{"id":295923,"date":"2023-11-02T00:53:59","date_gmt":"2023-11-02T00:53:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports-life-news.com\/?p=295923"},"modified":"2023-11-02T00:53:59","modified_gmt":"2023-11-02T00:53:59","slug":"got-the-blows-your-melbourne-cup-guide-to-the-language-of-racing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports-life-news.com\/horse-racing\/got-the-blows-your-melbourne-cup-guide-to-the-language-of-racing\/","title":{"rendered":"Got the blows? Your Melbourne Cup guide to the language of racing"},"content":{"rendered":"

By <\/span>Andrew Wu<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A horse that is over-racing is said to be pulling. You don\u2019t want your horse to do this.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>John Shakespeare<\/cite><\/p>\n

Save articles for later<\/h3>\n

Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.<\/p>\n

Knocked up, let down or on the nose, racing language can be hard to decipher at the best of times, let alone when you are balancing a form guide in one hand and a drink in the other at a venue you rarely visit more than once a year.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve translated some of the terms you\u2019ll hear plenty of during the carnival, so you\u2019ll know what others are talking about at the races, or at least pretend to know.<\/p>\n

Barrier:<\/strong> The starting gate where horses jump from. Inside barriers, numbered lower, are generally considered to be advantageous as they enable a horse to cover the least distance, but it is not uncommon for runners to be favoured by outside barriers as it minimises their chances of being boxed in.<\/p>\n

Blackbooker:<\/strong> A horse that is marked by a punter as worthy of being followed in the belief they can win in the near future.<\/p>\n

Black type:<\/strong> A black type race, also known as a stakes race, is one that is of Listed level or higher, as in group 1-3. Horses that have won or been placed in such races have their name in bold in pedigree charts and sales catalogues.<\/p>\n

Blinkers:<\/strong> A device worn around the eyes of a horse to help them focus by restricting their peripheral vision, so they are not put off by horses around them. May also be useful for a punter to concentrate on their formguide and avoid numerous trackside distractions on a major race day.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Horses are fitted out with \u2018blinkers\u2019 at a race at Rosehill.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Jenny Evans<\/cite><\/p>\n

Blow:<\/strong> A horse whose odds lengthen suddenly is said to have the blows. If you trust the market, you don\u2019t want to be on such a horse.<\/p>\n

Box seat:<\/strong> A position in a race where the horse is one off the fence and directly behind the leader. The horse in the box seat is also in great danger of being boxed in. The box seat is not really the box seat.<\/p>\n

Checked:<\/strong> Interference suffered by a horse that has had its run impeded by a wayward rival. Racegoers shuffled back in the line at the bar by someone who has pushed in can also have been checked.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Some horses refuse to jump from the barrier.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>John Shakespeare<\/cite><\/p>\n

Colt:<\/strong> A male horse three years or younger that has not been castrated and therefore can grow to become a stallion (four years and older) or an entire, a term recognising the horse is still, ahem, intact. While a colt is marked \u201cc\u201d in race books and form guides, a mare i \u201cm\u201d and a filly \u201cf\u201d, a stallion is \u201ch\u201d for horse. Naturally.<\/p>\n

Cover:<\/strong> A horse with cover is one racing in another\u2019s slipstream. In theory, this should help a horse conserve energy by reducing wind resistance, but any advantage can be overstated as frontrunners often win. Regarding breeding, a stallion is said to cover a mare when they are mating. We\u2019ll let you work that one out yourself.<\/p>\n

Filly:<\/strong> A female horse of three years or younger. Also, a pejorative term given to a young woman. Don\u2019t do this. It\u2019s 2023.<\/p>\n

Furlong:<\/strong> More commonly known as 200 metres, though it speaks volumes about how tightly racing can cling to the past that imperial units of distance are still commonly used.<\/p>\n

Gelding:<\/strong> A male horse that has been castrated. Horses are gelded in the belief, held by trainers and owners (though the horse would no doubt disagree), this helps them focus on the racetrack without being distracted by the opposite sex, or to reduce excess body weight.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Mudlarks wet a heavy track.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>John Shakespeare<\/cite><\/p>\n

Get Out Stakes:<\/strong> The colloquial reference to the last race on the card, termed such as it is the final chance for punters behind to get out of the track in front. Gamble responsibly of course.<\/p>\n

Handicap:<\/strong> A race in which horses are allotted a weight according to their performance. Better performed horses carry more weight. All but the elite races are generally handicaps, with a few notable exceptions like the Melbourne and Caulfield cups.<\/p>\n

Head:<\/strong> A narrow margin of defeat for, you guessed it, the length of a horse\u2019s head. Ditto for \u201cneck\u201d and \u201cnose\u201d, also known as a short half head.<\/p>\n

In the red: <\/strong>Back in the days of fractional odds, horses that were odds-on (under $2) had their odds shown in red on the betting boards of bookmakers. Punters that lose on an odds-on favourite can end up red-faced and in the red.<\/p>\n

Jump:<\/strong> Often accompanied by the words \u201cslow to\u201d, which means a horse has started slowly.<\/p>\n

Knocked up:<\/strong> A horse that has tired significantly and finishes a long way from the winner. Nothing to do with pregnancy.<\/p>\n

Lay: <\/strong>A bookmaker may lay a horse by increasing its odds in the belief that runner has no chance of winning. The bookie should be careful not to lay the lay down mis\u00e8re (a certainty to win). Then there are horses that cannot run straight that lay in or lay out depending on which side they stray to.<\/p>\n

Let down:<\/strong> When a horse is being let down, it is being asked for its best effort late in the race. Punters backing a horse that does not let down often are left feeling let down.<\/p>\n

Maiden:<\/strong> A horse that has not won a race. Maidens tend not to let down as well as others.<\/p>\n

Mare:<\/strong> A female horse of four years or older. In recent times, an abbreviated term for \u201cnightmare\u201d – as in \u201cto have a \u2019mare\u201d.<\/p>\n

Mudlark:<\/strong> A horse that excels on a wet track. Non-racing fans might remember a scene in Seinfeld where Kramer backs a mudlark because his \u201cfather was a mudder, and his mother was a mudder\u201d.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Prime conditions for a \u2018mudlark\u2019: The famous 1976 Melbourne Cup, hit hard by rain.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>The Age library<\/cite><\/p>\n

On-pace:<\/strong> A position near the front of a race. On-pacers have a statistically higher chance of winning.<\/p>\n

On the nose:<\/strong> To back a horse for a win only. Unrelated to a bad smell, though you can be on the nose to your mates if you can\u2019t tip a winner.<\/p>\n

Parade:<\/strong> Horses meet their jockey in the mounting yard, where they are paraded to the public by walking laps of the enclosure so punters can assess their condition and behaviour.<\/p>\n

Persuader: <\/strong>The colloquial, and euphemistic, reference to the jockey\u2019s whip, which is used to encourage a horse to run faster.<\/p>\n

Plunge:<\/strong> A sudden rush of money bet on a horse. Not to be confused with plunging necklines.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Whips are used to \u201cpersuade\u201d the horse.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>John Shakespeare<\/cite><\/p>\n

Progressive:<\/strong> Term often used by a trainer or jockey for an improving racehorse, and nothing to do with politics. Can also be used with \u201cgoing through the grades\u201d and \u201con the up\u201d.<\/p>\n

Pulling: <\/strong>A horse that is over-racing is said to be pulling. You don\u2019t want your horse to do this. Imagine a dog that is walking faster than you are allowing, and how much unnecessary energy they are wasting in fighting you.<\/p>\n

Quaddie:<\/strong> The affectionate name for the quadrella, a bet type that requires you to pick the winner of four races, usually the final four on the card. The mood of successful quaddie punters is often in contrast with those who fail to get out.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The numbers game: betting on the horses.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Phil Carrick<\/cite><\/p>\n

Quinella:<\/strong> A bet where you need to pick the first two placegetters in any order, distinct from the Exacta which requires the first two placegetters in exact order.<\/p>\n

Rig:<\/strong> A male horse whose testicles have not dropped all the way to the scrotum. Definitely not to be confused with a gelding.<\/p>\n

Sprinter:<\/strong> A horse that races best over distances 1400 metres or less. For example, Black Caviar.<\/p>\n

Stayer:<\/strong> A horse that races best over distances of 2000 metres plus. For example, Makybe Diva.<\/p>\n

Swooper:<\/strong> A horse that races at or near the back of the field before making a run late in the straight, usually down the middle or outside part of the course. No relation to the former V\/AFL player and coach John \u2018Swooper\u2019 Northey.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Winning the trifecta is a good thing. A Meatloaf trifecta, not so much.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>John Shakespeare<\/cite><\/p>\n

Three-wide:<\/strong> Also, three-deep. A position in the field where a horse is running three off the fence. Though they are covering extra distance around turns, it can be preferable to being on the rail as they are less likely to be boxed in.<\/p>\n

Top weight:<\/strong> The horse wearing the No.1 saddlecloth. Can be called the \u201ctoppy\u201d by racing folk and those wanting to sound more knowledgeable. Extra points if you say you\u2019ll back the \u2018toppy in the last\u2019.<\/p>\n

Trifecta:<\/strong> A mode of betting where you have to pick the first three placegetters in exact order. Often used with the \u201cboxed trifecta\u201d where horses can finish in any order. Losing punters may be overheard whinging about a Meat Loaf trifecta when they get two out of three.<\/p>\n

Weight-for-age:<\/strong> The system where horses are allocated weight according to their age and sex. The best quality of racehorse run in such races to avoid handicaps, where they are weighted according to ability and therefore carry a higher weight.<\/p>\n

Tune in to our Derby Day blog from 10am Saturday, including Saturday night\u2019s Cup barrier draw. Then come back and follow our Melbourne Cup blog from 8am Tuesday for all the racing, fashion news and colour from Flemington.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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By Andrew Wu A horse that is over-racing is said to be pulling. You don\u2019t want your horse to do this.Credit: John Shakespeare Save articles for later Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. Knocked up,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":295922,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nGot the blows? Your Melbourne Cup guide to the language of racing - Sports-Life-News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sports-life-news.com\/horse-racing\/got-the-blows-your-melbourne-cup-guide-to-the-language-of-racing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Got the blows? 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