Glossary
Terms, jargon and slang which are commonly used on Australian Racecourses
There are 290 entries in this glossary.All
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Acceptor |
A horse confirmed by the owner or trainer to be a runner in a race |
| Apprentice |
A young Jockey, usually under 21 years of age, who is still in training. Recent rule changes allow older riders just starting out to work their way through their "apprenticeship". |
| Apprentice allowance |
Reduction in the weight to be carried by a horse which is to be ridden by an apprentice jockey. Also called a "claim". It varies from 4 kg to 1.5 kg depending on the number of winners the apprentice has ridden. Recent rule changes have resulted in an increase in the maximum amount able to be claimed—from 3 kg to 4 kg. |
| Approximates |
The TAB prices horses are showing before a race begins. |
| Asparagus |
Name given to a punter who arrives on course with a stack of ‘mail’, hence: more tips than a tin of asparagus |
| B |
Said about a horse whose odds have lengthened dramatically during the course of betting |
| Back |
To bet on a horse. |
| Back up |
To race a horse soon after its latest engagement. Also, punters who keep backing a particular horse are said to "back up." |
| Backed In |
A horse whose odds have shortened |
| Backed off the map |
A horse which has been heavily supported resulting in a substantial decrease in odds |
| Bagman |
Bookmaker's employee responsible for settling bets on course |
| Bank teller job |
A horse considered such a near certainty that a bank teller could invest ‘borrowed’ bank funds and replace them without detection. |
| Banker |
A key selection in an exotic bet which must win, or run a particular place to guarantee any return. |
| Barriers |
Starting gates used to keep horses in line before the start of a race. Each horse has a barrier randomly allocated in the barrier draw for the race. |
| Battler |
A trainer, jockey or bookmaker who just manages to make a living from his full time involvement in horse racing. |
| Best Bet |
The selection that racing journalists and tipsters nominate as their strongest selection of the day. In the UK, it is known as the nap. |
| Bet back |
Action taken by a bookmaker when he is heavily committed to a horse and spreads some of the risk by investing with other bookies or the totalisator. |
| Bet until your nose bleeds |
Confident instructions to a commission agent or advice to a punter indicating that the horse is so certain to win that betting should only be halted in the unlikely event of a nose haemorrhage. |
| Better than bank interest |
Justification by a punter for backing a horse that is very short odds on. |
| Betting exchange |
Internet based organisations which broker bets between punters for a commission. |
| Big bickies |
A large amount of money |
| Big note |
To skite or exaggerate a position or status - to "big note" oneself |
| Big Red |
Nickname of the champion race horse Phar Lap |
| Binos |
(pronounced "by-nose"): Binoculars |
| Birdcage |
Area where horses are paraded before entering the racetrack |