• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cheltenham Betting Offers

  • Home
  • Free Bets
  • Meetings
    • New Year’s Day Meeting
    • Festival Trials Day
    • Cheltenham Festival
    • April Meeting
    • Race Night
    • Showcase Meeting
    • November Meeting
    • International Meeting
  • News
  • Articles
    • Stats & Trends

Conditions Races at Cheltenham

conditions racesThe world of horse racing can be a complicated one, given that the various race types all seem to have different meanings and ask various things of the competitors. Nowhere is that clearer than when it comes to Conditions races, which are best explained by saying that they involve different conditions being applied to the runners depending on certain factors.

Sometimes the conditions applied to a race will surround a horse’s gender, other times it will be their age. The important thing to note is that a Conditions race is different from a Handicap, despite the similarities between the two. The big difference is that a handicapper decides how much weight a horse carries in Handicap races, as opposed to there being set rules that apply to all runners.

Cheltenham Conditions Races

Given a conditions race is effectively any race that isn’t defined as a handicap, novice, maiden or selling race it means any list here would cover the majority of races at Cheltenham and 70% of the races at Cheltenham festival.

Therefore, to see lists of conditions races see our Meetings page and look for races not in the categories above.

What Are Conditions Races?

explainedConditions races are a type of race that stand out all on their own, despite the fact that they bear a similarity to other types of races. The best way to explain this is to look at the British Horseracing Authority’s description of  a Conditions race. It is as follows:

A Conditions race is one which is none of the following; a Handicap Race or a Novice Race, a race restricted to Maiden Horses, or a race governed by Selling or Claiming provisions.

In other words, if a race is one specifically for novices, a maiden horse, a handicap race or one that has selling or claiming provisions attached to it then it cannot be a Conditions race.

The most important thing in that list is the Handicap race, given that there are major similarities between the two race types. In a Handicap race the handicapper will decide what weight a horse should carry based on a number of factors, with their ability being at the top of the list.

In a perfect world, a handicap race would see all participating horses cross the finish line at the same time because the handicapper has judged the weights perfectly. In a Conditions race things work slightly different.

How Conditions Races Work

weightThe reason there’s such a sense of similarity between Handicap and Conditions races is that horses also carry weights in Conditions events. The difference, though, is that the weights carried by the horses are decided according to various conditions that are met, which is where the race gets its name from.

The sex of the horse will dictate what weight they’ll carry, for example, with female horses carrying less than male ones. How old the horse is will also matter, given that older runners will carry more weight than their younger counterparts. The idea behind this is that it allows older runners and younger ones to take part in the same races.

Races that see the weight dictated by the age of the horse go by the somewhat unimaginative name of Weight-For-Age events. The final thing that is taken into account is the horse’s overall ability, with horses that have won at certain levels of race given more weight to carry than those that haven’t been successful in the same way.

The main things that are considered in a Conditions race, therefore, are:

  • Sex of horse
  • Age of horse
  • Ability of horse

Conditions Race Levels

classificationIn Europe, Conditions races take place at every level of horse racing. The majority of the most important races in the UK are technically Conditions races, seeing as they don’t fit into one of the categories outlined by the British Horseracing Authority and have certain conditions attached to them that must be met by the entrants.

The very best races, which are known as either Grade or Group races depending on whether you’re talking about flat racing or jump racing, can be Conditions races in Europe. The same is not true in Australia nor in North America. In both of those countries Graded and Group races can be handicaps.

The BHA outlines it by putting Weight-For-Age Conditions races in Class 2.

Grade 1 races are defined as being ones in which the weight carried by a horse is determined by their age and their sex, whereas Grade 2 races are those that see a horse’s weight decided according to their age, their sex and the previous races that they’ve won.

You can see, then, why plenty of big races can technically be put into the category of being Conditions events.

Examples Of Conditions Races

horses-land-after-jumping-cheltenham-fence

Here’s a look at some specific races that come under the bracket of being Conditions offerings:

Betway Bowl Steeple Chase

This is open to horses aged 5 and over. The weight for this race is 11 stone and 7 pounds, though fillies and mares are given a 7 pound allowance. It’s a Grade 1 National Hunt race that takes place at Aintree every year and is part of the Grand National Festival.

Liverpool Hurdle

Another race that takes place at Aintree during Grand National week is the Liverpool Hurdle. It is run over 3 miles and 149 yards, boasting 13 hurdles during that distance. It is for horses aged 4 and over and has the following weight conditions applied:

  • 4-year-olds: 10 stone 13 pounds
  • 5-year-olds and over: 11 stone 7 pounds
  • Fillies and mares are given a 7 pound allowance

Stayers’ Hurdle

The Stayers’ Hurdle is interesting insomuch as it is the Cheltenham Festival’s equivalent of the Liverpool Hurdle. Horses will often run in this event before trying their luck in the Aintree race. It is open to horses aged 4 and over and also has weight conditions in play:

  • 4-year-olds: 11 stone 0 pounds
  • 5-year-olds and over: 11 stone 10 pounds
  • Fillies and mares are given a 7 pound allowance

Another thing about the Stayers’ Hurdle that makes it particularly relevant to what we’re discussing here is the fact that it actually began life as a Weight-For-Age Selling race. The horses were given different weights depending on their age and the winning horse was sold for £50.

Champion Stayers Hurdle

To complete the set, the Champion Stayers Hurdle takes place at Punchestown each year. It is a Grade 1 race that offers weights of 10 stone and 13 pounds to 4-year-olds and 11 stone and 10 pounds to horses aged 5 and over. As with the other races, fillies and mares get an allowance of 7 pounds. Run over 3 miles, it has 14 hurdles for the 4-year-old and over horses to jump.

Primary Sidebar

Cheltenham Free Bets

Meetings at Cheltenham

  • Cheltenham Festival
    • Champion Day
    • Ladies Day
    • St Patrick’s Thursday
    • Gold Cup Day
  • Festival Trials Day
  • New Year’s Day
  • November Meeting
    • Countryside Day
    • Gold Cup Day
    • November Meeting Sunday
  • Race Night
  • Showcase Meeting
    • The Showcase Friday
    • The Showcase Saturday
  • The April Meeting
    • April Meeting Day One
    • April Meeting Day Two
  • The International Meeting
    • International Friday
    • International Saturday

Race Types

  • Amateur Races
  • Championship Races
  • Conditions Races
  • Cross Country Races
  • Cup Races
  • Fillies' Races
  • Grade 1 Races
  • Grade 2 Races
  • Grade 3 Races
  • Handicap Races
  • Hurdle Races
  • Juvenile Races
  • Listed Races
  • Maiden Races
  • Mares' Races
  • Novices' Races
  • Standard Open Flat Races
  • Steeplechase Races
  • Trial Races
  • Trophy Races
  • Discontinued Races

Latest News

  • Cheltenham Festival 2022 - The Pick Of The Stats
  • Is Cheltenham Safe Enough Following Four More Horse Deaths At The 2022 Festival?
  • The 2022 Cheltenham Festival Set A Record Attendance Every Day
  • Cheltenham Festival 2022 Review: Blackmore Makes Gold Cup History, Mullins & The Irish Dominate Again
  • 2022 Cheltenham Festival Big Favourites: Over-Priced Or Guaranteed Winners?

Articles

  • How Much Does Racing Make From The Betting Levy?
  • Are There Less Horse Deaths In Racing Today?
  • Origins Of Jockey Silks In Horse Racing & Rules
  • Can A Jockey Remount A Horse?
  • What Happens If No Horse Wins A Race?
  • Why Do Horses Jump Fences?
  • How High and Far Can A Horse Jump?
  • Use Of The Whip In Horse Racing
  • What Are The Different Types Of Racehorses?
  • Who Sponsors Cheltenham Races
  • How Do Racehorse Owner Syndicates Work?
  • How Much Do Racehorses Weigh?
  • How Does Travelling Affect Racehorse Performance?
  • What PPE Do Jockeys Wear And Why?
  • Can Racehorses Overheat?
  • Benefits Of Owning Race Horses
  • What Is The Top Speed Of A Racehorse?
  • Do Racehorses Have Special Diets & Nutrition?
  • How Are Racehorses Transported & What Are The Rules
  • What Happened To All-Weather Jumps Racing?
  • What Was Tic Tac? The Sign Language For On-Course Bookmakers
  • The Road To Cheltenham
  • Retraining of Racehorses
  • What Happens To Retired Racehorses?
  • Horse Racing Mix-Ups
  • Youngest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • What Are Blinkers & Why Do Race Horses Wear Them?
  • How Long Do You Have To Claim A Winning Bet At A Racecourse?
  • Female Jockey Pioneers
  • Oldest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • Record Jockey Wins For Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Record Trainer Wins For Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Cheltenham Festival Races Record Horse Wins
  • Biggest Prize Money Races At The Cheltenham Festival
  • The Life Of A Racing Jockey
  • Races With The Most Fences At The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Often Do Mares' Win At The Cheltenham Festival
  • Average Winner Age Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Longest Races At The Cheltenham Festival
  • Cheltenham Festival's Newest Races
  • How Often Does the Favourite Win at the Cheltenham Festival?
  • Average Winner Odds Cheltenham Festival Races
  • Cheltenham Festival Stats & Trends
  • Veganism & Horse Racing
  • Horse Doping In Horse Racing
  • Most Feared Fences In Horse Racing
  • Jockey Injuries
  • How To Become A Jockey
  • Horse Injuries
  • What Is Going In Horse Racing
  • Richest Races In Horse Racing
  • What Is The Starting Price In Racing
  • When Is The Best Time To Bet Ante-Post
  • Impact Of Wetter Winters On UK Jump Racing
  • How Long Do Racehorses Live For?
  • How Much Do Jockeys Weigh?
  • Rules For Naming Race Horses
  • What Is A Dead Heat In Horse Racing?
  • Who Would Win A Race Between A Horse And A Dog?
  • What Makes A Good Jump Stayer?
  • What Is A Stewards Enquiry?
  • Why Are Horses Disqualified and Who Decides?
  • Courses At Cheltenham: Old, New and Cross Country
  • How Are Jump Horses Trained Differently To Flat Horses?
  • Longest Odds Winners In Horse Racing History
  • How Much Money Is Bet At Cheltenham?
  • How Much Is Cheltenham Worth To The Economy?
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Owners
  • Accessibility At Cheltenham The Cheltenham Festival
  • Cheltenham Festival's Oldest Race Still Running
  • Biggest Female Trainers
  • Celebrity Race Horse Owners
  • Can Jockeys, Trainers & Owners Bet?
  • British vs Irish Trainers And Stables At Cheltenham
  • Things To Do & Places To Visit In Cheltenham
  • The Royal Family And The Cheltenham Festival
  • How Much Does It Cost To Be An On-Course Bookmaker?
  • How Much Money Do Race Horse Owners Make?
  • How Much Money Do Trainers Make?
  • Cheltenham Race Types
  • Cheltenham Hotels & Cheltenham Festival Accommodation
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Trainers
  • Top 5 Cheltenham Festival Jockeys
  • Top 10 Cheltenham Festival Horses
  • How Much Money Do Jockeys Make?
  • Richest Jockeys In Horse Racing History
  • Getting To Cheltenham Racecourse
  • Cheltenham Festival vs Grand National, Which Is Better?
  • Cheltenham Racecourse History
  • Why Is The Cheltenham Festival So Big?
  • Cheltenham Festival History
  • The Prestbury Cup
  • Cheltenham Festival Quiz
  • Cheltenham Festival Top Trainer
  • Cheltenham Festival Top Jockey
  • Cheltenham Racecourse During The War
  • Ante-Post Betting - Risk vs Reward
  • Jump Racing Distances
  • How to Read a Race Card
  • How To Bet On Horse Racing
  • Disqualification, Non-Runners and Rule 4
  • Age, Sex and Weight in Horse Racing
  • History And About National Hunt Racing
  • A-Z Glossary Of Horse Racing Terms
  • Horse Racing News, Statistics & Blogs
  • Live Streaming of Horse Racing
  • Live Betting In Play On Horse Racing
  • Cash Out And Partial Cash Out On Horse Racing
  • Grades and Classes In National Hunt Jump Racing

Offers

  • Extra Places Each-Way & Enhanced Each Way Terms Cheltenham Festival 2023
  • Horse Racing Loyalty Free Bet Clubs
  • Horse Racing Money Back
  • Best Odds Guaranteed For The Cheltenham Festival
  • Tote and Totepool Betting
  • Lucky Bets and Bonuses For Horse Racing
  • Non-Runner No Bet
  • Free Bets And Bonuses For Winners
  • Best Odds Guaranteed For Horse Racing
  • Faller & Fail To Finish Insurance For Horse Racing

Copyright © 2022 CheltenhamBettingOffers.com | 18+ Gamble Aware | Privacy & Cookie Policy