Before choosing a horse to bet on, there are several important factors you should take into consideration. Understanding the different odds is one of the most important aspects of betting, and not just picking a horse because you like its quirky name is another. Here are several other important factors you should also pay attention to before placing a real money wager on a horse.
Key factors to pay attention to before picking a horse to bet on
The main factors you should pay attention to before choosing a horse to place a wager on include the horse, form, weight, distance, betting odds, the going, the jockey, the type of course/ground, and even the trainer. Once you have mastered some of these key factors, or at least tried to find out as much as possible, only then should you think about placing a bet.
Don’t forget, no bet is guaranteed, so even if you think you have a hunch or inside information on which horse may be a winner, it will not always work out that way. Let’s start by taking a quick look at what ‘the form’ means. Quite simply put, the form is the recent performance of a horse in previous races. Is it doing well? Has it finished at the back, or has it won or placed (finished in a paid position) in the previous, say three, races? This useful info tells us a little bit about the horse’s form, and it can usually be found on a racecard.
The odds can also tell us a great deal about how well the horse might do. For example, if it’s currently priced at 100/1 in UK fractional odds (which is +10,000 in American/Moneyline odds and 1,001.00 in European decimal odds), then there’s a good chance it will NOT win. In the same race, the favourite to win might be priced at 1/5 (which is -500, or 1.20).
In comparison, the second favourite to win might be priced at 4/9 (-225, or 1.44). It’s not to say that the 100/1 horse won’t win. It’s just quite unlikely it will beat the 4/9 favourite. You can find lots more useful horse betting tips and the latest odds for today’s races at any one of the hundreds of trusted online sports betting sites.
The going is good
You may also be familiar with the term ‘the going is good,’ which comes from horse racing and refers to the current condition of the ground. For example, a track that could be dry and hard one minute could be wet and soft the next. It all depends on the weather/climate at the time of the race. Some horses run better than others on a certain type of ground, whereas other horses can run well on any ground. The main conditions are Firm, Heavy, Good, Good to Firm, Soft and Yielding.
Distance and weight
Knowing the distance of the race and how well your horse generally performs over that kind of distance is also vital in picking a winner. You should also consider the amount of weight the horse has to carry.
Other important things to consider
Also, remember to take the time to learn about handicapping in horse racing, which is basically designed to give each horse a fair chance at winning the race. Learning about the trainer and his or her history can also help you pick more winners, and finding out more about which jockey has been picked to ride the horse can also tell us a great deal.
Finally, don’t forget that some horses prefer running certain courses, so take a few minutes to find out which course your horse is racing on and how it generally fairs on that kind of course (e.g., does it prefer to run to the right or to the left). Also, is it a flat course that doesn’t have any obstacles or is it a jump course that does have obstacles? One horse may prefer a flat course, and another may prefer a jump course with obstacles, and so on. Keeping all these important factors in mind can help you place more strategic bets that are more likely to return a profit, but don’t forget that no bet is guaranteed.
