Race type is a rough stand-in for things that matter in-running: field size, how strongly the race is run, and how often horses make mistakes or fade. We group Betfair's race names (like “2m4f Nov Hcap Hrd”) into types. The rules are on the methodology page.
The big race types compared
Race types with 500+ qualifying runners, 9 Nov 2025 – 9 Nov 2026, sorted by DOB rate:
| Race type | Races | Runners* | DOB | DOB rate | Losers that hit ½ | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter & Cross-Country Chase | 74 | 590 | 241 | 40.8% | 33.9% | 10.5% |
| Graded & Listed Chase | 108 | 558 | 222 | 39.8% | 30.3% | 13.6% |
| Graded & Listed Hurdle | 125 | 902 | 342 | 37.9% | 29.9% | 11.6% |
| NH Flat (Bumper) | 397 | 3,623 | 1,362 | 37.6% | 30.8% | 9.9% |
| Novice & Maiden Hurdle | 1,086 | 9,901 | 3,667 | 37.0% | 31.6% | 7.9% |
| Handicap Chase | 1,337 | 10,118 | 3,682 | 36.4% | 27.3% | 12.5% |
| Novice & Beginners Chase | 186 | 1,198 | 435 | 36.3% | 27.4% | 12.3% |
| Flat Group & Listed | 199 | 1,693 | 585 | 34.6% | 26.8% | 10.8% |
| Handicap Hurdle | 1,693 | 16,775 | 5,787 | 34.5% | 27.4% | 9.7% |
| Flat Maiden & Novice | 1,784 | 14,502 | 4,882 | 33.7% | 26.9% | 9.3% |
| Flat Conditions & Other | 548 | 4,663 | 1,553 | 33.3% | 25.7% | 10.3% |
| Nursery | 257 | 2,060 | 607 | 29.5% | 20.1% | 11.8% |
| Flat Handicap | 5,019 | 47,797 | 13,807 | 28.9% | 20.9% | 10.1% |
*Runners with a BSP of 2.02 or more and a recorded in-play low. “Losers that hit ½” = share of beaten horses that still traded at half their BSP or lower. Rates are hidden under 30 runners. Click a heading to sort.
The highest rate among these was Hunter & Cross-Country Chase at 40.8%, and the lowest Flat Handicap at 28.9%.
Strip out the winners
Looking only at beaten horses, Hunter & Cross-Country Chase led the way: 33.9% of its beaten runners still traded at half their BSP. The lowest was Nursery at 20.1%.
Price mix matters here too
Race types differ a lot in their mix of prices, and price is a big driver of the DOB rate. Each race type page shows the rate by BSP band, so you can compare like with like.
See also: Race types FAQ · Rates by distance
By The DoubleOrBust Team · Data 9 Nov 2025 – 9 Nov 2026, updated daily from Betfair's BSP files · How we count