Horse Racing Moments

This is the continuation of the last post about tips for coming up with your own horse racing system.  I ended with the idea that you should check out when the horses last raced.  I remember writing that the more recent the last race is, the better it is.  However, let me qualify that.  If the horse raced only a few days ago, this principle would not hold.  The horse would probably still be tired from the last race.  The idea is to stay away from horses that have been out of the race track for extended periods of time.

Another consideration would be the distance of the race.  Not all horses are the same – some run better for certain distances.  A race that is too short may not be enough for a horse to show its true form.  On the other hand, some horses cannot run the distance.  As such, you have to take into account the horse’s capability and the distance to be run.

Take into consideration what the “experts” say.  I know you are trying to come up with your own system and you may not want to rely on tipsters.  Yet the whole process of finding your own system would include paying attention to those who have experience.  I am not saying that you should merely listen to what they say.  My point is that if a lot of experts (say 60% - 80%) predict a certain horse winning, find out why.  Then take your cue from there.

One of the most important – if not the most important – things in horse racing is to find a system that works for you and to stick with it.  There are countless systems already developed by other punters out there.  Yet if you are still on the lookout for a system that works, why not try coming up with your own?  Here are a few tips that would help you on this matter.

First, be prepared to do research – a lot of research.  You would have to look into the horses running a certain race and find out as much as you can about them.  This information can be had for free – just look on the Internet.

Next, you should also look into other details such as the size of the field.  The more horses you have running the race, the lesser the chances of a single horse winning.  You should factor this into your system.

Another consideration would be the type of ground the race is going to be run on.  Each horse has its own strength when it comes to this.  You should know which horse runs best on soft or firm ground and adjust your system accordingly.

When picking the horse to place your bet on, make sure that it is in top form.  A horse that ran its last race a season or two ago would make for poor betting.  According to some experts, the shorter the period between races, the better.

(to be continued)

Here are more things to look out for when conducting a paddock inspection.

1.    Pay a lot of attention to the details.  No matter how tiny it may be, do not discount any particular detail.  The negative signs that you should look out for – aside from those mentioned in the last post – are: a dull coat, runny eyes or nose, open sores, front wraps, tendon problems, and popping the tail up and down.

On the other hand, you should also be on the lookout for positive signs.  After all, what you want is to find the horse that will increase your chances of winning.  So what signs should you look for in a good horse?  It does not always follow but in most cases, a dressed up horse is a good sign.  A very neat mane and even a plaited mane is a simple statement that says that horse is well taken care of.  A prancing horse is a good sign as well.  other signs are a shiny coat, dapples, and bright shiny eyes.

2.     After you “around the paddock” inspection, do not think that your job is done.  Wait for the jockey to actually mount the horse and head on to the track.  You should also see if any negative or positive signs show up at this point.

3.    At this point you should be ready to make your pick.  Go ahead, trust your guts and wager!  Best of luck to you.

Betting on the favorite horse seems to be the logical way to go when it comes to horse racing. After all, the odds are already in the horse’s favor, right? So then, your chances of winning are quite high already. It really makes sense. However, though this argument makes total sense, there are other factors which you must consider. First and foremost would be the fact that countless other people would be thinking the same way as you do. The result of this would be less winnings. How so? Let us say that the favorite horse that you bet on does win. So you get a part of the money. However, the chances are that hundreds, or even thousands, of people also bet the same way as you did! Now you would have to split the earnings with each of them. There goes the huge amount of money you were hoping to get.

So how do you bet on favorite horses without having to spread all that cash around with other people? There are several factors that you must take into consideration. First of all, just because a horse is a favorite does not mean that you should automatically bet on it. Take note of all the favorites in various races and then narrow your choices even more. How do you do this? Come up with a set of qualifying factors. Eliminate certain risks that might just make the horse lose. As a result, you will have a few secure favorites on your hands. That makes for higher chances of winning. But don’t bet just yet!

Take other factors into consideration. One thing to look at would be the horse trainer and the jockey. Their past records would be a good indication of whether your favorite has good chances of winning or not. After taking a look at these two factors, also take into consideration the recent forms. That is, the past three or so races of the horses. Another factor to look into would be the track or course that would be run. See if the favorites are best suited for this track.

Now it is time to actually place your bets. Maximizing your wins would also mean increasing your bets somehow. It is simply not realistic to expect large amounts of winnings with a mere dollar. Bet not merely to win but to place. It might mean a little bit more investment on your part but if your selection process is sound, then your returns would be bigger than usual.

When you mention the words “horse race”, the first thing that comes to one’s mind would be betting slips. It is normal because horse racing is already almost synonymous to betting and gambling. This is due to the fact that horse racing is one of the most common and legal types of sports gambling in the world.

In most horse racing tracks, the gambling system employed is called pari-mutuel, a French term which means mutual stake. In this system, all the money bet by all the gamblers are placed in a pool and at the end of the race, the total money in the pot less the commission or percentage that automatically goes to the track, is split amongst all the winning bettors.

There are three ways by which you can make money on horse races: you can bet to win, bet to place and bet to show. By making a bet to win place, you place all your money on a particular horse and bet that in that particular run, that horse will place first. If your horse only reaches second, you will not win anything. If you make a bet to place on a particular thoroughbred, if the horse finishes in either first or second place. A bet that is for “show” means that if the horse finishes in the first three places, you will collect something.

If you want to make a lot of money on your bet, you should bet to win. Since there are fewer chances for a horse to come out on top, the returns on your bet would be greater. A bet to show can be considered as safe bets thus, the winnings are generally smaller.

Another kind of bet is termed “each way”. Generally, this means that your total bet is split “each way” and by so doing, you have bet half the amount to win, and the other half to place. How winnings are given out would depend on the country you are in. The rules for paying off winners in Each Way bets in the United States differ from how winners are paid in Europe, Britain and the rest of the world. In the UK, for each way bets, bookmakers cut the odds for each bet. Full odds are given if the horse places first, but only a portion of it is given for horses that place second, third and otherwise.

There are other betting jargons and betting arrangements in horse racing such as the superfecta, box, triple and sweep, to name a few. To know more about these, ask a bookmaker or a worker at the horse track to explain these concepts to you.

Arbitrage is generally used in economics. An arbitrage occurs when there is price difference between two or more markets and, to make money on the imbalance, matching deals are struck with the parties involved. Profits are made on the differences between the different market prices.

Arbitrage in sports occurs when the opinions given by bookmakers on the possible outcome of the competition vary, or in some instances, when the odds listed are erroneous. If a bettor wants to make money on this discrepancy, he would place bets on the different perceived outcome. Since bookmakers do not condone this activity (may translate to losses for them), bettors normally place bets with different betting companies. Arbitrage betting is also known as “risk free betting” although, since this is still about gambling – a game of chance, there is still a certain degree of risk involved. Common risks involve a change in price halfway through the betting process, refusal of some bookmakers to honor the bet; and (if the bookmaker loses), the probability that the book maker would not remain solvent (may take longer before money changes hands)

To be involved in arbitrage betting, you must do some research on the odds of the game and / or race. When you’re satisfied with the results, you then place bets on different betting companies and at the end of the competition, you collect your winnings (or walk away empty-handed). Arbitrage is done in most sporting activities, and horse racing is one of them.

Any bettor can involve himself in arbitrage betting. This may be done personally or through the internet. Since most book keepers will not agree on arbitrage bets, it may be harder to complete arbitrage transactions on a face to face basis. Most bettors of arbitrage find it easier to make these kinds of bets on-line. They simply need to register in different on-line betting companies and they are good to go.

It is possible to arbitrage a horse race, and there are several websites that help people understand the concept. These websites also have tools such as on-line calculators where you can plug in the odds and the bets. These tools aim to give users an idea on how much they stand to earn (or win) when a horse race is arbitraged.

Many people opt to place arbitrage bets because technically, you win something no matter who wins the competition. However, since this technique almost assures one of a win, the thrill and suspense of rooting for your horse is simply not the same.

Betting on horse races may probably be one of the oldest forms of gambling in the modern world. Initially, only members of the upper crust watched and bet on the outcome of the races but, during the depression, more people started attending horse races. What initially started as an alternative form of entertainment – something to do to while away the time, became one of the most popular gambling activities in the world.

Regular attendees of horse races already know which horses are worth gambling on, and which steeds are not. If you are new to this game, you won’t have that advantage and, chances are, you may just bet on the horse that looks nice or has an easy to remember name.

Betting on horses, however, is easier than it seems. Just like pro athletes, horses too have statistics and these can be viewed through the horse-racing information flyer which you can easily obtain at selected areas of the race track. The flyer lists down all the races scheduled for that day and all the horses slated to race. Underneath or beside the name of the horse, are statistics. Highlighted are details of the horse’s last few races (what his standing is at the end of the race), where the races where held, when he last ran and other information which would aid newbies in deciding which horse to bet on.

When reading the statistics, see how many winning streaks the horse has had. How he performed in a particular kind of race (in terms of distance), and the horse last ran, are other factors which you should look at and consider. From there, you can interpolate or interpret the figures. Do you think that the horse will reach his peak during the race? Will he be tired after running several races or will he be raring to go?

Prior to the races, you can also go around the race track. Normally, the horses that will be running in the next race warm up or trot in a pre-designated area that can be viewed by the public. Through this, you can gauge the physical attributes of the horses and can make a decision based on this.

You can also check on the odds. If you want to win big, bet on the horse that is least likely to win. Horses that are favored to win have smaller odds and the return you get from a bet will not be substantial.