![Explained: What does a handicap mean in horse racing?](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/betting/Better-Collective/Betting_Explained.jpg?imwidth=680)
Explained: What does a handicap mean in horse racing?
We explain and help you understand what a handicap race is, why these handicap races exist and the role of the handicapper
![Explained: What does a handicap mean in horse racing?](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/betting/Better-Collective/Betting_Explained.jpg?imwidth=680)
Understanding handicaps in horse racing is vital for punters interested in horse racing betting as the majority of races in the UK and Ireland are handicaps, as are some of the world’s most famous races, including the Grand National at Aintree and Australia’s Melbourne Cup.
A handicap race example
Horses in a race are allocated different weights (displayed on UK racecards in stone and lbs) according to their official ratings (OR).
The ‘top weight’ is the horse carrying the most weight. Each horse then carries one pound less for every point their handicap rating is lower.
In National Hunt racing the highest weight generally carried is 11st 12lbs and the lowest weight is typically 10st. In Flat racing the highest weight carried is usually around 9st 10lbs with the lowest possible weight 8st.
Already used the bet365 bonus code? Check out all the latest bookmaker offers and the best betting sites.
Where does the handicap weight horses carry go?
The weight allocated to a horse in a race refers to the weight of the jockey plus their kit (including the saddle). If the weight the horse is supposed to carry is more than the weight of the jockey plus their equipment the extra weight is made up by adding lead weights to the horse’s saddle cloth.
How does a horse get a handicap mark?
Every horse racing jurisdiction has an official handicapping body that's responsible for providing official ratings for every horse in training. In Britain it’s done by the British Horse Racing Association (BHA).
A horse is awarded its initial official rating (often referred to as a handicap mark) after fulfilling either of the following two criteria, whichever happens first:
- They win a race
- They race three times
After this they can contest handicap races off the official rating they have received based on their performances to date.
Usually the handicapper calculates this initial handicap mark by looking at the horse’s performance in relation to the other horses in the race that already have official ratings.
For example: Horse 1 is racing in his third race and wins, beating Horse 2 (rated 75) by four lengths.
A rough rule of thumb is that one length (in terms of finishing positions) is equal to one 1lb of weight, or an increment of one in the horse’s official rating. So, according to the example above, you might expect Horse 1 to be given an initial handicap mark of 79.
How and why does a horse’s handicap mark change?
A horse’s handicap mark (official rating) is a work in progress throughout their career because it is always being adjusted to reflect their latest performances.
The BHA revise and publish their official ratings for all horses in training on a weekly basis in order to reflect not only the performance of the horse in question.
There are also occasions when the handicapper may decide to alter a horse’s official rating even if it hasn’t raced that week, due to the subsequent runs of horses that it ran against in its last race.
For example:
Horse 1 is awarded an official rating of 75 for finishing one length behind Horse 2 (rated 76) in a race two weeks ago.
A week later Horse 2 runs again, beating Horse 3 (rated 80) by five lengths so Horse 2’s ‘mark’ goes up to 85 as a result.
Given Horse 2 is now rated 85, the handicapper may choose to go back and revise Horse 1’s mark because they are now rated 75, but finished only one length behind Horse 2 (now rated 85).
What does long handicap mean in horse racing?
Sometimes you will see the ‘long handicap’ referred to on a racecard for a particular race, typically at the bottom.
The long handicap is shown when one or more of the horses competing in the race has a handicap mark so much lower than the highest rated horse that the actual weight they should carry according to their official rating is lower than the minimum weight allowed in the rules of the race.
However, in order to compete in the handicap race carrying at least the minimum weight they must carry more than would normally be the case. This is also known as racing ‘from out of the handicap’.
What is a penalty in a handicap race?
If a horse has been entered in a handicap race and the weights for the race have been assigned, but then it wins another race in the interim, it will generally be given a penalty (some extra weight).
This penalty is to make up for the fact that the horse should now have a higher handicap mark than it did when originally entered because it has won a race since then.
What is the difference between a handicap and non-handicap race?
In non-handicap races the weights horses carry aren’t dictated by their official ratings.
There are still reasons horses may carry different weights in non-handicap contests, including penalties for winning races above a certain class/grade or concessions (a reduction in weight) for being a mare/filly or for being below a certain age.
- Find all of the best free bets to use on this year's Grand National