Every racecard term, in plain English
OR, RPR, TS, going, class, draw bias, headgear, steamer, well handicapped, AI Score, Impact Value — defined exactly how we use them on the site. Anchor links so any chip on a racecard can deep-link here.
AI & scoring
AI Score #
A 0–100 composite score we compute for every runner on every UK and Irish race. Each AI variant (A–J) computes its own AI Score from form, course/distance/going record, ratings, trainer & jockey form, draw, pedigree and race shape. The score uses the morning price only — never live exchange moves.
Verdict Tiers — Elite / Strong / Average / Weak #
Internal labels we apply to AI Scores at a glance: Elite (≥75), Strong (65–74), Average (45–64), Weak (<45). Neutral, factual labels — never trading advice.
Consensus Pick #
A runner that 4 or more of our 10 AI variants rate in the top tier (≥65). When several different scoring approaches agree, that's a stronger signal than any single variant alone. See the Consensus page.
Ratings & speed
OR — Official Rating #
The handicapper's official rating, in pounds. Used to set the weight a horse carries in handicap races. A higher OR means the horse carries more weight; the handicapper's job is to give every runner an equal chance of winning, in theory.
RPR — Racing Post Rating #
Racing Post's own rating of how good a horse's most recent run was, in pounds. Rises when a horse runs well; falls after a flop. The OR-vs-RPR gap (RPR > OR by 5+ lb) is a classic well handicapped signal.
TS — Topspeed #
Racing Post's speed rating in pounds, based on the time of the race. A high TS off a recent run flags genuine speed; pace-only horses can show big TS in slow races, so always cross-check with the field strength.
RPI — Race Performance Index #
Composite score combining RPR + TS + sectional/finishing speed for the run. Used internally by some of our AI variants — not all data sources publish it.
RaceIQ #
GPS sectional and biomechanical data captured on every UK runner. Surfaces individual top speed, exit speed, recovery, stride length, FSP (finishing speed percentage) and sectional indices. Variant H is the RaceIQ-only composite.
FSP — Finishing Speed Percentage #
From RaceIQ data: how much faster (or slower) the horse ran the last furlong of its previous race compared to its overall race pace. A high FSP off a slowly-run race is a closer signal; a high FSP off a hot pace is a genuine staying signal.
Race conditions
Going #
Official description of the ground condition — Firm, Good to Firm, Good, Good to Soft, Soft, Heavy. Plus 'Standard' on all-weather tracks. Horses often have strong going preferences; we surface progeny and individual going win rates everywhere.
Class (1–7) #
British racing tier from Class 1 (Group 1 and high-rated handicaps) down to Class 7 (lowest-grade). A horse 'dropping in class' or 'rising in class' is moving down or up the ladder; both can be informative angles.
Draw / Stall Position #
Where a horse starts in the stalls (1 = innermost). On many turf sprint courses the draw makes a measurable difference; our Track Bias pages show the win-rate split by Low/Mid/High draw for every course and distance.
Draw Bias #
A pattern where horses drawn in a particular section of the stalls consistently win or lose more often than chance suggests. Tends to be strongest on sprint courses with sharp bends. See the per-course tables on Track Bias.
Field Size #
Number of runners declared. Small fields (≤ 6) reward favourites; bigger fields create more pace and more luck-in-running variance. Some of our variants weight field size into their score.
Pace — Pacesetter / Prominent / Hold-up #
Running style: Pacesetters lead, Prominent runners track the pace, Hold-up horses come from behind. Pace × style fit matters: a lone front-runner in a slow-pace race is dangerous; a hold-up in a slowly-run race usually struggles.
Runner angles
Headgear #
Equipment fitted to the horse's head to help it concentrate. Common types: blinkers (b), cheekpieces (cp), visor (v), hood (h), tongue-tie (t). First-time headgear is often a signal a trainer is trying to spark improvement.
Wind Surgery #
Operation to improve a horse's breathing — typically a tieback, hobday or palatoplasty. The first run after wind surgery is statistically a strong angle: trainers don't go to the expense unless they expect improvement.
Gelding / Cut #
A castrated colt. The first run after gelding can show a meaningful jump in performance, especially for previously hot-headed types.
Well Handicapped #
A horse whose recent RPR is well above its current OR — typically 5 lb or more. Suggests the official handicapper hasn't caught up with the horse's actual form. One of the strongest classic angles in handicap racing.
Progressive #
A young or lightly-raced horse improving with each run — typically rising RPRs across the last 3+ outings. Progressive types are dangerous because their official rating tends to lag their true ability.
Fresh #
Returning from a break of 30+ days. Some trainers (and some horses) win first-time-back; others need a run to blow the cobwebs out. Trainer 14-day stats help separate the two.
C&D Winner #
Course and Distance Winner — the horse has previously won at this course over this exact distance. A meaningful angle especially at idiosyncratic tracks (Chester, Epsom, Goodwood) where local knowledge matters.
Class Dropper #
A horse running in a lower class than its previous race — e.g. dropping from Class 3 to Class 4. Often a signal the trainer is trying to find a winnable race.
Trainer 14-day form #
The trainer's strike rate over the last 14 days. A yard 'in form' (above 20%) is a useful tailwind; a cold yard (0% from 20 runners) is a meaningful headwind.
Market & price
Steamer #
A horse whose odds have shortened sharply from the morning prices — usually because money has come for it on Betfair Exchange. We flag any runner whose Betfair price has shortened ≥ 10% as a Steamer chip; ≥ 30% gets the 'Strong Steamer' highlight.
Drifter #
The opposite of a steamer — a horse whose price has lengthened (drifted) significantly. Drifts ≥ 10% get a Drifter chip. Sometimes innocuous, sometimes a market warning.
Morning Price / SP #
The bookmakers' price before live betting starts. We deliberately compute the AI Score using the morning price only — never live exchange moves — so the score is independent of the market it's being read against.
BSP — Betfair Starting Price #
The Betfair Exchange equivalent of the bookmakers' SP, calculated from matched bets at the off. Used for PnL settlement on the exchange because it's the most honest 'available' price at race time.
Pedigree
IV — Impact Value #
Win rate ÷ baseline win rate. An IV of 1.50 means a horse (or sire / damsire / course-angle) wins 50% more often than baseline. Above 1.0 = positive angle; below 1.0 = negative. Used everywhere we surface pedigree or course performance.
PEI — Progeny Earnings Index #
A measure of how strongly a sire's progeny earn relative to the baseline. PEI > 1.0 means the sire's offspring out-earn average; commercial sires often sit at 1.5–3.0.
Black-Type Rate #
Percentage of a sire's progeny to win or be placed in Listed/Group races. Black-type winners are printed in bold in sales catalogues — hence the name. A high black-type rate flags a sire of quality.
Troubleshooting
Why is a runner greyed out on the racecard?
The horse has been declared a non-runner. We still show the row so you can see who was originally entered, but the AI Score is hidden because it no longer matters.
Why is there no AI Score for a runner?
AI scores enrich progressively through the morning after declarations land. If you're looking at a card very early in the morning, scores may be blank — they'll appear once the enrichment pipeline runs. Tomorrow's preview cards never show AI scores until declarations are final.
Why are some odds blank or showing "SP"?
Either no bookmaker has priced the horse yet, or the bookmaker has gone "non-runner-no-bet" / removed prices. Live Betfair odds can also drop momentarily if the horse is suspended.
Why do two AI variants disagree wildly on the same horse?
That's by design — each variant weights different signals (form, speed, draw, pace, pedigree, race shape). When variants disagree a lot, the Consensus page's contrarian view highlights it as a model-disagreement pick.
Why does the AI Score sometimes change between morning and afternoon?
It shouldn't — by design. The score uses the morning price only and re-scoring during the day will only happen if upstream data (RPR, headgear, jockey change) updates. If you see a different score in the afternoon, that's an enrichment refresh, not a market reaction.
I bookmarked a horse but it's not in My Stable.
Stable is synced via your Clerk login. If you're on a different device or browser, sign in to pull your stable. Local-only bookmarks (no Clerk login) stay on the device they were added on.