Jargon Buster! Eight Phrases That Will Help You Get Through The Races

Killarney's Racing Festival will run from Monday 14th July and with Ladies Day on the 17th of July, we decided we would help out with a couple of jargon busters to get you through the racing days. Racing terms can be a complicated business but here are eight phrases we think you will hear a lot of over the course of your time at the festival. 1. Ante-Post Betting. This refers to backing a horse in a specific period before a race to get a better price. There is a risk though as the horse might not run, in which case you will lose your stake. 2. Banker A certainty, as in ‘you can take your money to the bank’. Like the bankers though, the certainty can’t always be relied upon to oblige so tread warily! 3. Forecast. A forecast is a bet where the aim is to pick the first and second. A straight forecast means that you must select them in the correct order. A dual forecast or reverse forecast means that they can come in any order but doubles your stake as it represents two selections. 4. Jolly. The favourite in a race. 5. Going. Refers to whether the ground is hard or soft. Different horses react to different ground. If you’re looking at a horse’s movement, a high-knee action would indicate a liking for soft ground, while a horse with a lower, gliding action would generally prefer it good or better. A horse’s preference is a key factor to consider when having a bet. 6. Hand. The unit by which horses are measured. One hand is equal to four inches. The hand increases in measurements of a quarter i.e. 16.1, is 16 hands and one quarter, which is 65”, which is 5’5”. The average race horse height is 15.3, which is 63”. 7. Odds-On. A betting term relating to a horse’s price. If you hear ‘six-to-four-on’, this means that if you place €6 on your selection and it wins, your profit will be e4. It is written as 4/6. ‘Six-to-four’ can also be known as ‘six-to-four against’ and means you if you place e4 on your selection and it comes up trumps, you will collect e6. It is written as 6/4. 8. Winner All Right. This is the official confirmation that the stewards are happy that the winner has broken no rules. For more information and dates for the festival, you can log onto Horse Racing Ireland. Ladies Day is on the 17th of July!