The Cheltenham Festival is a punters dream. With 28 races over a four day period there are plenty of opportunities for race goers to make a nice profit. However, for first time festival attendees or punters, the busy format can be a cause of confusion if they are not familiar with the racing terms and how the format actually works. So I think its time to clarify some of these terms that can cause confusion for beginners.
What does 2/1 mean?
Put simply, and this applies to whatever the odds are, 2/1 means if you place a one pound bet and it wins you will get two pounds back plus your original stake so you would end up with three pounds. This is always the same regardless of the numbers, 1/3 would mean if you put three pounds on and win you would get one pound back including your three pound stake.
Read Jools Reimer’s Gloucester Rugby match report here
What is a length?
A length is a measurement used in racing which describes the distance between the head and tail of a horse. If a horse wins a race by three lengths, it means that it has finished three horse lengths ahead of the horse in second place. Bookmakers may have a bet along the lines of “Galopin Des Champs to win by two lengths 4/1”
What is a trifecta?
A trifecta is when you correctly pick the first, second, and third placed horses in the exact order. Similar terms include exacta (first), quintella (first and second) and superfecta (first, second, third and fourth) which are the same as a trifecta but just for different numbers of correct guesses.
What does place and show mean?
Place means the horse you picked has finished first or second and show means the horse you picked has finished first, second or third.
Read Samuel Collins’ Gloucester City Kings match report here
What does each way mean?
An each way be is where half the total stake is for the selection to win and half is for the selection to be placed. The bet will be settled differently depending on whether the horse wins or places. Most bookmakers will offer a fifth of the odds on the horse to place, i.e if a horse is 25/1 and the horse places you would get paid 5/1 for that half of the bet .
What is an accumulator?
An accumulator or an “acca” is a bet involving more than one selection with the winnings from each selection going on to the next selection. All selections must be successful to get a return.
