Horse Racing Abbreviations and Terms: Complete Racing Glossary

Decode horse racing abbreviations including SP, EVS, NR, form figure notation, and all the racing language used by bookmakers and form guides.

beginner8 min readLast updated: March 5, 2026Editorial Team
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Editorial Team

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Key Takeaways

  • ✓Form figures (e.g., 1-2-3-0-4) show a horse's finishing positions in recent races, reading left to right from oldest to most recent.
  • ✓SP (Starting Price) is the official odds at race start, determined by on-course bookmaker activity.
  • ✓Rule 4 deductions reduce your winnings when a horse is withdrawn late, with the amount depending on the withdrawn horse's odds.
  • ✓Going descriptions (Good, Soft, Heavy) describe ground conditions and significantly affect race outcomes.
  • ✓Understanding racing form notation and abbreviations is essential for interpreting form guides and making informed selections.
Glossary: Terms marked with dotted underlines link to their dedicated guide pages. Use Ctrl+F to search for a specific term.

Horse racing has the richest and most complex terminology of any betting sport. From form figures to going descriptions, understanding these terms transforms confusing racecard data into actionable betting information.

Form Figure Notation

The form figure string is the most important piece of racing information:

  • 1-9 — Finishing position (1st through 9th)
  • 0 — Finished 10th or worse
  • - — Season break (separates different seasons)
  • F — Fell
  • P — Pulled up (jockey stopped riding)
  • U — Unseated rider
  • R — Refused (at a fence/hurdle)
  • S — Slipped up
  • C — Carried out
  • B — Brought down
  • D — Disqualified

Form reads left to right, oldest to newest. 312-41 means: 3rd, 1st, 2nd (previous season), then 4th, 1st (current season).

Odds and Pricing Abbreviations

SP — Starting Price. Official odds at race start.

EVS — Evens (2.00 decimal, 1/1 fractional).

BOG — Best Odds Guaranteed. You receive the higher of your taken price or SP.

NRNB — Non-Runner No Bet. Stake returned if your horse does not run.

R4 — Rule 4. Deduction applied when a late withdrawal changes the field.

CSF — Computer Straight Forecast. The return for correctly predicting 1st and 2nd.

Tricast — Correctly predicting 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in order.

Race Type Abbreviations

Hcap — Handicap. Horses carry different weights based on ability.

NHF — National Hunt Flat (bumper race). Flat race for jump horses.

Nov — Novice. Horse new to that type of racing.

Mdn — Maiden. Horse that has not yet won a race.

Hdle — Hurdle. Chs — Chase (steeplechase).

Cls — Class (1-7, with 1 being the highest).

Going Descriptions

Firm (Fm) — Hard, fast ground. Favours speed horses.

Good to Firm (GF) — Slightly easier than firm. Ideal for most flat horses.

Good (G) — Standard conditions.

Good to Soft (GS) — Some give in the ground.

Soft (S) — Wet, testing. Favours stamina horses.

Heavy (Hy) — Very wet. A real endurance test.

Course and Distance Abbreviations

CD — Course and Distance winner. The horse has won at this track over this distance.

C — Course winner (but not necessarily at this distance).

D — Distance winner (but not necessarily at this course).

BF — Beaten Favourite. The horse was favourite but lost.

f — Furlongs (distance measurement: 8 furlongs = 1 mile).

Understanding racing language is the gateway to informed horse racing betting. Once you can fluently read a racecard, you have access to the same information professionals use to make their selections.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you read horse racing form figures?+
Form figures show a horse's finishing positions in recent races. Read left to right, oldest to newest. For example, 21034 means: 2nd, 1st, no placing worth noting (0 = 10th or worse), 3rd, 4th in the most recent race. A dash (-) separates seasons, and letters like F (fell), P (pulled up), or U (unseated) indicate non-completions.
What does SP mean in horse racing?+
SP stands for Starting Price — the official odds at the moment the race begins. It is determined by on-course bookmaker activity and is the default price for bets placed without specifying fixed odds. If your bookmaker offers Best Odds Guaranteed (BOG), you receive whichever is higher: your taken price or SP.
What does NR mean in horse racing?+
NR stands for Non-Runner — a horse that has been withdrawn from the race. If you have bet on an NR at day-of-race prices, your stake is typically returned. If you bet ante-post, you lose your stake.
What do the going descriptions mean?+
Going describes the ground conditions: Firm (dry, fast surface), Good to Firm, Good (ideal for most), Good to Soft, Soft (wet, testing), Heavy (very wet, stamina test). On all-weather tracks: Standard, Standard to Slow, Slow. Going significantly affects which horses perform well.
What is Rule 4 in horse racing?+
Rule 4 applies when a horse is withdrawn after final declarations. A deduction is taken from winning bets based on the odds of the withdrawn horse: the shorter its price, the larger the deduction. For example, if a horse withdrawn at 3/1 triggers a 15p in the pound deduction, a £10 win at 4/1 would pay £38.50 instead of £40.

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