A Guide To Betting On Horse Racing

Horses are the noblest of animals. It is no wonder that so many people love to place bets on horse racing. After all, there is a centuries-old tradition of organized horse racing, and people love to be pitted one against another as they decide which horse is going to win a race by wagering their money on the potential winner. But, it is not easy to have this knowledge. While there are betting favorites in horse racing it is not as straightforward as some other forms of sports betting. 

Regardless of your horse racing expertise before you place a bet you need a place where to do it. There is no better sensation than betting at the racetrack while watching the horse you bet on crossing the finishing line first, it is hard to believe that any of us will have an opportunity to do this live at more than one racetrack yearly. For those lucky enough to watch the Kentucky Derby and similar races live, we envy you. 

For us less fortunate there are other options. There are amazing options if we’re being honest. Today, online casinos are all over the place. This is a good thing as you have many options to choose from. Unfortunately, you can never be sure if you hit the jackpot with your online bookie. That’s why we’re going to help you and give a high recommendation to Stake which is one of the best sports betting websites and online casinos out there. 

Their offering of horse racing betting is second to none. At Stake, we do not doubt that you’ll find everything you want in terms of horse racing betting. This sport is rather popular, so you can get enamored by the attraction of powerful animals running before you get a grasp of how to make proper bets. 

This is another aspect of your sports betting future where we hope to make a positive influence. How are we going to do it? Well, we will lead you through all the minor and major intricacies of horse racing betting. Let’s start with the most interesting part. 

Start Internationally 

If you need help to find proper races to bet on, we got you covered. Our advice is to always try to cover the more races you can, as that way you will find favorites to win with more ease. This is one of the reasons why we have recommended Stake.com to you. Their platform covers multiple international horse racing markets. We could even argue that they’re a top horse racing betting site, or at least close to the top. 

You only need to make an account on their website and start exploring horse racing betting. In a few short moments, you will see that they do not play around in the domain of horse racing. If you want European race tracks covered they have everything from Cheltenham to the Churchill Downs. If you are more in the mood for worldwide racetracks, worry not, as Stake has its eyes set on Meydan and Melbourne too. Look at the odds and make your picks. But, before you do it, let’s see how you should bet on horse racing. 

Best Odds, Types of Bets & How to Conquer Horse Racing 

When your horse racing starts to pay off you’ll be glad we wrote this horse race betting guide. If you’re interested in becoming a winner, you need to learn quite a few things about horse racing. First of all, you need to learn what kinds of bets exist and how to place them. The basics are:

• Singles – Here, we’re talking about the simplest of all bets. You pick a horse and bet on him to win a single race. Singles in a nutshell. 
• Doubles – This is where things get interesting. With Doubles, you pick two stallions to win two different races. For a payout, you need both horses to win. 
• Trebles – This option is not hard to comprehend. Just look at the first two best. It’s three horses, three races, and three wins for a payout. 
• Accumulator – The popular ‘acca’ is a more complicated bet that insinuates that four horses are going to win four different races. All four need to cross the line first for you to receive a payout. 
• Trixie – Finally, we are starting to cook with horse racing betting. With Trixie, you have three horses and four bets. It is a combo of a treble and two doubles. For a payout, you need to hit at least two winners.
• Yankee  – We’re entering professional sports bettor territory. Yankee follows four horses and eleven bets. The combination consists of one four-fold, six doubles, and four trebles. For a good return, you also need two hits. 
• Lucky 15 – As the name suggests here you’re covering 15 bets with your four-horse favorites. For a return, you only need one hit. But, don’t think it is easy to pull a win when you’re combining four singles, four trebles, one four-fold, and six doubles. 
• Heinz – This is one massive betting operation based on the mesmerizing combination of 57 bets. You need to cover six horses all in different races. Here, we’re talking about the permutation of all of your six picks in one wager. 
• Super Heinz – If you fall in love with Heinz, Super Heinz will sweep you off your feet. SH version includes 120 bets and seven races. The combo relies on a staggering 21 doubles, 21 five-folds, 35 four-folds, one seven-fold, 35 trebles, and seven six-folds. 
• Quinella – This is a best that is quite popular among horse racing bettors. To hit on a Quinella one must guess both the race winner and the second-place horse. 
• Trifecta – Also another great bet that gives you a payout if you guess the winner of the race paired with the second and third horse. For big races, you can even try to guess the first four places on the entire lineup from first to last. 

Now that you know what the horse racing bets look like, and you have a platform recommended that we hold in very high esteem, you can take a look at some of the more popular horse racing events. 

Most Popular Horse Racing Events 

Horse racing is popular all over the world. From the far east all the way to the Western world. So, it’s no wonder that some of the most popular races are located miles and months apart. Of course, your average sports bettor will bet on even the smallest races, but all of us love to focus on the big stage. Below, you’ll find some of the top horse races from all over the world. Let’s start with probably the most famous one:

• Kentucky Derby – This race is probably the most popular horse race in the world. It is famously nicknamed the most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports. For the USA audience, this race is the cream of the crop. Kentucky Derby is a yearly event traditionally held at Churchill Downs. The hometown of this premier horse racing event is Louisville. This one is a real treat for sports bettors from all over the world.
• Grand National – What Kentucky Derby is for Americans, Grand National is for Britons. This UK horserace is a test of endurance and stamina in addition to being one of the most historic races in the world of horse racing. If you’re a fan of this sport you will not miss placing your bets while the world is racing at Aintree Racecourse. 
• Melbourne Cup – For those not well-versed in horse racing, the love that Australians have for these noble animals can’t be fathomed. It is no wonder they are the wonders of one of the top three horse races in the world. An annual event held in Flemington Racecourse is dubbed as the event that stops the nation. This two-mile handicap is one of the most expensive races in the world. People in Melbourne know what they’re waiting for all year long. 
• Dubai World Cup – At the moment, this race is deemed the most expensive one in the world. The Arab world is doing everything it can to make global sports popular domestically but they don’t have this issue with horse racing. The culture of horse breeding is strong in the Middle East, thus this race at Meydan racecourse is held in high esteem by both the locals and foreigners. 
• Epsom Derby – Another UK race which only shows how deeply in British tradition horse racing is rooted. Epsom Downs is the home of this flat race which many see as the most prestigious in this domain. It attracts bettors from all over the world, both on-site and in online casinos. To participate a horse needs to be a three-year-old Grade One thoroughbred. Now, that’s a high standard to meet. 

While we singled out the biggest horse racing events in the world, don’t dare to think that’s all. The worldwide calendars are filled with horse racing events ideal for sports betting. Just take a look at what’s scheduled in places such as Australia, Hong Kong, America, and all across Europe. You will not be disappointed.

Odds And Payouts in Sports Betting 

If you’re new to the world of horse racing sports betting you need to pay attention to this part of our article. Depending on your preferences and the casino of your selection you will meet a few different types of odds and payouts. Don’t worry, it’s not too complicated and we’ll walk you through the entire ordeal.  Let’s start with: 

• Decimal Odds – When you see odds measured in decimals, you need to focus on the big numbers. Let’s use a return on investment when you’re putting forth a $10 bet, on a 5.0 odds. What this bet means, is that in the case of a win you will receive $50 back with your initial bet included in that sum. 
• Fractional Odds – When you use fractional odds it is easy to determine the potential profit you can receive upon wagering. Let’s use a 5/1 fraction as an example. When you bet $100 on these odds you are set to receive $500 when you hit your bet. The best part is that you also get a refund of your original wager. 
• American Odds – One could argue that Americans love to make simple things complicated and when it comes to horse racing betting odds one could be right. Their odds are represented in positive (+) and negative (+) figures. When you look at the positive side you look at the potential return on your initial wager. For a +400 odds potential payout is $400 on a $100 bet. Negative odds are seen a bit differently. They are showing you how much you need to put forth in order to exit the bet with $100. For example, if the odds are -400 you need to place $400 to have a clear-cut profit of $100. 

Bottom Line

In front of you, there is everything you should know to start your horse racing betting adventure. From a platform where you can bet, to the races you should cover, to the smallest details of bets and their types, odds, and payouts. The sport itself is more than interesting, the odds are good, and the number of combinations you can make is almost limitless. With a bit of passion, some luck, and a lot of knowledge on how this sport and its odds function you can make a nice side hustle. We hope there isn’t anything stopping you from responsibly betting on horse racing.