A Novices Guide to Horse Race Betting

If you have never placed a wager on events such as the Cheltenham Festival or the Royal Ascot, then now may be the time to learn how to do so. However, punting on horseracing may seem daunting, and arouses visions of males who have not changed their clothes since the seventies waiting in long queues in dingy inner-city betting shops.

As luck would have it betting on horseracing has changed with the times, with internet betting getting more and more popular as the prompt and painless alternative to visiting totes. Nevertheless in spite of these changes, staking on horseracing may nonetheless be an intimidating undertaking due to the lingo used.

The jargon of horse race betting hides the reality that betting on horseracing is usually rather simple. Here are a couple of of the commonest betting choices explained.

Bet to show

A horse that completes a race with a show finishes in the top three. To bet on a show just means betting on a horse achieving a position amongst the first 3. The advantage with this kind of bet is that it permits you to bet on 3 horses in any one race. Whenever all 3 horses show, you will receive 3 payouts, irrespective of what order they finish in.

Bet to place

A horse that completes a race placed has come either 1st or 2nd. Once more you are able to bet on 2 horses with this selection, and can pick up a duplicate payout regardless of the order in which they come in.

Bet to win

Usually regarded as among the simplest bets, betting on a winner is in reality among the hardest betting picks. This is reflected in the greater betting odds paid-out on successful bets, especially in handicap races. While betting on a winner implies the uncomplicated process of picking your favourite, making a well-educated pick is far harder.

Bet both ways

To bet both ways is a popular technique of ‘hedging’ a bet when betting on a winner. Beside your bet on a winner, lay a bet on the same horse showing. Whenever the horse wins you will be paid out twice, if it falters but still pulls off a show then you still earn a payout.

Bet on "fectas"

The trifecta and superfecta are essentially extensions of laying bets on a winner. All the same, these wagers up the ante by requiring wagerers to correctly predict the finishing order of a race. In the case of a trifecta this entails precisely predicting positions 1 to 3, while the superfecta calls for predicting the final standings from 1st to 4th place.

There are numerous other betting alternatives used by seasoned bettors, and literally every race or festival will have its own specials. Even so, the simple betting options outlined above are a cracking way to familiarise yourself with horseracing betting. Before you go off to lay your bets there's one final piece of horse racing betting info you will need.

Unless you plan on handling your betting like a lottery, it's worthwhile understanding the function of a racing card. Racing cards are issued in betting papers and totes when the fields for racing are finalised. The race cards list the horses in the race along with info on age, weight carried (whenever the race is a handicap race), and preceding form for each runner.

The race card isn't used only to pick out the horse with the hottest looking stats. Instead it's used to match a horse to a race or track, employing form as well as recent trends in the race to determine which contestant has the best prospects. As such it is worthwhile researching race trends in addition to age, sex and form info relating to preceding race winners.

If this does not sound overly complex, you may also wish to visit online formbooks such as the Racing Post which provide in-depth form and statistical data for every registered race horse in the UK.

In conclusion, never forget the golden law of gambling: ‘Bet enough for it to hurt, just never enough for it to do serious damage’.

Good luck to you !

Mark