Horses Racing Race. PHOTO: clarencealford / pixabay.com
The world of betting includes many fun games as well as sports. Besides the traditional sports that you can bet on, you can also bet on the good old-fashioned horse racing. However, with technology evolving and gambling industry developing, you can now place your bets on horse racing online. So, let’s see how to find the best sites and how to choose which horse racing bets to place.
Finding a Trustworthy Site
Just like with choosing any other online casino or sportsbook, you need to be careful. Not all sites are created equal and it is best you do some research on which horse racing betting sites are a good option. You can check reviews and comments online from experienced bettors, or you can go through a few reviews online. For example, you can take a look at this NetBet review in this full article and see what they offer.
Types of Horse Racing
There are several different types of horse racing. And before you make any deposits for betting, you should decide which type of racing you’d like to bet on and whether your chosen site has that race in their offer.
Flat Racing
Flat racing is the basic type of horse racing where horses need to compete over a flat course without any jumps. This is actually a test of speed and stamina of the animal and it takes place over a wide range of different distances. The most famous flat races are the Kentucky Derby and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
Steeplechasing
This type of race includes jumps and horses need to complete the course with various different jumps. These races can be extremely exciting and absolutely unpredictable. The biggest steeplechasing race is the Grand National, taking place in the UK every year.
Harness
In harness races, the horses pull two-wheeled contraptions (sulkies). The driver sits in there and needs to guide the horses around the track. Also, there are two types of this race – trotting and pacing (pacing allows horses to move much faster).
Endurance
Endurance races include long-distance racing, typically 50 or 100 miles. Some of the best horses competing in the 100-mile race will take up to 15 hours to finish. There are a couple of popular endurance races including the Tevis Cup and the Old Dominion Ride.
Types of Horse Racing Bets
Once you’ve decided which horse sports you like and you have chosen an online betting site, it is time to determine which type of bets you’d like to place.
Outright
This is the simplest type of horse racing bets. Here, you just have to pick which horse you think will win the race and place your bet. And if the horse you’ve chosen crosses the line first, you have won.
Each Way
This type of bet usually pays out if the horse you’ve chosen finishes in the top three. This type of bet costs twice as much as an outright one, but the extra outlay is balanced because the chances for winning are increased. Meaning, the horse that finishes first will win more than those finishing in third and second place.
Place
The place bet backs a horse to finish in the top two, instead of you placing a bet on a horse to win. The payout, however, is a bit smaller than the outright bet, but there is less risk attached to place betting.
Show
A show bet is similar to an each way bet and you bet on a horse to finish in the top three. The odds are lower but if you back a favourite horse your chances of winning will increase much higher than the outright or place bets.
Across the Board
This one is basically three bets in one. It includes outright, place and show bets. This means that if your horse finishes first it receives a payout for all three bet types. If your horse finishes in second place it leads to payout for the place and show bets, and if it finishes third you are paid out for the show bet only.
There are many different ways you can bet on horse sports, you just have to take your pick. This is probably the most fun sport to bet on, and all you have to do is pick a trustworthy online betting site, pick your favorite horse and place your bets.