- C: The class of a harness racehorse which stands for Country Assessment; M stands for Metropolitan Assessment. A C11 M6 pacer has won an equivalent of 11 country class races and 6 metropolitan class races.
- c.: An abbreviation for a colt, as it appears in race books, pedigrees and stud books.
- Calcutta: Sweepstakes conducted prior to a big event with each horse being raffled and then auctioned to the highest bidder.
- Carry the grandstand: Said of a horse allocated a big weight in a handicap race.
- Cast: A horse situated on its side or back, and wedged in the starting stalls, such that it cannot get up.
- Cast a plate: Lost a racing plate.
- Ch.: An abbreviation for a chestnut horse, as it appears in race books, pedigrees and stud books.
- Chaff burner: Derogatory term for a horse.
- Checked: Incident during a race when a horse is blocked, causing it to change stride, slow down or change direction.
- Claim: see apprentice allowance.
- Clerk of the course: Mounted racecourse officials who manage horses and jockeys on the race track, and lead the winner of a race back to the mounting yard.
- Coat-tugger: A racecourse conman who will tip a horse to a punter, and if the horse wins, is always present when the punter collects, to demand a portion of the winnings.
- Colourful racing identity: Euphemism for a criminal.
- Colours: Coloured racing jacket and cap worn by jockeys to indicate the owners of a horse.
- Colt: An entire (ungelded) male under four years of age.
- Connections: The owners and trainer of a horse.
- Cop a minty wrapper: To receive a very light "sling" or gratuity.
- Correct weight: After a race the weight carried by at least the placegetters is checked, and ‘correct weight’ is the signal by the stewards that bets can be paid.
- Could not lay it with a trowel: Said by bookmakers of a horse that has been completely neglected in the betting ring.
- Cricket score odds: Very long odds, usually 100 to 1 or better.
- Crucified: see Slaughtered.
- Crusher: A bookmaker who takes top odds from his colleagues and then offers prices on the same horse or horses at reduced odds.
- Cuts his own hair: An expression to indicate a person is very careful about investing any money.
Read more about this topic: Glossary Of Australian And New Zealand Punting