How To Guide
- Getting Here
- What To Wear
- Where To Watch The Races
- Picking A Winner
- How To Get Involved
- How To Study The Form
- How To Place A Bet
- Betting Jargon
- Racing Jargon Made Easy
Getting Here
Musselburgh Racecourse is located only 6 miles to the east of Edinburgh city centre. There are excellent public transport and communication links including a FREE transfer bus from the train station. Click here to see travel options and to plan your route.
Most people aim to arrive at least 1 hour before the first race, sometimes earlier, if you have booked hospitality or one of our Special Packages.
What to wear
There is no particular dress code at Musselburgh Racecourse. Instead we encourage our customers to wear what they feel comfortable in and of course dress for the weather! All areas where you might walk are pathed so high heels are not a problem!
On Ladies Day and Edinburgh Cup Day racegoers will make a huge effort to dress up for the occasion, especially if they are trying to win some of the fantastic prizes for the best outfit or best hat.
Where to Watch the Races
All the racing can be watched live from our grandstand steppings at the front of the racecourse. You can also see all the action from the giant screen positioned near the winning post as well as from all the bars and restaurants via our TV screens.
However, one of the best places is to stand right by the rails so you can see the horses thundering past, an absolutely breathtaking spectacle. During the jumping season you can stand next to one of the hurdles or fences so you can get a sense of the energy and power of the horses as they fly past.
Picking a Winner
The best thing about horse racing is that no one knows who is going to win any given race at any given time. However, here are a few handy tips to help you try to pick a winner.
All racegoers at Musselburgh have access to view the horses at the Parade Ring, where you can go and have a look at the horses before they race.
The sort of signs you should be seeking in a potential winner are:
- A good muscle tone, often referred to as 'condition'
- Match this with a shiny coat, bright eyes, forward-pointing ears and an alert manner and you're in with a good chance
- Pay attention to how the horse moves. A relaxed forward stride is ideal but watch out for unnecessary agitation
- Profuse sweating can be an indication of nerves, but don't cut this out altogether as for some horses this is normal
- Equally, don't be put off by blinkers or visors, which are worn to help channel the horse's concentration during the race
How to Get Involved
With your research done and the first race approaching now is the time to get involved with the racing action. Pick your horse from the parade ring, decide who you want to bet with (the tote or the bookmakers) place your bet and find your position to watch the race.
If you’re lucky enough to watch your horse win then make sure you head to the winners enclosure, within the Parade ring to cheer them and see the connections accept their prizes.
How to Study the Form
'Form' is simply the information and facts about a horse's past performances. You can find a summary of form in your free racecard, and in the national newspapers. If you would like a more detailed analysis, then the Racing Post (which you can buy at the course) has a wide range of statistical information.
Some factors worth taking into consideration when looking at form are:
- Whether your horse has won any races recently. On your racecard this will be represented as a series of numbers ,e.g. 120631. Each number represents a race and your horses position in that race
- If your horse has beaten or lost to any of its rivals in this race before
- Whether your horse has won over this distance before, or at this course (a course and distance winner is a very desirable bet)
- Whether the horse has won previously on the same going (i.e the state of the turf) as it is running on today
- The weight your horse is carrying compared to previous races or whether it is going up or dropping down significantly in the class of the race
- What kind of form your horse's trainer is in at the moment
Let the experts help you.
There will always be people around who think they will be able to tell you the winner of every race on the day, but in reality they probably know no more than you!
However, if you're looking for some reliable and official sources of information from professional pundits, try researching these websites before you go to the course:
How to Place a Bet
There are a wide variety of bets and combinations you can place on every race. Below is an example of each type of bet you can place.
Please note that you can place all of these bet types at all the Bookmakers, Tote or Betting Shops you can find at the racecourse, not just the Tote.
For video guides on how to bet please click on one of the following;
Pick the winner of the race. To place a £2 'Win' bet on horse number 4 simply say "£2 win on 4"
Pick a horse to be 'placed' in the race (i.e. come in the top 2, 3 or 4 depending on how many runners in the race).
However, you will receive a reduced return on your stake because your horse is more likely to be placed than simply win outright. The odds are normally reduced to 1/4 or 1/5 of the stated odds.
Your selections needs to be placed as follows:
- Up to 4 runners – no place betting
- 5 – 7 runners – 1st & 2nd
- 8+ runners – 1st, 2nd & 3rd
- Handicap 16+ runners – 1st, 2nd, 3rd & 4th
To place a £2 'Place' bet on horse number 4 simply say "£2 place on 4"
A very popular way of betting, this is simply a 'Win' bet and a 'Place' bet on the same horse.
To place a £2 'each way' bet on horse number 4 say "£2 each way on 4".
Please note this will cost you £4 as a £2 each way bet is the equivalent of 2 bets- a bit to win and a bet to place.
Pick the horses to finish 1st and 2nd in the correct order.
This is obviously more difficult than just picking the winner, but the rewards are potentially much greater.
Or you can try a 'reverse' exacta to increase your chances (e.g. a reverse exacta means you pick the first two to finish in any order, but this classes as two bets).
To place a £2 'exacta' bet on horse number 4 to win and horse number 6 to come second simply say "£2 exacta on 4 and 6"
To place a £2 'reverse exacta' bet on horse number 4 and horse number 6 to come first and second in any order simply say "£2 reverse exacta on 4 and 6"
Please note this will cost you £4 as a £2 reverse exacta bet is the equivalent of 2 bets- a bet on 4 to win and 6 to come second, and a bet on 6 to win and 4 to come second.
Pick the horses to finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order in a trifecta race. Get this right and you could win big!
To place a £2 trifecta on horse number 4 to win, 6 to come second and 8 to come third say "£2 trifecta on 4, 6 and 8"
This is racing's favourite bet - and it couldn't be simpler! Just pick a horse to be placed in each of the six placepot races (normally the first six races on the card). You can choose more than one horse in any of the races to increase your chances of winning.
Get them all correct and you can hit the jackpot!
To place a placepot bet use a placepot play slip, which you will find at the course.
Another popular bet - especially if you've missed the start of the placepot or it has fallen by the wayside before the 3rd race.
As before, just pick a horse to be placed in each of the four quadpot races which are normally races 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Use a quadpot play slip, which you will find at the course, to place your bet.
Pick the winners of the six jackpot races at the nominated jackpot meeting each day. Not easy - but the potential rewards are huge!
You can choose more than one horse in any of the races to increase your chances of winning.
Use a placepot play slip, which you will find at the course, to place your bet.
Pick at least one horse in the six nominated televised races each Saturday. Get all six winners to scoop a potentially massive dividend AND qualify for a big money bonus.
Even finding a placed horse in every race pays an average dividend of over ?500 to a ?1 stake. Use a totescoop6 play slip to place your bet.
Betting Jargon
Some people are put off horse racing because they don't understand how betting works, when really it couldn't be simpler.
Having a little flutter on the horses is fun and it doesn't have to be complicated. Here we explore some of the basics to help you understand betting.
Stake
When placing a bet, your stake is the amount of money you are willing to gamble - be it a cautious £2 or a rather more flamboyant £500. Generally the minimum stake you can place at a racecourse is £2.
If you're a winner, your winnings (also known as 'returns') are calculated according to your horse's odds.
Odds
In the world of betting, the odds (often referred to as the 'price') are a way of expressing the probability of a horse winning a race.
OK - so that's all relatively easy. Here's the more difficult bit. Prices can be:
- odds against
- even money, or
- odds on
Odds Against (e.g 2/1, 7/1, 15/2, 50/1 etc)
If your horse's perceived chance of winning the race is less than 50/50 it is described as odds against. In this case if your horse wins you will receive your stake back plus your stake multiplied by the odds against it.
For example: Your horse wins at 2/1 (pronounced two-to-one). If your stake was £10 you will receive:
- your £10 back
- plus your stake multiplied by the odds of 2/1 = (£10 x 2) = £20
- that makes £30 in total
Sometimes the numbers may appear more complicated e.g. 15/2 or 9/4. This is simply because odds are normally expressed as fractions so can't include half numbers. So,for ease of working out how much your bet would return, think of '15/2' as being the same as '7.5/1' etc.
Even Money (or Evens)
If your horse's perceived chance of winning the race is 50/50 it is described as evens. In this case if your horse wins you will receive your stake back doubled.
For example: Your horse wins at 1/1 (pronounced 'evens'). If your stake was £10 you will receive:
- your £10 back
- plus your stake multiplied by the odds of 1/1 = (£10 x 1) = £10 again
- that makes £20 in total
Odds On (e.g 1/2, 4/7, 3/10 etc)
If your horse's perceived chance of winning the race is more than 50/50 it is described as odds on. In this case if your horse wins you will receive your stake back plus your stake multiplied by the odds on it.
For example: Your horse wins at 1/2 (pronounced one-to-two on). If your stake was £10 you will receive:
- your £10 back
- plus your stake multiplied by the odds of 1/2 = (£10 x ½) = £5
That makes £15 in total. The word 'on' indicates that the odds are reversed.
Long Odds or Short Odds?
Sometimes, instead of a horse's odds being expressed as a fraction, you might hear that they are simply 'long' or 'short'. This isn't meant to refer to the horse itself - or even the jockey.
Instead, odds that are said to be long (e.g. 50/1) point to the fact that a horse is very unlikely to win the race. Conversely, short odds (e.g. 2/1) indicate that a horse has a good chance of winning.
Racing Jargon Made Easy
At the races you’ll be aware of quite a lot of racing terms and phrases that you have never heard before.
| A is for Amateur, Apprentice... | |
| Amateur | You can identify a non-professional rider on any racecard as their title Mr, Mrs, Ms, Captain etc appears in front of his or her name |
| Apprentice | A young jockey contracted to a trainer while learning how to race ride |
| B is for Bay, Blinkers... | |
| Bay | The colour of a horse which has a brown body and black mane and tail |
| Blinkers | This is a type of hood that fits over a horse’s head to prevent the horse from seeing sideways and helps it concentrate its attention ahead during a race |
| Blown up | When a horse starts to drop out of contention in a race due to lack of fitness |
| Broken down | When a horse sustains an injury - normally a tendon/soft tissue injury requiring a long rest to recover |
| Bumper |
A flat race for young National Hunt horses yet to race over hurdles or steeplechases and that have not run under the rules of Flat racing. |
| C is for Chestnut, Claimer... | |
| Chestnut | The colour of a horse with a “ginger” body, mane and tail |
| Claimer | An apprentice flat race jockey |
| Clerk of the Course | The person responsible for the overall management of a racecourse during the raceday |
| Clerk of the Scales | The person responsible for checking a jockey's weight against the allocated weight the horse is allowed to carry |
| Colours | Shirts or ‘silks’ worn by jockeys to identify a horse to a particular owner |
| Colt | A young, ungelded (see gelding) male horse aged four years old or younger |
| Conditional Jockey | A young National Hunt jockey (under 26) who receives a weight allowance for inexperience until he has ridden a certain number of winners |
| Conditions | The make-up of a race, as in the number of runners, the ground conditions, if it’s a sharp or a galloping track, etc. Different conditions suit the physique and running style of different horses |
| Course and Distance winner | When a horse has won before on this racecourse and in a race over the same distance, he is called a course and distance winner. This is a big positive for his prospects. |
| Cut in the ground | A description of the ground condition, when there is give in the surface, aslo called ‘soft going’ |
| D is for Declare, Distance... | |
| Declare | When a trainer formally notifies the authorities that he/she intends to run a horse in a certain race. The runners and riders for each meeting are "declared" the day before |
| Distance | The length of a race. Five furlongs is the shortest, four and a half miles (the Grand National) the longest. Also refers to the margin by which a horse wins or is beaten. This can range from ‘a short head’ to ‘a distance’ which is in excess of 30 lengths |
| Draw | A Flat racing term denoting a horse's position in the starting stalls |
| E is for Events or Even Money... | |
| Evens or Even Money | When your stake equals your winnings e.g. £5.00 at evens wins a further £5.00 |
| F is for Favourite, Field... | |
| Favourite | The horse (or horses – if there is a joint favourite) in a race with the shortest (smallest) odds. Other phrases used to describe the favourite include "market leader" and "the jolly" |
| Field, the | Term for the runners in a race, for example "a field of 8 are on their way to the start for the next race" |
| Filly | A female horse four years old or younger |
| Form | A horse's race record. Denoted by figures next to its name in a racecard e.g. 1=1st, 2=2nd etc |
| Furlong | The unit of distance measurement in horseracing. One eighth of a mile or 220 yards or 201 metres |
| G is for Galloping track, Gelding... | |
| Galloping track | Generally a wide-open track that suits bigger horses with big strides e.g. Newbury or Ascot |
| Gelding | Refers to horses who have been castrated ("gelded") as the temperament of a stallion is usually not ideal for an extended racing career |
| Get the trip | Usually said of a horse that stays the particular distance of the race |
| Going, the | The conditions underfoot on the racecourse. Official Jockey Club going ranges are: heavy – soft – good to soft – good – good to firm – firm – hard |
| Green | A horse is described as "green" or "running green" when he or she shows signs of inexperience |
| Grey | A horse with a coat that is a mixture of black and grey hairs. It's mane, tail and legs may be either black or grey unless white markings are present. As grey horses get older they become lighter in colour, almost white - they too are still referred to as "grey" |
| H is for Hacked up, Handicap... | |
| Hacked up | When a horse has won easily |
| Handicap | A handicap race in which the weight each horse is to carry is individually allotted (by the official handicapper) according to past performance to make the chances of all horses in the race more equal |
| Hands & heels | Riding a horse without using a whip |
| Handy | A description of a horse who is in a prominent position during a race |
| Hurdle | The smaller of the two obstacles in Jump racing, typically about 3’6” in height |
| J is for Judge, Juvenile... | |
| Judge | The official responsible for declaring the finishing order and declaring the distances between runners |
| Juvenile | A two year old horse (Flat) or a three year old horse (National Hunt) |
| L is for Length | |
| Length | The length of a horse from its nose to the start of its tail. Also used to describe the winning margin, although winning distances are given out in lengths, they are in fact measured by time. Due to the greater speed in Flat racing 1 second is equal to 5 lengths, whilst in Jump racing 1 second is equal to 4 lengths |
| M is for Maiden, Mare... | |
| Maiden | A horse that has not yet won a race or a female horse that has never had a foal |
| Mare | A female horse five years and over |
| N is for National Hunt Flat Race, National Hunt... | |
| National Hunt Flat race | A flat race for young National Hunt horses yet to race over hurdles or steeplechases and that have not run under the rules of Flat racing |
| National Hunt | This covers racing over steeplechases and hurdles – often referred to as Jump racing |
| O is for Objection, Odds-on... | |
| Objection | A complaint by one jockey against another regarding breach of rules during a race |
| Odds-on | Where the potential winnings are less than the stake e.g. £5 at 4/5 wins £4, although your stake is returned |
| Off the pace | When a horse isn't keeping up with other horses in a race |
| Off the bridle | When a horse isn't travelling freely and the jockey is having to push him along, he is described as 'off the bridle' |
| Open ditch | A steeplechase fence with a ditch on the take-off side |
| Over the top | A horse past his peak for the season |
| P is for Pace, Paddock/Parade Ring... | |
| Pace | The speed at which a race is run. Up with the pace means close to the leaders, off the pace means some way behind |
| Paddock/Parade Ring | The area where horses can be viewed prior to a race |
| Pattern | The elite races, divided in Flat Racing into Groups One, Two, Three and Listed and in National Hunt into Grades One, Two and Three |
| Pecked/Nodded | When a horse's head nearly lands on the ground after jumping a fence |
| Penalty | Additional weight carried by a horse on account of previous wins. In a handicap, penalties are added to the allotted weight of a horse if it has won since the weights for the race were published |
| Photo finish | Electronic photographic equipment which decides who has won in a close finish |
| Ping | "To ping" is a verb often used to describe when a horse is jumping in particularily good style |
| R is for Racing Plate, Refused... | |
| Racing Plate | Lightweight horseshoes specially fitted for racing |
| Refused | When a horse stops instead of jumping over a fence |
| Run free | A horse going too fast too early, which then can’t settle into the race |
| S is for SP/starting price, Saddle... | |
| SP/starting price | The official price of a horse at which bets are settled in betting shops |
| Saddle | Equipment that enables a rider to sit on a horse |
| Schooling | Teaching a horse to race or jump. A "well-schooled" horse is less likely to show signs of inexperience or "greeness" (see above) |
| Scope | A horse is said to have scope if it is likely to improve with age and as it grows into its frame |
| Spread a plate | When a racing plate or horseshoe comes off, sometimes causing delay as the horse is re-shod |
| Starting Stalls | Used to accommodate horses in a line at the start of a race. Used in flat racing only |
| Stayers | Horses who have a lot of stamina and are more likely to show up best over 3 miles, rather than 2 miles over jumps and over 2 miles on the flat |
| Steeplechase | A horse race over fences, open ditches and water jumps |
| Stewards | The group of people responsible for ensuring adherence to the rules of racing |
| Stiff track | A track that requires a lot of stamina, such as one with a long home straight or an uphill finish, such as Cheltenham |
| T is for Tight Track... | |
| Tight track | Generally a narrow track with tight turns that suits smaller, nippier horses e.g. Cartmel or Kelso |
| V is for Valet | |
| Valet | A person responsible for looking after a jockey's equipment |
| W is for Weigh in/out, Weight cloth... | |
| Weigh in/out | Weighing the jockey before and after the race to make sure the horse carried the right weight. The ‘weighed in’ announcement means the result is official and all bets can be settled |
| Weight cloth | A cloth with pockets for lead weights placed under saddle |
| Weights | Lead strips placed in a weight cloth to bring the jockey and tack up to the handicap weight |
