Your Guide to Online Horse Racing Betting

Over 200 years old, Horse Racing in India is a popular sport that has stood the test of time. The 7 popular Turf Clubs across the country conduct horse races during different seasons of the year.

These clubs also accept bets on these races and operate Tote booths at the racecourses for this purpose. However, many Indian bettors would prefer betting on horse races online without having to be present at the racecourse.

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Horse Racing Betting Tips

Research

Like any other sport, there is a bit of homework required before placing your bets on a horse race. Most of the horse racing sites offer form guides with all the critical information about the participating horses and the race.

Here you can find out which of the horses have been in top 3 previously and who is more likely to win. However, the type of track is a crucial factor in the race which may not always be listed on the betting site.

It is also worth finding a trusted source of horse racing tips to compare your choice against your own selections.

Placing different types of Bets

When betting on horse racing or any other sport, there are no betting tips to help you win every single time. Instead, a bettor would use strategies to increase the chances of a higher overall payout.

One such strategy is making different types of bets on a race. Other than the most popular Win bet, Place bets allow punters to hedge to a small extent. When you make a Place bet on a horse, your chances of winning in this scenario are higher than those in a Win bet.

In a Each-Way bet, your Place bet wins if your horse finishes in top 3 places. Some bookmakers also offer each way betting up to 5 places.


Major Indian Horse Races To Bet On

Indian Derby

The Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai hosts India’s biggest horse race, Indian Derby in February. Four-year-old colts and fillies run this race and in 2019, Star Superior, trained by Rajesh Narredu won the Indian Derby.

Indian 2000 Guineas

This race is run at Mumbai in December for 3-year old fillies and is the Indian version of English 2000 Guineas race. Trouvaille won the 2019 race with Nicky Mackey up and was trained by SK Sunderji.

Indian 1000 Guineas

Like the Indian 2000 Guineas, this race is also for 3-year old fillies and is run at Mumbai in December. Gift Of Grace trained by Parvati Byramji with David Egan up won the Indian 1000 Guineas Grade 1 race hosted by Royal Western India Turf Club at Mumbai.

The other 2 major events on the racing calendar are The Indian Oaks held at end of January in Mumbai and the St Ledger which is held in September at Pune racetrack.


How Do I Bet on Horse Racing?

The most crucial part of betting on horse racing is understanding the betting systems.

Fixed Price/ Fixed Odds Betting

These are your straight forward fixed odds/price bets where you can calculate the potential winnings on your bet at the given odds. For ex. The fixed odds for a horse to Win are 5.00 and you stake INR 100, your potential winnings on this bet will be INR 500.

Tote Betting

In this system of betting, you can’t calculate the returns on your stake. There are no odds offered at the time of placing your bet. Instead, a Tote or Totalisator calculates your winnings based on the total pool of stakes made for that bet.

It totals all the stakes and divides the payout/winnings among the winners. The more people place a wager, the bigger the pool gets and higher the payout will be. However, your dividend or payout depends on how significant your stake was.

Tote Betting or Pari-Mutuel betting is a popular betting system in horse racing, however, not every punter in India may find it easy and convenient.


Online Horse Racing Bookmakers

The following bookmakers offer comprehensive betting markets for Indian Horse Racing including the best racing apps for placing bets on your mobile:

Bet365

Bet365 is a reputed and trustworthy betting site that offers betting on horse races in India. Punters can also bet on horse races in the UK & Ireland, Australia & New Zealand and other international horse races.

Bet365 offers Tote and Fixed Price betting options for horse racing and also provides statistics related to the race – Horse Details, Last Run, Distance, Course, Previous Odds, Open Odds, etc.

Dafabet

Another popular and reliable betting site in India with horse betting options is Dafabet. Indian players can enjoy easy payment methods and app support for Android and iOS with Dafabet in addition to sports bonuses and the biggest range of betting markets.

Dafabet now supports local payment methods like Paytm Wallet, UPI, and IMPS in addition to NetBanking, Debit/Credit Cards and other E-Wallets.

Betway

Betway offers an easy to use interface for sports betting and players new to online horse racing will find it easy to get started with this betting site.

In the horse racing markets, Betway offers Each-Way betting upto 3 places in addition to its very own #betyourway market.

Betway also offers insight into the form, age/weight, previous runs, along with a comment on the prospects of the horses.


Is Online Horse Racing Betting Legal in India?

There is no law in India that makes placing bets on an international betting site that is hosted overseas. When it comes to horse racing, a Supreme Court ruling in 1996 stated that horse betting wasn’t just luck-based and involved skill also. As a result, it cannot be considered illegal gambling according to the Gaming Act of 1930.