Ten Ways to Profit from Horse Racing
Horse racing is still the most popular of the sports betting mediums in the UK, and £100 million was estimated to be bet on this year’s Grand National alone. In addition to being the most popular sport to make a bet on, horse racing still provides the likes of Ladbrokes – the world’s biggest bookmaker – with most of their profits.
Is it possible to make a profit on horse racing? Yes it is possible, and there are a number of successful horse racing gamblers in the UK. How do they do it? Each will have their own methods and plans, but here is a list of ways that the ordinary punter can improve their betting on horse racing and move towards that elusive overall profit.
* Be disciplined. Don’t be talked into a bet by a pal, and don’t bet “on a hunch”.
* Record all your bets. This is the only way you’ll ever know if you are winning or losing.
* Avoid trainers whose horses are out of form. Although horses are individuals, stables can, and do, go through winning streaks and losing ones.
* Pay special attention to improving horses. These are mostly the younger brigade who come through and stay ahead of the handicapper by virtue of their improvement, but occasionally an older horse will show improvement.
* Follow trainers’ successful patterns. Many trainers target certain meetings or types of race and train their horse specifically for them.
* Horses for courses: Big, galloping types need bigger galloping tracks like Newbury to show their best form, whereas handier, nippy types perform better at tight tracks like Chester.
* Search for the best odds. Use betting sites like www.oddschecker.com to pinpoint the best odds, and also watch the betting exchanges where it is possible to get better odds than those available at bookmakers.
* Bet early! If you happen to spot a great price, chances are you won’t be the only one. Get on at the price early, before everyone else shortens it up.
* Take care in bad weather. Be aware that bad weather, as well as cancelling racing, can prevent some trainers from keeping their horses fit. Read as much about trainers as you can.
* Don’t take a short price. If the price has shortened up markedly, you have lost the value. Better to wait for the next opportunity!