There are few more popular sports to bet on across the world than horse racing. The biggest events on the schedule attract the most wagers, with races such as the Grand National and Kentucky Derby attracting even bettors that wouldn’t typically look to place bets on the latest horse racing action.
However, finding winners in the biggest races can often be daunting for newcomers to the sport, with so much information available to digest surrounding the likely runners in the significant races.
So, what are some of the soundest strategies and tips to follow in order to stand the best chance of gaining returns on your selections?
Examine The Form
The form is the most essential information available to bettors before making a selection, with these stats likely enough to help whittle down a potential field to the most likely winner. The form for each runner is typically available with every leading sportsbook, with bettors able to find the recent runs by each of the competitors in the field.
This could be essential reading, especially if one or more of the re-appearing horses have previously competed against each other. Understanding the importance of the form is essential for all newcomers to betting to underway, and digesting this information is key to finding a winner.
That includes examining the distance that each of the runners have excelled over, and whether that could enhance their chances of claiming victory in the race that you’re looking to wager on. Examine the contenders here for the upcoming Kentucky Derby here: https://www.twinspires.com/kentuckyderby/contenders
Course/Distance Expertise
The old saying ‘horses for courses’ have been mentioned by horse racing bettors throughout his history, and it still reads true to this day. Horses that have excellent records at certain tracks are always likely to stand the best chance of gaining victory once again at their preferred location.
Runners that have previous winning experience over course and distance should also be marked up when examining the most likely winner of the race, as this experience could count for a lot in a field of runners that don’t boast the same winning experience at the track.
Horses that have underperformed at significant tracks will also make bettors wary, as they could be available at a short price without boasting this important piece of form. Therefore, beginners should always examine the most likely winner based on the runs that they already have in the book over course and distance.
Explore The Markets
There is a range of betting markets available when it comes to wagering on horse racing, and these can typically throw up a better value when it comes to making a selection. Understanding what each market entails in order to get a winner is the first step that must be followed, and then you can begin to make wagers on the selections available.
For example, if you’re interested in betting on an outsider in a race such as the Kentucky Derby or Grand National, then you could stand a better chance of gaining returns when making selections in the place or each-way markets.
This will also add insurance to your selection, ensuring that you can get returns from your selection as long as it finishes in the first three positions. However, some sportsbooks will pay extra places for some of the most significant races on the schedule.
Shop Around
Betting on horse racing can be extremely challenging when it comes to finding the winner of a race. Therefore, bettors will be expected a healthy payout when they find a winning selection.
For that reason, many bettors will look to shop around to ensure that they get the best price possible on the selection that they are looking to make. Finding the best odds is straightforward at odds comparison sites, and this could save the hassle of finding out that you could have won more from your selection if making your wager with a different sportsbook.
Therefore, it is always encouraged to explore the odds available on each site before making your horse racing selection.
Bank Roll Management
Keeping tabs on your wins and losses is vitally important when it comes to betting on horse racing, especially if you wager on the action throughout the season. Bettors should set aside the money that they wish to wager on horse racing, and under no circumstances should this budget be exceeded.
Following a healthy bank roll management is always a solid tactic to ensure long-term success when betting on the sport, and it removes to risk of chasing your losses if you have endured a bet day of betting.
Many experienced bettors will set aside the money that they wish to spend on a weekly basis, with the winning from selections throughout the weekend not used to fund extra wagers, ensuring that it is easy to work out the returns that you have won across a seven-day period.