Horse Racing Speed Ratings Explained: How Topspeed and Speed Figures Work

Speed ratings measure the time performance of a racehorse rather than simply recording where it finished.

A horse can win without producing an exceptional time. Another can finish third in a stronger race while recording a considerably better speed figure.

That distinction makes speed ratings useful when ordinary form figures do not tell the full story.

One of the best-known speed figures in British racing is the Racing Post Topspeed rating, normally displayed as TS on its racecards. British Racecourses also identifies today’s highest Topspeed-rated horses, making it easier to find runners that stand out on this measure.

A speed figure should not be treated as a prediction of which horse will win. It becomes more useful when combined with horse racing form, Official Ratings, race class, course and distance, going, pace and price.

Today’s Top Speed Horses

Here are all today’s top-speed horses:

A top-rated horse still needs to be assessed against today’s race conditions.

What Is a Speed Rating in Horse Racing?

A speed rating is a numerical assessment of the time merit of a horse’s performance.

Raw race times are difficult to compare directly.

Imagine two horses running a mile.

Horse A completes the race in 1 minute 38 seconds.

Horse B completes the race in 1 minute 40 seconds.

Horse A was two seconds faster, but that does not prove it produced the better performance.

Horse A may have raced on quick summer ground around a fast track.

Horse B may have competed on slower ground at a different racecourse while carrying more weight.

Speed-rating systems attempt to account for these differences and convert the performances into figures that are more useful for comparison.

What Does TS Mean in Horse Racing?

TS usually means Topspeed when it appears on a Racing Post racecard.

Topspeed is a time-based performance rating.

The basic principle involves comparing a horse’s race time with a standard for the relevant course and distance and making adjustments for factors affecting the recorded time.

A higher TS represents a stronger time performance according to the Topspeed methodology.

It does not mean that the highest TS horse is certain to win its next race.

What Are Topspeed Ratings?

Topspeed ratings are Racing Post speed figures.

They use race times as the foundation for assessing a performance.

At a simplified level, the process involves:

• Actual Race Time: How long the performance took.
• Standard Time: A benchmark for the particular course and distance.
• Track Conditions: How quickly or slowly the surface was riding.
• Adjustments: Factors used by the methodology to make performances more comparable.
• Final Rating: The resulting figure used to represent the time performance.

This matters because racecourses are different.

Five furlongs at one track cannot be compared directly with five furlongs elsewhere simply by looking at the stopwatch.

Course configuration, surface, gradients and conditions all affect time.

What Is a Standard Time in Horse Racing?

A standard time provides a benchmark for a particular course and distance.

There is no single universal standard time for five furlongs, a mile or two miles.

The benchmark needs to reflect the track.

British racecourses include sharp tracks, galloping tracks, undulating courses, uphill finishes, downhill sections, straight courses and turning circuits.

Our British racecourses directory shows how varied the country’s tracks are.

That variation explains why comparing raw times from different courses can be misleading.

A standard time gives the analyst a more appropriate benchmark against which to judge the recorded performance.

Why Raw Race Times Can Be Misleading

Suppose two six-furlong races produce these winning times:

Race A: 1 minute 10 seconds

Race B: 1 minute 12 seconds

Race A was two seconds quicker.

That alone does not establish that its winner ran better.

Race A could have taken place on fast ground with favourable conditions.

Race B could have been run on slower ground into a strong headwind.

The pace of the two races may also have been completely different.

A stopwatch records what happened.

It does not explain why it happened.

Speed ratings attempt to add that missing context.

How Are Horse Racing Speed Ratings Calculated?

There is no universal formula used by every organisation, ratings provider or private analyst.

Different systems make different assumptions and adjustments.

Most time-based approaches nevertheless contain some version of the following process:

• Measure The Race Time: Start with the actual recorded time.
• Establish A Benchmark: Compare the performance with an appropriate standard for the course and distance.
• Assess Track Speed: Determine whether the racing surface was producing faster or slower times than expected.
• Make Adjustments: Account for the factors included within the particular rating methodology.
• Convert The Performance: Express the adjusted performance as a numerical figure.

The figure is useful because comparing 92 with 84 is considerably easier than repeatedly comparing raw times achieved over different courses and under different conditions.

The methodology behind the figure still matters.

Two providers can assess the same performance differently.

What Is a Going Allowance?

A going allowance is an adjustment intended to account for how fast or slow the racing surface was performing.

The official going description provides useful information, but descriptions such as good, good to soft or soft do not mean that every course produces identical times under those labels.

The surface can also change during a meeting.

Time analysts therefore assess actual race times against expected standards to estimate how much the track was affecting performance.

This helps prevent horses racing on slower surfaces from automatically receiving inferior figures simply because their races took longer.

Our horse racing going guide explains the different British going descriptions and how conditions affect races.

Speed Ratings Measure Performances

A speed rating normally tells you about a performance, not the absolute limit of a horse’s ability.

This is an important distinction.

Imagine a horse capable of producing figures around 100.

It contests a four-runner race that develops at a very slow pace. The field conserves energy before sprinting through the closing stages.

The horse wins comfortably but receives a speed figure of 79.

The low figure does not necessarily mean its ability has disappeared.

The race never gave it the opportunity to produce a fast overall time.

A speed rating tells you what the horse achieved under those circumstances.

Your job is to decide how representative that performance was.

Speed Ratings vs Official Ratings

Speed ratings and Official Ratings answer different questions.

An Official Rating, normally shown as OR, is the official handicap assessment of a horse’s ability.

A speed rating assesses a performance using time.

Official Ratings are particularly important in handicap racing because they determine the relative weights horses are required to carry.

Our guide to racehorse handicap ratings explains the OR system in detail.

The two numbers do not need to agree.

The difference between them can sometimes be informative.

Speed Rating vs Official Rating Example

Imagine two horses both rated OR 92.

Horse A’s recent speed figures are:

91, 93, 92

Horse B’s recent speed figures are:

78, 82, 80

The official handicapper currently assesses both horses at the same level.

Their recent time performances look considerably different.

That does not prove Horse A will beat Horse B.

Instead, it gives you questions to investigate.

Has Horse B been competing in slowly run races?

Has it raced over unsuitable distances?

Has it encountered unsuitable going?

Is it simply out of form?

Ratings are most useful when they lead you towards the right questions.

Topspeed vs Racing Post Rating

TS and RPR often appear together, but they should not be confused.

TS means Topspeed and is fundamentally a time-based rating.

RPR means Racing Post Rating and is a separate Racing Post assessment of the merit of a horse’s performance.

Our guide to Racing Post Ratings explains RPRs separately.

Neither figure automatically takes precedence.

They approach performance from different directions.

OR vs RPR vs TS

The three common abbreviations can be summarised as follows:

Rating	Meaning	Broad Purpose
OR	Official Rating	Official handicap assessment
RPR	Racing Post Rating	Racing Post performance assessment
TS	Topspeed	Time-based performance rating

Differences between the three figures are normal.

Those differences can actually make a horse more interesting to investigate.

Speed Ratings vs Sectional Times

Speed ratings and sectional times are closely related but answer different questions.

A speed rating asks:

How fast was the overall performance?

Sectional times ask:

How was that speed distributed through the race?

Two horses could complete a mile in exactly the same overall time.

One may have raced at an even tempo throughout.

The other may have travelled behind a very slow early pace before producing an exceptional closing quarter.

The final times look identical.

The sectionals show that the horses achieved them differently.

Our horse racing sectional times page explains how splitting a race into sections can reveal information hidden by the overall time.

Using the two measures together provides much more context than treating them as competing systems.

Why Pace Affects Speed Ratings

Pace has a major influence on overall race time.

A strongly run race gives horses an opportunity to record a fast overall time.

A slowly run tactical contest often does not.

Imagine a field capable of running a mile in around 1 minute 36 seconds.

If the horses go slowly through the first half of the race before sprinting home, the final time may be several seconds slower.

That does not mean every horse suddenly performed below its normal ability.

The race shape restricted the overall time.

Our horse racing pace bias guide explains how running style and race setup can influence results.

Using Pace Maps With Speed Ratings

Historical ratings tell you what horses have achieved.

A horse racing pace map helps you anticipate how today’s race could develop.

Suppose the highest speed-rated horse produces its best performances from a strong gallop.

Today’s field contains no obvious front-runner and several horses normally held up.

That creates a different tactical test.

A rival with a slightly lower speed rating may be better suited to the expected race shape.

This is why simply sorting a field by TS and backing the highest number is too simplistic.

Why Speed Figures Can Reveal More Than Finishing Positions

Imagine two recent performances.

Horse A:

Finished 1st

Speed Rating 73

Horse B:

Finished 4th

Speed Rating 91

The finishing positions make Horse A look stronger.

The time figures suggest Horse B produced the better speed performance.

Horse B may have contested a much stronger race.

Horse A may have won a slowly run contest against weaker opposition.

Neither number provides the complete answer, but the speed figure tells you something that the finishing position hides.

This is why reading horse racing form properly requires more than looking for 1s beside a horse’s name.

Speed Ratings and Race Class

Race class gives a speed figure further context.

A strong time performance in lower-grade company can indicate that a horse is capable of competing at a higher level.

A horse dropping in class may possess historical speed figures significantly stronger than those normally achieved by today’s opposition.

Our guide to horse racing classes explains the British class structure.

The relationship between class and speed can be particularly useful when the finishing positions alone make a horse look less competitive than it really is.

Speed Ratings and Horses Dropping in Class

A class drop becomes more interesting when the time evidence supports it.

Imagine a horse has been running in Class 2 races with recent finishing positions of:

7th, 5th, 6th

Those numbers look unremarkable.

Its recent speed ratings are:

96, 94, 95

Most of today’s Class 4 opponents have recently produced figures between 80 and 88.

The horse’s finishing positions now require a different interpretation.

It has been losing, but doing so while producing stronger time performances against better opposition.

British Racecourses also tracks horses dropped in class today, which can provide another starting point for this type of analysis.

Career-Best vs Recent Speed Ratings

Career-best figures can be misleading when viewed without dates.

Consider two horses.

Horse A has a career best of 104 but recent figures of:

82, 84, 80, 83, 79

Horse B has a career best of 98 and recent figures of:

93, 95, 94, 97, 96

Horse A owns the highest number.

Horse B has repeatedly performed much closer to its best recently.

Unless there is a strong reason to expect Horse A to return to its old level, the recent evidence can be considerably more relevant.

The highest historical figure should never automatically become the figure you expect a horse to reproduce today.

Consistency Matters

One isolated speed figure deserves less confidence than a sequence of comparable performances.

A pattern such as:

72 → 77 → 82 → 89

can indicate improvement.

A sequence of:

101 → 84 → 79 → 76

could indicate decline, unsuitable recent conditions or that the 101 was unusually strong.

Repeated figures around the same level establish a clearer performance range.

This is particularly useful with exposed handicappers whose ability is already well established.

Speed Ratings and Improving Horses

Speed figures can help identify progression that ordinary form figures only partly reveal.

Imagine a lightly raced horse with finishing positions of:

3rd → 2nd → 1st

Its speed figures improve:

65 → 78 → 91

Both sets of numbers show progress, but the speed figures help quantify how much the performances have improved.

If today’s rivals generally produce figures in the mid-80s, the latest performance deserves close attention.

Lightly raced horses can continue improving, so their most recent figure should not automatically be treated as their ceiling.

Speed Ratings and Older Horses

Historical speed figures require a different approach with older or exposed horses.

A horse may have recorded 105 two years ago but recently produced:

88, 86, 84, 81

The old figure establishes what the horse once achieved.

The recent figures provide better evidence of its current level.

This does not mean the historical number should be ignored. A falling handicap mark, return to a preferred course or suitable conditions can make older form relevant again.

The question is whether there is a credible reason for the horse to return towards that previous level.

Speed Ratings and Course Form

Course configuration can affect a horse’s ability to reproduce its best speed figures.

British tracks vary substantially.

Relevant differences include:

• Sharp Or Galloping Layouts: Different types of horse can be suited by each.
• Flat Or Undulating Terrain: Gradients change the physical demands of a race.
• Left Or Right-Handed Turns: Balance and racing style can matter.
• Straight Or Turning Courses: Position and pace can operate differently.
• Finishing Straights: A long galloping finish creates a different test from a short run-in.

A horse’s strongest figures at one type of course may not transfer perfectly to another.

Look for patterns rather than assuming speed is independent of the track.

Speed Ratings and Course-and-Distance Form

Previous course-and-distance form can strengthen the case behind a speed figure.

Suppose a horse’s three strongest recent speed ratings all occurred over today’s course and distance.

That pattern tells you more than simply seeing CD beside its name.

The horse has demonstrated course-and-distance suitability and produced strong time performances under that setup.

Our course and distance form page explains how to assess C, D and CD evidence in more detail.

Speed Ratings and Distance

Speed ratings should be assessed over relevant distances.

A sprinter may produce its best numbers over five furlongs and fail to reproduce them over six.

A middle-distance horse may require ten or twelve furlongs before stamina becomes an advantage.

When examining a career-best figure, check where it came from.

A high rating achieved over a substantially different trip may tell you something about the horse’s ability without accurately representing what it can produce under today’s conditions.

Speed Ratings and Going

Going affects both race times and individual horses.

A rating methodology can adjust for the general speed of the surface, but that does not remove the need to assess whether the individual horse handles the conditions.

Imagine a horse with figures of:

Good: 98

Good To Firm: 101

Firm: 100

Its three runs on soft ground produced:

78, 80, 76

If today’s going is soft, using 101 as the horse’s expected performance would ignore a clear pattern.

Compare speed ratings achieved under conditions relevant to today’s race.

Speed Ratings and the Draw

Draw can affect the route a horse takes through a Flat race.

A runner forced wide around a bend may cover more ground than a rival racing efficiently on the inside.

A horse drawn away from the strongest pace can also be disadvantaged even on a straight course.

The final time captures the result of those circumstances but does not tell you how much the stall position contributed.

Our horse racing draw page explains why draw effects change according to course, distance, field size, going and pace.

When an unexpectedly weak speed figure comes from a race where the horse had a difficult draw, investigate the performance rather than dismissing the horse immediately.

Speed Ratings and Track Bias

The section of the racing surface used by a horse can also affect its performance.

One part of a track can sometimes ride faster than another because of ground conditions, drainage, wear or weather.

A horse racing on the slower part of the course may record an inferior time despite performing well relative to the circumstances.

Our guide to horse racing track bias explains how these effects differ from conventional draw bias.

This is another reason a rating should lead to further analysis rather than replace it.

All-Weather Speed Ratings

All-weather racing provides substantial timing information, but Britain’s artificial tracks should not be treated as interchangeable.

Kempton, Lingfield, Chelmsford, Wolverhampton, Newcastle and Southwell differ in surface characteristics and course configuration.

Newcastle’s straight mile, for example, presents a very different racing test from Lingfield’s turning track.

Our individual guides to Kempton Racecourse, Lingfield Racecourse, Chelmsford Racecourse and Newcastle Racecourse provide the wider course context.

A strong all-weather speed figure remains useful, but check where and how it was achieved.

Flat vs Jump Speed Ratings

Speed ratings can be used in both Flat and National Hunt racing, but jumping introduces additional variables.

These include:

• Jumping Efficiency: Time can be gained or lost at every obstacle.
• Mistakes: A serious error can substantially affect the final time.
• Omitted Obstacles: Course changes can alter comparisons with previous races.
• Longer Distances: Pace and stamina become increasingly important.
• Variable Ground: Winter conditions can produce substantial differences in race times.
• Race Shape: Tactical races can still produce modest overall times.

Our guide to Flat racing vs jump racing explains the broader differences between the two codes.

The stopwatch still provides useful evidence over jumps, but understanding how the horse travelled and jumped becomes particularly important.

Jumping Efficiency and Time

Two chasers with similar underlying ability can lose very different amounts of time at their fences.

One horse may attack an obstacle, land running and maintain momentum.

Another may jump high, get close to fences or lose ground on landing.

Small inefficiencies accumulate throughout a race.

The final time records their overall effect.

Watching the performance explains the cause.

This is a good example of quantitative and visual analysis complementing each other.

Speed Ratings and Race Replays

A surprisingly weak or strong figure is often worth investigating on video.

For a poor figure, look for:

• Slow Early Pace: The horse never had the opportunity to record a fast overall time.
• Trouble In Running: The horse lost momentum or position.
• Poor Start: Early ground was conceded.
• Wide Trip: Additional distance was covered.
• Unsuitable Tactics: The horse raced in a way that did not suit it.
• Jumping Mistakes: Time and momentum were lost at obstacles.
• Eased Finish: The horse was not ridden out fully once its chance had gone.

For an unusually strong figure, establish whether the performance looks repeatable.

One exceptional number is useful evidence.

Repeated strong numbers are more convincing.

Form Lines Can Strengthen a Speed Figure

Speed ratings tell you how a performance compares on time.

Horse racing form lines provide another way to assess its quality.

Suppose a horse records a strong speed figure when winning a handicap.

Several beaten horses subsequently win from higher marks.

The time evidence and subsequent form now support each other.

The opposite can happen when a seemingly impressive figure comes from a race that repeatedly produces poor subsequent results.

Independent pieces of evidence pointing in the same direction strengthen an analysis.

Winning Distances Need Context Too

A wide-margin winner can attract considerable attention.

The horse may also receive a strong speed figure.

Neither should be interpreted in isolation.

A ten-length win against weak or exhausted opposition does not automatically represent better form than a narrow victory in a much stronger race.

Our guide to winning distances in horse racing explains why finishing margins need to be considered alongside race strength and circumstances.

A strong winning margin accompanied by a strong time figure and subsequently strong form is considerably more persuasive than the margin alone.

Can Speed Ratings Identify Horses Ahead of the Handicapper?

They can provide evidence that a horse may be better than its current handicap mark.

Imagine a horse rated OR 76 producing time performances comparable with horses normally capable of competing from higher ratings.

That discrepancy deserves investigation.

It does not prove that the official handicap mark is wrong.

The speed figure and Official Rating come from different methodologies, and a single fast performance can result from unusual circumstances.

The case becomes stronger when the horse repeatedly records figures suggesting a higher level of ability.

This is particularly relevant with progressive, lightly raced horses whose handicap marks may still be catching up with their improvement.

How to Use Speed Ratings When Analysing a Race

A structured process prevents one large figure from dominating the analysis.

• Identify The Leading Figures: Find the horses with the strongest relevant speed ratings.
• Check Recency: Establish when those performances occurred.
• Check Consistency: Decide whether the figure is repeatable or an isolated career best.
• Check Distance: Give greater weight to performances over today’s trip or a comparable distance.
• Check Going: Look for figures achieved under relevant conditions.
• Check Course: Decide whether today’s track suits the horse.
• Compare Class: Establish whether the horse faces stronger or weaker opposition.
• Assess Pace: Consider whether today’s likely race shape allows the horse to reproduce its best performance.
• Compare Official Ratings: Look for interesting differences between time performance and handicap assessment.
• Review The Price: Decide whether the market already reflects the positive evidence.

This process fits naturally into our wider approach to analysing a horse race.

Worked Example: Three Different Speed Profiles

Imagine a Class 4 handicap with three leading contenders.

Horse A

OR: 82

Career-best TS: 96

Recent TS:

75, 77, 76

Horse B

OR: 81

Career-best TS: 91

Recent TS:

88, 90, 91

Horse C

OR: 80

Career-best TS: 89

Recent TS:

86, 88, 89

If you sort the runners solely by career-best TS, Horse A leads.

Its best figure is old.

Horse B has repeatedly produced strong recent figures.

Horse C is improving.

Now add more information.

Horse B’s strongest figures were achieved over today’s course and distance.

Horse C remains lightly raced and open to further improvement.

Horse A’s 96 occurred two seasons ago on different ground.

The headline rating no longer provides an obvious answer.

That is exactly how speed ratings should work.

They organise the evidence without making the decision for you.

The Importance of Repeated Speed Figures

Repeated high figures generally provide stronger evidence than one exceptional performance.

Consider:

Horse A:

101, 82, 84, 80, 83

Horse B:

96, 94, 97, 95, 96

Horse A owns the highest individual number.

Horse B has repeatedly performed close to a strong level.

The appropriate interpretation still depends on today’s race, but Horse B’s figures provide considerably more evidence of repeatable current performance.

One big number should always be investigated before you assume it will be reproduced.

Speed Ratings and Today’s Racecards

The quickest way to put ratings into context is to start with the complete race.

Use today’s horse racing racecards to check the opposition, race conditions, distance and other relevant information.

Do not isolate the TS column from everything around it.

A horse’s rating becomes more meaningful when you know:

• Who It Faces: Ratings are relative to the level required today.
• Where It Races: Course characteristics affect performance.
• How Far It Runs: The relevant distance matters.
• What Ground It Encounters: Going can change both times and suitability.
• How The Race May Develop: Pace can determine whether a horse gets the opportunity to reproduce its best figure.

The rating belongs inside the race analysis.

Speed Ratings and Value Betting

A high speed rating does not automatically create a good bet.

Price matters.

Imagine your analysis leads you to believe a horse has a 20% chance of winning.

That equates to fair decimal odds of 5.00, or 4/1 in fractional terms.

If bookmakers offer substantially shorter odds, the horse can possess excellent speed figures without offering an attractive price.

If the available odds are bigger than your assessment of its chance suggests they should be, the situation changes.

Our guide to finding value bets in horse racing explains why identifying the most likely winner and identifying a worthwhile bet are different tasks.

Comparing Odds After Using Speed Ratings

Race analysis should come before bookmaker selection.

Once you have identified a horse whose speed figures, form and race conditions interest you, compare the available price.

Our horse racing betting sites comparison focuses specifically on bookmakers from a racing perspective.

Readers betting primarily from a phone can separately compare horse racing betting apps.

A better price improves the potential return.

It does not make weak analysis strong.

Should You Back the Top Topspeed Horse?

Being the highest Topspeed-rated runner is not an automatic betting signal.

The leading TS horse can still:

• Be Out Of Form: Its strongest figure may be historical.
• Face Unsuitable Going: Today’s conditions may not suit.
• Encounter The Wrong Pace: The expected race shape may work against it.
• Receive A Difficult Draw: Stall position can affect its chance.
• Step Up In Class: Today’s opposition may demand a better performance.
• Race Over The Wrong Distance: Its strongest figures may have been achieved over another trip.
• Be Poorly Priced: The market may already overstate its chance.

The top TS horse becomes more interesting when the wider evidence supports the rating.

That distinction is important because the daily table at the top of this page identifies horses to investigate, not horses to back blindly.

Common Speed Rating Mistakes

Several mistakes reduce the usefulness of time ratings.

• Automatically Backing The Highest Figure: A rating is evidence, not a guarantee.
• Using Career Best Instead Of Current Ability: An old peak can exaggerate what a horse is capable of today.
• Ignoring Race Pace: Slowly run races can suppress overall time figures.
• Ignoring Sectionals: Final time does not show how speed was distributed.
• Ignoring Distance: The best figure may have been achieved over a different trip.
• Ignoring Going: Individual surface preferences still matter.
• Comparing Raw Times Across Tracks: Different courses require appropriate benchmarks.
• Treating TS, RPR And OR As Identical: They measure performance from different perspectives.
• Ignoring Race Class: The level of opposition provides important context.
• Ignoring Price: Even a strongly rated horse can represent poor value.

Speed Rating Checklist

Before giving a speed figure significant weight, check the complete profile.

• Rating System: Know what the figure actually measures.
• Recency: Establish when the performance occurred.
• Consistency: Decide whether it is an isolated peak or a repeatable level.
• Distance: Check whether the figure was achieved over a relevant trip.
• Course: Consider whether today’s track presents a similar test.
• Going: Compare today’s surface with the conditions behind the strongest figures.
• Class: Assess the level of opposition.
• Pace: Determine whether the race shape helped produce the figure.
• Sectionals: Use them where available to understand how the overall time was achieved.
• Official Rating: Compare the time evidence with the horse’s current handicap assessment.
• Current Form: Establish whether the horse remains capable of its historical figures.
• Price: Decide whether the odds compensate for the horse’s actual chance.

The objective is not to find the biggest number.

It is to determine which numbers are relevant to today’s race.

Speed Ratings as Part of Race Analysis

Speed ratings work best as one part of a broader assessment.

A race can require you to consider recent form, race class, ratings, sectionals, course suitability, distance, going, draw, pace, trainer form, jockey bookings and market price.

Different races place different emphasis on those factors.

Sometimes the speed figures provide the strongest piece of evidence.

In another race, an unusual pace setup or substantial change in going can matter more.

The skill is deciding which evidence deserves the greatest weight in the race you are analysing.

Horse Racing Speed Ratings FAQs

What is a speed rating in horse racing?

A speed rating is a numerical assessment of the time merit of a horse’s performance. It attempts to make race times more comparable by using appropriate benchmarks and adjustments rather than relying only on the raw finishing time.

What does TS mean on a horse racing racecard?

TS commonly means Topspeed on Racing Post racecards. Topspeed is Racing Post’s time-based performance rating.

What is a Topspeed rating?

Topspeed is a speed figure based on race time relative to an appropriate course-and-distance standard, with adjustments incorporated into the methodology.

Is a higher Topspeed rating better?

A higher figure represents a stronger time performance according to the Topspeed methodology. It does not mean the horse with the highest figure will automatically win its next race.

What is a standard time in horse racing?

A standard time is a benchmark for a particular course and distance against which actual race times can be assessed.

Why can’t I just compare race times?

Racecourses, surfaces, going, pace and other conditions affect finishing times. A faster raw time does not automatically represent a better performance.

What is the difference between TS and OR?

TS is a time-based Topspeed performance rating. OR is the Official Rating used within British handicapping.

What is the difference between TS and RPR?

TS is primarily based around time. RPR is a separate Racing Post performance assessment. They are designed to measure performance differently.

What do OR, RPR and TS mean?

OR means Official Rating. RPR means Racing Post Rating. TS means Topspeed. The three figures should not be treated as interchangeable.

Are speed ratings the same as speed figures?

The terms are commonly used for numerical assessments based on race times, although individual providers can use different methodologies and terminology.

Are speed ratings accurate?

Speed ratings provide useful evidence but cannot capture every element of a horse race. Pace, course, going, distance, trouble in running and other circumstances affect how a figure should be interpreted.

Do speed ratings work on the Flat?

Yes. Time-based ratings are widely used to assess Flat racing performances.

Do speed ratings work over jumps?

They can be used over jumps, but jumping efficiency, mistakes, omitted obstacles, longer distances and variable ground introduce additional factors.

Are speed ratings useful on the all-weather?

Yes. All-weather racing provides extensive timing information, although the different courses and surfaces still need to be assessed separately.

Can a horse win with a low speed rating?

Yes. A horse can improve, encounter more suitable conditions or benefit from a different race setup on its next start.

Why can a winning horse receive a low speed figure?

A slowly run race can result in a modest overall time even when the winner has considerably more ability than the figure suggests.

Can a losing horse record a good speed figure?

Yes. A horse can produce a strong time performance while being beaten by even stronger horses.

Should I back the highest Topspeed-rated horse?

Not automatically. Check recency, form, distance, going, course, class, pace, handicap mark and price before deciding how much weight to give the rating.

Are recent speed ratings more useful than career-best figures?

Recent figures often provide better evidence of current ability. Career-best ratings remain useful when there is a credible reason to believe the horse can reproduce that level.

Can speed ratings help identify improving horses?

Yes. A sequence of rising figures can provide evidence that a horse’s performances are improving, particularly when supported by stronger form or success at higher levels.

Where can I find today’s top speed horses?

The live table near the top of this page identifies today’s leading Topspeed-rated runners. Use it alongside today’s racecards to assess each horse in the context of its actual race.

Summary

Speed ratings measure the time merit of horse racing performances.

They answer a different question from conventional form figures.

A finishing position tells you where the horse finished.

A speed figure attempts to tell you how strong the performance was on time.

Racing Post’s Topspeed, normally displayed as TS, is one of the best-known examples in British racing.

The three common racecard ratings should remain distinct:

• OR: Official Rating.
• RPR: Racing Post Rating.
• TS: Topspeed.

The highest number is not automatically the most important one.

Recency, consistency, distance, course, going, class and pace determine how relevant a historical speed figure is to today’s race. Sectional times can then help explain how that overall performance was produced.

Speed ratings become particularly useful when they reveal something that finishing positions hide. A fourth-place finish can contain a strong time performance. A comfortable winner can record a modest figure because the race developed slowly.

Use the stopwatch as another source of evidence.

Combine it with form, sectional times, handicap ratings, course and distance form, going, draw and pace before deciding what the figure means for today’s race.