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 betting shops. There are two main forms of horse racing in Great Britain. Collectively, the above racing is often referred to as racing "under rules", since there is another form of racing which is run on an altogether more informal and "ad hoc" basis, known as point-to-point racing. Point-to-point is a form of steeplechasing for amateur riders. All the above forms of the sport are run under the auspices of the governing and regulatory body for horse racing in Great Britain, the British Horseracing Authority. with the exception of point-to-pointing which is administered by the Point-to-Point Authority with the BHA