Handicap (horse racing) handicapping a horse race: Handicap (horse racing) A handicap race in horse racing is a race in which horses carry different weights, allocated by the handicapper. A better horse will carry a heavier weight, to give it a disadvantage when racing against slower horses. The skill in betting on a handicap race lies in predicting which horse can overcome its handicap. Although most handicap races are run for older, less valuable horses, this is not true in all cases; some great races are handicaps, such as the Grand National steeplechase in England and the Melbourne Cup in Australia. In the
Horse racing in Great Britain the United States. Each course has its own idiosyncrasies, and horses are known to be more suited to some tracks than others, hence the idiom "horses for courses." There are two main operating groups of British racecourses - Jockey Club Racecourses, which runs fifteen courses, and Arena Racing Company, which runs sixteen courses. Britain is home to some of the world's most important flat races and race meetings. While ancient horse races like the Kiplingcotes Derby and Newmarket Town Plate are now mainly curiosities, there are many older races which retain modern relevance. The five British Classics - the 1,000