Declarations and non-runners in horse racing explained

What is the difference between an entry and a declaration?

An entry says a horse might run and is made days, weeks or even months ahead, while a declaration confirms it will run and fixes the field, the jockey, the weights and the headgear.

Most British races take entries about five days before the race. Big races have much earlier entries with forfeit stages, where owners pay to keep the horse in, so the field narrows gradually. The Grand National, for example, closes for entries about two months before the race and has several scratching stages before the final declarations.

The declaration is the commitment. Once a horse is declared, it appears on the published racecard with its draw, jockey, weight and any headgear, and withdrawing it has consequences. Declared runners are also what the daily form tools work from, so a horse only appears on them once it is confirmed to run.

When are overnight and 48-hour declarations made?

Overnight declarations close on the morning of the day before racing, while 48-hour declarations close at 10am two days before, giving punters and broadcasters more notice of the field.

48-hour declarations are used widely on the Flat and for some big jumps races, which is why big Saturday Flat fields and draws are known on Thursday. Many jumps races still use overnight declarations, so their racecards are only final the day before. Ireland runs its own timetable.

The declaration time matters for anyone studying form. Until declarations close, the entries list is only a guide, and a horse's jockey, headgear and draw are not known. Trainers often enter a horse in several races and choose between them at the declaration stage, depending on the going and the opposition.

Why do declared horses become non-runners?

Declared horses become non-runners for a small set of reasons: a vet's certificate for injury or illness, a trainer's self-certificate, unsuitable going after a change, or withdrawal by the starter at the course.

A vet's certificate is used when a horse is lame, sick or otherwise unfit. A self-certificate lets a trainer withdraw a horse for their own reasons, but its use is restricted, and trainers with high non-runner rates can lose the right to self-certify. Going changes are a common cause: a horse declared for good ground may be pulled out when rain turns it soft.

Withdrawals are logged by the stewards, and a pattern of non-runners can lead to questions or penalties under the rules. A horse withdrawn on a vet's certificate may also have to wait a set period before it can run again, which stops it being switched straight to another race.

Why was a horse withdrawn at the start?

A horse withdrawn at the start has been ruled out by the starter or the vet at the start, usually because it refused to enter the stalls, got loose, was injured or became unruly.

This is the most frustrating kind of non-runner because it happens after the market has formed, often seconds before the off. Horses that are reluctant to load are well known, and their form often includes comments such as refused to enter stalls or withdrawn at start. A trainer may use a hood or a blindfold to help such horses load.

Late withdrawals like this can trigger Rule 4 deductions, which reduce winning returns on other horses in proportion to the withdrawn horse's price. A horse with a history of loading problems is worth noting before the race, because the risk of a late withdrawal is part of its profile.

How do reserves get into a race?

Reserves are horses declared but eliminated because the field was full, and they take the place of declared runners withdrawn before a set deadline, which in Britain is 1pm on the day before the race.

The safety limit on field size varies by course and distance. When more horses are declared than the limit allows, the lowest-rated are eliminated in handicaps, or a ballot decides in other races, and the first few left out become reserves. If a declared runner comes out in time, the next reserve comes in and takes its place.

For big handicaps with long lists of reserves, the final field can change several times before the deadline. A reserve that gets in often carries a low weight and is worth reading like any other runner.

How do non-runners affect a race?

Non-runners change the shape of a race, not just the numbers: they can remove the likely pace-setter, change the draw picture and shift the place terms when the field drops below eight or five runners.

If the only front-runner is taken out, a race can become slowly run, which suits horses with a turn of foot. On the Flat, a non-runner drawn next to a horse changes who it races alongside. Each-way place terms depend on the number of runners at the off, so a field of eight falling to seven changes the terms.

Checking non-runners on the morning of a race, and again close to the off, is part of reading any race properly. A race that looked strongly run on the overnight card can look very different once the non-runners are known.

• Pace: was the withdrawn horse a front-runner?
• Draw: does the gap change the picture?
• Place terms: has the field dropped below a threshold?
• Market: was the non-runner a big part of it?

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