Horse racing is a sport that is traditionally associated with gambling.
Whether you are watching the daily action, keeping up to date with the biggest races on the calendar or heading to the races for a day out, it will likely involve gambling.
But what about newcomers who are looking to bet on horse racing for the first time?
The good news is that if you keep things simple, this is certainly something you can enjoy.
Horse racing can be a real family day out if you want it to be, with everyone getting involved.
If you are looking to get involved as a newcomer to the sport then here are three simple ways to get started with horse racing betting.
Look for Recognisable Names
Big name trainers and jockeys often come to the fore.
This may be at regular meetings or at a big event such as Royal Ascot.
As a complete beginner, if you are looking for a method of selecting runners and you don’t want to dive too deep into the form book, picking out recognisable names is a way.
Look for the top trainers and jockeys, pick out the horses they have running at the race meeting you are watching and then place bets on them.
This is a very simple way to get into horse racing, you are doing something to choose what you are betting on, but you aren’t overwhelming yourself with information from the form book.
Then you can place your bets with the bookmaker you prefer on these people. If you’re stuck trying to find one, just search for bookmakers near me and choose one!
Comparing bookmakers is important to get a good deal, an example of this is the comparison William Hill vs Bet365 via FreeBets.co.uk.
Understand the Differences Between Races
Horse racing is one sport, but the actual races that take place are very different, and you need to approach them in different ways.
This is because we have two different types of horse racing, national hunt and flat, and distances that range from five furlongs all the way up to the Grand National distance which is just over four miles.
With such a difference between the types of races, it is important you know about each one, what to look out for and how the race will unfold.
This should help you put together a better opinion of the race, even if you are only doing this simply.
We also have different race types.
Group races are the best in the world, full of top quality animals competing against each other.
The main type of race is a handicap, this is where all horses carry different weights in order to try and make the race as fair as possible.
Don’t Expect to Win All the Time
Horse racing is different to many other sports because of the fact that the odds on offer are generally bigger.
With plenty of runners and more potential outcomes, you will find bigger odds on horse racing than Premier League football for example.
For this reason, you need to set your expectations lower than normal.
If you are backing odds on favourites in football games you need a far higher strike rate to make a profit than if you are betting on horses at 2/1 or bigger, even if they are the favourite.
By setting yourself up in the right manner you will take the pressure off things.
Don’t expect horse racing to be like any other sport, it is unique and offers a completely different way to bet.
Get this nailed down and understood in the early stages and you will save yourself a lot of time worrying about not winning in the future.