Horse Racing Racecards & Results – Today, Tomorrow, Yesterday

The first thing you will see on the left side of the page is the number that the horse will wear in the contest. Depending on the amount of horses competing, it can range between 1 and 40, which are the number of competitors that feature in the Grand National races.

The draw number is the slot the horse takes in the stalls before the start of the race, which can be a crucial element of the race and can determine success or failure, notably in flat racing. Therefore, it is an important factor for bettors to consider before placing their horse racing bets.

Perhaps the most important factor of the racecard is the form of the horse. This will be signified by a string of numbers, letters or symbols next to or below the name of the competitor.

The closest number to the horse is the most recent result, so the form dates back from right to left. The numbers are listed 1-9 in terms of where the horse placed in its previous races. If the horse has a 0 among its form, this means that it failed to place in the top 10.

If you see a dash between the numbers, this signifies a separate season. This is usually more common for horses that compete in the National Hunt. A / symbol means that the horse missed the entirety of the previous campaign.

Letters are commonplace when it comes to the form of horses, and each have a special significance.

U or UR – This means that the horse unseated its jockey in the process of the race.

P or PU – These letters signify that the horse was pulled up by its jockey before completion of the race.

F – This letter tells you that the horse fell and failed to complete the race.

R – This means that the horse refused to leave the stalls or the start line.

BD – BD signifies that the horse was brought down by another competitor in the field and therefore failed to complete the race.

All these letters play a vital role in aiding the selection of horses by bettors ahead of races.

The picture of the jersey signifies which colour the jockey will be wearing. It is an aid for spectators and commentators to find the relevant horse in the race.

The jersey colours represent the owner of the horse. It is common to have two jerseys that are the same colour when the owner has two horses in the same contest, although the jockeys will have helmets of different colours.

The name of the horse is self-explanatory, although for people that bet only once a year for a race such as The Derby or Grand National, it can hold significance for wagering.

However, there will also be letters and numbers placed under or to the right side of the horse’s name that require explanation.

C – This term means that the horse has won at the course for the relevant race on the racecard.

D- This signifies that the horse has won at the distance for the relevant race on the racecard.

CD – This means that the horse has won at the course and the distance for the relevant race.

BF – This signifies that the horse was a beaten favourite in its last outing.

There will also be numbers present, which represent the amount of time in days it has been since the horse last competed.

Furthermore, the horse may have an abbreviation of a country next to its name, which signifies that it was bred outside of Great Britain.

This is a simple one as it tells you how old the horse is at the time of the race. Horses in flat racing are younger than their counterparts in the National Hunt, as competitors reach their prime at three years old in the flat. Horses from the National Hunt can race over the age of 10 and beyond, although the prime years are usually from seven to eight, depending on the distance of the race.

This is another straightforward one as it tells you the weight that the horse is carrying in the race.

If the race is a handicap contest, the horses will carry more weight on the basis of their past performances to even the playing field. A professional handicapper will assign the horse's additional weight if it is deemed to be a stronger competitor than its rivals.

The names of the jockey and trainer are usually in tandem, highlighting who will be riding the horse and who has trained it ahead of the race. There are a number of standout trainers in the industry, who tend to have the stronger competitors. Research should be carried out before the race to determine which one of their charges is the strongest racer.

Trainers usually have their preferred jockeys to rise their horses. For example, Rachael Blackmore is the lead jockey for Henry de Bromhead. If De Bromhead has a particularly strong competitor, Blackmore will be trusted in the saddle over other riders. The decisions of jockeys and trainers regarding their choice of horses can sometimes be revealing for bettors.

Leading horse racing media outlets such as the Racing Post and Timeform will provide their ratings for horses. These can be illuminating for bettors before they place a wager. They take into account a number of factors before handing a horse a rating, which is usually a number between 1 and 200.

Finally and most importantly, the odds for the race. On online providers, you can choose which odds you can see based on your preferred betting site, although many will display the best odds available for the specific horse. The horses are usually sorted by their odds for the race in descending order.