Also known as "Correct Weight". Horses are given specific weights to carry depending on the type of race they are in (handicap, welter, weight-for-age, etc.). The weight allocated can be based on the age, sex, and/or experience of each horse.
The riders of the first five horses past the post have to be weighed in after each race to ensure that they carried the allotted weight. The weight carried includes the jockey, gear (saddle, etc) and any lead that is required to make up that weight.
Protests must be lodged by riders before "correct weight" is announced by the Course Broadcaster. This is announced after the Stewards have indicated that the weights carried were correct and that there is no protest.

A horse that ran in a race but did not earn prizemoney for that run.

Commonly called a "rearing bit". This is a circular-shaped bit with three rings and a dip at the top used when leading horses. The dipped section goes inside the mouth, and the rest of the bit lies under the jaw. The bit is attached to the head collar.
Racehorses on racecourses must be led with bits in their mouths (with a head collar with a rearing bit or a bridle) for safety.

Junior jockey normally aged under 21. Apprentices are given weight allowances, or claims, depending on the number of races they have won.
Apprentices must have a minimum of five winning rides before being eligible to ride in the metropolitan area and they must have permission to ride in jumping races.

A reduction in the weight to be carried by a horse if it is ridden by an apprentice jockey. Often called a "claim".
In the Victorian Metropolitan area, apprentices who have ridden less than 20 winners claim 3kg; more than 20 but less than 40 claim 2kg; and more than 40 but less than 60 claim 1.5kg. When apprentices have ridden more than 60 winners there is no claim permitted in the metropolitan area. This includes metropolitan, group and listed races only.
In the country, apprentices who have ridden less than 20 winners claim 3kg; more than 20 but less than 50 claim 2kg; and more than 50 but less than 80 claim 1.5kg. When apprentices have ridden more than 80 winners there is no claim permitted in the country. This includes all races.

Registry of thoroughbreds, maintained in each country where thoroughbreds are raced. In Australia the Australian Stud Book is administered by the Australian Jockey Club.

These are used for support, or for protection against injury, when horses are exercised, transported or during a race.

A set of gates which is used to keep horses in line before the start of a race. Each horse has a barrier allocated in the barrier draw for the race.

An instrument used to magnify images at a distance. Used by race callers to see horses during a race.

A bar (usually made of stainless steel) which sits in the horse's mouth and is attached to the bridle. It is attached to the reins, jockeys use the reins and bit to steer and control the horse by applying pressure to the reins.

This is generally fitted to keep the bit high and stable in the horse's mouth.
Sometimes trainers fit the device for horses that have a tendancy to get their tongue over the bit or to distract the horse so that the horse focuses on the device and rider rather than become distracted.

A horse that suffers from bleeding (exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage). It occurs when the lungs of horses pre-disposed to bleeding are under pressure which causes small capillaries that surround the lungs' air sacs to rupture so that the lungs bleed.
The first-time a horse bleeds it is banned from racing for three months. If it bleeds in a race after that, the horse is banned for life as they are dangerous.

Used to limit a horse's vision to prevent the horse from reacting to incidents during a race and to generally improve concentration.
They can be used on one or both eyes.

A person who conducts betting at a race meeting. They must be licensed by a race club or industry body.

The equipment used on the horse's head, it includes the bit and the reins and is usually made of leather or PVC.

When a horse has a serious injury that will prevent it racing (temporarily or permanently), usually of the legs.

A female horse used to produce foals.

An anti-inflammatory medication. Horses must race drug-free in Australia, so it must not be in their systems on raceday.

When a horse's path is blocked, causing it to change stride, slow down or change direction.

Rubber attachments to a bridle to prevent the bit slipping through a horse's mouth.

A race for three-year-old horses at set weights.

A system used to compare top class horses between countries and years.
A handicapping panel assesses horses that have finished in the first six in a Group 1 race, or the first four in a Group 2 or 3 race and allocate weights for those horses in the categories of sprint, middle-distance, intermediate and staying.

The Clerks of the Course assemble the horses in a race into numerical order in the saddling paddock and then escort the horses to the mounting yard.
The Clerks of the Course also escort the winning horse back to the mounting yard at the completion of the race.
It is traditional that these horses are grey in colour but it is not essential.

Three are six colours acceptable to the Australian Stud Book, these are bay, black, brown, chestnut, grey and white and six combined colours allowable, these are bay/brown, brown/black, grey/bay, grey/black, grey/brown and grey/chestnut.

Black: Black hairs are general throughout the body coat, limbs, mane and tail. Hairs of other colours are not present but white hairs may be present as markings, flecking or ticking.

Bay: The colour of the body coat may vary from a dull red brown to a yellow brown, approaching chestnut. The mane and tail are always black, as are the points, that is the lower parts of the legs, the muzzle and the tips of the ears.

Brown: Black hairs are general throughout the body coat, limbs, mane and tail, but brown hairs are present on the muzzle, the eyelids and often on the flanks. The descriptions "bay or brown" and "brown or black" are acceptable for horses which may be difficult to describe precisely.

Chestnut: The colour of the body coat and limbs may vary from a light washy yellow, through golden and reddish shades to a dark liver. The mane and tail may be darker or lighter than the body coat, while the lighter coloured chestnuts can have a flaxen mane and tail.

Grey: The body coat consists of an uneven mixture of chestnut or brown or black hairs and white hairs. The horse's coat does not contain grey hair. The foal has coloured hair at birth but with increasing age white hairs replace the coloured hairs to produce an appearance of grey. The white hairs usually appear first on the face and eventually the whole coat can appear white. The transitional stages between the coloured coat and the white coat can be described as grey-chestnut, grey-bay, grey-brown or grey-black. The mane, tail and points of a young grey horse contain a higher proportion of coloured hairs than the body coat.

White: This colour is not well defined in the thoroughbred and is very rare. The foals are born white, or predominantly white. Coloured hairs may be present on the poll, ears, or the tail. Tufts or patches of coloured hair may be present on the body. Some white horses have blue eyes.

The colours (silks) worn by the jockey in a race.
These must be registered and are usually those of the Trainer or Owner/s of each horse.

An entire male horse under four years of age.

The eligibility requirements for horses to run in a particular race.

A course other than a Metropolitan Course.

The mother of a horse.

When two or more horses tie for any placing.

A stakes event for three-year-old racehorses.

Also known as a passport. This document is supposed to accompany every thoroughbred and includes identification and ownership information for the horse. The Stewards check these for every horse at every race meeting.

Any male horse with both testicles in the scrotum (a colt or stallion).

Also known as "Evens". A galloper running 200m in 15 seconds in training workouts. Under race conditions the average time for 200m is 12 seconds.

A person who tends to the feet of horses.

The horse that has the most bet on it in a given race has shortest price odds and is called the favourite.

A female horse under four years of age.

A measure of races until the introduction of metrics in 1972. A furlong is 220 yards, which is about 200m.
Formerly races over a mile were also referred to as eight furlong races, whereas since 1972 they are over 1600m.

A male horse with both testicles removed.
Horses are gelded to prevent them becoming too heavy and to moderate their behaviour.

Stakes races are races of high quality, categorised into Group 1, 2 and 3 and Listed races in order of importance.

A unit of measure used to determine the height of a horse.
A hand is about 10cm, with the horse being measured from the the ground to the highest point of the wither (ridge between the shoulder bones).
Most thoroughbreds are around 16 hands.

The person who assigns handicaps to competitors.

A term used to describe a horse that is not running straight. Jockeys must make all endeavours to ensure their horses run in a straight lines during races.

Along with a leadrope, the head collar is used to lead horse.

A term used in a specific Stud Book sense for any entire male four years old or older.
In its general every day sense the term applies to any male or female of the equine species.

This is where the horses are hosed down after the race.

Every thoroughbred is identifiable and registered with the Australian Stud Book.
To have a foal entered into the stud book, breeders must have the foal's identity validated through a process undertaken by themselves, veterinarians and the stud book.
Breeders must notify the stud book when thoroughbreds are covered and when the corresponding offspring is born. When foals have been freeze-branded, the stud's veterinarian identifies the foal according to its markings (colour, white markings, brands and whorls) and takes a blood sample.
At the time that the horse is identified, breeders must present their produce in a place and under such circumstances that the horse can be handled and examined thoroughly. At this time they must give the veterinarian preprinted labels received from the Australian Stud Book and a DNA kit and instructions for attachment to the sample containers.
The veterinarian will take samples from the foal and despatch the samples to the Australian Equine Genetics Research Centre. All samples must bear an Australian Stud Book preprinted label or they will be discarded. The veterinarian must also lodge the original of the Identification Certificate with the Stud Book within 15 days, and provide the breeder with a copy of the Identification Certificate for that horse, to be used to later register that thoroughbred.

Area inside the racetrack.

The official publication of Racing Victoria.

Better known as stirrups. Combined with the reins, stirrups provide the jockey with the leverage to control a horse.
They can be raised or lowered depending on the jockey's preference.

Also known as the Registrar of Racehorses. The manager of the Australian Stud Book organisation.

As in lead weight. If jockeys are too light to make the weight allotted a horse, they make up the difference between their weight and that which has to be carried by putting thin slabs of lead in the pockets of the saddle, or in a special bag under a saddle.

A measurement used to describe the distance between horses in a race.

A stakes race below a group race in quality.

A bit with a metal ring attached to give the jockey more control, especially with a horse that hangs.

A race restricted to horses which at the time of starting have never won on the flat a race at a registered meeting.

1) A horse or rider that has not won a race.
2) A female that has never been bred.

A female horse four years old or older.

A course in the Metropolitan area, in Victoria these include, Flemington Racecourse, Caulfield Racecourse, Sandown Racecourse and Moonee Valley Racecourse.

A race that is run over between 1400 and 2199 metres.

Here the horses are paraded in numerical order prior to each race and jockeys are issued with their instructions from trainers and owners and mount their horses.
Following each race, all competitors dismount in the mounting yard. The first five horses past the winning post fill the placegetters stalls and their jockeys weigh in.
No one is permitted to have any physical contact with the jockey before they weigh in.

A running rail that can be moved to maintain the racing surface so that horses racing on a given track run over each part of the track as little as possible or over the more resiliant parts of the track more often than the less resilient parts.

A horse that runs well on heavy (very rain-affected) tracks.

Left side of a horse from which the horse is always approached, led and mounted.

A stakes race for three-year-old fillies.

Betting price (dividend) for a horse in a race.

Mesh eye-covers used to calm horses down.
These cannot be used in wet weather for safety reasons as mud can stick to them.

A horse's racing record.

A device used for measuring the hardness of the track by measuring the extent to which it penetrates the ground.

A finish where it is difficult for the judge to determine the winner, so a camera is used to take a photo of the finish line as the horses cross the line.

A race meeting consisting of jumping races or flat races, or both, at which amateur jockeys ride.

Punt is a term that refers to a bet, a punter is someone who places bets.

Person who verbally describes a race.

In relation to a horse it means that the horse has been named and accepted under that name by the Registrar of Racehorses to compete under the rules of racing.
To be registered a horse must, under the rules of racing, be first accepted into the Australian Stud Book or Australian Non Thoroughbred Register.

A male horse which is a cryptorchid.
A unilateral cryptorchid has one undescended testicle in the abdomen; the other testicle may be in the scrotum or it may be removed. A bilateral cryptorchid has two undescended testicles (double rig).

When a horse is withdrawn from a race most commonly due to injury, track conditions or programming decisions for a horse.

Inflammation of the membrane of the cannon (shin) bone. Young horses are most likely to be affected and it is usually remedied with a spell (rest in the paddock for a period of weeks).

Any stallion which commutes between hemispheres to cover mares but may not cover mares in both hemispheres every calendar year.

A male horse that has produced foals.

A race run over less than 1400 metres.

A male horse four years of age or older.

A race of more than 2200 metres.

A race incorporating jumps. These races are called steeple chases as they used to be a race to the church steeple.

Officials at a race meeting who have the responsibility of enforcing the rules of racing.

A person who attends and grooms racehorses.

A race on which TABCORP conducts off-course totalisator wagering.

Horse equipment (saddle, bridle, grooming equipment, etc.).

The alternative form of betting to placing bets with the bookmakers. Bets placed on the Tote form the "pool" so the odds fluctuate as bets are placed (the more a horse is bet on, the lower the dividend). The dividends paid to punters are their share of the "pool" after a percentage is taken out for the government, Racing Victoria and TABCORP (the company that runs Victoria's Tote).

Used to describe the racing surface (Fast: Very firm surface, Good: Firm surface, Dead: Track with give in the ground, Slow: Rain affected, Heavy: Very rain affected).

A race with only one runner. In these races, the horse horse must be weighed out, mounted and ridden past the judge's box.
The horse will be liable to carry extra weight as the winner of the race and only half the prizemoney is awarded.

A person warned-off a racecourse is one who is not permitted to enter a racecourse or associate with licensed persons.