Horse Racing Betting
Horse racing betting is a pastime that Brits have been enjoying since the 1600s during the reign of King James I.
With new technology, most racing fans now place their predictions online, making horse racing betting sites and racing free bets heavily in demand!
The most popular horse racing bets are win, place and each-way bets. However, when it comes to bet types, racing fans have tens of options to explore. From accumulator bets to exotic options like Goliath bets that involve 247 individual selections, racing punters are spoilt for choice when it comes to betting options.
The horse racing season is split in two; the Flat and National Hunt. The flat season runs predominantly in summer and concludes on Champions Day on the first Saturday in October. National Hunt runs through Autumn and Winter.
While there is horse racing action taking place every day at one racecourse or another, there are a few races that conjure more interest among bettors than others.
Top Horse Races to Bet On
Grand National
The Grand National is an iconic National Hunt horse race held every April at Aintree Racecourse, Liverpool. This handicap steeplechase is the headline race at the Grand National Festival and has been run since 1839. As the biggest betting event of the year, the Grand National sees around 13 million punters place bets. This is significantly higher than any other sporting event.
Cheltenham Festival
The Cheltenham Festival is a key betting event for the avid racing bettor. This is a four-day festival which comprises 28 races. The much-celebrated festival takes place at Cheltenham Racecourse in mid-March of each year. Around £500 million is bet during the Cheltenham festivities. This is why Cheltenham free bets are so heavily desired!
Royal Ascot
Royal Ascot is not only a highlight of the betting calendar but the British social calendar too. The racing event, which history spans more than 300 years, is a summer meeting where bettors can bet on five jam-packed days of racing action. Founded by Queen Anne in 1711, the 'Royal' aspect of the event remains. Each day of the event, there is a Royal Procession where members of the royal family arrive down the straight mile in the Royal Landaus.
British Classics
The British Classics are five Group 1 races that take place throughout the flat racing season. Due to the calibre of horses, jockeys and trainers these events attract, they are of keen interest to avid racing bettors. They are limited to two and three-year-old horses and are historically regarded as the highest honour for racehorses within their age division.
Other UK Races
Other key events on the horse racing calendar include Ebor Festival and Champions Day, events that offer many opportunities to bet with free bets and take advantage of price boosts. Here at betting.bet, we run the rule over the best horse racing betting sites, ensuring our users can access the very best offers and odds from the top, licensed racebooks.
International Horse Races
While the UK and Ireland are at the centre of the horse racing betting world, many Brits show an interest in high-profile events taking place overseas. The Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (France), Kentucky Derby (USA), The Saudi Cup (Saudi) and the Breeders’ Cup (USA) and the Melbourne Cup (Australia) are great examples of this, conjuring up great interest amongst UK bettors. Betting firms including Ladbrokes, William Hill, Coral and Bet365 are sound options if you are looking for a bookie to place bets on races outside of the UK.
Types of Horse Racing Bets
Navigating the different types of horse racing bets can be a minefield, with up to 100 betting markets available on one given race!
Win Bet: A win bet is simple; a bet that predicts which horse will win its respective race. If your horse wins: you win.
Each-way Bet: An each-way bet (E/W) is an incredibly popular horse racing bet type. An each-way bet comprises two separate bets; one on the horse to win and another on it to be “placed”. The place element of the bet predicts the horse will finish in one of the designated places. Generally, this implies finishing in the top two, three or four places, depending on the number of racers in the event.
Forecast: A Forecast bet in horse racing requires the punter to predict the horses to finish first and second in a race, in the order that they finish. This is a popular bet for punters betting on key racing events such as the Grand National, Cheltenham Gold Cup and so on.
Tricast: A straight tricast or ST is a single bet prediction of 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order. Again, these carry more risk but can create some serious big-winning opportunities.
Place: When placing a “place” bet, you are betting on the probability of the horse being “placed” and finishing in one of the designated positions. This will vary from bookmaker to bookmaker. What is interesting to note about a place bet is that irrespective of whether your horse finished first, second, third or fourth, if it is placed you will be paid out at the same odds.
Accumulator: An accumulator bet combines many selections into a single bet. For the accumulator bet to be successful, each selection must win. Parlay or accumulator betting are other names for this kind of multiple betting. Because the chances are higher and a smaller stake is needed, accumulator bets have the potential to be very profitable.
Goliath: A Goliath Bet is a bet where the punter bets on eight selections competing in several events. There are 247 total bets in this bet type, which includes 28 doubles, 56 trebles, 70 four-folds, 56 five-folds, 28 six-folds, 8 seven-folds, and an 8-fold Accumulator. For there to be any returns, two selections must be on the money.
Heinz: The Heinz bet is a six-selection bet with 57 possible combinations of bets, including a six-fold accumulator, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, and 6 five-folds. This bet type, which takes its name from the Heinz beans motto "57 varieties," is a widespread bet that aggregates all possible combinations of the six selections into a single bet.
Yankee: The Yankee bet type consists of four selections and eleven separate bets. Six doubles, four trebles, and one four-fold accumulator make up a Yankee; thus, the bettor needs to make at least two successful picks in order to get a return.
Lucky 15: The Lucky 15 is a 4-selection bet created from 15 bets: 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles and a four-fold accumulator.
Lucky 31: The Lucky 31 bet is a 5-selection bet consisting of 31 separate bets. These are 5 singles, 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 four-folds and a five-fold accumulator.
Lucky 63: A Lucky 63 comprises 63 bets with identical costs placed on outcomes in six different events: 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-folds, six five-folds, and a six-fold acca.
Trixie: A Trixie bet, which can also be referred to as a "Full Cover" bet by punters and bookmakers, consists of three selections and covers a total of four bets: three singles and a three-game acca. Due to the amount of selections, Trixie bets can offer high potential gains for comparatively low stakes.
Patent: A Patent bet is very similar to a Trixie bet, with just a few differences. The main difference is an extra single bet on each selection, meaning in seven bets in full. This means you have the Trixie combinations (doubles and treble) plus three extra single bets.
The Best Types of Racing Betting Offers
In most cases, horse racing betting sites will provide punters with tempting offers. These both enhance punters’ online betting experiences while encouraging them to stay loyal and bet with them regularly. Here are some of the most commonly-available horse racing betting promotions:
- Horse Racing Free Bets: Horse racing free bets are higinhly in demand. This is because free bets allow racing fans to place racing selections using the bookmaker’s money! While there are often stipulations around how and when a racing free bet can be used, they generally give players a way of limiting their risk of losing money when placing racing bets. Free bets, often referred to as “bonuses”' or “free betting tokens” come in a whole range of formats. Common options include no deposit free bets, deposit free bets, event free bets and so on. In racing, many bookmakers will provide free bets long past the sign up stage. For instance “free bet if your horse falls at the first'' is a common promotion found on UK betting sites:
- BOG: Nowadays, most racing bookmakers will offer BOG (Best Odds Guaranteed). As the name of the promotion suggests, it ensures players get the best odds for their selection, irrespective of if the market changes and the odds fluctuate. Simply put, if the starting price of a horse when the race begins is more than the odds you initially selected, the bookie will pay you out at the higher odds.
- Extra Places: Each-way bets are hugely popular in UK racing betting. In short, an each way bet is made up of 2 separate bets, one for the horse to win, and another for it to be placed. If the bookie is set to pay out on 4 places, for instance, an Extra Places offer will see the bookie pay out on the 5th too, giving the punter better odds of turning a profit.
- Racing Free Bet Clubs: Racing free bet clubs are becoming increasingly popular, especially on popular racing betting sites such as William Hill, Coral, Bet365 and the likes. Free bet clubs are promotions where the punter will need to place a certain number of bets at the bookmaker to unlock a free bet. Free bets are usually unlocked at the end of the week ahead of the weekend's horse racing betting action. Be sure to read the offer’s deposit and requirements before partaking in a free bet club promotion.
- Odds Boosts: Odds Boosts, as their name hints at, is a type of offer where the book alters a market’s odds in the punter’s favour.
How to Choose Horse Racing Betting Sites
When choosing horse racing betting sites, many attributes and features need to be considered and compared. At betting.bet, we have been reviewing betting sites since the Millenium, when online bookies first came about! This means we have a strong hold on what separates a good from a great bookmaker. When choosing your racing bookmaker, we urge you to pay particular attention to the following:
- Design and Navigation: The way a betting site is designed and developed will have a significant bearing on how well it works and the level of enjoyment a punter has when using it. Neat, uncluttered online bookmakers are the ones to consider, as they will aid your online betting experience in a good way. What’s more, well-put-together betting sites transfer well on mobile devices.
- Horse Racing Markets: The more markets, the merrier when it comes to betting sites. When exploring betting site options, ensure the operators you are considering offer a good mix of bet types on a strong selection of both flat and jump racing events. This will ensure you have an adequate amount of betting options to compare.
- Other Sports: Even if your objective is the find horse racing betting sites, it is always a good idea to register with a bookie that can offer other sports. This is because should you want to branch out with your bets, you will not have the bother of finding and registering with a new online betting site.
- Racing Promotions: Racing promotions can make a huge difference to a punter’s online betting experience, especially financially. Whether claiming Free Bets, BOG offers or Extra Places deals, racing promotions can be the difference between a small win and a huge one! Plus, in most cases, racing promotions reduce your risk of losing money when betting, giving you free funds and opportunities to make a profit from online betting. This is why racing betting sites with a diverse range of offers will also capture our attention.
- Safety and Security: Although sharing fun and engaging racing betting options is a top priority, as is ensuring our users’ safety. This is why we only recommend licensed bookmakers that have clearly demonstrated their safe and secure gambling services. When looking into new betting sites, be sure to check that the operator has a valid UL gambling licence and takes measures to protect your perineal and financial data.
- Registration: Nobody has the time or the want to spend long quantities of time registering with bookmakers. This is why we value betting sites that offer a fast, prompt online registration process that can be completed on a variety of mobile and desktop devices.
Horse Racing Betting Advice
Take Advantage of Racing Tips: One of the most valuable pieces of advice we can give horse racing bettors is to take advantage of horse racing tips and expert analysis. There are hundreds of tipster services out there, meaning punters are inundated with advice. In order to streamline and simplify this, we at betting.bet consolidate the best horse racing tips around. From free horse racing tips from our resident tipsters, to all the latest predictions from leading media outlets such as At the Races and Timeform, we offer a central resource to compare the most informed betting tips.
Study the Form: Form, which is a horse's past racing performance history, is frequently used to forecast a horse's future performance. Studying the form can give the punter a good insight into how well the horse will tackle the track, allowing them to adjust their bets accordingly.
Consider Track Conditions: The conditions of a racing track can have a significant impact on how well a horse will run in a race. While some horses can handle firm ground, others perform better on softer or heavy tracks. Again, looking into a horse’s past performances will give you an indication on how it will handle its upcoming challenge.
Keep Emotions in Check: It is essential that all bettors view betting on horses as a form of entertainment, not a way to immediately make money. This is why keeping your emotions in check when partaking in betting activities is of the utmost importance. When using betting sites, be sure to review the safe gambling tools and services available. These will help you make level-headed decisions.
Betting on the Horses with Betting.bet Partners
Betting.bet has been built and evolved with UK racing bettors in mind. Betting.bet is a central resource for punters, irrespective of their racing area of interest, budget or the frequency of their betting activities. As well as profiling the best betting sites offering horse racing, we have created a series of other useful tools and features. From our directory of racing offers and free daily racing tips, to our racing event calendar and exclusive punditry, punters can elevate their bets with betting.bet!