What Is A Handicap Horse Race?

A handicap horse race is a race in which each horse carries a different weight, set according to its ability, so that horses of different levels have a realistic chance of beating each other. The better a horse is rated, the more weight it carries. In theory, a perfectly handicapped race would end in a dead heat.

Handicaps are the most common type of race in Britain, around 60% of all races, and many of the biggest betting races, such as the Grand National, are handicaps. This guide explains how they work, how they differ from other races and what they mean for betting.

A note on words: in the US, “handicapping” also means studying form to pick winners, whatever the type of race. That’s covered in our guide to horse racing handicapping. This page is about handicap races.

How do handicap weights work?

In Britain, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) employs official handicappers who give each horse an official rating based on its performances. A horse usually needs a few runs, typically three, before it gets its first rating, and ratings are reviewed after each run and updated weekly.

The rating converts directly into weight: one rating point equals one pound. In the BHA’s own example, a handicap for horses rated 66 to 80 has a top weight of 9 stone 7 pounds. A horse rated 80 carries 9st 7lb, and a horse rated 70, ten points lower, carries ten pounds less: 8st 11lb.

If a horse wins or runs well, its rating usually goes up and it carries more next time. If it runs poorly, its rating can come down. Jockeys who are still learning, such as apprentices and conditionals, can claim an allowance that reduces the weight their horse carries.

Rating bands

Many handicaps are restricted to a range of ratings, such as 0-70 or 56-75, so that horses meet others of a similar level. The biggest handicaps are open to a wide range, with a set top weight and minimum weight.

How handicaps work in the US

In US racing, handicaps are less common. When a race is run as a handicap, the track’s racing secretary assigns each horse a weight based on its record. Most US races are instead run under set conditions: claiming races, where every horse can be bought for a stated price; allowance races, with weights and eligibility set by the race conditions; maiden races, for horses that haven’t won; and stakes races, many of them at set weights.

Is the Derby a handicap race?

No. Neither the Epsom Derby nor the Kentucky Derby is a handicap. In both, every horse carries the same weight apart from an allowance for fillies:

• Epsom Derby: colts carry 9st 2lb (128 lb) and fillies 8st 13lb (125 lb).
• Kentucky Derby: colts and geldings carry 126 lb and fillies 121 lb.

These are championship races, where the aim is to find the best horse rather than to level the field. See our guide to the biggest horse races in the world for more of them.

What is the difference between novice and handicap races?

A novice race is restricted to horses that have won few or no races of that type, so inexperienced horses can meet each other. The exact conditions vary by race and code, and they are printed in the race conditions. Weights in novice races are set by the conditions, not by individual ratings. A handicap, by contrast, is open to horses with an official rating in the race’s band, whatever their experience, and every horse’s weight depends on its rating.

What is a non-handicap race?

Any race where weights are not set by individual ratings. In Britain and Ireland these include maiden and novice races, conditions races, and Group and Listed races, the top level of the sport. Weights in these races are set by the conditions, such as age, sex and previous wins, through weight-for-age and sex allowances and penalties for previous winners. In the US the equivalents are maiden, allowance and stakes races, many at set weights.

Are all horse races handicaps?

No. Around 60% of races in Britain are handicaps, but the most prestigious races, including the Classics, are not. In the US, handicaps are a small minority of races.

How do you run a handicap race?

The handicapper sets the weights from the official ratings for every horse entered, starting from the top weight. The weights are published with the declarations before the race, and each jockey must weigh out with the right weight, with lead added to the saddle cloth if needed, and weigh in again after the race.

How do you read a handicap horse race?

On a UK racecard, each runner in a handicap shows its official rating (OR) and the weight it carries. Useful things to check:

• The rating trend. A horse that has been dropped a few pounds after some poor runs may be well treated if its form returns. A horse raised after a win has to prove it can win off the higher mark.
• Weight against rating. Horses “out of the handicap” carry more than their rating says because the race’s minimum weight is above their mark, which is a disadvantage.
• Jockey allowances. A claiming apprentice or conditional jockey reduces the weight carried.
• Recent form, going, distance and course. These matter as much as the weight.

What is the difference between handicap races and stakes?

A handicap sets each horse’s weight from its rating to make the race competitive. A stakes race, in US terms, is a higher-class race, often with a larger purse and an entry fee paid by owners, usually run at set weights or allowance conditions rather than as a handicap. In Britain, the equivalent top-level races are Group and Listed races, which also run under set weight conditions.

Betting on handicap races

Handicaps tend to have bigger fields and more open betting than non-handicaps, so long-priced winners are more common. That’s why each way betting is popular in handicaps. Under standard UK terms, handicaps with 12 to 15 runners pay 3 places at 1/4 of the odds, and handicaps with 16 or more runners pay 4 places at 1/4. Our each way calculator works out what an each way bet pays at any terms, and the odds converter switches between fractional, decimal and US odds.

Frequently asked questions

What does a handicap mean in horse racing?

A race in which each horse carries a weight set by its official rating, so that better horses carry more and every runner has a realistic chance.

How much weight is one rating point worth?

In British racing, one point of official rating equals one pound of weight.

Is the Grand National a handicap?

Yes. The Grand National is a handicap steeplechase with a top weight of 11st 12lb. Our guide to how to bet on the Grand National explains the race in detail.