Imagup General Magazine 2024
Picking out a winning horse for yourself can be quite a difficult task. Sure, you can opt for a random choice every now and again, but the win will be pure look and never strategic. Horse racing is part luck and mostly mathematical strategy, and to find winners you should always have a good knowledge base of the sport to make a winning selection.
This beginner’s guide will cover everything that a newbie to the sport will be needing in terms of establishing that betting foundation. If you are wanting to be put on the right path and journey when it comes to gambling, this guide is the one for you! We have found a range of excellent horse racing events and betting odds at https://sports.williamhill.com/betting/en-gb/horse-racing/meetings .
Tip number 1: Do not just bet on the favourite
Okay, so betting on the favourite is always the safest option most of the time, however when it comes to horse racing, the favourite actually only wins 30% of the time. Therefore statistically, those are not very strong odds overall really, are they? If you happened to put all your money on a day at the races, and invested only in favourites, say goodbye to a majority of your bankroll, as it will probably be gone rather quickly.
The secret is to look out for the horse that will offer the most value for the buck that you have in your possession currently. To find value, well, that is a case of well-constructed research and knowing exactly what to keep your eye on in the months leading up to huge races such as the Melbourne Cup, The Grand National or the Royal Ascot. Horse races happen all over the world, however the principle of finding value and knowing how to look for it, is very much the same. You might be thinking, what do I look out for exactly? Just keep on reading!
Tip number 2: Know your horse terminology
This one is pretty obvious. Before you invest a large amount from your bankroll, it would make complete sense that you need to learn the linguistics and terminology used within horse racing. Some popular terms are listed down below, perhaps the next time you place a bet at the Kentucky Derby, listen out for the following use of terms.
Easy last time out winners: Horses can often win in streaks of 2 or 3 across 5 races. By making sure to look at the easy last winner, who possibly had more than one streak, is a great place to start when wanting to place a bet. Especially in previous seasons’ races.
Good rating figures: Looking at a personal best from horses during races, is another way to find a winner. For that reason, always take the time to look into the Good rating figures and track records of horses.
Race comments: This one is pretty obvious because often when doing your research online, you will always need to read up on the specific race comments made. Everything helps when you want to know how to pick your horses at the races.
Tip number 3: Know your surfaces
This is super insightful and the sooner you develop the habit of knowing what a horse performs better at, the easier it will be to make selections for each race that you are betting on. Just as tennis players perform better on grass or clay, horses will perform better on turf, dirt and so on. Therefore, base your bets solely on the track the horse is racing on. While sometimes a streak can often influence your choices, track records and performance on each type of track will give you more of the answer you are looking for.
Tip number 4: Look into the history of the trainer and the jockey
The trainer of the horse will certainly be an insightful thing to know about on your betting journey. As Ian Marmion said back in 2006, you would be surprised how patterns always repeat themselves when you break down the stable winner over the months. Many trainers will have different records behind them, depending on the track raced on.
Some are more proficient across multiple types, others are limited to certain types. If a trainer had managed to win a track previously, there is a chance they can do it again. It’s similar in reverse too, if a trainer has bad records it will probably reflect in their horses to come in the future too.
Jockeys and basing your decisions on them is important too. Many jockeys are favourites for different locations and race tracks. For that reason, you will need to spread those qualities and identify the skill sets of dominance and relationship that they have with their horses. This should be a crucial piece to picking your horses.
