Online Horse Racing Betting
Introduction to Horse Racing Betting - Horse racing has a long and illustrious history. It is widely believed that early forms of horse racing took place even before the recorded mounted horse racing events that were part of the ancient Greek Olympics as long ago as 648 BC. It is also known that horse racing was popular in times of the Roman Empire. Horse racing became known as the Sport of Kings due to its popularity among the nobility and royalty of Britain.
Today horse racing is one of the most popular sports in the world – millions of people watch televised while horse races while wagering at horse racing betting sites while stadiums continue to attract large crowds throughout the year. There are many prestigious and high profile horse races that owners, jockeys and trainers all dream of victory in. The sport is exciting, fast paced and offers spectators fantastic entertainment.
Where To Bet On Horse Racing
Betting is an intrinsic part of horse racing, and has been almost since the origin of the sport. The economy of horse racing relies on the gambling associated with it and it is difficult to imagine an existence of a horse racing industry that didn’t involve betting.
All Formats of Horse Races
Horse racing can be broadly divided into two different categories – flat racing and jump racing. As the names suggest, flat racing involves racing around a flat course, while jump racing will involve fences and hurdles. Traditionally, horses run on turf – hence the term turf accountants, which is how bookmakers licensed to take wagers on horse racing used to be referred to. However, other surfaces are also used – such as all-weather tracks, dirt, or sand.
One of the most famous horse races in the world is the Grand National. This steeplechase race, run over fences, hurdles and ditches, takes place once a year at the Aintree course in Liverpool, England. Even people who rarely bet will have a wager on the National once a year.
In the US, the Kentucky Derby is the biggest race. Together with the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, these three races form The Triple Crown and all attract a great deal of interest across the world. The Breeder’s Cup races are also of huge importance to the American racing fraternity.
We have developed a list of all major horse racing events in the racing industry.
*New - 2013 Preakness betting selections.
*New - 2013 Belmont overview.
Learn about betting on the Cheltenham Festival in 2013 and the best sites to bet at.
Check out our 2013 Kentucky Derby Betting guide.
Read our 2013 Melbourne Cup betting guide.
Read our guide to wagering on the Grand National event at AintTree.
Types Of Horse Racing Bets And Wagers
There are many different types of horse racing betting. Novice bettors may well find the range of bets quite overwhelming, but it doesn’t take long to get a handle on them all. The simplest bets are usually the most popular, and we’ve listed the most common forms of bets below.
Win Bet. A win bet in horse racing is, as the name suggests, backing a horse to win a race. Simply make a selection according to which horse you believe will win the race and place your bet. If your horse wins, your bet wins.
Place Bet. A place bet has a better chance of making a return than a win bet, but offers lower odds. Your selection has to finish in “the places” (this could be the top 2,3 or 4 positions depending on the number of runners in the race) for your bet to win.
Forecast. This bet involves selecting two horses and betting that they will finish in a specific order. If you get the 1-2 right, then your bet wins. Forecasts can offer very decent odds, particularly in large field races.
Reverse Forecast. This is similar to the forecast bet, but your selections can finish in any order. This bet is obviously easier to get right than a straight forecast, but the odds will be lower.
We recently added a page with a comprehensive list of all types of horse racing bets and wagers.
Online Horse Racing Betting Strategy
It is not easy to consistently win money by betting on horse racing, but it IS possible. It does, however, require a lot of dedication and commitment, here is a few horse racing betting tips. To be a successful horse racing bettor in the long run, you need to know the form book inside out and have an in depth knowledge of not just horses, but the courses they run at, the jockeys who ride them and their trainers.
That being said, it is possible to win money in the short term without the same amount of hard work. By just spending a bit of time looking at the race card and the form of the horses, you can make an informed judgement about the outcome of any given race and give yourself a reasonable chance of backing a winner.
There are several horse races every day that you can place a bet on. One important aspect of betting on horse racing is knowing which races to bet on, and which ones to leave alone. A successful horse racing bettor will choose his wagers wisely and always look for value in their bets.
With so many different online horse racing betting sites out there, choosing where to bet is another important decision. Make sure you bet at one of the best online betting websites to ensure you get the best prices and other extra benefits.