Despite the rapid recent growth in sports betting, horse racing remains second only to football in terms of revenue generation and attendance in British sport. Horse racing provides a huge variety of betting opportunities seven days a week and punters are reaping the rewards of the transition to online betting. It is now possible to bet on horse racing in the Australia, South Africa, United States and across Europe as well as the regular domestic meetings.
The bookmakers create the odds based on good recent form but there are many other factors to take into account before placing your bet. The going can heavily influence the outcome of any race so you need to tread carefully when betting in extremes of going (i.e. firm or heavy ground). The distance of the race is also a vital factor to take into account for all horse racing betting, whether it is on the flat or over the jumps. You will also need to understand the basics of the handicapping system. Each horse is given a rating, which is then converted into weight so that, in theory, all of the runners have an equal chance.… Read More
Despite the rapid recent growth in sports betting, horse racing remains second only to football in terms of revenue generation and attendance in British sport. Horse racing provides a huge variety of betting opportunities seven days a week and punters are reaping the rewards of the transition to online betting. It is now possible to bet on horse racing in the Australia, South Africa, United States and across Europe as well as the regular domestic meetings.
The bookmakers create the odds based on good recent form but there are many other factors to take into account before placing your bet. The going can heavily influence the outcome of any race so you need to tread carefully when betting in extremes of going (i.e. firm or heavy ground). The distance of the race is also a vital factor to take into account for all horse racing betting, whether it is on the flat or over the jumps. You will also need to understand the basics of the handicapping system. Each horse is given a rating, which is then converted into weight so that, in theory, all of the runners have an equal chance. You can often find excellent betting opportunities when a horse improves so rapidly that it sets up a sequence of wins.
Horse racing in the UK offers the biggest variety of racecourses anywhere in the world and each has its own characteristics. The draw can become an issue on the tightest circuits such as Chester and some horses perform much better on these type of courses than on wide galloping tracks. The relatively recent introduction of all-weather racing means that flat racing continues, although the turf season only runs from March until November.
The most important events of the turf season are the five classic races. These are the 1000 Guineas, 2000 Guineas, The Oaks, The Derby and the St Leger. There is always a strong ante-post betting market on the classic races. In 2012, Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien won the first four classics but the odds-on favourite Camelot was beaten into second place in the St Leger to deny him an unprecedented clean sweep.
The biggest flat meeting is Royal Ascot and there are also festival meetings throughout the summer including York, Newmarket and Goodwood. These meetings attract some of the best horses from around the world. In 2012, Royal Ascot opened with the best horse in the world (Frankel) and closed with the second-best (Black Caviar). Both horses won and cost the bookmakers a fortune in the process.
The National Hunt Racing season revolves around the Cheltenham Festival meeting in March when the best horses from Britain and Ireland compete for the championship races over hurdles and fences. The main events are the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Champion Hurdle. However, not even the Gold Cup attracts the same amount of media attention as the Aintree Grand National in April. The National still attracts massive betting turnover and continues to capture the public’s imagination.
Newcomers to horse racing betting should take their time to familiarise themselves with the sport. It is well worth following the sport closely to develop your own area of expertise and find a successful method of betting.
