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Horse Race Betting

There are many different types of horse race betting and these include each way bets, win bets and many more horse race bets besides. Before you decide on which horse to place your bet on it is always advisable to take a look at the betting form and the going of the course.

Even as someone new to horse race betting you can still enjoy a flutter by simply picking a horse to gamble on with a name that takes your fancy. On numerous occassions rank outsiders have done on to win big races like the Grand National but here we offer just a few hints and tips for horse race betting.

• When horse race betting straight, restrict your bets to win and show only.
• As a general rule, bet on horses you like with odds of 5-1 or greater to win and odds of 5-1 or less, to place.
• Play close attention to horses' recent performances. Form handicapping has a lot of merit, and you face your best chances with a horse in top condition.
• Horses backed heavily by touting services and computer handicappers may win more, but so many bettors are placing their cash on them, they give poor value for the money. Try to find the 'dark horse,' one that has a good shot at the post but is not overly backed when horse betting.

Horse Race Betting General Guidelines

The following are some general guidelines followed by many pros which will give you a 'leg up' on many other bettors:

• Be wary of the 'smart money,' bets placed at the last minute by [supposedly] those in the know. There isn't much smart money at the tracks.
• Go with your gut feelings. If there's a horse you fancy, by all means bet on that horse. There's no worse feeling than not doing what you felt you should have done, and it working out - without you. And if it doesn't work out, no big deal.
• Pay special attention to fast starters on slow courses. It is more difficult to manouver on an a muddy, slow or heavy course, and these conditions will favour the horse that takes the early lead.
• Avoid horses moving up in class. They may have looked good against lesser horses, but the move to better competition may reveal different colours.
• Avoid gambling on horses that have not raced in the past four weeks. They may be recuperating from illness and the owners are using the race as a tune-up. The winning percentages of long-idled horses are way below average.
• Bet only winners. If you see a horse that has been around but never won a race, why figure that today's race will be any different? Instead, choose a horse that has some background of winning.
• Bet only horses you feel have a good chance of winning. If you had eliminated all the horses you've bet in the past but have not really believed in, you would be sitting with a much higher winning percentage. If you don't like a horse, don't bet on it.

Types of Horse Race Bet

There are a number of different bets that can be placed on horse races. The most popular include:

Win bets require you to pick the ultimate winner of the race.

Place bets require you to pick a horse that finishes 1st or 2nd in a race of 5 to 7 runners, or 1st, 2nd or 3rd in races of 8 or more runners. Place bets are not taken on races with less than 5 runners.

Each way bets require you to pick a winner that wins or gets a place. An each way bet is actually two bets in one. Half of your total stake is a win bet and half is a place bet.

Forecasts require you to name the two horses that will pass the winning post 1st and 2nd, in order.

Tricasts require you to name the three horses that will pass the winning post 1st, 2nd and 3rd, in order.