The good thing about betting on horse racing is that you can pitch yourself in at any level. You can bet a couple of dollars on the tote or two thousand with a bookmaker. Most people will be somewhere in between these two extremes.
Another plus point about horse racing is that it does not cost a lot of money to enter a racetrack in the UK for a whole afternoon of entertainment.
Horse racing is not an easy sport to win money at which is why I urge you to read up about it before you bet any real cash. You could always paper trade until you get confidence in your selections.
Wining at horse racing does not require luck although a little does help. You can come out on top of bookmakers if you have the right tools. A copy of a good racing paper such as the Racing Post is a good start. Once you have your copy of a racing paper eliminate the hoses you think will lose first rather than try to pick the winner.
The next thing you must do is to predict how the race will be run. Will it be a fast or slow pace?
Then you must determine the class of each horse. Has the horse been upped in class or lowered?
After this check if your selection can run on the ground conditions. Some horses can only handle fast going and some only heavy. Remember there are also different types of all-weather surfaces.
When you start betting with real money the best way is to begin with straight win single only bets. After you get the hang of these you could move on to the more exotic bets such as the Lucky 15, Yankee, Trixie, Patent and Goliath bets. Although these types of bets are more risky the pay-outs can be phenomenal.
If you fancy a longshot it may pay for you to use the tote pool. Sometimes the prices on offer at the tote can be two or three times bigger than with a traditional bookmaker.
If you are going to the racetrack rather than betting online you could always check the pre-parade ring and paddock to see if the horse look fit.
A top jockey on board is always a bonus. Here is my system for deciding the stake to place on a horse from my betting bank.
- Good jockey, good horse, big bet.
- Poor jockey, good horse, have a moderate bet.
- A good horse, moderate jockey, moderate bet.
Use these handicapping tips and staking methods and you might even pick the next Grand National winner!