Introduction to Horse Racing Betting

Horses are some of the most expensive domestic animals to own, mainly a preserve of the rich in society. History tells of how horsemen won wars or how trade men used them to travel and their history of racing dates back to the Roman arena. All of us know one or two things about horse racing but have never tried to venture into online horse racing betting or race track betting and mainly because of luck of enough knowledge or interest in the sport.

It is similar to grey hound racing only this time the animals are controlled by a jockey (also known as a rider) who controls the movement of the hors and usually just rides but is not involved in training the horse. There are many types of races with the most popular events coming from the European side, horse racing world tournaments include: Kentucky derby, the Preakness stake, Belmont stake, prix de l’arc de Triomphe, the Royal Ascot and the breeders cup world champions among  others. All these races are featured in online betting markets and are seasonal depending on the event and location.

To understand horse racing there are some terms used by bookies when giving out betting markets the common terms used and they include.

Common terminology used in Horse racing Betting.

• Jockey-rides the horse during the race.
• Breaking maiden- a maiden is a horse that has yet to register an official win and breaking maiden simply means winning for the first time.
• Dark- is a day in which the race track is not featuring any live racing events.
• Derby- a stake race involving only 3 year old horses.
• Fast track- refers to a race track being dry and hard. Horse are able to run fast and make quick turns.

Horse Racing Betting Terminologies

Every sporting event has common terms used that you can easily relate to while some are quite different all together, the following are some of the betting terms used by punters and bookmakers:

• WIN: A bet on a horse to win.
• PLACE: A bet on a horse to finish either 1^st or 2^nd.
• SHOW: A bet on a horse to finish either 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd.
• EXACTA: A bet picking the 1^st and 2^nd place finishers in a race.
• TRIFECTA: A bet picking the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place finishers in a race.
• SUPERFECTA: A bet picking the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th place finishers in a race.
• DAILY DOUBLE: A bet picking the winners of two races, usually two consecutive races.
• PICK 3: A bet picking the winners of three consecutive races.
• PICK 4: A bet picking the winners of four consecutive races.
• PICK 5: A bet picking the winners of five consecutive races.
• PICK 6: A bet picking the winners of six consecutive races.

Betting tools you require for horse racing Betting

Whether you are physically visiting a racetrack or at home exploiting live matches it all comes down to the following set of tools.

1. Racetrack program
2. The daily racing form
3. Public handicapper selections
4. Handicap tip sheets

Contains information and names of the people involved, provides names of jockeys, horses & their race numbers may include detailed information, trainers and the owners. This is important especially if you are a beginner and can also provide information on interval of races and starting time.

Abbreviated as DRF provides past performance of horses or jockeys in previous races and includes informative articles on the days racing horses. Some provide tips on races giving reasons why a horse can win or a jockey based on their features. In the event a local race or derby is covered by a newspaper they pay the handicapper to make daily selections on horse races. This are the selections made for the day by the handicapper and bought at price both online or at the racetrack.

Tips and tricks for Horse Racing Betting

Listening more and talking less can help you improve chances of winning and tips play a role in your chances of winning big.

• In top races there is a commentator providing live handicap selection or relevant information about a jockey or a horse and most of the time they are correct and you can exploit their knowledge to gain a betting advantage. Listen them to learn more or get tips on a winning bet.
• Top racers most of the time offer a 33% winning chance, the downside of backing to races is the little payout amount. The best way to win big is by exploiting the odds finding value bets that can win don’t limit yourself to top racers.
• The morning line or popularly starting are not performance of the horses but is how the public will bet based on who they like most and you can find better odds for possible winners.
• During the meet top rated Jockey-riders win about 90 percent of their races.
• Start with small wagers (200 Naira) and build up after a win as you gain experience.
• Set an overall budget, a smart bettor utilizes his wisely by setting limits and developing strategies to handle their money. Depending on you bankroll you set a standard minimum amount required by the bookie (100 Naira) or use your own limit whether is 500 or 1000 Naira per day or wager.
• Don’t bet on every race you come across some are different from the championship level or aimed at more of entertainment than racing.
• Avoid parlays. A parlay bet allows you to combine multiple races into a single bet, even if your races aren’t ordered sequentially on the card. You later on realize that the race have different starting time.
• Best way to understand horse racing is through watch check for bookmakers offering live streaming option on their app or website. In Nigeria a few have invested in this type technology since horse racing is not a popular sport but some top bookmakers offer this especially international bookies.
• Don’t be afraid to back outsiders, this are horses placed in the furthers part of the track and travel outside, when making corners and usually disadvantaged.