you will find where races are happening, when they start, what they are called. You need this information to fill in your betting slip. On the card you will also find information about the length of the race, plus the horses and their jockeys.

Step 2: Horse number

On the left hand side, the first thing you will see is the horse number.

Step 3: Recent form

Above the horse's number, you have a series of numbers, which indicate where the horse finished in its recent races. Ones and twos means a lot of firsts and seconds, and the horse is in good form, but sixes and sevens will have to make you think twice before putting any money on it.

Step 4: Name of horse

Just to the right is the horse's name, which is often an outlandish name like Red Rum or Colour Me Purple.

Step 5: Name of trainer

Below the horse's name will be the name of its trainer. Trainers are a good guide to a horse's form, as often a group of horses trained by the same person will hit good or bad form at the same time. If you don't know much about trainers, it's worth asking a regular punter, who will be able to give you some hopefully good advice.

Step 6: Name of jockey

To the right of the trainer is the name of the jockey. Many people follow a jockey rather than a horse, and you can't go far wrong if you back the most famous jockey in a race. The top riders in the country gets the best horses, and so often the best jockey and horse in a race go hand in hand.

Step 7: Jockey colours

On the right of the card are the colours, or 'silks' that your horse's jockey will be wearing. Make a note of this so you can follow your horse in the race itself.