Horse Race: Things to know before betting

The Favourite Isn't always the Safest Bet

The game of horse racing is typically unpredictable. Only around 30% of the time your favourite horses win, so you'd probably lose money if you showed up to an event and bet exclusively on the favourites throughout the day. The trick is to find the horse that delivers the most value rather than the one that is most likely to win. To find value, you must make informed decisions and conduct thorough research.

Know the Horse Race Terminology

Horse Racing uses a variety of terms and phrases, just like every other sport played around the world. It's crucial to become familiar with these expressions, so here are some popular ones to get you started. These are the different types of exotic bets you can be expected to make:-

Exacta - Choose the top two finishers in the right order.

Quinella - Choose the top two finishers in any order.

Trifecta - Choose the top three finishers in the right order.

Superfecta - Choose the top four finishers in the right sequence to complete the right order.

Know your horses

It is always better to know which horse you are betting on based on following circumstances:

Keep an eye on who won last time

Horses in good form frequently string together with winning streaks of two to three in five races. A good place to start is usually by considering previous winners who appear to be capable of winning again.

Good ratings

You might have a winner on your hands if you can locate a horse that set a personal best in its most recent race.

Past race comments

This knowledge is very valuable. If you search online for horses that have been described as having "ran on well" or "quickened," you will locate a filly or colt in good condition.

Change in class

In the hopes of a miracle, trainers can enter lesser horses in "higher" class races. Therefore, if you're considering a runner with a respectable recent record, consider the calibre of its competitors. Likewise, if a horse has fallen a class, it could be worthwhile to investigate.

The other horses

How the race is conducted and how much of a chance your entrant has will depend on the other horses. An outsider's prospects of maintaining the pace are slim if there are a few horses that enjoy getting an early start and are considered front runners.

Look for a comeback

While it's simple to concentrate on the horses who ran exceptionally well last time and finished first or second, the trick to getting the big prices (your 33/1s and so on) is to look for horses who may have performed poorly in the past but will be ready to compete in a major event due to a change in circumstances or because they are more prepared after a break.

Understand the different surfaces

Different horses run better on different surfaces, just like a tennis player would prefer a clay court to grass, or a silky-skilled football winger might not like it on a rainy Tuesday night.

In contrast, runners that really hit the ground hard are more likely to prefer the slightly more forgiving, softer turf - and obtain more sprinting force from gripping into the ground. Dry courses (also called "firm" or "good to firm") will see the fastest speeds and favour daintier horses.

While placing a wager on a horse, consider the track it will be competing on. Don't back your horses blindly without first checking their favourite surfaces because previous form on the surface, especially with deeper ground, can be crucial.

This is barely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to horse racing, and having guaranteed horse race picks, you will be able to learn all that there is to know about the sport.

There's one safe bet you can make!

If you're ready to start your horse race betting career, and don't know where to find the best tip sheet, you're at the right place! At Guaranteed Tip Sheet, our horse racing picks combine historical success with good old-fashioned intuition, unlike other tip sheets that are entirely dependent on computer statistics. Each race is hand-picked by our expert handicapper.