Horse racing has been around since 4500 BC, making it one of the oldest sporting activities still being practiced today. And the appeal around the ‘sport of kings’ has only grown over the years with exorbitant amounts of money being funnelled towards the global sport in terms of horse purchases, racing and, most notably, horse race betting.
For anyone interested in betting on the horses, below are a few guidelines to help you make you some money crossing the finish line.
Horse Race Betting
What to consider when placing bets
Once you have got hold of a Daily Racing Form which lists useful statistics related to horse racing, you can begin the process of handicapping. Essentially this is a means of determining which horse is most likely to win the race by assessing the form. Other useful items are a racetrack programme with information about horses, jockeys, trainers and owners; public handicapper selections which is often available in local newspapers or a handicapping tip sheet which includes daily selections published by handicappers at the racetrack.
There are a number of elements that go into handicapping:
1. Beyer Speed Figures
This is where you will begin by looking at the numbers in bold found in the middle of the Daily Racing Form which give each horse’s past performance – a very important indicator of how the horse might fare in today’s race. The Beyer numbers are made up of pace and speed predictions.
2. Pace Projections
This is the first number in bold and, by looking at past performances, you can attempt to establish the pace of the current race and whether your horse will get an early lead.
3. Speed Projections
The second number in bold indicates whether the horse has what it takes to overtake at the homestretch.
4. Race Distance
This is a big contributing factor to a horse’s chances because a horse that wins at six furlongs might not have the going power to win a 12-furlong race so ensure you check how your horse fares at various distances.
5. Post Position
It’s a good idea to look at all the horses and their previous post positions. Where outside posts are beneficial in sprint races with one turn, it’s better to have an inside post for longer races with more than one turn (route races).
6. Weather Forecast
Although a lot of horse racing comes down to chance at the end of the day – much like the weather – it’s worth just checking whether sun or rain is expected and how your horse has performed in previous races.
7. Track Bias
Just like in tennis where players prefer different surfaces, so too do horses have a preference for either turf or dirt. Check on previous performances relating to surfaces when handicapping.
8. Feel the Form
Just like any other competitor, horses have their days and the previous race may not be a true representation of the horse’s form. Try to look at more than just one race prior, as well as the other factors mentioned, to determine whether your horse will be at peak performance this race day.
9. Follow the Money
No owners are going to fly a horse thousands of kilometres just to watch him or her lose the race. This is definitely worth considering when backing a horse. Also, take a look at the size of the purse because the bigger the purse, the more likely the horse is to perform.
10. Extra Information
Any small detail could affect the outcome of the race. Read the Daily Racing Form carefully for any tidbits of information that could give your horse the edge. These include any recent equipment changes, whether the horse has recently changed hands, the horse’s workout speeds, gender and breed (males tend to be faster than females). Weigh up all the information at hand before placing your bet.
Place your online horse race bets today.
The Different Types of Horse Race Bets
It can be quite daunting placing a bet on horse racing because of the extensive terminology used, but below are the basic betting options to ease you into it.
1. Place: you win if the horse comes in the top two or three (depending on field size).
2. Win: you win only if the horse wins.
3. Quinella: you bet on two or three horses to finish either first or second in any order.
4. Swinger: you bet on two horses and if they come in two of the first three places, you win.
5. Exacta: you bet on two horses finishing in first or second in order.
6. Trifecta: you bet on three horses finishing first, second and third in order.
7. Quartet or Superfecta: you bet on four horses finishing in first, second, third and fourth in order.
When placing your bet, the order followed is racetrack, race, amount, bet type and horse number. So, for example, you would state: “At Turfontein, I’d like to bet on the 5th race, a R100 exacta on horses 3 and 7.” Ensure that you check your ticket, just to make sure it’s correct.
Mastering the art of horse race betting
Once you’ve got the feel for horse race betting, a great way to improve your future performance is simply by keeping track of past bets. Where have you won, and lost and what was different in each race? Make sure you have some way to keep a track of your results as well as amounts won or lost either using a pen and paper or your cellphone.
The Sansui Summer Cup is an excellent race to bet on. Place your bets on this years Sansui Summer Cup.
View the 2016 Sansui Summer Cup Final Field before placing your horse race bets.
Place your Horse Race Bets.
Some race tracks even hold regular seminars or workshops on horse race betting where you can pick up useful tips or meet like minded individuals. You can even practice betting among friends although it would be wise to keep the amounts low so as not to create any unpleasantness! Horse race betting online still remains the easiest and quickest way to place horse race bets.
Visit Keith Ho BetXchange for the best horse race betting odds, promotions and bonuses as well as betting available for all sports including rugby, soccer, golf and tennis.
