What ‘Form’ Means in Horse Racing & How to Read It
Understanding a horse’s form, which refers to its performance in recent races, isn't nearly as daunting as it first appears. Once you do, your prospects of success when betting on horse racing increase markedly.
However, understanding form is only half the battle. You also need to be able to decipher critical data and the way it impacts your betting decisions.
This guide will improve your ability to assess form quickly and efficiently, increasing your prospects of backing that all-important winner.
Note: Official ratings and form guides may differ by country, but the principles of reading a horse’s past performance apply worldwide.
Basics of a Horse's Profile
A horse's profile, generally accessible by clicking on the horse's name on the betting site, contains all the information you need about that particular racehorse. Among the details you'll see are:
- Horse's age, sex, breeding information (sire and dam, etc.)
- Names of the owner and trainer
- Individual prize money info is broken down by winning prize money, placing prize money, and total career earnings.
Each of these details can potentially be the key to unlocking a winner.
For example, age can be relevant if a young horse races against elders, as younger horses often receive a weight allowance when racing against older, more experienced competitors. Similarly, a particular trainer might be on a hot or cold streak, making a horse more or less attractive depending on the stable's form.
Why Recent Form is the Most Important Factor
While profile attributes can provide critical insight, a horse’s most recent form is generally perceived as the most important because it reflects its current condition and readiness to perform. A complete list of a horse’s previous outings is usually accessible on various racing websites, with the most recent run always at the top of the list. Delving into previous runs, though time-consuming, is a must to make the most of your bets.
But recent form is by no means the be-all and end-all. One of the most important things to understand about form figures—the shorthand notation of a horse’s recent race finishes (e.g., "1" for a win, "2" for second place, etc.)—is the context in which they were earned. A "1" next to a horse’s name always looks good, but that victory may actually be worth less than a form figure of "6" or "7" if that finish came in a much higher grade of competition.
The key is to always delve into each line of form and assess the quality of opposition. If you are unsure, ratings (numerical scores given by racing analysts or organizations) help to quantify the level of competition and a horse’s true performance relative to that competition.
The factors we discuss below are key components of recent form:
Components of a Racecard
A racecard is a guide to a horse racing event, listing key information about each race and the horses running in it. You'll find racecards online or in printed form at the track. They’re used to analyze form and spot trends before placing bets.
The form figures of a horse's most recent five runs (most recent at the top or on the right) are usually displayed next to the horse's name. Another key detail the racecard reveals is the stall number from which the horse will start.
Another potentially important detail on the racecard is the weight a horse is set to carry, for example, 11-10 (eleven stone and ten pounds). This information is not as meaningful without knowing the size and build of a particular horse. However, as a general rule, horses carrying more weight than similarly rated rivals are often disadvantaged.
Aside from the form numbers, the post position, and weight carried, here are some of the other components commonly listed on a racecard:
- Race number and time
- Horse names and numbers
- Jockeys and trainers
- Odds
- Track conditions
- Distances
- Breeding info or age/sex of the horse
Note that a number indicating the number of days since the horse last ran often appears next to the horse's name. Horses that have been off the track for a long time (e.g., 200+ days) may not be at their peak fitness.
Knowing who the rider is can be valuable, especially if you know he or she has a strong record at a particular track or on a certain type of course.
Official Ratings & Speed Figures
Official Ratings (OR), as they are known in Great Britain, are performance ratings issued by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and carry a lot of significance. In most cases, these will appear on the racecard.
Similar ratings systems exist in other countries, and each grades a horse’s ability for handicapping purposes and form analysis. In the U.S., however, racecards often display speed figures—numerical ratings, such as Beyer, that indicate how fast a horse ran in a given race, adjusted for track conditions and distance—rather than official ratings.
Using handicap races in the UK as an example to show how ratings work, the runner with the highest OR, expressed in pounds, carries the most weight, and the lowest the least. In particular, if a horse is rated five pounds higher than a rival, it must carry five pounds more than that rival to even the competition.
Official Ratings are even more significant in non-handicap stakes races, where horses generally carry the same amount of weight (ignoring age and sex allowances). In this scenario, horses rated much higher are at an advantage, provided conditions (track, ground, distance, etc.) are in their favor.
Detailed Previous Runs & Tools
If you are looking at a horse's form, you should be able to click on the date of a previous run, which will bring up specific information about that particular race.
Finishing order, distance beaten, ratings, official winning time, and official ground (also known as track conditions) are all likely to be listed. You’ll also see a comment describing how closely a horse raced to the leaders, briefly describing its position and trip during the race. An example is “Held up, steady headway, challenged final furlong, failed narrowly.”
Depending on your betting site, you may also have the option of watching a video of past races. Watching re-runs of races can give you valuable insights into a horse’s performance that aren’t obvious from stats alone. You may spot something others have missed that gives you an edge when you make your betting decision.
Additionally, many horse racing websites offer tracker tools. With these, you can create lists of horses you’re interested in, and you’ll receive an alert whenever those horses enter their next race. That way, you do not need to check racecards daily, allowing you to spend more time analyzing races and making informed bets.
