Horse racing betting involves plenty of jargon that many newcomers to the sport may be unfamiliar with. While you may be confident placing a bet on a winner, or backing an Each Way runner at Cheltenham, there is other terminology that even wise racing punters may not know about.
One of these is maiden races, and specifically what a horse has to do to become known as a maiden. This guide from Paddy Power will teach you everything you need to know about maiden horses, and why they are great to bet on!
What is a maiden in horse racing?
A maiden may refer to two things in horse racing. It is a term assigned to a horse that has never won a race in its career — and it is also a term for a race featuring only these unlucky horses!
A maiden horse remains a maiden until it wins a race. That sounds pretty simple. The horse may take only a couple of races before it bursts from the pack and crosses the line first. Or, it could be years until a horse finally claims victory and enjoys the celebrations its peers have long-since got used to.
Maiden races can feature horses with a wide range of experience levels (Image: GETTY)
Maiden horses are usually inexperienced newcomers to the sport, with owners who are keen to push them onto better things fast. Often if a horse hasn’t won a race within its first year or two then it will struggle to improve its horse racing rating, and therefore not be able to race at more prestigious meetings.
WELCOME TO PADDY POWER NEWS!
So, what is A MAIDEN RACE?
A maiden race is therefore a race featuring maiden horses only. That’s clear, right? Well, there are other conditions attached too, such as the age or sex of the horse. This means that maiden races are generally competitive and can deliver better racing betting odds for punters.
If you’re looking to bet on horse racing, then maiden races can be a great source of wins. The Paddy Power race card can show you the form of each runner and whether or not they are on course for a win soon, or should be dismissed as a no-hoper.
BEST UK MAIDEN RACES TO BET ON
There are plenty of maiden races staged every year in the UK and Ireland. During the National Hunt season there are plenty of maiden hurdles to bet on, from Punchestown to Ascot. Many smaller racecourses also feature maiden hurdles and maiden Flat races because they are of lower quality than graded races.
There aren’t really any elite maiden races to bet on, largely because the runners are not yet of the quality to attract much attention. However, maidens are often a sign for betting fans that the race will be competitive — and that’s great if you fancy backing a long-odds horse for the chance to win a big payout.
- 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?
- 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’?
- How are horse racing ratings calculated?
- 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?
The latest Cheltenham horse racing odds are on PaddyPower.com now
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
LIKE PADDY POWER NEWS? OR MAYBE YOU JUST LIKE TO WHINGE? TELL US WHAT YOU THINK IN OUR READER SURVEY
