How to Bet on Horse Racing?
Tips
to
beat
the
odds.
Studying
the
form
‘Form’
is
simply
the
information
and
facts
about
a
horse's
past
performances.
You
can
find
a
summary
of
form
in
the
national
newspapers.
If
you
would
like
a
more
detailed
analysis,
then
the
Racing
Post
has
a
wide
range
of
statistical
information.
Also,
on
the
day,
you
can
buy
a
race
card
which
contains
basic
form.
Sometimes
it
also
contains
useful
information
such
as
which
trainers
or
jockeys
have
a
good
record
at
that
particular
course.
Some
factors
worth
taking
into
consideration
when
looking
at
form
is
whether
the
horse
has
won
previously
over
a
certain
distance
or
going.
Also
you
might
want
to
look
at
the
weight
it’s
carrying
compared
to
previous
races
or
whether
it
is
going
up
or
dropping
down
significantly
in
the
class
of
the
race.
Focusing
on
the
horses
Studying
the
form
can
assist
in
picking
winners
but
it's
not
the
only
component
and
it’s
definitely
worth
actually
having
a
look
at
the
horses
before
the
race,
either
in
the
pre-parade
ring
or
the
Parade
Ring,
to
see
how
they’re
looking.
The
sort
of
signs
you
should
be
seeking
in
a
potential
winner
are:·
A
good
muscle
tone,
often
referred
to
as
‘condition’Match
this
with
a
shiny
coat,
bright
eyes,
forward-pointing
ears
and
an
alert
manner
and
you’re
in
with
a
good
chance.
Pay
attention
to
how
the
horse
moves.
A
relaxed
forward
stride
is
ideal
but
watch
out
for
unnecessary
agitation
-
the
horse
could
well
be
wasting
energy
profuse
sweating
can
be
an
indication
of
nerves,
but
don’t
cut
this
out
altogether
as
for
some
horses
this
is
normal.
Equally,
don’t
be
put
off
by
blinkers
or
visors,
which
are
worn
to
help
channel
the
horse’s
concentration
during
the
race
To
understand
horse
racing
you
must
first
learn
all
the
basic
terms
listed
below.
Basic
terms
for
UK
racing.
Stake
When
placing
a
bet,
your
stake
is
the
amount
of
money
you
are
willing
to
gamble
-
be
it
a
cautious
£1
or
a
rather
more
flamboyant
£500.
If
you're
a
winner,
your
winnings
(also
known
as
'returns')
are
calculated
according
to
your
horse's
odds.
Odds
In
the
world
of
betting,
the
odds
(often
referred
to
as
the
price)
are
a
way
of
expressing
the
perceived
probability
of
a
horse
winning
a
race
and
it's
at
this
value
which
a
bookmaker
will
lay
his
bets.
OK
-
so
that's
all
relatively
easy.
Here's
the
more
difficult
bit.
Prices
can
be
odds
against,
even
money
or
odds
on.
Odds
against
When
the
bookmaker
offers
a
return
which
is
more
than
double
the
amount
staked
for
a
win
bet.
If
your
stake
is
£1,
a
winning
bet
at
2/1
(pronounced
two-to-one
bet)
will
return
you
£2
plus
your
original
stake
of
£1,
making
a
total
of
£3.
Even
money
(or
Evens)
When
the
bookmaker
offers
a
return
which
is
double
the
amount
staked
on
a
win
bet.
If
your
stake
is
£1
the
bookmaker
will
return
£1
plus
your
stake,
making
a
total
of
£2.
Odds
on
When
the
bookmaker
offers
a
return
which
is
less
than
double
the
amount
staked
for
a
win
bet.
A
successful
£1
bet
at
1/2
(pronounced
two-to-one-on),
will
return
just
50p
plus
your
stake,
making
a
total
of
£1.50.
The
word
'on'
indicates
that
the
odds
are
reversed.
Long
Odds
or
Short
Odds?
Sometimes,
instead
of
a
horse's
odds
being
expressed
as
a
fraction,
you
might
hear
that
they
are
simply
'long'
or
'short'.
This
isn't
meant
to
refer
to
the
horse
itself
-
or
even
the
jockey.
Instead,
odds
that
are
said
to
be
long
(e.g.
50/1)
point
to
the
fact
that
a
horse
is
very
unlikely
to
win
the
race.
Conversely,
short
odds
(e.g.
2/1)
indicate
that
a
horse
has
a
good
chance
of
winning.
tote
win
Pick
the
winner
of
the
race.
Minimum
bet
£2.
tote
place
Pick
a
horse
to
be
placed
in
the
race.
Minimum
bet
£2.
Your
selections
needs
to
be
placed
as
follows:
Up
to
4
runners
–
no
place
betting
5
–
7
runners
–
1st
&
2nd
8+
runners
–
1st,
2nd
&
3rd
Handicap
16+
runners
–
1st,
2nd,
3rd
&
4th
tote
each
way
A
very
popular
way
of
betting,
this
is
simply
a
tote
win
bet
and
a
tote
place
bet
on
the
same
horse.
Minimum
total
stake
£4.
tote
exacta
Pick
the
horses
to
finish
1st
&
2nd
in
the
correct
order.
Try
a
reverse
tote
exacta
or
a
combination
tote
exacta
to
increase
your
chances.
This
is
obviously
more
difficult
than
just
picking
the
winner,
but
the
rewards
are
potentially
much
greater
!Minimum
total
spend
£2.
tote
refecta
Pick
the
horses
to
finish
1st,
2nd
&
3rd
in
the
correct
order
in
a
totetrifecta
race.
Get
this
right
and
you
could
win
big!
Minimum
total
spend
£2.
tote
place
pot
This
is
racing’s
favourite
bet
–
and
it
couldn’t
be
simpler!
Just
pick
a
horse
to
be
placed
in
each
of
the
six
toteplacepot
races
(normally
the
first
six
races
on
the
card).
You
can
choose
more
than
one
horse
in
any
of
the
races
to
increase
your
chances
of
winning.
Use
a
toteplacepot
play
slip
to
place
your
bet.
Minimum
total
spend
£2.
totequadpot
Another
popular
bet
–
especially
if
you’ve
missed
the
start
of
the
toteplacepot
or
it
has
fallen
by
the
wayside
before
the
3rd
race.
As
before,
just
pick
a
horse
to
be
placed
in
each
of
the
four
totequadpot
races
which
are
normally
races
3,
4,
5
and
6.
Use
a
totequadpot
play
slip
to
place
your
bet.
Minimum
total
spend
£1.
totejackpot
Pick
the
winners
of
the
six
totejackpot
races
at
the
nominated
totejackpot
meeting
each
day.
Not
easy
–
but
the
potential
rewards
are
huge!
You
can
choose
more
than
one
horse
in
any
of
the
races
to
increase
your
chances
of
winning.
Use
a
toteplacepot
play
slip
to
place
your
bet.
Minimum
total
spend
£2.
totescoop6
Pick
at
least
one
horse
in
the
six
nominated
televised
races
each
Saturday.
Get
all
six
winners
to
scoop
a
potentially
massive
dividend
AND
qualify
for
a
big
money
bonus.
Even
finding
a
placed
horse
in
every
race
pays
an
average
dividend
of
over
£500
to
a
£1
stake.
Use
a
totescoop6
play
slip
to
place
your
bet.
Minimum
spend
£2
per
line.