What Type Of Horses Are Race Horses

What Type Of Horses Are Race Horses
  1. What Breed Are Race Horses
  2. List Of Horse Races Today
  3. Different Types Of Race Horses
  4. What Kind Of Horses Are Race Horses

Explaining Group, classified, selling stakes, handicap races

What Type Of Horses Are Race HorsesList of horse races today

There are only four breeds of horses that race in any sort of organized racing: Thoroughbreds, Quarter Horses, Standardbreds (trotters and pacers) and, on a much more limited basis, Arabians (both on the flat and endurance racing, although endurance is open to any breed).

Types of horse racing. There are many types of horse racing, including: Flat racing, where horses gallop directly between two points around a straight or oval track. Jump racing, or Jumps racing, also known as Steeplechasing or, in the UK and Ireland, National Hunt racing, where horses race over obstacles. Most Thoroughbreds race in the afternoon, but with the first race listed as anywhere from noon to 2 p.m. And a slate of eight to 12 races in a day approximately a half-hour apart, a horse might. Race Horse Breeds: Arabian Arabian Horse is the most popular Race Horse breeds of the world having high intelligence, stamina, spirit, trainability, beauty, and gentle disposition. The Arabian horses originated in the Arabian Peninsula and spread throughout the world through trade and war. Arabian horses are the most popular racing horse nowadays.

Horse races in Britain are split 50/50 between Handicap races and Stakes races. Races are then split further into maiden races, claiming and selling races etc. The following table explains the different types of horse races in Britain. Read more ...

Types of Horse Races

What Breed Are Race Horses

Race TypeDescription
GroupGroup 1, 2 and 3. The highest class of race.
ListedJust below group class.
Rated StakesValuable handicaps with a 10 to 14lb weight range.
Conditions StakesRaces for horses below class A.
Classified StakesRaces with a max rating for horses that have run at least 3 times, or run twice and won at least once.
HandicapRaces where the weight a horse has to carry is determined by the official handicapper. The better the horse, the higher its handicap rating. Horse can only run in races where the max rating is higher or equal to its rating.
NurseryHandicap for 2yo horses only.
Maiden HandicapFor 3yo+ maidens with a max rating of 70 that have run at least 4 times.
MaidenFor horses that have never won.
Rated MaidenMaiden races with a max rating for horses that have run at least 3 times.
NoviceFor 2yos that have not won more than twice.
Auction MaidenFor 2yos originally sold by auction at specified sales.
Median Auction MaidenFor 2yos by stallions that established a median price for their yearlings at specified sales.
SellingFor low class horses. The winners are offered for auction. Any other runner can be claimed too.
ClaimingEach horse is allocated a weight according to the claiming price determined by the connections. The lower the weight, the lower the claiming price. Any horse can be claimed after the race.
ApprenticeRaces for apprentice jockeys only.
AmateurAmateurs jockeys only. Heavy weights.
LadyFemale amateurs and female apprentices.
GentlemenMale amateurs only.

List Of Horse Races Today

Race Classification

Horses

At the start of the 2005 Flat Turf season the BHB introduced a new classification system for races.

The old letter Group 1,2,3 A-H classification has changed to a new 1-7 number system. Not only does the new number system throw away years of tradition, but it also causes confusion with systems, stats and the form book.

The letter classification had 11 distinct levels of class whilst the number classification has just 7. The number classification makes it less likely that a system based on class changes will find contenders. The number classification also makes it harder for form punters to find horses changing in class!

e.g. A horse dropping from a Group 1 race to a Listed Stakes race would have dropped 4 classes with the letter classification method but is not dropping in class with the number classification method. A horse rising from a Class G selling race to a Class F handicap would have risen 1 class with the letter classification but is not rising in class with the number classification.

Horses

Different Types Of Race Horses

The FlatStats website will continue to use the old letter method as well as the new number method.

What Kind Of Horses Are Race Horses

Apprentices

Apprentices are allowed to claim a weight allowance because of their inexperience. They can claim 7lbs until they have won 20 races, 5lbs until 50 races, and 3lbs until 95 races. Weight allowances can be claimed in all race types except listed and group races.

In some apprentice only races those apprentices that have never won a race can claim 10lbs. In some special races apprentices are allowed to claim a further 3lbs if they are riding for their retained yard.

Related Articles and Resources

Article initially created 27-Sep-2006. Class / prize money values updated for the 2014 season. Some of the information may have changed since.