How many lengths are there in a furlong?

‘Furlong’ is an Middle English term, derived from the Old English ‘furlang’, meaning ‘length of a furrow’, and was first recorded during the Dark Ages. The distance was standardised as 660 feet, or 220 yards (one-eighth of a mile) during the Middle Ages and, although it remained an official measurement in Britain until 1985, nowadays it is confined, almost exclusively, to horse racing in English-speaking countries.

Similarly, the ‘length’ has been the standard measure for winning margins in horse racing since time in memoriam. However, it may come as a surprise to learn that the length is not a measure of distance per se, but rather a measurement of elapsed time as the horses cross the winning line. An official time is recorded for each horse and is subsequently converted into an official distance by reference to a computerised lengths-per-second table, which takes into account factors such as the prevailing going. In recent years, in the interests of greater accuracy, the lengths-per-second has been extended by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), so that maximum official winning distances up to, and including, 200 lengths are possible.

To answer the headline question, a length can vary according to the size, conformation and stride pattern of the horses involved but, generally speaking, is between 8 and 9 feet. Thus, the number of lengths in a furlong is typically somewhere between 73 and 83.

 

How can I pick a winner from the paddock?

Eventually the likely performance of a racehorse on looks alone is, at best, an imprecise science. However, racehorses are, after all, athletes and, like their human counterparts, display outward signs of their health, fitness and well-being. Starting from the head, look for bright, alert, expressive eyes, full, fleshy jowls and wide nostrils.

Horses that are bred and trained to compete over shorter, sprint distances are likely to have more heavily muscled shoulders than endurance horses. A similar comment applies to the hindquarters, where bulky, powerful muscles are best for speed, while longer, leaner muscles are best for endurance. Either way, look for symmetrical, well-defined muscles and an indentation between the two large muscles of the haunches, known as the ‘poverty line’, as a sign that a horse has reached peak fitness.

The deeper the girth – that is, the distance from the top of the back to the belly – the better and look for wide, well-sprung ribs that give the lungs to expand. However, beware of horses that are carrying excess weight, or ‘condition’, which may be exhibited as belly fat.

A shiny coat is another visible sign of good health, but also consider the demeanour of the horse as it walks around the paddock or parade ring. Of course, you will only see the horse in its slower paces, but look for a strong, athletic, yet relaxed, walk to indicate that the horse is at ease in its surroundings and ready to run to the best of its ability.

If my horse refuses to race, do I lose my money?

In horse racing, one of the jobs of the starter is to ensure a fair, equal start. Once horses come ‘under starter’s orders’ or, in other words, are waiting for the imminent start of a race, they cannot, under normal circumstances, be withdrawn. Thus, if any horse refuses to race, either by planting itself in the starting stalls or declining to jump off with the rest of the field in the event of a tape start, any bets on that horse are typically settled as losing bets.

However, some, but not all, bookmakers recognise how frustrating it can be, as a punter, not to get any sort of a run for your money. Those that do may, entirely at their discretion, refund money staked on single, win or each-way, bets on horses that refuse to race or otherwise lose all chance at the start; some do so in cash, while others do so in free bet credits or vouchers. While such action is true to the principle `if you can’t win, you can’t lose’, bookmakers are under no obligation to refund your money, at all, under such circumstances. If, on the other hand, a horse is withdrawn before coming under starter’s orders or is officially deemed by the starter to have taken no part in the race, you are entitled to have your stake money refunded, in cash, in any case.

Apart from Richard Johnson, who else finished runner-up to A.P. McCoy in the National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship?

Sir Anthony Peter McCoy, popularly known as ‘A.P.’, was Champion Conditional Jockey in 1994/95 and, thereafter, Champion National Hunt Jockey in each of the 20 seasons he rode as a fully-fledged professional in Britain. Richard Johnson OBE famously finished runner-up in the National Hunt Jockeys’ Championship in 16 of those 20 seasons but, following McCoy’s retirement, at the end of the 2014/15 season, became Champion Jockey himself in 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18 and 2018/19. Apart from Johnson, the four other jockeys to play ‘second fiddle’ to the perennial champion were David Bridgwater in 1995/96, Jamie Osbourne in 1997/98, Timmy Murphy in 2004/05 and Jason Maguire in 2012/13.

Bridgwater was, at the time, stable jockey to Martin Pipe, with whom McCoy would subsequently form a partnership that would dominate National Hunt racing for nearly a decade. Likewise, Timmy Murphy also signed a retainer with Champion Owner David Johnson in 2004, replacing McCoy, who left Pipe in favour of a more lucrative retainer with the J.P. McManus operation. Nevertheless, Bridgwater finished 45 winners behind McCoy, Murphy 58 behind and Osbourne and Maguire 44 and 41 winners behind, respectively. In fact, the closest McCoy ever came to being usurped as Champion Jockey was in 2005/06, when Richard Johnson finished 11 winners behind.

 

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