Horse racing has been a popular sport for almost 200 years. Why is this sport so interesting to bookmakers? Bookmakers who get a rush of adrenaline when taking risks love this sport because the races are short and everything is over in a few minutes. Also, this sport is more predictable compared to others from betting offers, which in a way allows players to make money more easily. With a good research from reliable sources, almost anyone can write a winning ticket.
As we mentioned earlier, this sport has been popular all over the planet for two centuries. Therefore, with every reputable bookmaker, you can find a wide range of bets on horse racing. Of course, that today’s online betting platforms such as horsebetting.com offer the possibility to bet online, on almost every competition in the world. Also, a large number of operators offer generous bonuses and promotions ahead of every major competition of the season. Odds are solid and vary constantly throughout the year. In this guide, we will discuss all the things you need to know before you decide to go betting on horse races.
1. The most famous horse races
Equestrian Federation (FEI) is the organization that manages the sport around the world. The FEI manages all equestrian disciplines, and horse racing is one of them. This governing body, in addition to promoting the sport around the world, also takes care of the welfare of the horses and conducts regular doping controls. In addition to the FEI, each country or region has its own governing body that organizes competitions. There are several variations of horse racing and these are:
- Trotting races – races in which the horse needs to trot to the finish line as fast as possible without galloping. If a horse gallops, both the horse and the jockey are immediately disqualified.
- Gallop races – gallop races are held between 2 points, on a straight track. The length of the trail is between 800-4000 meters.
- Obstacle Racing – Races in which horses jump over various obstacles. The length of the trail is from 2800-6500 meters.
- Endurance races are races in which horses cover huge distances (40–161km)
The most famous competitions in this sport are Kentucky Derby, The Royal Ascot, Dubai World Cup.
2. Various betting offers
It is necessary to emphasize that in horse racing it is possible to bet on fixed odds and the so-called Starting Price, which is referred to as SP in most English bookmakers. Betting on fixed odds is the same as for other sports and the bet is concluded with the odds at the time of payment.
In the case of a bet on the starting price, the odds are determined at the beginning of the race and contain a fair estimate of the value of the odds based on payments at the racetrack until the start of the race. The starting price is therefore the same at all bookmakers.
Another form of betting similar to starting price betting is Tote betting which in English is sometimes also called Pool Betting and in French Pari-Mutuel. There is no fixed exchange rate for Tote betting, but after the acceptance of bets is completed, the percentage of the house is separated while all remaining amount of money paid out is distributed to the winners.
As the final odds on Tote and betting on the starting price can deviate significantly from the odds before the start of the race, these forms of betting are not suitable for safe betting and it is necessary to stick to betting on fixed odds. After all, on stock exchanges the odds of lay bets can be paid only at fixed odds.
Most online bookmakers, in addition to betting on the winner of the match, also offer bets on placement: Place and Show Bet.
Place or place bet – Place bet on one of the first 2 places. Many bookmakers on special occasions (Cheltenham Festival, Grand National Race, etc.) expand this offer to place in the top 4.
Show – Bet on placement in one of the first 3 places
3. Pay attention to the race program, the class of your horse, and your jockey before you place a bet
If you want your bets to be as successful as possible, you must first find out about horses, races, jockeys, and many other factors that can affect the outcome of a race. Without good research, there is no big payoff.
The race program or the so-called race day program is an extremely useful booklet that contains a lot of important information about the participants of the race. Learn to read this booklet and your chances of success will increase dramatically.
In horse racing, there are several different levels of competition, the so-called classes. The bigger the class, the better the horses and the bigger the prize pools.
The race tracks are built of different surfaces, which directly influences the performance of the horse on a track. Some horses gallop better on the grass, while they are slower on artificial surfaces, and vice versa. Consult the program to evaluate the success of the horse on each surface.
As you flip through the program, take a look at the jockey as well – if you notice that he’s been in one of the top three positions in the previous few races no matter what horse he’s ridden, it means he’s talented.
All of this seems like a fantasy at first glance, but true sports connoisseurs make a lot of money betting on horse races. Of course, there are a lot of unpredictable factors and you still have to assess how you can use the information you came across, but with good preparation, skillful assessment, and a little luck you can become part of a huge population that earns a fortune every season at horse races. Even though they are risky, with a little does f caution it will pay off.
