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Introduction: Betting on Horse Racing

Betting on the horses has been one of the most popular fixtures in sports betting since it’s induction. It’s been one of the few legal betting opportunities in the US when compared to other forms of gambling, many of which are still illegal at a state level. But just because betting on horse races is popular certainly doesn’t mean that you’ll know how to win the jackpot or that it’s easy to pick the winners. You’ll need to figure out a system that takes into account all the hundreds of variables. In effect, your own handicapping system. That’s why we put together this basic checklist so that you can get started with betting on the horses.

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Focus on Value Using Simple Bets

If it’s your first time looking at the betting sheet, it can certainly be overwhelming. There are so many bets available. There are exotic bets with very long odds but with huge payouts. These could lead you to start placing smaller bets in the hope of scoring a big win. But in horse racing, and particularity in the betting aspects, there’s no room for hope. You need to have a solid plan to start with. And this should ideally revolve around long term goals. Yes, we know, some punters do rather well with short term bets, and others with long term odds. But they have probably done a ton of research so as to be confident with their choices.

We suggest that when you begin your horse race betting journey, you begin with simple traditional wagers. Bets like “win”, “place” and “show” will help you learn the ropes and you should ideally stick with these until you can make a consistent profit with them. These are like your baby steps. Ensure that you understand why certain bets either help or hinder your potential profits. Then we can move up the food chain so to speak.

horse racing
Don’t overcomplicate things!

Simple Bets First

Once you can make a profit off these elementary bets, then it’s time to consider “quinella” and “trifecta” wagers. Essentially with these, you’re betting on the first two or three top finishers of a race. This is where you’ll need all your savvy, as betting on a number and order of finishers is not easy at all. Also, keep in mind that there’s no point in making a highly risky box quinella or trifecta bet when the returns are usually small. We think that the best strategy is to find value in those smaller and simpler bets. Once you improve your handicapping skills you might discover that these simple bets are by far the best return on investment and allow you to make consistently good money over the long term, as well as increase your jackpot winning chances.

Speed Is Important, But Not the Only Consideration

It really should go without saying that speed is the number one factor in horse racing. The fastest horse come home first. But having said that, a previous race winner doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be a winner in the next outing. if you were to use speed as the only metric, then after any number of races, you’d find yourself just about breaking even. But our goal here is to make a decent profit. So, you can’t base your handicapping strategy on speed alone. But at the same time you most definitely shouldn’t ignore a horse’s speed.

horse racing
Inspect all the statistics before placing a bet

Horse Racing: Track Conditions Are Important

This is it of a no-brainer. Each and every horse racing track is unique. Some are covered in turf, whilst others are dirt. And you’ll note that the weather has a huge influence over racing conditions with regards to different track covering materials. Now, some horses are better on some surfaces, just like tennis players might be better on grass as opposed to clay. If you’re going to be able to handicap properly, then you’ll need to do some digging to discover which horse performs best on which surface. You’ll also be needing to know both the temperature and the chance of precipitation over the course of a race. The amount of rain and for how long it’s been raining will all affect the racing surface to some degree or other

Comparing Past Competition

There are horses that like to run with the competition. And others that will run the same whether solo or in a race with others. The problem is that horses that tend to like to run with the competition never actually win races. If you research these things, you’ll find horses that run strong with the competition, yet are able to pull ahead in the final few furlongs. You want to look at the level of competition a horse has aced in the past. Yes, that does mean researching all the horses in those previous races. maybe your favorite was able to dominate and have a string of wins. But on closer inspection, you discover that the competition was one hoof away from the glue factory. This is a common mistake many horse bettors make. They assume that the competition is the same in every race.

In order to e profitable in horse race betting, you need to dig deep. It’s your money your playing with, so there’s really no excuse for not finding the time to properly evaluate every aspect of the competition over the past so many races.

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Starting Position and Speed to the First Turn

This can be a pretty good indicator of how the race will pan out. It would be nice to find the metric on each horse’s starting position, but this information more often than not isn’t collated. So the next best bet is to look at who’s the first into the first bend. But having said that, do also keep in mind that some horses are strong finishers who can come from behind to snatch a victory. Ideally, you want to spot a strong finisher whose first to the first end.

horse racing
Starting position is very important

Properly Evaluating Jockeys

Though you might assume that the jockey plays a pivotal role in horse racing, it’s just not so. You’ll find countless winners that have won with countless jockeys on board. Most jockeys are certainly good enough at the level of professional racing to be able to win on the right horse. So, check out the jockeys in their silks by all means, but remember that it’s really all about the horse. Likewise with the trainer or the stables from which the horse comes. Yes, there can be an influence, but it’s more often than not completely insignificant.

Horse Racing: Buying Tips

A quick internet search will bring up countless horse racing systems, tips, advanced statistical packages and software that are all designed to help you pick a winner. We’ll rant that some of these can help you learn something new about horse race betting. But the vast majority are garbage and are a complete waste of money. Look at it this way, if you had formulated a system that allowed you to win consistently, would you share it with all and sundry. We’re certain that the answer is “nope”. All these jackpot winning tips and tricks are nothing more than a lazy cash grab from even lazier punters. If you’re too lazy to do even the most basic of research, then perhaps gambling on the horses isn’t for you. You’ll just be throwing good money after bad.

There is one exception to the above rule. And that concerns data. Once you’ve figured out how to be a consistent winner, then you’ll want to go deeper in order to improve your wagering odds. It’s at that point you might want to consider saving time by buying the relevant data. Armed with this, you’ll be able to crunch those numbers that’ll benefit your betting in the long run. This data is just data. It’s not going to show you how to turn a profit. You have to use your own head for that.

Conclusion: Horse Racing

When you’re next checking the odds at a horse race, use these tips to help you choose more carefully. We suggest that horse race betting for profit is a very long term project You need to know a huge amount of knowledge and up to date information to be able to consistently pull in a profit. But there are very successful sorts bettors who regularly make a killing on the horse track. You have to know your stuff as well as find a system for betting that suits your style. Once you’ve learned how to handicap horses for your own purposes, then you’ll be on your way to being one of those successful sports bettors yourself.

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