Horseracing Betting Guide
Race Winner Bets
The main bet that can be placed on each race is on which horse will win the race. A bet can be placed on any of the runners, and the odds offered on each will reflect the current form of the horse and the jockey, whether they perform well on that particular turf over that particular distance, and many more factors.
The odds offered in this main bet are higher than that of many other sports. This is because there are more contestants in each race than in many sports where there are only two contending teams or players. Punters may find that even the horse that is the clear favourite to win has some long odds that can be taken advantage of.
Each Way Bets
Betting on which horse will win the race may not be easy to predict. As soon as the race begins there will be some early leaders but anything can happen in the final stretch and that is what makes horseracing so exciting. Each way bets can be placed instead of race winner bets, and what these do is cover the horse to place as well.
For different races the each way bet can vary, the place may vary and so may the odds offered on if the horse places. There may be a race where each way splits off a portion of the stake to be put on the horse to place. Whether the place is in the top three or in the top five will depend on the race, but this will be stated for each race. If the horse wins, the bet pays out in full. If the horse places, then the punter will still receive some returns.
Though this bet may be slightly more expensive to place it can be useful for punters who want to have that extra bit of insurance. It can cover any last minute disappointments which is why some punters may prefer to place this bet rather than a race winner bet.
Place Bets
This bet is on a horse to place during the race. Just as with the each way bet, the place may vary from race to race, with some using the top 3 and others using the top 5 for places. Place bets reduce the risk but they also come with shorter odds than bets on a horse to win.
Special Bets
Horseracing has its own special bets that have complicated names but easy to understand concepts, such as the exacta, trifecta, superfect and quinella. These bets are also referred to by some as exotic bets.
The exacta bets are simply on which horses will finish in the first and second place, in the correct order. This bet is not easy to predict and the bookie knows this, which is why the bet comes with longer odds.
The trifecta bets are similar to the exacta, only they require the punter to predict which horses will finish in the top three places, also in the correct order. These bets come at far longer odds because they are even more difficult to predict than the exacta bets.
The superfecta is the horseracing betting equivalent of a jackpot, as it comes with tremendous odds though it is the most difficult bet to predict. Punters will have to predict which horses will finish in the first, second, third and fourth place and all in the correct order. This is not a bet that punters place commonly but works best as a side bet with a minimal stake. It is the highest risk bet and punters rarely win a superfecta, but if they do make a winning prediction they can enjoy some really massive winnings.
The superfecta is also seen as quite a feat amongst horseracing bettors, and not only will it be one of the most thrilling bets to watch come through, but it is definitely worth keeping a printed note or record of to show off in the future, as not many punters have dared and won a superfecta bet.
The quinella is another type of exotic bet where punters have to bet on which horses will finish in the first and second place, although they do not need to pick the correct order. This bet comes at lower odds than the exacta, but it still brings significantly longer odds than bets on which horse will win the race.
How to Research Bets
Horseracing fans who have watched many races and are relatively familiar with the horses in the race will have an advantage over punters who want to place their bets by merely using the odds as reference.
Horses do not usually have extremely long careers in thoroughbred horseracing as they retire for breeding or to avoid picking up any injuries at the young age of 4, 5 or 6. This means that for most horses, their careers will last for a 2 years, going as far as up to 4 years depending on what distances they run.
This can make it difficult for punters who want to research specific horses before races because there may not be an extensive history for each of the contestants, and they may not have necessarily run on that specific course before. Though there are some helpful factors that can be considered.
What is the horse’s preferred running distance, what is their preferred turf, in their previous races what were the weather conditions like, what form are they in (how did they fare in their last 6 races).
This information may be valuable in predicting how well the horse will fare in the next race, although punters may want some more general information to gauge how likely the horse will win. Researching which jockey is riding the horse and who is the trainer can be an indicator as to how likely the horse is to win at certain races.
In fact, some punters will purely base their decisions on who the jockey and trainer are. Some trainers are known to only enter horses that they think have a very good chance of winning, which means that the bets have a similar chance of winning.
What Different Strategies Are There
In addition to placing straight bets on each race, there are some strategies that punters employ to improve their chances of winning larger sums of money. There are different combinations of bets that can be used by those who enjoy advanced strategies. It is possible to merge the bets of several horse races together for a chance to win with some tremendous odds. Bets such as the patent bet, trixie bet, lucky 15 bet, yankee bet, goliath bet, amongst others, may be unfamiliar to those who have not bet on horseraces before, but they are worth learning about.
These are bets that relate to several horse races and require the punter to pick the winner of each race. They can then place a combination of singles, doubles, trebles, and more bets to cover different winning combinations over the different horse races. These bets may not be available for all horse races, though bettors who learn how they work may create similar bets using combinations of singles, doubles. trebles, and more.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a bet that is guaranteed to win. However, the more information you gather and the more time you invest in understanding how different bets may complement each other, the better your chances will be.