Category: FAQ

The Placepot, or Tote Placepot, is a popular type of pool bet, the aim of which is to correctly predict a horse to be placed in each of the first six races at any meeting in Britain or Ireland. As with other types of Tote bet, the winning dividend is calculated by the dividing total stakes in the Placepot pool, subject to a 27% deduction, by the number of winning tickets. The winning dividend is declared to a £1 stake, but winnings are calculated pro rata, based on the amount staked on each permutation, or ‘line’, which can be as little as £0.10, or even £0.05, in some cases, sibject to a minimum total stake of £1.

As the name suggests, the Placepot is operated by the Tote, owned since 2019 by the UK Tote Group, but bets can be placed with many online bookmakers, who pass stakes back to the Tote pool. Obviously, the number of places offered depends on the number of runners in a race; in races with four or fewer runners only the winner counts for Placepot purposes, in races with between five and seven runners the first two count, in races with eight or more runners the first three count and in handicap races with sixteen or more runners the first four count. Picking more than one selection in one or more legs of the Placepot increases your chances of a return, but also the number of permutations and, hence, your total stake.

The ‘penalty value’ of a horse race, as listed on a racecard, describes the prize money awarded to the winner and, possibly, anything up to the next nine horses home, depending on the total prize fund available. However, penalty value does not reflect deductions, such as trainer and jockeys percentages, British Horseracing Authority (BHA) fees and so on, so owners’ prize money is always less than the penalty value of the race in question.

In horse racing, a ‘penalty’ is additional weight, say, 5lb or 7lb, imposed on a horse for winning a race under certain circumstances. Details of such penalties are listed in the race conditions and, in some cases, are imposed on horses that have won a race, or races, above a certain value in a certain timeframe. The winner of a race worth £3,000 might incur a 5lb penalty, the winner of a race worth £5,000 might incur a 7lb penalty and so on; in any case, it is the penalty value of the races, or races, previously won that determines whether or not a penalty is imposed and, if so, what level of penalty. That’s why it’s called ‘penalty value’ in the first place!

The Monty Roberts blanket takes its name from its inventor, American horse trainer, or ‘horse whisperer’, Marvin Earl ‘Monty’ Roberts. Originally designed in the early Nineties, the lightly-padded blanket is fitted, temporarily, behind the saddle and covers the hindquarters of a horse down as far as the hocks, or the equivalent of the human ankle. Other styles of stalls blanket exist but, in Britain, Monty Roberts has become synonymous with this type of equipment.  Online slots real money usa sites are popular in the modern age, but with sports that people like a wager on we can soon forget how such functional items play a role.

All starting stalls include rails, on either side, on the inside walls, on which jockeys can put their feet down. In the absence of a Monty Roberts blanket, contact with these rails can cause some horses to become claustrophobic and unruly. The purpose of the blanket, therefore, is to protect the ‘vulnerable’ areas of the horse, such as the ribs or stifle joints – the equivalent of the human knee – from unwanted brushing, or bumping, against the starting stalls. A rope is attached to a ring at the rear of the blanket, so that it can be pulled off by a stalls handler when the stalls open. Much in the same way that online casinos real money websites have measures that protect players, it’s only right that in the sport of kings steps are taken to also protect those magnificent beasts taking part.

In Britain, horse racing stewards are officials appointed by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA). They are a mixture of unpaid volunteers and paid, or ‘stipendiary’, stewards who, collectively, oversee the fair running of races, Flat and National Hunt, and enforce the Rules of Racing. A ‘stipend’ is a fixed, regularly-occurring payment, so ‘stipendiary’ is simply the term used to differentiate those stewards who are salaried employees of the BHA from those who are not. At any race meeting, there are typically two, or possibly three, stipendiary stewards – many of whom are former jockeys – on duty.

In the event of a potential breach of the rules, the stewards will call an enquiry, led by a stipendiary steward, to investigate any issues and determine a course of action, if necessary. Having reviewed the race in question and interviewed the jockeys concerned, the stewards have the power to promote, demote or disqualify horses and to hand down suspensions to jockeys guilty of riding infractions, such as ‘improper’ or ‘careless’ riding, which may not, necessarily, have affected the result of the race under scrutiny. They can also forward matters to the BHA Disciplinary Panel for further consideration.