Each-Way AtlasRace types, markets and festivals
How do each-way terms differ between handicap and other races?
Race type affects place terms because it changes the make-up of the field: a handicap race is built to bring horses closer together, so bookmakers can publish different places and fractions for it than for other races. The exact numbers belong to each bookmaker and each race, and our dated table gives the wording they publish.
Editorial team of Each-Way Atlas · Checked
Two kinds of race
A handicap race assigns weights to horses to narrow the gap between them. A conditions race sets entry rules and weights by fixed conditions, such as age or past wins, and not by an individual rating.
These are our plain-language working definitions. We have not yet attached the British Horseracing Authority or organiser wording, so the sources column is marked Not verified in the table below.
This matters because place terms respond to how many runners can realistically finish near the front.
| Item | Handicap race | Other race types | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition | Weights set to even out chances | Entry and weights set by fixed conditions | Not verified |
| Places and fraction | Set by each bookmaker for each race | Set by each bookmaker for each race | See dated table |
| Tattersalls Rules wording on race type | Not verified | Not verified | Current edition not yet located |
The short version: the race type is a clue to the field, and the race card gives the actual terms.
Why the field size matters
Bookmakers set the number of places and the fraction of the odds by the number of runners and the type of race.
Different sources give different numbers, which is why we do not state a rule here. The published terms by bookmaker are on standard each-way terms published by UK bookmakers.
To read the terms for one race before you bet, use how to find place terms on a racecard. The basics of places and fractions are explained on places and fractions.
A worked example
Example. A £5 each-way bet, so a £10 total stake, at 8/1 (decimal 9.0). The race and both fractions are imagined, and they are not any bookmaker's published terms.
| Place fraction | Win part if it wins | Place part | Total return if it wins | Total return if it places only |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 of the odds | £45.00 | £15.00 | £60.00 | £15.00 |
| 1/5 of the odds | £45.00 | £13.00 | £58.00 | £13.00 |
The place part is the unit stake times 1 plus the fraction of the profit odds: £5 × (1 + 8 × 0.25) = £15.00 at 1/4, and £5 × (1 + 8 × 0.20) = £13.00 at 1/5.
The fraction alone changes a placed-only return by £2.00, so compare fractions as well as places.
The short version: a smaller fraction lowers the place return even if the number of places is the same.
What we have checked and what we have not
We have not verified any operator's handicap terms on this page. Terms change by race and by day, so the dated table is the only place we state operator figures. Where sources disagree on the number of places, we say so there.
This page links to the racing section for race types and festivals. 18+ only. Gambling can be harmful. See responsible gambling.
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