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Betting Guide to Horse Racing
30/11/11

When betting on horse racing the standard factors of course and distance, going, weight, trainer and jockey form and the draw are always taken serious before a wager is placed. However, with so much racing taking place the professional gamblers will try to specialise in order to narrow their focus.

© Racehorse Photos

Many punters will only consider certain grades of race for their wagers or just back at the All-Weather meetings but most shrewd judges will agree that looking for an improving horse is a valid, and potentially very profitable strategy.

It is easy to spot a horse that has been unlucky in running and this will be built into the odds by the bookmakers. So a better method of searching for value prices is to look for other factors at work. The professionals look for horses that have run well despite of a poor draw, a slow pace, unsuitable going or a bad ride. Horses going over the wrong distance should also be noted.

The signs pointing to an improving horse, and good betting value in time to come, are subtle but with a little practice the method can lead to some very healthy pay days.

Alternatively a good strategy is to look at ‘horses for courses’.

With a wide variety of courses it is important to note that each has it own distinct characteristics, that has a strong impact on the outcome of the races. The best example is Chester. The course is almost circular in shape and strongly favours low-drawn runners.

Most racecourses in the UK have some very distinct characteristics that mean that runners that find favour at one venue may not be suited to a challenge elsewhere and this should be noted.

With this in mind, a detailed look at the course form is suggested by placing a bet and perhaps the best way to use this information is to concentrate on the most idiosyncratic courses such as Brighton, Bath and Chester. Both horses and trainers can become specialists at these tracks and they can be a very good place to start your selection process.

Another decision to be made is the type of bet used employ. Professional advice would be to avoid all multiple and specialist bets and stick to win single or each way betting.

Whilst the potential rewards might be smaller than those from multiple-type bets there should be a significantly higher wining strike rate. So, when you find time to claw yourself away from Texas HoldEM, check out some horse racing betting!