Early research into the terminology of harness racing has definitely got the Mug interested in the game. For a start, nowhere in my racing travels have I seen a better name than Lance Justice, apparently a trainer of some note, although I wonder if he is a real person. And the fact that you can “Score Up” and be”Strung Out” seems to remind me of other days for some reason.

There is a full glossary of terms here, but I found a few that drew immediate affection:

THE ‘DEATH’ - Also known as the death seat. The position outside the leader, one horse off the rails or fence. The death is usually the toughest run in a race because a horse will have to cover more ground than the inside competitors as well as bear the brunt of the wind resistance.

LOCKED UP - Another term for being boxed in.

THE ‘ONE-ONE’ - The position occupied by the horse immediately behind the death position. It means the said horse is one runner off the rails and one runner back. The one-one is also referred to as the one out, one back trail. It is a desirable position as it provides cover from the wind and is close enough to tackle for the lead.

POPULARITY: Harness racing outranks flat and jump racing (combined) in races run, prizemoney paid and betting turnover in every mainland country of Europe, except Spain and Greece. Trotting accounts for 51% of racing prizemoney in France, 57% in Germany, 62% in Italy and 90% or over in Scandinavia.

PULLED THE PLUGS - Drivers who pull the plugs during a race are merely releasing the ear plugs that have been in their horse’s ears up until that time. Ear plugs can help keep a horse’s mind on the job and help nervy horses stay calm leading up to and during part of the race. When released, (often as the horse gets closer to the finish) the sudden exposure to more noise may help spur on the horse.

SHORTENERS - The implements used to shorten the length of a horse’s hopples. Sometimes horses need a smaller stride during the beginning of a race, in order to ensure they maintain their gait and don’t race too fiercely. In this case, a trainer would use hopple shorteners, which are pulled out at a later stage during the race to enable the horse to increase its stride and therefore speed.

UNDER DOUBLE WRAPS - A horse that is racing exceptionally well and under restraint.