Knowing what kind of race you're looking at tells you a lot before you've studied a single runner. Here are the main types and what each one signals.
Flat vs jumps
Flat racing is run on the level with no obstacles, peaking in summer and prizing speed and class. National Hunt (jumps) racing goes over hurdles or bigger fences, is winter-centred, and rewards stamina and sure jumping.
Handicaps
In a handicap, horses carry different weights based on their official ratings, so in theory they all have an equal chance. Handicaps are where much of the value — and the puzzle — lives: the art is spotting a horse whose mark underestimates it.
Maidens and novices
A maiden is a race for horses that have never won — often full of unexposed, improving types. A novice (in jumps) is a horse in its first season over obstacles. Both can be hard to weigh precisely, which is where a good model earns its keep.
Group, Listed and conditions races
The best Flat races are Group 1, 2 and 3, with Listed races just below — the championship tiers where the top horses meet at level or weight-for-age terms rather than on handicap marks. Jumps has its equivalent Graded races. These are elite form, and they read strongly race to race.
Every card mixes these types. See what's on today, race type and all, on today's racecards.