Horse Racing Betting Sites: Read Our Complete 2021 Guide
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If you’re looking to bet on horse racing this year then you’ve come to the right place! Our detailed betting guide provides all the information you need to make winning bets in 2021. Get tips, betting strategies, bet types and a list of the top horse racing bonus offers, all in one place.
Top 6 Horse Racing Betting Sites: Current Offers & Bonuses
Horse racing betting online has increased greatly over the past decade, with hundreds of bookmakers offering horse race bets daily. With so many choices it can be difficult to pick the right one for you to bet on horse racing. That’s why the table below provides a list of our top 6 online horse racing betting sites and their bonus offers at the moment:
| Horse Racing Betting Sites | Bonus Description | Claim the Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| bet365 | Check the bookmaker’s site | |
| William Hill | Up to $250 in free bets | |
| Sports Interaction | 100% bonus up to $125 | |
| Unibet | 100% up to $250 | |
| Bethard | 100% BONUS UP TO $100 | |
| Betway | 100% Deposit Bonus up to $200 |
- Top 6 Horse Racing Betting Sites: Current Offers & Bonuses
- Beginner’s Guide to Horse Racing
- Different Horse Racing Bets- Types of Wagers
- Horse Racing Odds Explained
- How to Bet Successfully on Horse Racing: Horse Racing Tips
- Handicapping Horses: How To Know Which Horse To Bet On
- Horse Racing Live Streaming
- How We Selected Our Bookmakers for Horse Race Betting
- Major Horse Racing Events
Beginner’s Guide to Horse Racing
Before we can start to bet on horse racing we must first go through the basics. Horse race betting gives you the chance to bet on the winners of horse races from around the world. For example you can bet on the Melbourne Cup horse race (read this complete Melbourne Cup betting guide) the most famous Thoroughbred horse race in Australia.
Online horse racing, in particular, gives you the option of betting on your computer or mobile device at any time. Simply register at a sports betting site of your choice and place your wagers.
Different Horse Racing Bets- Types of Wagers
When you bet on horse racing you will notice a wide range of bet types available for each race. Each bet type offers a different betting possibility/outcome and horse racing odds.
There are two major groups of bet types for horse race betting online: straight bets and exotic bets.
Straight Wagers
Straight bets or single-horse bets give you the option of betting on how a single horse will perform during a race. Of these, the most popular are Win, Place, Show and Across the Board bets.
Win
Win bets are the most common type of horse racing bet, paying you off for picking the winning horse. If your horse does not manage to win the race you will get nothing from a Win bet.
Place
With the Place bet you can bet on whether your horse will finish either first or second. Due to the higher probability of your horse finishing in the top 2, the odds for Place bets are lower than Win.
Show
Show bets take the placing one further, giving your pick the option of placing within the top three spots. Again, since the probability of your horse placing in one of three spots is higher, the odds will be lower for Show bets.
Across the Board
Across the board betting allows you to bet on win, place and show on the same ticket. So you collect all three pay-outs if the horse comes in first. Place and Show if the horse comes in second and Show only if the horse comes in third.
Exotic Wagers
Exotic wagers are all composed of a component that requires you to bet on multiple horses. This can take place during one race or over the course of multiple races. Exotic bets are ideal for big wins when you bet on horse racing as the odds are generally extremely high. This is because they are generally much harder to hit.
Exacta
The Exacta exotic bet requires you to pick the first two finishers of the race in exact order. This means if you pick the top two finishers but they are in the wrong order, your wager will not win.
Quinella
Quinella bets ask you to choose horses that will finish first and second in a race, but the order does not matter. Unlike Exacta bets, if your horses finish in any order for the top two places your wager wins.
Trifecta
To win Trifecta bets, you have to pick the first three finishers for a single race. Due to the difficulty level on this bet, the odds are generally very high.
Superfecta
For Superfecta bets you must predict the first four places in a race. One step further than the Trifecta, the Superfecta can give massive odds but is quite difficult to pull off.
Horse Racing Odds Explained
Understanding horse racing odds is very important in making a successful bet on horse racing. Odds are the return you will get if the horse/horses you bet on is successful in winning the wager.
Traditionally when you bet on horse racing, the odds are fractional. These odds show the amount of profit there is to be gained versus the stake. For example, 4-1 fractional odds for a stake of $5 will return you $25 ($5 x 4 + original stake).
Most online horse racing sites give you the option of switching the odds to decimal as well. Decimal odds are displayed as a number that multiplies against your stake to provide your potential winnings. Example: 2.50 decimal odds on $5 would net you $10. ($5 x 2.50)
How to Bet Successfully on Horse Racing: Horse Racing Tips
While there are no guaranteed ways to win a bet on horse racing, the following horse racing tips and strategies can help:
Research
Be sure to always take a deep dive into each horse and jockey’s past performances and history. Certain horses may perform better in specific conditions or be in peak form before an upcoming race.
Type of Bet
If you’re looking to take your horse race betting to the next level, learn how to incorporate different types of bets. While straight bets can be safer, exotic bets have the potential to give massive wins from smaller stakes.
Odds
One of the most important horse racing tips to keep in mind is finding the best betting odds. The odds on a horse can vary from betting site to betting site. So when horse racing betting online make sure you find the best odds by browsing through all the bookmakers.
Quantity of Bets
It’s important to find the right number of bets to wager on in horse racing. This could mean betting on multiple horses in a single race, betting on multiple races or not betting every race. Only make bets which you are very confident in, rather than trying to bet on every race you can.
Handicapping Horses: How To Know Which Horse To Bet On
The following are tips on how to pick the winning horse:
Behavior in Paddock
If you’re watching the horse race you can observe the behavior of horses in the paddock before the race. Generally relaxed horses are the most likely to run a controlled race.
Past Performance
You should always take into account the past performances of a horse and jockey at a specific competition or track. Performances on similar tracks and conditions can also be very telling, especially races from the recent past.
Surface and Weather
The type of surface that is being used for the race can be very telling of the overall outcome. Certain horses fare much better on specific surfaces where others don’t. The weather can also be a huge factor in how a horse performs on race day.
Jockeys
As much as the performance of a horse can determine the winner of a race, so can the jockey’s performance. If a jockey has had experience at a given race and past success, there is every chance they will be able to repeat the trend. Be sure to look for the best jockeys when placing your online horse racing bets.
Horse Racing Live Streaming
Many online horse racing betting sites give you the option of watching races via live streaming. To access the feature you may be required to have a funded account. Be sure to check the terms and conditions at your chosen horse racing betting site for further conditions.
How We Selected Our Bookmakers for Horse Race Betting
The following criteria were used to pick our top 6 betting sites:
- Betting Offers- the online bookmakers with the best welcome bonuses and promotions.
- Odds- we made sure to find the bookmakers with the highest odds in the region.
- Betting Markets- we found the sportsbooks with the most variety in betting markets.
- Live Streaming- the live streaming feature can be found on our top websites, allowing you to watch races as they occur.
Major Horse Racing Events
- Kentucky Derby- 1 May 2021
- Cheltenham Festival- 16-19 March 2021
- Grand National – 8-10 April 2021
- Royal Ascot- 15-19 June 2021
- Preakness Stakes- 15 May 2021
- Belmont Stakes- 6 June 2021
- Melbourne Cup- 2 November 2021
- Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe- 3 October 2021
- 2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival- Thursday nights from 21 January
