Sunday 8 April 2018

5 Helpful Pointers to Win at the Races


With the changing of the clocks, thoughts of heady summer days may invite you to a day at the races. The beauty of living on such a small island is that you are never far from a racecourse. In fact, many locations have a number on their doorstep. Whether travelling to Market Rasen on a cold, winter's day or the pomp and glamour of Royal Ascot, there's plenty to cheer about. 

When it comes to betting, you may need little advice or a newbie who could do with a few helpful tips. 

Take a look at these 5 handy pointers to help you win when betting on two-year-old horses. 

1) Follow successful trainers 

When betting on two-year-old horses, it is important to appreciate which trainers can win a race. Sadly, for many this is far from an easy task and why it often pays to follow established horse trainers with owners who pay a lot of money for their colt or filly. A race may detail a varied mix of sales prices. Often, a horse is very expensive and costing £1,000,000 while another cost just the paltry sum of £500. It is no surprise to see the more expensive horse is much more fancied in the betting. 

2) Watching horses in the paddock

It's worth visiting the paddock to see the two-year-old horses before they go down to the start. Many horses will be racing for their first time which can be a scary prospect. Horses can get upset and throw away their chance before the race begins. Take note of the horse you fancy. If it looks very hot and sweaty, rearing up or unseating its jockey, you may be wise to change your opinion. This isn't a foolproof system because some horses behave terribly and still win. 

3) Betting

As the maxim goes: Bet what you can afford to lose. It is a good measure of having an enjoyable day at the races. You don't want to leave feeling angry about losing too much money. When betting on two-year-old horses remember it is more difficult for a horse to win on debut compared to their second start. Also, most winning horses are priced 13/2 & less SP. This doesn't mean that bigger priced horses can't win but it is much more difficult. 

4) When to bet

In truth, there is no right or wrong time to bet. However, there may be a big difference between the odds you get. Betting is all about opinions. If you want to bet on a favourite or big price don't be swayed by others and change your mind. The betting market really heats up in the last ten minutes before the off so this is the time you will notice your horse is either backed or drifts in the market. Stick to your guns. 

5) Which bet: single, each-way or accumulator

If you want to keep it simple just go for a single win bet. If your horse is priced 5/1 or bigger you may consider betting each-way. That means you don't lose if it is placed in the first three horse (must be eight runners or more). This can be a worthwhile bet. However, you may be better off with two single bets in the same race. More information about types of bet If you hope to win a lot of money betting for a small stake you will need to wager on an accumulator. This is where you place a bet on a number of horses. Bets such as a Yankee, Canadian or Heinz come to mind. 

Have an enjoyable day.