How to Bet on Horse Racing
Horse race betting is one of the world’s oldest forms of sports betting and has become increasingly popular with the ability to play online. But despite its popularity, horse race betting can be intimidating to newcomers. Once a punter is familiar with the lingo, horse racing can be a lot of fun and pay out handsomely.
Online horse race betting means bettors have the opportunity to play on races all around the world, at any hour of the day. Once familiar with the process and jargon, players can hit the ground running.
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Get started with a Horse Betting website
To begin with, players must register on their chosen betting site and ensure their account has been activated by providing all relevant FICA documentation. Once a player has followed the steps to make their first deposit – and possibly claimed the website’s Welcome Bonus – betting can begin.
After registration, a player must navigate over to the Horse Racing tab. Once there, a player must select their preferred track or venue.
Now it is time to start the research. The platform will provide players with information on the odds, horses, jockeys and trainers.
The totalisator will be a player’s guide. This shows the number and amount of bets staked on a race. This helps the division of the total among those backing the winner.
It is important to note that not all online sports betting platforms in South Africa offer horse racing. Some offer a virtual version of the sport, which involves computer-generated races. If a player is looking for real-life racing, they must make sure the chosen platform offers this before registration. The benefit of live racing is that one can use the knowledge of the trainers, horses and jockeys gained over a few races to increase the odds of winning. Once players are experienced, they will also be able to understand course conditions, seasonal patterns and more.
Understand the different Horse Racing Bets
Winning in horse race betting is not as simple as picking a horse and watching it cross the finish line first. Before a player starts betting, it is important to understand the types of bets one can wage. Horse race betting and jargon is different to a lot of other sports betting. While some are as simple as they appear, there are some bets with multiple permutations and variations.
Win Bet
A Win Bet is as it sounds: punters bet on who they predict will win the race. You may choose to select two or more horses in races that are considered wide open. In races such as this, the totalisator pools will show that the race is open, which means considerable payouts even if the backing is for more than one horse.
Place Bet
A Place Bet allows players to bet on who they think will place first, second, third or fourth. What constitutes a place is strictly set and will vary according to the size of the field (the number of horses running). If a race has fewer than six horses, Place Bets will not apply. For races with six to eight horses, punters can bet on the first and second place. Eight to fifteen horses means bets can be placed for first, second and third. Sixteen or more opens the full first, second, third and fourth Place Bets. Due to the higher chance of winning, a Place Bet is considered horse racing’s easiest bet.
Eachway Bet
An Eachway Bet consists of two different bets: one on a horse to win and one on the horse to place. In this way, players spread their odds. If a chosen horse doesn’t win but does place, the punter will still get a return. Some bettors use a variation of an Eachway Bet by wagering double their Win Bet on a Place Bet. In this way, a player has hedged their bet when they are not entirely confident their chosen horse will win.
Exacta
Also known as a Straight Forecast in UK-based racing, an Exacta means a punter must pick two horses to finish first and second, in that exact order. A Box Exacta allows a player to place a ‘box’ around all permutations of the numbers in the box. This means a player can select any number of horses to place in any order. While this gives a player a wider spread for what could be a bigger payout, it does also increase the cost of the bet.
Trifecta
A Trifecta requires a player to correctly pick the first, second and third positions. This is a difficult bet to win so players are allowed variations. For example, a Box Trifecta allows a punter to combine three or more selections to predict the first, second and third positions. A Multiple Trifecta is a bet in which a banker (a horse) is selected to fill a particular position (or more than one) and other horses are chosen to fill the other places. A floating or roving banker is one that is selected to fill any of the first three positions, with a number of other selections to fill the remaining places.
Quartet
A Quartet is a bet in which the player will select the first four horses to finish the race, in the correct order. This type of bet offers high payouts but is challenging to win, so there are variations. A Box Quartet allows a player to combine four or more selections for first, second, third and fourth place in any position. A Multiple Quartet, like the Multiple Trifecta, requires a player to select a banker to fill one or more positions and a number of horses to fill the remaining positions. Roving or floating bankers may also be used in a Quartet.
Swinger
In a Swinger, a punter will select any two horses to finish in the top three, in any position. A single Swinger means a player selected two horses to finish anywhere in the top three. A Box Swinger means a punter can select more horses and combine them – this will add to the cost of the bet but increases odds.
Double
To play a Double means a bettor must select the winner in two consecutive races designated by the official Race Card as a double pool. Players can increase their chances by selecting multiple horses in the first race and multiple in the second. Rolling Doubles will mean players are betting on Race One and Two, Race Two and Three, and so on.
Pick 3
A Pick 3 is similar to a Double but across three consecutive races. Rolling Pick 3s work in the same way as Rolling Doubles. Permutations are allowed in which a punter can select multiple horses in each successive race.
All To Come Bet
An All To Come allows Win or Place bets in different races at the same event to be combined into one cumulative bet. For example, what a player wins in Race One will be placed on Race Two. The winnings of both Race One and Two are then put on Race Three, and so on.
Bipot
A Bipot requires a punter to correctly predict at least one of the first and second-place horses in six races. A ‘straight line’ bipot requires a player to correctly predict one horse to finish in the top two across the six races. A permutation of this allows players to pick multiple horses. This will cost the player more, but increases their chance of winning.
Place accumulator
A Place Accumulator will be run over seven races in which a punter is required to predict at least one of the first three horses to finish. Similar to the bipot, a Place Accumulator permutation allows a punter to pick multiple finishers, increasing their odds of winning.
Jackpot
A player must correctly predict the winners of the four races that constitute the Jackpot. Often two Jackpots per event or day are offered. In races in which a winner is not easily chosen, players may choose more than one horse in a Jackpot permutation. With each horse added, the cost of the bet increases but the odds are also increased.
Pick 6
A player must correctly predict the winners of the six races that comprise the Pick 6. Similar to the Jackpot, punters may bet on multiple horses per race at an increase cost per horse, but odds will also be larger.
Betting on Horse Racing Tips
As with any sports betting, punters interested in horse racing will increase their chances of winning by staying up to date with news coming out of the industry. In this way, prediction can be made based on informed decisions about the state of the trainer, horse and jockey, as well as race conditions, track history and so on.
Develop a betting strategy for the Horse Racing
Do your Research
Experts agree that the first place to start when betting on horses is to thoroughly read the form guide. This will give a punter a clear idea of each horse, their history and what they can offer on the day.
The form guide will provide information on the horse’s breeding, age and background. Some guides will provide the horse’s parentage. The horse’s weight will likely be provided. A horse’s immediate condition is also vital. Punters should take special note of where and how often the horse has raced recently, as this could mean they have been over or underworked. Overworked could mean they are tired, under could mean they are skittish and won’t perform as well. Injuries are also very important to note.
The jockey’s details will appear on the form guide, including his jacket colour. Jockey information is also crucial, including his history with that particular horse and his history on that track.
A knowledgeable bettor will also understand track conditions. While all tracks may look the same, understanding the type of track will help. Dirt, turf or synthetic tracks will all mean different results. Additionally, a dry track (also known as firm) will favour certain horses. To understand this, bettors should know what kind of gait their horses have – horses light on their feet will do better on dry courses, whereas horses who strike the ground hard will have better results on softer tracks that allow for more grip.
Trainers can also make a vast difference to how successful a horse can be and therefore punters should pay attention to the trainer’s history. Trainers will, like their horses, have particular records on certain tracks or certain surfaces.
Emphasis can also be placed on who owns the horse. Owners with proven track records are noteworthy. An owner who understands the sport and their horses will know how much money they are willing to spend on a horse. In this way, owners with plenty of experience should be watched as they will be hiring the best trainers, grooms and jockeys.
Experts also suggest a punter with a favourite may not win as much as punters who bet solely on research.
