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Quick Answer
You do not need racing vocabulary to enjoy a raceday, but three terms help: the colours, which let you follow your horse; the Parade Ring, because your ticket may not include access; and the going, which describes the ground and affects which horses run well.
You can enjoy a day at the races without knowing any of this. But the commentary, the racecard and the people around you all use a vocabulary that assumes you already know it, and a few terms explain most of what you will hear.
This is the language you will actually encounter at a British racecourse, in the order you will meet it.
Flat racing and jump racing: what is the difference?
Flat racing is run on level ground with no obstacles. Jump racing, also called National Hunt, is run over fences or hurdles.
The two have different seasons, different horses and different meetings. Royal Ascot and the Epsom Derby are flat. The Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National are jump racing.
Flat horses are usually younger and faster; the Derby is for three year olds. Jump horses are older, race for more seasons, and are judged on stamina and jumping as much as speed. This is why the Grand National can be won by a horse nobody expected: four and a quarter miles and thirty fences is a test that raw speed alone does not pass.
What is the difference between a hurdle and a chase?
Both are jump races. Hurdles are lower and more flexible, and horses brush through them. Fences in a steeplechase are taller, stiffer and more demanding.
Horses often start over hurdles and move to chases as they mature. The Champion Hurdle and the Cheltenham Gold Cup, a chase, are the championship races of each discipline.
What is the Parade Ring?
The area where horses are walked in circles before each race so the crowd can look at them, and where jockeys join their horses before going out to the track.
It matters practically because access is not included with every ticket. At Royal Ascot, only Royal Enclosure and Queen Anne Enclosure guests can reach the Parade Ring. Village and Windsor Enclosure guests cannot.
The Winners' Enclosure is where the first few horses return afterwards.
What does "the going" mean?
The condition of the ground, which changes with the weather and affects which horses run well.
British racecourses publish it before and during a meeting, on a scale that runs roughly from firm through good to heavy. Firm ground is fast and suits quick horses. Heavy ground is soft and demanding, and suits horses with stamina.
This is why "the going" gets discussed constantly. A horse that wins on heavy ground may be nowhere on firm, and trainers withdraw horses when the going does not suit them. Ascot and the Jockey Club both publish the going for their meetings.
What is a handicap?
A race in which horses carry different weights, assigned so that in theory they should all finish together.
Better horses carry more weight. The Grand National is a handicap, which is a large part of why it is so unpredictable: the best horse in the field is carrying the most weight over the longest distance.
A conditions race or a Group race, by contrast, is closer to a straight test between the best horses at roughly level weights.
What do Group 1, 2 and 3 mean?
The grading of flat races, with Group 1 the highest. A Group 1 is a championship race between the best horses available.
At Royal Ascot, races such as the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, the Commonwealth Cup and the Coronation Stakes are Group 1s. Jump racing uses Grade 1, 2 and 3 in the same way.
If you only watch one race on a card, the Group 1 or Grade 1 is the one with the best horses in it.
What is a furlong?
An eighth of a mile, or 220 yards. Race distances are given in miles and furlongs, so "a mile and a half" is the Derby distance and "five furlongs" is a sprint.
Commentators count down the closing stages in furlongs, which is the main place you will hear it.
What is a colt, a filly, a mare and a gelding?
Terms for the horse's sex and age, which determine which races it can enter.
- Colt: a young male horse, under five.
- Filly: a young female horse, under five.
- Mare: an adult female.
- Gelding: a castrated male.
Some races are restricted, which is why the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot is described as shining the spotlight on the fillies. The Derby is for colts and fillies, both three year olds.
What are the colours?
The silks a jockey wears, which identify the owner rather than the horse or the jockey.
They are the most useful thing on the racecard for a first time spectator. Horses at distance are hard to tell apart; a set of colours is not. Find your horse's colours before the race starts and you can follow it.
What is each way?
A bet split in two: half on the horse to win, half on it to place, meaning to finish in the top few positions.
How many places count depends on the field size, and the bookmaker states it. It costs twice a straight win bet because it is two bets.
For a first visit, each way is the bet that keeps you interested longest, because a horse that runs well without winning still returns something.
What is the Tote?
A pool betting system. Everyone's stakes go into a pool, the operator takes a cut, and the pool is divided between the winners.
This differs from fixed odds with a bookmaker, where the price is agreed when you bet. With the Tote you do not know the exact return until the pool closes, since it depends on how many other people backed the same horse.
Both are available at British racecourses.
What does "photo finish" mean, and what is a steward's enquiry?
A photo finish is called when horses cross the line too close to separate by eye, and the result waits on the camera.
A steward's enquiry is an investigation into whether something in the race broke the rules, usually interference between horses. The result can be changed afterwards, with a horse demoted. This is why the announcer asks you to hold your betting slips until the result is confirmed.
Do you need to know any of this?
No. The horses run whether or not you know what a furlong is, and plenty of people spend an excellent day at the races without a single one of these terms.
But three are genuinely worth knowing before you go: the colours, because they let you follow your horse; the Parade Ring, because your ticket may not include access to it; and the going, because it is what everyone around you will be talking about.
The rest you will pick up across an afternoon.
Related guides
- Going to the races knowing nothing about racing
- Your first time at the races: how the day works
- Racing in the rain: what changes and what to wear
Sources: Terminology reflects standard British racing usage. Race grading, going and enclosure access details are published by Ascot at ascot.com and the Jockey Club at thejockeyclub.co.uk, checked in September 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the going mean in horse racing?
The condition of the ground, which changes with the weather and affects which horses run well. It runs from firm through good to heavy. Firm ground suits fast horses, heavy ground suits stamina. Racecourses publish it before and during a meeting.
What is a handicap race?
A race where horses carry different weights, assigned so they should in theory finish together, with better horses carrying more. The Grand National is a handicap, which is a large part of why it is so unpredictable.
What is a furlong?
An eighth of a mile, or 220 yards. Race distances are given in miles and furlongs, so the Derby is a mile and a half and a sprint is five furlongs. Commentators count down the closing stages in furlongs.
What is the difference between flat racing and jump racing?
Flat racing is run on level ground with no obstacles, jump racing over fences or hurdles. Royal Ascot and the Epsom Derby are flat. Cheltenham and the Grand National are jump racing. Flat horses are younger and faster, jump horses older and judged on stamina.
What are the colours in horse racing?
The silks a jockey wears, which identify the horse's owner. They are the most useful thing on a racecard for a first time spectator, because horses at distance are hard to tell apart but a set of colours is not.
What is an each way bet?
A bet split in two: half on the horse to win, half on it to place, meaning to finish in the top few positions. It costs twice a straight win bet because it is two bets. How many places count depends on the field size.
