Learn how to bet on horses using our step by step guide below.
1. Select your racing event and race number
There are a number of horse racing events in India and around the world throughout the year. Select the event and the race number from the multiple races held on a particular race day.
2. Read the racing form guide and select your horse
Once you’ve selected a specific race, proceed to read the racing form guide. You’ll find all the necessary information about the participating horses in the form guide to help you decide which horse to bet on.
3. Choose your bet type
There are a number of bet types when it comes to horse racing. Win and Place are some of the most popular and common types of horse race bets. You can also choose from bet types such as Forecast, Quinella, Trifecta, Exacta, and First Four.
4. Select a good bookmaker
The other crucial part of horse race betting is selecting the right bookmaker. From available bet types to best odds, your horse race betting experience depends on the bookmaker you choose to bet with.
5. Place your bet
Having ticked all the boxes on the checklist of how to bet on horse races, the final step is placing your bet. On an online horse racing site, once you’ve selected your horse and the bet type, you need to enter the amount of your stake in the bet slip and confirm your bet.
Bet on the latest horse racing events
How To Win At Horse Racing
Like with any other sport, it is important to analyse all the key aspects of a horse race that impact the result before placing a bet. By studying the form guide that offers insights into the past performances, jockey, distance, win and place percentages, and other factors, you can increase your chances of winning a horse racing bet.
How To Read Horse Racing Form Guide
There are many bookmakers that offer a brief form guide which features stats such as the age, gender, last race, and form of each of the horses participating in a race. However, form guides curated by experts have much more to offer. Whether it is an online bookmaker or a form guide provider, here are a few things to know before reading a horse racing form guide.
- Race Time – Time of the race
- Distance – Distance of the race
- No. – The saddle cloth number of the horse
- Horse – The name of the horse
- Age/Weight – The age and weight of the horse
- Trainer – The person responsible for the training of the horse
- Jockey – This is the person who will ride the horse
- Form – Depending on the form guide provider, this section may be called ‘Last 5’ or ‘Last 10’. This shows the position where the horse finished in its last 5 or 10 races. It is read from right to left with the rightmost number being the position where the horse finished in its last race.
Horse Racing Betting FAQs
See below for a collection of frequently asked questions by our visitors on horse racing betting.
What does SP mean in horse racing
SP stands for Starting Price in horse racing. When placing a bet on your horse, you can choose to place your wager either on the current price/current odds or the starting price. SP is the odds generated on-course after the event begins and is set by an appointed panel. Betting at SP on a horse race will give you a higher return if it turns out to be higher than the current odds.
What does each way mean in horse racing
Each way bet in horse racing consists of two parts – Win and Place. Two equal amounts are wagered on Win – horse to finish first and Place – horse to place in top 3 or 4 (this may vary depending on the total participants). Since the chances of a horse finishing in the top 3 or 4 are more than those of finishing first, the returns on the Place bet are calculated by applying a fraction (usually ¼ or ⅕ ) to the original odds.
What does NAP mean in horse racing
NAP, in horse racing, refers to a tipster’s best bet of the day. It is the horse that a tipster believes to have the best chances of a win. Two different tipsters can make a different NAP selection and in that scenario, as a punter, you may weigh up your options before making a decision. Another term that’s often used along with NAP in horse racing is NB or Next Best. It is the second-best bet of a tipster.
Is horse racing fixed
Fixing a horse race is impractical as the horses are too unpredictable. However, corruption in horse racing has been in news many times. This is mainly due to the impact of betting exchanges that allow punters to bet on a horse to lose.
Nevertheless, the betting exchanges work alongside police to detect any irregular betting patterns in the effort to keep fixing in horse racing at bay. Overall, horse racing is generally fair and clean and with so many uncertainties involved fixing isn’t easy by any means.
What does handicap mean in horse racing
A handicap is a race where each horse is required to carry a predetermined weight in an aim to bring all the participants to a level playing field. The handicapper allocates different weights to the horses depending on their abilities. A better horse, for example, would carry a heavier weight as compared to a slower horse. This is done to equalise the winning chances of each horse in the race.
What is a Trixie bet in horse racing
A Trixie Bet is one where you select 3 horses and place a wager on a number of multiple bets. When you pick 3 horses that you think will win and choose a Trixie bet, your wager will be multiplied by 4 since you will now be betting on 3 Doubles and 1 Treble i.e. 4 multiple bets.
What does place mean in horse racing
In horse racing, a horse is said to be placed when it finishes in top 2, 3, or 4 depending on the number of horses in the race. Betting on a horse to place means your horse should finish in one of the designated places.
What does Lay mean in horse racing
A lay bet is where you bet on something to not happen. In horse racing, placing a lay bet on a horse means you’re betting on the horse to not win. A betting exchange is a platform that allows punters to lay an outcome in horse racing and other sports.
What is a placepot in horse racing
A placepot is a type of pool betting where a bettor needs to pick a horse to place in races 1-6 on a race card. The stake will be pooled and the total returns will be divided among the winners. Bettors can select more than one horse for each race. It not only increases the total stake but also multiplies the returns. Placepot is popular among horse racing bettors for it offers big returns on small stakes without even having to pick a winner.
How to beat the bookies horse racing
Follow the game closely, keep yourself updated with the latest news and study the racing form guides. To beat the bookies, you need a well thought out betting strategy and a disciplined approach. Shop around for the best odds and explore the different betting markets and types of bets. It takes time to develop and hone your skill and over time as you study the markets and races, you can put the odds in your favour more often.
How to become a horse racing tipster
As an aspiring horse racing tipster, one must be an expert in a particular field of horse racing. Keep an eye out for weaknesses in the market such as the favourites who are priced in the market based on breeding and purchase price instead of their form. Be aware of the biases in a racing track and how they pose a disadvantage to certain horses. When tipping a horse at a particular price or odds, make sure those odds are widely available.
How does horse race betting work
To put things simply, a punter can place a wager on a horse to win before the race begins on the current odds and win a return on the bet if the selected horse wins. Alternatively, the punter can choose to be on SP or starting price which will be generated on-course by an appointed panel.
Additionally, you can also bet on a horse to finish in the top 2 or 3 instead of picking a winning horse. A place bet on a horse wins when the horse finishes in one of the selected places (top 2 or 3). Pool betting in horse racing is also a popular form of betting where stakes are pooled and the returns are divided among the winners.