Horse Racing Betting

The trepidation levels at horse racing tracks is next to none. Although most spectators are just "mere spectators," you'd find other individuals gazing back and forth from the track to their tickets, hoping their wagered horses rank #1 after the race.

Horse racing in India is over 200 years old, with the first-ever track created in 1777.  Currently, the jurisdiction hosts nine racetracks and featured races are conducted by six regulatory agencies. Thus, it's no surprise that a vast array of gamblers are seeking to understand the "game of Kings" and curate bet slips accordingly.

Tips and Odds for Betting on Horse Racing

Picking the winning horse might seem like an herculean task. Nonetheless, it's possible and gamblers from multiple countries earn decent amounts on their horse racing bets. If you crave wins on this wagering format, adopting these tips would positively impact your betting stints:

Never Place Wagers on the "Favourites" Alone

As a gambling newbie, it's typical for you to place bets on the horse touted to win. Nonetheless, horse racing reeks of trepidation and the "favourite" horse has a mere 30% chance of winning a particular event. If your wagers revolve around them, the chances of you receiving the short end of the stick ranks HIGH. 

Remember, the house always wins. Thus, it'll be best to make concerted efforts and do research into horses with the most value and spread your wagers accordingly. As you execute investigations, the possibility of prompting winning combos is on an upward trajectory.

Understand Important Horse Racing Terms

Like other sporting variations, horse racing fields numerous terminologies. Although understanding these terms in one go might seem almost impossible (unless you've got a photographic memory), peeking at a horse racing glossary at select intervals will prove helpful in the long run. 

Getting conversant with basic horse racing terms might just be all you need to facilitate successful bets.

Understand Jockeys

Getting context into the jockeys featured at a specific horse racing event can help you make informed bets that translate into wins. Jockeys have courses where they thrive in and locations where they don't. For example, John Velázquez is touted as a favourite in the Kentucky Derby as he won three races at the Churchill Downs Racetrack in 2011, 2017, and 2020. 

If you've asked why some jockeys perform better at some courses than others, you're not alone. The reason for this is that horse trainers understand the terrain perfectly suited for a jockey. 

As a result, while considering jockeys, it's important to consider the horse's trainer also. If you find a stable jockey in the mix and wager on their horse, you stand a decent chance of winning a wager.

Understand the Tell-tale Signs of Confident Horses

But you're not the horse's trainer. So, how can you tell if it's confident or not? The fact is that you can. However, you'd need to be at the racetrack to accurately decipher the horse's attributes and assess its confidence levels.

For example, if you see a clam horse that fields a shiny coat, it'll most likely perform better than a stallion that's all jittery and anxious. In horse racing, little margins matter and understanding confidence levels in featured runners might be all the incentive required to place the "green" stamp on your betting slip.

Get Insight Into Surfaces

Just like tennis maestro, Novak Djokovic prefers the hard court and certain football players prefer to slug it out with their opponents in a "wet night in Stoke," having an understanding of surfacing is one of the most important horse racing betting tips you can ever adopt. 

For example, dirt race tracks hosting uneven soil can dampen the speed of horses. It gets worse when rain falls as the surface becomes slippery, hindering a horse's ability to sprint effectively. Conversely, turf tracks denote synthetic or natural grass that allows horses to go "full throttle" and provides protection for jockeys when they fall.

Using this metric, you can make informed horse racing bets. For example, while Arabian horses thrive on dirt tracks, you might want to opt for Hanoverian horses for events hosted on turf-like tracks.

Before betting on any horse racing event, it's important to assess the competing horses and determine if the track is suitable for them or not. So, before you back a horse to go all the way, ensure it's sprinting on a surface where it thrives without hassles.

DID YOU KNOW: According to a report by the Guardian, dirt tracks had the worst record for severe horse racing injuries — 2.08 fatal injuries in every 1,000 starts. Note that this statistic also includes horse fatalities. 

Horse Racing Betting Odds: What You Need to Know

Now that you've gotten a hold of notable horse racing betting tips to note to achieve decent payouts, it's important to get context on the inner workings of odds when you bet on horse races. 

First off, note that odds in horse racing exist in fractions. On most events, you might find odds like 3/5 or 10/1. Here, the numerator provides context on the unit value you stand to get. On the flip side, the denominator grants insight into the number of units you'd need to risk to earn a win.

Here are some notable examples:

• 10/1 Odds: For every 1 unit bet placed, you'll receive 10 units as your win. 
• 6/5 Odds: For every 5 units wagered, you'll receive 6 units in return.
• 1/5 Odds: For every 5 units wagered, you'll get a 1 unit win

As seen from the aforementioned examples, the numerator being higher translates to more wins on your bets. However, if the denominator is higher than the numerator, wagering more translates to less wins. 

Most players use odds as a metric to determine a horse's chances of winning. However, this endeavour isn't 100% accurate. While there might be some connections between odds and a horse's form, note that these values fluctuate to tally public opinion.

In parimutuel horse racing betting, when many people place bets on one horse, its odds will reduce. In the same vein, horses with few bets placed on them will feature higher odds, prompting bigger payouts if they appear on your betting slip. 

If you'd like to be successful in horse racing betting, it's vital to identify the attributes of odds curated by public opinion or reality. To decipher reality, it'll be best to adopt one of our most important horse racing betting tip — conducting RESEARCH!

NOTE: Some bookmakers might remove the denominator odds if the value is "1." Thus, if you encounter a 20 or 10 besides a horse, it's translated as 20/1 and 10/1 respectively.

Best Indian Horse Racing Betting App: Selecting a Variation That Caters to Your Wagering Needs

While horse racing might be traceable to Greece in 648 B.C., this sporting variation has undergone evolution over time. Now, you can place bets on your favourite horse on your preferred bookmaker's platform. However, due to stiff competition in the Indian iGaming market, most operators have curated mobile apps to suit players' needs to the “T.”

But with top Indian bookmakers like 22Bet, 10Cric, Betway, and many others claiming to have the most efficient horse racing betting application, making a choice might be difficult. To sieve out an option that suits your wagering aspirations a 100%, it'll be best to consider these factors:

#1 Licensing

Before selecting a horse racing betting application, ensure it's licensed by a revered iGaming regulatory body. These organisations ensure that sites and their proprietary apps succumb to regular tests that validate fairness and security 24/7.

In India, virtual gaming laws aren't stringent and you'd be fine if the gambling software you engage was developed by an operator licensed by any of these agencies:

• United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC)
• Malta Gaming Authority (MGA)
• Curaçao eGaming

Certifications from the listed entities means that your horse wagering endeavors on the bookie's horse racing app is void of insecurity and unfairness.

#2 Payment Alternatives Available

Another vital consideration to note when selecting a horse racing betting application is payment mediums. During the sieving out process, ensure the platform you've decided to set sail with has India-themed transaction alternatives like:

• Neteller
• Skrill
• PhonePe
• UPI
• Google Pay
• PayTM
• AstroPay
• MasterCard
• Visa 
• Eazypay

Besides the number of available payment alternatives, another thing to consider is transaction timelines. While deposits are instant, payouts are a different ball game as most sites have unique processing timelines. We recommend horse racing apps that facilitates withdrawal requests within 24 hours.

NOTE: A rising payment medium category on Indian horse racing wagering apps is cryptocurrencies. Engaging the state-of-the-art blockchain technology, using these options for site-related transactions grants you anonymity whilst being swift (10 to 20 minutes, depending on blockchain activity). Notable cryptos you might want to consider for payments include Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Ethereum.

#3 Customer Support Channels

Horse racing wagering apps are prone to issues at some point. When this happens, you should be able to access a customer support team select channels. This team must be sound in resolving site-related issues seamlessly without back and forths. 

To get back to your horse racing betting activities like you never encountered a hitch, the application you choose must integrate these support alternatives:

• 24/7 live chat
• Email support
• Comprehensive FAQs segment that highlights crucial site aspects like registration, payments, bonuses, and so on.

DID YOU KNOW: In 2021, 86% of all sporting bets were placed online. With 2024 values touted to be much higher, your chosen horse racing gambling app should provide mediums to resolve player issues with aplomb.

#4 Promotional Offers

You don't want to rank as just another name or account on a spreadsheet, do you? If yes, you'd be doing yourself a huge favour by engaging horse racing wagering software that fields juicy incentives for new and existing players.

Notable bonus variations that should feature in your preferred include:

• Welcome Bonus: This promotion is usually meted out to a new player. Usually a 100% deposit match, newbies are bound to receive x2 of their initial deposit. 
• Cashback: This bonus variation offers a percentage of your losses back to you, usually at the end of each week.
• VIP Bonus: If you're an avid horse racing bettor, your preferred betting application might induct you into a top-tier VIP program that'll inundate you with personalized bonuses and real-world holidays, depending on your ranking.

#5 Usability and Compatibility

The software you opt for shouldn't be duanting to use. For context, a top-notch horse racing wagering application should incorporate accessible quick links to facilitate smooth navigation on the platform. A slow and glitchy user interface can throw you off your GAME.

Another important fact to consider in an horse racing app is compatibility. Ensure the application works seamlessly on Android and iOS devices as you can't tell when you'll require a cell phone switch.  
 What Horse Racing Betting Markets Do (Sitename) Offer?

At (Sitename), you have access to the following horse racing betting markets:

Win Bet

This betting market is the easiest to understand. All you need to do is wager on the horse that'll win the event.

Place Bet

As this betting market's naming suggests, you'll need to pick a horse and accurately predict what place it'll rank after the race. The positions you have access to depends on how the number of runners featured in the event. 

Each Way Bet

This bet integrates two premises — while the first is for the win, the other represents a place (usually 2nd, 3rd, or 4th on most bookies). Each way bets demand double equal stakes. So, if you place an ₹100 each way bet, the wager value for a Win and Place will be ₹100 respectively, totalling ₹200. 

Forecast and Tricast

The forecast betting market entails betting on what horses will finish 1st and 2nd in a race. Conversely, tricast requires placing wagers on the horses that'll rank 2nd and 3rd when the race ends.

Your chances of winning this bet, especially as a newbie is low. 

Why?

It requires extensive horse racing research and this is knowledge you might not if you're just starting out. 

NOTE: You can also place reverse forecast and tricast at your favourite bookmakers. The only difference is that the horses can finish in position and all you need to do is pick the right horses. 

Multiple Bets

Multiple bets are also known as accumulators. Here, punters place wagers on numerous outcomes simultaneously. To win this bet, all projected results should come to the fore. If any fails, you lose.

Placepot

Although this betting market is exciting if you're at an actual racetrack, you can foster this wager on any Indian sportsbetting platform. Bettors who choose this market predict where a horse will place in six races at a specific racetrack.

Jackpot

This betting market is tough to win. A jackpot bet involves sifting out six horses and placing them to rank #1 in their respective events. If you're lucky, you might rake a 6 to 7-figure WIN!

Popular Tournaments for Horse Racing in India

Now that you've gotten some context on the betting markets attached to horse racing betting, you might be wondering what events you can get the "wagering ball rolling on. 

Here are some tournaments popular amongst Indian punters:

• Epsom Derby
• Ascot Gold Cup
• Grand National
• Kentucky Derby
• Prix l'Arc Dr Triomphe
• Melbourne Cup
• Saudi Cup
• Cheltenham Gold Cup
• Japan Cup
• Dubai World Cup

Although these are revered horse racing events worldwide favoured by Indian punters, you can narrow your scope to the local scene and set sail on these Indian-themed races:

• 1000 Guineas
• 2000 Guineas
• Indian Derby
• Indian Oaks
• Indian St. Leger

Final Words About Horse Racing Betting

If you've gotten to this point, congratulations! At this point, you have an understanding of the basics of horse racing wagering in India. Before you get your betting acts going, however, conduct due diligence to understand the horse racing glossary and implement the tips we've discussed.

Your path to seismic wins is about to begin. Make sure you gamble responsibly while at IT!