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.

These days, old timers claim that the art of paddock inspection is fast on its way out. Yet they all say the same thing – paddock inspection is one useful tool when it comes to handicapping. If you want to get that edge that you have been looking for, then paddock inspection might just do the trick for you. Here are some tips on how to conduct one.

1. Make sure that you are at the entrance as the horses arrive. This might mean being their hours earlier than you normally would but remember you end goal. It would be worth it.

2. As the horses enter one by one, pay close attention to each of them. Inspect them as closely as you can from your vantage point. Check for signs of weakness, lameness, tiredness, the smell of liniment, and such. You may want to take a close look at the groom as well. You never know when they might give away certain information based on their expressions and behavior.

3. Don’t leave even when the horses have entered the paddock. You have to stay and watch them walk around. Again, watch for signs that may tell you negative about the horses. Some things to watch out for are excessive sweating, excessive nervousness, over excitability, foaming around the mouth, and whinnying too much. Of course, it goes without saying that if you do see a horse or two with these signs, you should go wager on another horse.

(to be continued)

Ever since the Internet became popular among the general public, forums have cropped up all over the place.  They have served as venues for people from all over the world to exchange ideas and opinions.  In this respect, the horse racing world has not been left behind.  In fact, there are countless horse racing forums to be found online today.

What is the primary purpose of a horse racing forum?  It is basically for people to post questions or comments and to get feedback from other people with the same interests or inclinations.  As such, a horse racing forum can be a veritable treasure trove of information, for both the beginner and veteran.

In a horse racing forum you can learn all about different types of horse races, from Thoroughbred to Arabian to Harness.  More than that, you can garner information regarding tipsters, jockeys, trainers, betting, systems and others.  It is quite obvious that horse racing forums offer a lot of possibilities and advantages.

Of course, there might be some information that are not as accurate as you would like it to be.  To avoid spam and other useless information, horse racing forums normally have regulations as to the content and manner of posting.  That is why membership is encouraged.  This is one way to keep track of who is posting what and to implement censure if need be.

The bottom line is that yes, horse racing forums are quite useful as long as members are responsible and that you know how to filter the information that you get from them.

Newcomers to horseracing may not know it but the secret to long term success in the sport is to find a working system and stick with it.  Though that sounds easy enough, there is a little bit of complication -  there is no one system that can work for everyone.  You have to shop around for the system that works best for you and that can take some time.  So what do you look out for when trying to determine a horseracing system that would work for you?

Tipster Services.  Now before I go on, please remember that whatever is written here is merely my opinion and that I am not generalizing.  The reason for that disclaimer is that I believe that you should shy away from tipster services.  The reason?  You will be better off learning the ins and outs of betting and reading a form guide.  Then you can work your own system.  Relying on tipsters to make your bets has not been proven to be the most effective way of winning long term.

Written testimonials for software systems.  Right, we see a lot of these online.  I have personally read countless of these testimonials saying how much they have earned since they started using so and so system.  Of course some of them may be true but you will never know unless you actually speak to the person or your purchase the system.  In second scenario, you risk ending up being scammed.  When salespeople get in touch with you regarding software systems, ask them if you could get in touch with current users in order to verify their product.