Horse racing is a hugely popular sport with a very extensive betting market and as such there are plenty of betting opportunities to be had. We’ve compiled expert horse racing betting tips to help you master the betting market.
The key to becoming a successful punter is being able to analyse a race and make an informed decision before placing your bets. At Betastic our horse racing experts have produced a guide packed full of expert tips to allow you to become your own expert. Read on to find out more about betting on the horses.
When it comes to today’s horse racing betting markets, there are lots to get involved in. Whether you back a horse to win, play an outsider each-way or have a dabble on a forecast, finding the best horse racing betting tips will give you greater chance of your bet being successful. There are experts, including our very own here at Betastic, who strive to provide you with the best horse racing tips. Finding a horse racing tip for today couldn’t no be easier. However, you may prefer to study yourself and come up with your own horse racing predictions before placing your bets. Whatever your preference we have compiled a few key tips below that should help you in your quest for finding winners.
At Betastic we have a team experts whose mission it is to provide your with the best horse racing tips of the day for free. After studying the racecard and betting market, they take a whole host of factors into consideration when making their horse racing predictions in order to provide you with three possible punts. The first is a NAP, also known as the best bet, and is more often that not a favourite. There is also a next nest bet along with an each-way selection. This offers you the chance bet on horses at odds which suit your betting strategy. If punting a big priced horse for small stakes and a potential large return is what you are after, then our each-way selections will be the perfect choice. Whatever your preferred gambling method, you can rest assured that if looking for a horse racing tip in the UK you have come to the right place.
Some horses have a good record fresh, so backing them to win first time up is an angle that can pay dividends. Others need a run or more to reach peak fitness, so checking the past profile of your selection is vital.
The going is a key factor that needs taking into consideration when making horse racing predictions. Some will go so far as to say that it is the most important of all. Horses that have proven winning form on fast ground are simply unable to cope when it comes to more testing conditions. The opposite applies to mud lovers, so taking the going into account will enable your to narrow down the field when it comes to making your selections. There are, of course, some horses that a versatile as regards going and able to perform to a similar level whatever the underfoot conditions. This type of animal is one to keep onside when making ante post wagers on future big race events such as the Grand National at Aintree.
When watching valuable races, you are likely to see the same colours carried by different or the same horses year in and year out. This applies to both Flat and National Hunt. On the level for example, leading owners Godolphin have won the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes run on British Champions Day at Ascot a record five times courtesy of Mark of Esteem (1996), Dubai Millennium (1999), Summoner (2001), Ramonti (2007) and Poet’s Voice (2010). Any horse carrying their world famous all blue silks running in the 1m end of season contest in October always requires a close look. Over the jumps, meanwhile, Trevor Hemmings has seen his green and yellow quartered colours carried to victory three times in the Grand National. When it comes to the Cheltenham Festival, Irish owners Gigginstown House Stud launch a formidable assault on the four-day spectacular and have a tremendous record with their runners at Prestbury Park. These examples show that it pays to take notice of races or meetings targeted by certain connections year in, year out.
Horse racing is a complex sport, so there are a wide variety of factors that need to be considered when analysing a race. These include the venue, the grade of the race, going, jockey and trainer form, official ratings and weight. Any expert worth their salt will study these in detail before coming up with their best horse racing tip for the today. It’s important that you do the same, as it enables you to find value bets and make your punting more profitable in the long term. The following are examples which can put you on the right path.
In the UK, there are left and right-handed courses. Some horses have a preference for one whereas as others are versatile. When studying a race it is therefore important to look for horses that have proven winning form over course and distance. You can get some real track specialists that come alive at a particular venue, so they can never be discounted even if they have risen in the weights or are raised in grade. Some horses also have a preference for a flat or testing track. Aintree, for example, is a flat sharp venue which can favour front-runners, whereas Cheltenham is undulating and much more demanding test with a stiff uphill finish which demands stamina as well as speed. You will often hear the term “horses for courses” and this is exactly what that saying refers to. Course specialists can never be discounted at their favourite stomping ground, so factor that in when making your selections.
Each horse is given an official rating by British Horseracing Authority (BHA), the sports ruling body. Their team of assessors scrutinise each race before allotting horses a mark depending on how highly they rate the performance. Comparing the ratings of runners in a particular race will enable you to see which is the classiest in their eyes. This is a big plus in level weights races, such as graded or conditions events, as it quickly enables you to narrow down the field. It is also a key factor in trying to solve handicaps. In handicap races, horses are allotted a weight to carry based on their official rating. The theory is that this gives each runner an equal chance of winning. Established handicappers are only capable of winning at around a certain rating, such as 60 for example. So if they are running off 55, then they are potentially well-treated and always worth a second look in the betting market.
Some trainers get off to a flying start each season, whilst others don’t rush their teams of horses and come good at a certain time of the year. Analysing these trends is another valuable weapon in your armoury when it comes to making your selections. If a trainer, or jockey, also gets on a hot streak, then it often pays to keep them onside. At times like these horses from such a yard who has an in-form pilot in the saddle is capable of outrunning its odds, so could represent some real value from a punting perspective. Trainers also like to target specific races during the season. Aidan O’Brien, the top Irish handler on the Flat, for instance, has won the Group 1 Futurity Trophy for juvenile colts run over 1m at Doncaster an incredible nine times since 1997. Over the jumps, Nicky Henderson has won the Grade 1 Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival a record seven times courtesy of See You Then (1985, 1986, 1987), Punjabi (2009), Binocular (2010), and Buveur D’Air (2017 and 2018).
Having touched on some of the key factors involved when making your horse racing selections, our experts are now going to use their knowledge and experience gained over many years to expand on them further. This will enable you to see what is required in formulating a successful horse betting strategy. Punting is, after all, about making money in the long run. We want to help you achieve that goal by becoming an expert yourself when it comes to analysing a race.
When it comes to being a successful horse racing bettor, there is no doubt the studying the form is the ultimate key to success. Being able to identity when a horse is running at the top of its game or building up to a big performance can give you an edge over other punters. Trainer form is also a vital aspect when dissecting a race and trying to find where the value lies. If a short-priced favourite is from a yard on a barten run, then it may well be worth taking on. Jockeys also gone on red-hot streaks and, as noted above, at such times they can often get that little bit extra out of a moderate or exposed horse to enable it to get its head in front when in matters. The opposite also applies when they are said to be on the “cold list”. Checking out stats relating to the present form of trainers and jockeys is therefore vitally important. Get two that team up when in-form and you could be onto a winning wager. Form, and studying form, can result in a winning formula when you get it right – so increasing your knowledge of the sport and learning how to read races undoubtedly increases your chances of making a profit in the long term.
As alluded to earlier, going is one of the most important things to take into consideration before placing any bet. If a horse has consistently failed to perform on soft ground, for example, then there is no point in backing it when underfoot conditions are testing. Why? The answer is simple. Going forms a significant percentage when it comes to valuing a horse’s chances, so why would you want to risk your hard earned cash on one that doesn’t act on the forecast ground? The best thing is to wait for when a horse has its ideal ground and other factors in its favour. Then you can bet with more confidence and have a better chance of your punt being successful. If you like to play ante post on future events where the ground is obviously an unknown, then concentrate on horses that are versatile as regards going and have winning form on varying ground. These are more likely to take part whatever conditions are like on the day, ensuring that you get a run for your money. If, however, you back a fast ground horse and the heavens open, it it is likely to be pulled out by connections and you have lost your stake as non-runner no bet guarantees do not cover ante post wagers.
Trainers can self-certificate a horse or cite unsuitable going as reasons to pull their horses out of races on the day. This can work for you if you bet against a horse that was fancied; or against you if you were on the non-runners. If you’re worried about a horse being ground dependent, then make sure you back it under a non-runner no bet (NRNB) guarantee terms.
When it comes to big races, especially major handicaps like the Royal Hunt Cup at Ascot on the Flat or the Grand National over the unique Aintree fences, stats are a good tool to help you narrow down the field. Horses of a certain age and running between a certain weight range have a better record than others. The record of jockeys and trainers in certain events can also speak volumes.
Keeping up to date on all the latest horse racing news is a must. Horses can pick up injuries, as well as jockeys. In some instances they may only be minor, but this can still have a big impact on how your selection will perform. A horse that is not 100 per cent cannot perform to its optimum, so why would you want to back it?
Handicaps allow horses of varying level to compete against each other. Their official rating gives them a weight from which they run off – in theory giving them the same chance as higher rated rivals. If a horse has won off 70 for example, then it’s worth considering backing when racing off lower – providing that race conditions such as going and trip are also in its favour.
Horse racing is a numbers game, so stats really do matter. As well as the aforementioned stats guides which analysing trends for big races, whether a jockey or trainer is in form when making your pick always need to be taken into consideration. So do the percentages regarding whether a horse acts on the ground and the trip, and whether it’s on a winning mark. Always check them out.
We have already gone through the various factors that need to be looked at in order to make your betting on horses more successful. Now that you know what to look for before placing you wagers, you have more chance of making your punting more profitable. Being selective when it comes to which particular type of race suits your punting needs is another way of getting an extra edge on others. If you are an each-way fan, then focus on handicaps as this is where real value can be found.
Below, we go through three steps for anyone betting on the sport of kings. If you follow these free betting tips from start to finish, you’ll give yourself a better chance of winning when placing your online wagers.
Look at the racecards for the races which appeal most in relation to the way you like to bet. Now go through each of the runners and their form. Do they act on the ground? Are they on form and do hail from a stable among the winners? These are among the things that you need to analyse. Percentage strike rates over the race distance and forecast going conditions also require a close look. Once you have found a horse that has the best profile, you can even check on Betastic to see if your views coincide with that of our experts. Then – once confident that you have made an informed decision on the race – you can place your bet safe in the knowledge that you have left no stone unturned when going through the form.
When it comes to betting on the horses, another key aspect is making sure sure that you are on at the top price available all your punts. Finding the best odds and comparing bookmakers used to be a real chore and something you had to do manually. At Betastic we are currently working on an odds comparison tool which will soon be incorporated into our site. This will work in the same way as a search engine and enable to you to discover where the best odds are in seconds. All the leading bookmakers and their horse racing odds feature on this easy to use service. Just treat it like Google. All you have to do is type in the name of your selection and the best industry odds, and who is providing them, them will appear.
You also need to think carefully about which sportsbook you use to place your horse racing wagers. Most bookmakers offer best odds guaranteed daily on all UK and Irish races relating to starting prices (SPs). This means that if you take a price, and your horse drifts, then you will get paid out at the higher odds it was returned at. It’s a must really when deciding who to bet with. Some firms will also offer enhanced place terms for specific races, which is great if you are an each-way punter as it offers you extra value and an increased chance of making a profit. Money back specials, such as your stake back in the form of a bet credit should your selection finish second to the SP favourite in selected races, are also available in a wide variety of offers available – so shop around to make the right choice for you! If you are interested in the Kentucky Derby which is always intriguing, be sure to check our dedicated page.
Horse racing terminology can be off-putting; so, to round off this betting tips guide, we have explained the four main forms of betting on it in a simple way. If you are a newbie to racing, you can place your wagers with confidence rather than wonder what you are getting yourself into.
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