What is the difference between a fence and a hurdle

In addition, there are variations of these Jump races, which can be applied to the other race categories: Handicap, Claiming, Selling, Maiden and Apprentice see Jargon Buster for explanation of terms. For each category of race, there is an end of season Championship race; some of which are held at the Cheltenham Festival in March and the rest of which are run at the Grand National Meeting at Aintree in April.

Grade 1 — Championship races where horses are allocated a racing weight according to their age and sex but NOT in relation to previous performances this is called Weight-for-Age. Grade 2 — either Weight-for-Age but with performance rating taken into account as well; or Limited Handicaps where only a small degree of extra weight can be allocated. If you attend a Jump raceday and notice that usually at the end of the day there is a race where the horses are not actually Jumping anything, it is not because they have forgotten to tackle the obstacles.

Point-to-point racing is amateur racing for hunting horses. There is a big social scene attached to point-to-points, with families and friends turning up to share picnics and watch the horses. However, rural as they are, the point-to-points always do a good line in beer tents and food, and the townies amongst you can be sure that they will have the odd Portaloo around as well.

Many trainers and jockeys use point-to-point as preparation for National Hunt racing. If you are looking for a relaxed day out, look for a point-to-point near you. They are fun, and a great way to enjoy racing. Allison is the Publisher of Eclipse Magazine. You must be logged in to post a comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. There is no maximum age at which a horse can race in either type of racing.

Most trainers concentrate on either Flat or Jump racing, though there are several very successful dual-purpose trainers. Most Jump horses are geldings, to calm their temperament, and have no breeding potential. Thinking of booking a hospitality experience for the Investec Derby? Click here for more information and how to get in touch. Do you like what you've read here? Sign up to our newsletter and be the first to hear about more sports news and blog posts, competitions and special offers from Keith Prowse hospitality.

Posted In: Horse Racing. Connect with us. Subscribe to our newsletter. You may have heard people talking about a Patent Bet, but you might not know exactly what this is. What is a Patent? A Patent bet is when The way What is a Lucky 15 Bet? See our Daily Lucky What is a NAP Bet?

First of all I must point out that a Nap has nothing to do with a horse having forty winks. The word itself is derived from the card game Napoleon What does it mean when a jockey claims weight? When studying a horse race, you will often take a look at the weight a horse has to carry as it can make a big difference to your selections. Sometimes, when an inexperienced jockey is on board, you will hear people talk about them claiming a certain amount of weight What happens in a dead heat?

What is each-way betting? One of the most popular bets in horse racing is an each-way bet as you can often see some cracking returns and it encourages you to back an outsider.