Picking up the basics of horse racing and how best to bet on a race can be learned quickly and easily, but to make the transition from amateur to expert takes a little more betting help, such as research and experience. Here are some tips to help you become successful at the races and guide you towards the right direction.
Specialise in a Certain Area of Racing
If you’re aspiring to be an expert at horse racing, the first thing you need to do is determine which area of racing you want to specialise in. While it helps to have a general understanding of all areas, knowing one type of racing in depth will certainly pay off over the long term. Whether it’s two-year-olds on the flat or hurdlers in jumps, you’ll be the go-to person for understanding that aspect of the racing calendar.
Spot Weaknesses at the Front End of the Market
If you’re able to spot the weak favourite who takes a hefty chunk of the market, you’ll be much more successful. These are often from the top yards where cash tends to hint at the high achieving stables. They’re priced on sentiment, not necessarily on what they’ve achieved and knowing where to find these weaker links will be beneficial in future races.
Play Each-Way If the Odds Are in Your Favour
Always opt for races with eight runners where the bookmakers pay a fifth of the odds a place 1,2,3, where there are few realistic runners. This can also apply to races with 16 or more runner handicaps where a quarter the odds a place 1,2,3,4 as these will be more in your favour as a punter. Knowing which the best races are to play is one of the trickiest things to learn in horse racing, but if the odds are in your favour then betting each-way is always wise.
Keep a Record of Tracks and Identify Biases
A key feature of any expert’s repertoire is identifying a track bias. Some are well-known and will be priced into the markets. However, others aren’t quite as obvious and if you’re able to spot those that bookies haven’t factored in, it could go in your favour. For example, at Fontwell there is often a big edge to go wide from the deepest ground in the colder months, but few jockeys know this. Some jockeys will actually walk the course beforehand and if you have knowledge that others don’t, it’s a definite advantage.
Be Proactive
If you find an angle to make a profit from, it won’t be long before others follow. You need to devote time to researching new angles and experimenting, even when the vast majority of these experiments will prove fruitless. From new markets to technologies, successful punters are the ones who are the first to latch on and the most proactive people will always have the best results than those who sit in the slow lane and let others pass them by.