A horse race is the pure embodiment of excitement and thrill--massive animals hurtling forth, chomping at the bit, deciding fates in the course of a couple short minutes. As long as horse racing has existed, betting on the horses has existed as well and today there is more opportunity than ever to get involved in this exciting sport, and to make a little money as well. Despite the opportunity, there is considerable risk and it is worth your while to do your research before laying down money. So many punters just bet on whims, but with the amount of information available to the public it makes more sense to use it to one's advantage. Here are some pieces of advice to get you started.
The form should be your bible, learn to understand what it says and how to use it. Its many abbreviations can be confusing, but here is a brief explanation of the most common ones: "T" tells you that the horse won in the past at this track, but in a race of a different distance; "D" indicates that the horse, in the past, has won at this distance, but not on this track; "C" tells you that the horse won at the same distance on the same track as today's; "B" is an indication for "beaten favorite;" "H" means "home track" for that horse; "W or M" tells you that this horse has won on wet tracks, rated either slow or heavy.
A great rule to follow is to look at horses who won in their last start. No rule is perfect, and you should always consider a number of factors in forming your opinion, but this one is a favorite guideline for expert punters.
Horse tables in the papers will show numbered ratings next to the horse's names, with 100 being the highest chance of winning and all other horses in the race at numbers below 100. While these are a good guide for novices, do not be fooled into thinking that 100s are always winners. Again, look at these numbers for an idea, but do further research as well.
In reality, favorites take the crown about 30% of the time, which should dispel any notions of a "sure thing".
Also keep in mind that trainers put equipment like eye blinkers and nose rolls on their horses. The form will tell you about these factors, so work them into your betting. In particular, if a trainer takes off or puts on blinkers, this could influence a change in the way you bet the race.
Horses that have recently dropped in class may be good bets, in the absence of other negative factors. On a racing form, look for either an arrow up or down, or "U" or "D" next to the horse's name to know whether or not it is moving class.
Track conditions are a big factor in predicting winners. Fast, slow, dead, and heavy describe the moisture on a track, with fast being a dry hard track and heavy being a wet track. These words also correspond to a numeric scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being the driest and 10 being the wettest. If a horse is a recent winner but has not won in wet conditions, it may not be a good bet. Tracks have their personalities and idiosyncrasies, and you may find it easier to win on some tracks than on others. This is normal, and most veteran punters will tell you that they have tracks they love and tracks they hate. Avoid the ones you hate.
Don't be tricked into believing that firmers are great bets only because the odds have gotten better. Changes in the odds before a race are just one of the things you need to take note of.
The term "firmer" refers to a horse with odds that have moved in its favor, while a blower is one who has seen his odds get worse. You of course shouldn't think that all firmers are winners, or that blowers are proven losers. Make the call yourself.
The current price of a horse is the product of people's opinions, not of some concrete reality. Knowing this, look for horses for which your opinion differs significantly from the prevailing one. Take time and do your research, but stick to your opinion.
The form should be your bible, learn to understand what it says and how to use it. Its many abbreviations can be confusing, but here is a brief explanation of the most common ones: "T" tells you that the horse won in the past at this track, but in a race of a different distance; "D" indicates that the horse, in the past, has won at this distance, but not on this track; "C" tells you that the horse won at the same distance on the same track as today's; "B" is an indication for "beaten favorite;" "H" means "home track" for that horse; "W or M" tells you that this horse has won on wet tracks, rated either slow or heavy.
A great rule to follow is to look at horses who won in their last start. No rule is perfect, and you should always consider a number of factors in forming your opinion, but this one is a favorite guideline for expert punters.
Horse tables in the papers will show numbered ratings next to the horse's names, with 100 being the highest chance of winning and all other horses in the race at numbers below 100. While these are a good guide for novices, do not be fooled into thinking that 100s are always winners. Again, look at these numbers for an idea, but do further research as well.
In reality, favorites take the crown about 30% of the time, which should dispel any notions of a "sure thing".
Also keep in mind that trainers put equipment like eye blinkers and nose rolls on their horses. The form will tell you about these factors, so work them into your betting. In particular, if a trainer takes off or puts on blinkers, this could influence a change in the way you bet the race.
Horses that have recently dropped in class may be good bets, in the absence of other negative factors. On a racing form, look for either an arrow up or down, or "U" or "D" next to the horse's name to know whether or not it is moving class.
Track conditions are a big factor in predicting winners. Fast, slow, dead, and heavy describe the moisture on a track, with fast being a dry hard track and heavy being a wet track. These words also correspond to a numeric scale from 1 to 10, with 1 being the driest and 10 being the wettest. If a horse is a recent winner but has not won in wet conditions, it may not be a good bet. Tracks have their personalities and idiosyncrasies, and you may find it easier to win on some tracks than on others. This is normal, and most veteran punters will tell you that they have tracks they love and tracks they hate. Avoid the ones you hate.
Don't be tricked into believing that firmers are great bets only because the odds have gotten better. Changes in the odds before a race are just one of the things you need to take note of.
The term "firmer" refers to a horse with odds that have moved in its favor, while a blower is one who has seen his odds get worse. You of course shouldn't think that all firmers are winners, or that blowers are proven losers. Make the call yourself.
The current price of a horse is the product of people's opinions, not of some concrete reality. Knowing this, look for horses for which your opinion differs significantly from the prevailing one. Take time and do your research, but stick to your opinion.
About the Author:
David Gately has built a reputation for excellence in horse racing tips. This is due to his highly valued and reasonably priced weekly horse racing form, for the Australian horse races. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service
0 comments:
Post a Comment