Betting Guide

Picking winners

One of the most important parts of the racing experience is having a close look at the horses before the start of each race. The best place to do this is the Pre-parade Ring, around which the horses are walked before they are saddled up. You can then take another look in the Parade Ring. Good signs to watch out for include a coat with a good sheen, an alert appearance, a well-muscled body and an easy loose stride with a springy step. A horse that is sweating a lot or that is too agitated is wasting energy unnecessarily and may not ‘settle’ easily into the rhythm of the race.

You can also observe the horses as they canter down to the start, and check whether they seem comfortable with the conditions underfoot.

Reading form

The ‘form’ contained on a race card gives you an idea of a horse’s past performances, but bear in mind that all races are not equal. When studying the form, you should consider the distance of the races in question, the condition of the ground and the “class” of the field (the quality of horses involved). You should also consider how old the horse is and how recently it ran – too recently and it might be tired, too long ago and it might be rusty. Finally, you should look at how much weight it is carrying relative to its rivals.

Placing bets

You can either bet on a horse to win a race, or for it to be “placed” (to finish first or second in a field of up to seven horses, or in the top three in a field of eight or more). “Each way” bets involve making two bets, one on the horse to win and one on it to be placed. Betting on a horse to be “placed” usually earns around a fifth of the amount as betting on it to win. The exact figures are published on bookmakers’ boards. The minimum bet is £2, though it should be noted that a £2 stake “each way” costs £4.

There are three ways of making a bet at the course:

• totepool betting outlets use a pool system to calculate how much money each winner receives. The prices that are published at the time of your bet will give an indication of your winnings, but the amount you earn will only be confirmed just after the race when all bets are in and the calculations have been made.

• The bookmakers occupying the betting ring hold aloft boards publishing the odds on offer for each horse. You can shop around to find the best price for the bet you wish to make, though bear in mind that not all bookies will accept an “each way” bet.

• The racecourse betting shop operates in much the same way as a high street betting shop, and will also allow you to place bets on other meetings being held around the country.

Whenever you place a bet, be sure to state the course, the race number (or its scheduled start time), your stake, the type of bet you want to make and the horse. To avoid any confusion over mispelling, give the horse’s racecard number rather than its name and check the ticket (receipt) you are given immediately as mistakes cannot be rectified once a race has started.