A Newcomers Guide to Horse Betting

Horse racing is a centuries-old sport which has spread all over the world through the millennia. The first humans to domesticate horses were Asians, and this happened in 4500BC. Over time, horse racing started flourishing as a sport for the kings.

Today, horse racing is one of the few sports that takes place throughout all parts of the world. If you are new to the world of gambling, you should know that there is the potential to win a lot of money betting on horse races, especially when betting on horse racing online but like all other forms of gambling it is a risky business. To get started all you need is to understand the basics, and with time, you will gain a greater understanding of which bets you place that have the potential to show a profit.

Here is what you need to know about horse betting.

Thoroughbred Horse Racing

Horse racing has been a major part of entertainment for all civilizations. The ancient Greeks had horse racing as part of the Olympics, and so did the Roman Empire.

Modern horse racing, however, can be traced back to the 12th Century, when knights came back from their crusades on Arab horses. Between the 12th and the 16th centuries, a lot of English nobles brought in Arab Stallions and crossbred them with their English Mares. They aimed to get a breed of horses that had the endurance of the Arab stallions, and the speed of the English mares.

A Professional Sport

In the 16th Century, the popularity of horse racing soared. When the puritan Commonwealth moved from power, laws that legalized betting were put in place. It was during the reign of Queen Anne that match racing evolved into multi-horse races where the spectators chose the horses to bet on.

Racecourses started being built, and the best ones attracted the best horses. Naturally, it followed that the biggest race tracks with the best horses brought in the most revenue, allowing them to expand further.

The Jockey Club was set up by the elite to regulate horse races, and come up with the rules that would govern the races. The Club is still in existence today but their role has changed with the British Horseracing Authority now regulating the sport on a national level.

Today, horse racing is still one of the most lucrative sports, and gambling based on horse races is at an all-time high. You can try betting on horse racing online and see how well you do.

How to Get Started with Betting on Horses

The process of betting on a horse race is straightforward. If you are doing it at the racetrack, all you have to do is place your bet with a bookmaker or Tote representative, take the ticket, and wait to see how the race turns out. If you win, you walk back to the window and collect what you have won. On the other hand, if your bet doesn’t pay off, you discard the ticket and hope for better luck the next time.

These are the simple steps to follow when betting at the racetrack

State the name or number of the horse you want to place a bet on and make sure to check the information is correct on the ticket

Write down the number of the race that you are betting on

Indicate the amount of money you are betting on the race in Euros

List down the type of wager; choosing between a single and combination of horses

Write down the number of the horse you are betting on

Make sure these details are all correct on the ticket before you leave the window

The Items You will need for Horse Betting

Betting at the tracks is a little more involved than when you do it online. To have an easy time with the process, you need to carry the following items;

The Racetrack program- this contains all the information you need about the horses, their jockeys, trainers, and also the owners.

Publicly available tips- these can be found in the local newspaper or often in the official race program and contain crucial details about the horses.

Racing Form- the official program will contain a synopsis of each horse's form but online websites, including bookmaker sites are often the best place to go when you need information about the performance record of all the horses in the race.

Other Helpful Tips in the Process

Here are more tips that will make your entry into horse betting easier.

First, all races have a simulcast commentator on TV. Some are on pay-to-view channels such as Racing TV but many races are shown on free to air national stations. It is worth watching these broadcasts to see what you can learn about the horses.

Statistics are worth bearing in mind. Overall the top ten riders win 90 percent of the races during a season. At the same time, favorite horses win about 33 percent of the time but that figure rises for high class races such as Grade 1 and Grade 2 contests.

Finally, take note of the betting fluctuations for each horse as they can tell a lot about the expected performance on the day.

Conclusion

Horse betting is one of the easy ways that you can venture into the world of gaming. As a beginner, you need to get your facts right so as to bet on the right horse. The best part is, you don’t have to be at a racetrack to bet on horse races. Online betting platforms allow you to bet on horses just as easily as on the racecourses and with all the available information it won't take long to have a good handle on the sport.