Different Types of Horse Races in the UK and Ireland

Group Races /Graded Races

In the 1970's to avoid the best European and UK horse races clashing, the powers that be across Europe came together to create a calendar of elite races. 

This framework for these elite races became known as The Pattern. 

These Group/Graded races are run with horses carrying the same weight. 

Group races are the top level of flat racing. 

On the flat there are Group 1, 2 and 3 races with Group 1 being the highest class and these races are usually only contested by the very best horses. 

Graded Races in the UK are National Hunt races.

In National Hunt there are Grade 1, 2 and 3 races with Grade 1 being the highest class, called Championship races.

Many of the Group and Graded races are covered in detail by the OLBG Betting Experts in the dedicated horse racing blogging section. Also consider Cheltenham Free bets when the festival comes around, bookmaker clamour for business with some great betting welcome offers.

Listed Races

A listed contest is a race that falls below Group races in terms of prestige and quality, but is still considered significant. 

Listed races attract quality horses and can be a stepping stone to Group 1, Group 2, or Group 3 events.

The prize money is generally below Group or Graded races but can be significant.

They aren’t usually restricted to horses of a certain official rating but horses that have won at a higher level will have to carry a penalty, the weight of which depends on the level of that win.

Listed races are run over a variety of distances and surfaces, age restrictions can also apply. 

Looking to find a Group horse running in a Listed race can be lucrative. 

You may hear that some horses are targeting ‘black type races"and this means they will need to place at listed level at the very least. 

If a horse wins a high quality race its name will be printed in "black type" capitalised letters, this indicates the quality of the horse for future races and breeding purposes. 

Placed horses in these high quality races are indicated by uncapitalised black type.

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Conditions and Classified Stakes

Conditions Race

A conditions race is open to horses meeting specific conditions set by the race organisers. 

These races are designed to attract a certain calibre of horse, it could be horses that have not won more than a specific amount of prize money or fillies only races.  

The prize money can be excellent. 

The specific conditions for each race are outlined in the race conditions published by the racecourse or racing authority.

Conditions Stakes tend to be of a higher quality than Classified races. 

Classified Race

This race sees a horse assigned a weight based on past performances or the class it has run in previously. 

This ensures competitive racing because the conditions of the race will group horses of similar ability. 

To qualify for a classified stakes a horse needs to have run at least three times or run twice with at least one victory.

Both races will have a ceiling rating so the horses closer to that ceiling rating should be advantaged by the weights. 

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Handicap Races

Most days’ racing will be dominated by handicaps, races that pit horses of similar abilities together, usually to ensure a competitive betting heat.

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The weights are decided by a horse’s official rating, a horse rated 80 will carry 2 lbs more than a horse rated 78. 

The class of the handicap will be determined by the ceiling rating of the race, for example a handicap may be for horses rated up to an official rating of 95.

The most famous race in the world, the Aintree Grand National, is a handicap. 

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In some handicaps you may notice a ‘long handicap’ and this is when horses do not have a high enough rating to run off their correct weight in the class of the race. 

The amount of weight they would carry if running off their correct mark will be displayed below the race card usually in the long handicap section.

Although some handicaps have small fields, handicaps will usually feature bigger fields and the amount of runners will determine the number of places and place terms for each way bets.

Handicaps with 16 or more runners are often considered to have the most favourable each way terms with four places being paid at a quarter of the odds whilst at least 8 runners will be required for bookies to pay a third place.

Handicaps can also be the most versatile type of race, you can find selling, maiden, apprentice, amateur, lady rider, gentleman rider and listed handicaps throughout the racing calendar.

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Maiden Races

Nearly every horse starts life in a maiden race. 

These are for horses who are yet to win a race and the class of the maiden will give an indication of the sorts of race the horses are going to be competing in later in their career.

Some horses win their maiden quickly, others may take years before winning. 

A horse qualifies for a handicap rating once it has either won a maiden or run three times.

Not all maiden runners will end up in handicaps, some will spend their careers running in better races

Nursery Races

Nurseries may sound an odd type of race but they are simply handicaps for 2 year olds (the youngest age group at which a horse can compete). It may also be known as a Juvenile race.

Novice Races

These races are designed for inexperienced horses learning their craft and are open to both 2 years olds and 3 year olds who have not won more than twice. 

Horses are no longer eligible for some novice events once they have raced more than a specified number of times.

Over Jumps, a novice chaser/hurdler is a horse which has not won a chase/hurdle race respectively before the end of the previous season .

Many National Hunt horses start Novice Hurdling before stepping up if the trainers consider it suitable for Chasing.

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Selling Races

Poor races where the winner must be offered for auction immediately after the race. 

Horses that do not win the race can be claimed at a value set by the trainers of the horses that were beaten.

Claiming Races

These races usually attract a lower class of horse than most other races and what makes these unique is that all the horses running in the race are effectively up for sale and can be bought after the race has been run.

What differs between selling and claiming races is that in sellers horses will usually run with an allotted weight whilst in claimers the weight is determined by the auction price set by connections, the higher the auction reserve the higher the weight the horse has to carry. 

Occasionally a ‘better’ horse will drop down to claiming or selling company as a confidence booster and they can go off very short prices. 

Apprentice, Amateur, Lady Rider or Gentlemen Rider Races

If you see a race marked with any of the above it means it is restricted to  only that type of jockey. 

Apprentices are riders who are yet to win 95 races under rules but unlike other races, they don’t ride with their usual claim, 

The weight they ride under is decided by whether or not they have ridden a winner and whether or not they are riding for a retained yard or owner.

In amateur only races the weights carried will be higher than usual as amateur jockeys usually weigh a couple of stone more than professionals.

Further Reading

You'll probably find that you end up betting on just one or two types of race for most of your bets as you find what you are best at. 

Specialisation can be quite important, whether it is the type of race or the distance. 

OLBG member nors has written:

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The Horse Racing Blog pages are packed with helpful tipping and betting information. 

The Horse Racing Tips section is the place to visit for the latest win and each way tips + a guide to all the UK and Irish racecourses. 

To take advantage of any free Horse Racing bets check out that dedicated page. 

FAQ

Responsible Gambling

Whatever horse race you bet on, responsible gambling should always be to the forefront of your thinking. We have created  a range of betting articles to assist you with this approach.

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Author

OLBG betting experts Andy Powell and Nigel Skinner researched, collated and formatted the above article. Both have been betting on the turf for many years and bring their wealth of accumulated horse racing knowledge to OLBG. 

Andy Powell

Expert Guide

I’ve been writing major event previews for OLBG since 2005, covering everything from Cheltenham and Royal Ascot to Formula 1 and NHL. Over the years, I’ve learned that without the right analysis, most bets are just guesswork.

That’s why I focus on helping you see the bigger picture.
I break down key stats, trends, and long-term patterns to give you a clearer view of the race, match, or event. I don’t do tips. I guide you through the information that actually matters.

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You need clear, reliable insight, and that’s what I’m here to give you.

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Political betting and football’s next manager markets are unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean you should go in blind. I specialise in these fast-moving, often volatile markets, helping you understand the signals, patterns, and pitfalls before placing a bet.

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