Reading a race card when horse racing betting can be tricky for punters who are new to the game – and one part of the card that often baffles newcomers is the Official Rating (OR) number assigned to each horse.
You might not think much of the OR when you’re pouring over a race card. Perhaps you’re on the lookout for better odds, a lucky number or even strong form as the basis for backing a horse.
But the horse racing ratings are vitally important for spotting a potential edge among the racing betting cards – and Paddy Power is here to explain how these ratings are calculated…
WHAT ARE HORSE RACING RATINGS?
As we explained in our previous guide on why horses have different ratings, the OR is a metric that gives race organisers and handicappers a system for creating competitive races.
Each horse will be assigned a number, which can rise and fall on a weekly basis depending on how the horse fares in races.
Horses in the National Hunt have a rating of 0 to 170 and those in the Flat season have a rating of 0 to 140. The higher the rating, the higher the standard of race a horse can run in. What’s more, a horse with a higher rating will have to carry more weight than one with a lower rating.
As this Paddy Power race card shows, Symbolic Power has a greater OR than Space Kid and so carries more weight (PP)
SO HOW ARE HORSE RACING RATINGS CALCULATED?
Rating a race horse for the first time is actually fairly simple for the handicappers. A young horse will earn its first OR when it has either:
- Won its first race
- Finished in the top six in three races
A horse that does the latter is likely to get a low starting rating, say around 50. Should it begin to win races or place highly then the handicapper will increase its OR. Likewise, a horse that perpetually loses races will see its OR plummet.
Handicappers calculate the ratings based on a number of factors, with the biggest one being the weight carried by a horse and its outcome in a race. The BHA will also create performance figures for each horse, which factor in:
- the racecourse
- the distance
- the ground
- the draw
- the relative weights carried
- the tempo at which the race was run
These figures require some pretty complicated maths but the outcome is that handicappers can confidently judge the rating of every horse competing in the National Hunt and Flat seasons.
CAN A HORSE LOSE ITS RATING?
Yes, a horse can lose its official rating. This happens when a horse has been absent from horse racing action for nine consecutive months. At this point their rating is expunged from the records.
An owner or trainer can apply to have their horse’s OR reinstated. When this happens, the handicapper will provide a ‘re-introductory mark’ that may be lower than the OR the horse previously had.
DEMYSTIFYING RACING
- What does it mean when a horse is On the Bridle?
- What is a Black type horse race?
- What are the different types of going in horse racing?
- What is a bumper horse race?
- What are blinkers and why do some horses wear them?
- What is an Allowance Race in horse racing?
- What is the difference between hurdles and fences in National Hunt racing?
- What is a halter and why do some horses wear them?
- What does it mean when a horse has spread a plate?
- What is the Rule 4 betting rule in horse racing?
- What is the difference between graded, handicap and selling horse races?
- What does a novice hurdle in horse racing mean?
- What is a listed horse race?
- What does a novice chase in horse racing mean?
- Why do race horses have different ratings and what do they mean?
- When does the National Hunt season start and when does it end?
- Why are there different grades of horse race?
- Why are there 3 different types of National Hunt race?
- Why are race horses given different weights and what does it mean?
- How many different classes of horse race are there?
- What is a claiming race and what do they mean?
- What is an optional claimer in horse racing?
- What is a shadow roll and why do some race horses wear them?
- Why do some races start from stalls and some not?
- What is the difference between Derby and Oaks races?
- What does it mean when a horse knuckles during a horse race?
- What is a stayer in horse racing?
- What is a yearling horse and when are they ready to race?
- What does it mean if a horse has won a point race?
- What does a maiden mean in horse racing?
- How are horses’ ages calculated and why is it not the same as humans?
- What advantages do apprentice jockeys get when riding against professionals?
- What is a conditional jockey?
- What does the term ‘connections’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear cheekpieces?
- Who are the stewards in horse racing?
- What does ‘weighed in’ mean at the end of a horse race?
- What is a nursery race?
- Why are some National Hunt races run without fences?
- Why are some horses given a tongue tie during races?
- What does it mean when a horse is ‘pushed out’?
- What does it mean when a horse has a ‘wind operation’?
- How high are the fences and hurdles in horse racing?
- What is an apprentice jockey?
- What is a Bull Ring in horse racing?
- What does the phrase ‘Look of Eagles’ mean in horse racing?
- Why do some horses wear a ‘weight cloth’ during races?
- What is the Triple Crown in horse racing?
- What is a Steeplechase race in horse racing?
- How high are the Cheltenham Festival fences and hurdles?
- Why is the Champion Chase named after the Queen Mother?
- Why does Cheltenham racecourse have an Old Course and a New Course? What’s the differences between the two?
- What is the Cheltenham roar? What difference does it make in races?
- Why are there no jumps in the Cheltenham Festival Champion Bumper?
- How many fans usually attend the Cheltenham Festival? How big is the capacity?
- What is a juvenile in horse racing?
