One of the oldest types of sports betting is betting on horse races. With that in mind, we decided to help you out if you are not familiar with horse racing and offer you a short guide on how to bet on horse racing.
Betting on Horse Racing: A Guide for Beginners
If you are new to betting on horse racing, we’ve got a few tips and tricks that could make this easier for you and help you place the right bets. Here are the basic things you need to know:
How to Bet on Horse Racing – Placing a Bet
Placing a bet on a horse race is a process that can vary slightly from one betting site or app to another, but it’s usually very straightforward and quick. This is especially true if you are betting on a site or an app that’s specialized for this type of betting and doesn’t have many other elements like different sports to confuse you.
In any case, the first step is to choose the bookie you want to use to place a bet and create an account. Once you have an account, you need to fund it so you have the money to place a bet. The next step is to find the race you want to bet on and choose the market (type of bet you want to place). Select the betting market to add it to your betslip, and then enter the amount you want to bet and confirm your bet.
Types of Bets You Can Place on Horse Racing
While there is a great number of betting markets or types of bets that you can place on horse racing, we’ve selected some of the most popular and basic ones to get you started:
- Win – Betting on a horse to finish first. It is the most basic type of bet but it still depends on your knowledge and research unless you want to rely on luck.
- Place – Betting on a horse to finish in first or second place. This type of bet has lower odds compared to the previous type of bet but you also have higher chances of winning.
- Show – Betting on a horse to finish in the top three. Of course, the odds for this bet are lower compared to the other two betting markets we mentioned.
- Acca – Acca bet, or accumulator bet, is a type of bet that allows you to add multiple selections on the bet slip. Whether you wish to combine different markets from one race or selections from various races is up to you.
In addition to these bets, you can find a lot of other betting markets to bet on, like Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, Quinella, and many more.
Where to bet on horse racing?
We’ve explained what factors to focus on when you choose a bookmaker or a website to bet on horse racing. So, here are two of our favorite US bookmakers for this type of betting:
TVG
TVG offers one of the best experiences when it comes to horse racing betting. They have a website that can be easily navigated by users. Additionally, they also offer iPhone users a mobile app that is available on the App Store. On the other hand, Android users need to visit the website to place a wager, or they could access the mobile version of the site to do the same.
TwinSpires
TwinSpires is another well-known name in the US. And when it comes to betting on horse racing, you can visit their website and sign up for an account, or you can also try their mobile app for iPhone and Android users. With the Twinspires TV, you can also live stream the horse racing events and place handicap bets during the event. There are also many horse racing betting apps you could try.
How to Choose the Winning Horse
- Pay attention to the horse’s form and results of the jockey and trainer – Consider the results of all the race’s participants, as well as the distance, the weather, and other race condition that could affect the horse’s performance.
- Learn about The Going – The Going represents a term that describes the state of the ground on which the race is held and it can affect the outcome. For example, some horses are better on dry and hard ground, while some horses prefer a soft and wet ground, almost muddy.
- Learn about the course types – While most tracks or courses are generic, others have unique characteristics. This includes things like the drainage and the undulations, how sharp the turns are, which way the course runs, and others.
How to Choose the Best Site or App for Betting on Horse Racing
In addition to knowing how to bet on horse racing, you should also learn how to find the perfect betting app or website for your needs. So, here are a few factors you should consider:
Number of Tracks and Races
Different bookies offer different numbers of tracks and races you can bet on. Obviously, you want to choose a bookie that has more tracks and races since that gives you more options to bet on. Usually, bookies cover at least 100-150 tracks, but some may cover even more.
Number of Betting Markets and Quality of Odds
We’ve mentioned some of the basic markets already and most bookies offer those types of bets. While this is enough for you if you are just starting to get into horse racing, you may want to bet on more unique markets in the future.
When it comes to odds for horse racing, the differences are usually minimal and may not be as important if you don’t place large bets. But if you do or if you like to place acca bets, these differences will add up over time.
Welcome Offers and Other Promotions
Before you commit to a bookie and open an account, check the type of welcome offer that’s provided. Also, take a look at their other bonuses and promotions to find the one that offers the most and has a constant stream of promotions for active players.
Live Streaming and Other Features
Betting on horse races without actually watching the races is not as fun, so make sure that the bookie you are considering offers live streaming on their site or app. Some bookies may also offer streams of other sports, which can be important if you like to bet on other sports.
Some bookmakers will offer tips and tricks for horse betting on their platform and that can be very useful for new players. This will often include various stats, handicapping, detailed analysis of the races, and horse betting predictions.
Coverage of major events
It’s one thing to find an app that lets you bet on the races. But this doesn’t come with any kind of guarantee that the top races will be covered. That’s why you need to be specific with your quest to find the top sportsbooks available. And as you can see, another feature that determines what site you should join relates to the coverage of major events. A prime example of this would be the Cheltenham Festival, which you can bet on by visiting this site, but also the Triple Crown Horse Races : Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.