The going scale from firm to heavy
| Going | What it means |
|---|---|
| Firm | Very fast, dry ground. Rare in Britain and Ireland and often watered to avoid it. |
| Good to firm | Fast ground with a little give. Common in summer Flat racing. |
| Good | The middle of the scale: a horse leaves a light hoof print. |
| Good to soft | Some give in the ground; times get slower. |
| Soft | Wet ground; hooves sink in and stamina starts to matter more. |
| Heavy | Very wet, testing ground. Races become a test of stamina and slow right down. |
In Ireland you will also see yielding, which sits between good and soft. A course can also give two descriptions, such as “good, good to soft in places”, when the ground varies around the track.
Good to soft, soft and heavy: what changes
As the ground gets softer, races are run more slowly and take more out of the horses. Horses with plenty of stamina, or with big feet and a round action, often cope better. Horses that rely on pure speed can struggle, especially on heavy ground.
All-weather going: standard, slow and fast
All-weather tracks race on a man-made surface such as Polytrack or Tapeta, so they are not described as good or soft. Their going is usually standard, sometimes standard to slow or slow, and occasionally standard to fast or fast.
How the going is measured
The clerk of the course walks the track and decides the official going. Many British courses also publish a GoingStick reading, a number from a tool pushed into the turf to measure how firm it is. Rain, watering, sun and wind can all change the going during a meeting, so check for updates on the day.
Why some horses need a certain ground
Every horse is different. Some only show their best on fast ground, others love it soft. The simplest check is the horse's past form: how has it run when the going was the same as today?
Going at Ascot (with our figures)
Of the 886 Flat races we counted at Ascot from May 2019 to 17 October 2026, nearly half were on good to firm:
| Going at Ascot (Flat) | Races | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Good to firm | 429 | 48% |
| Good | 191 | 22% |
| Good to soft | 123 | 14% |
| Soft | 131 | 15% |
| Heavy | 12 | 1% |
The going also changes how the draw plays out. See Ascot draw bias explained.
Every type of ground, course by course
Our racecourse guides show how each course rides on every type of going, with the figures behind it. Start with Ascot.
See the Ascot Racecourse Guide