Horse racing is one of the most popular sports when it comes to betting. With events happening all year round, all over the globe, it’s easy to see why it’s top of the list. If you’re new to horse racing, it can seem daunting with a range of races every day and not to mention the number of horses you have to choose from! Knowing where to place your bets doesn’t have to be so difficult, and with a few tips and tricks up your sleeve, you can give yourself the best chance at winning.
With sportsbooks becoming legal in Maryland soon, you can choose from apps like Caesars Maryland to place your bets, wager on sports and benefit from the range of bonuses and promotions you can claim. To help you on your way, here are a few things to consider when betting on horse racing.
Research the races
If you’re a beginner when it comes to horse racing, it may be difficult deciding what to choose when placing a bet. There are several races every day, so having an idea of which you’d like to wager on is the best place to start. You can look at a programme that includes all the races for that day, as well as information on the horse and the jockey. If there are a few horses that you like the sound of, look at how they’ve performed in past races. This is great for finding out what kind of form they’re in and if it’s likely that they’ll be a winner for you.
Class levels
Something that a lot of people don’t realise is that horse races are divided into four different classes. Horses can move between classes, all depending on how they perform. These four classes are:
- Maiden – Which is a class for horses that have never won a race
- Claiming – All horses are for sale and horses in this race are matched on price
- Allowance – This means all horses are an assigned a weight or are a lower weight
- Stakes – This is the highest level of horse racing with the greatest amount of money to be won
These class levels are worth considering when placing your bets, especially if you notice that a horse tends to move between classes quite often – if a horse is moving down the class levels, it’s probably not the best idea to place a bet on them.
Surface type
When deciding which horse you want to bet on, you should first consider the surface that the horse will be racing on. If you’re new to horse racing, you should know that there are a range of surfaces that these races can take place on, from turf and grass courses to all-weather and artificial tracks, and even mud, dirt, and sand tracks. Because of this variable, you should be sure to check what kind of track the race you’re choosing is taking place on and once you’ve chosen your horse, do a bit of research and see how they perform on that surface.
Learn about the jockey
Another key aspect that can help you to decide which horse is likely to be your winner, is to research the jockey. You may not think that the jockey matters much, but this is not strictly true! The horse may run the race, but the jockey can make all the difference. Researching your jockey will let you know how much experience they have, as well as if they’ve raced the horse of your choice before. If the jockey has experience riding your horse, they will be aware of the horse’s strengths and weaknesses. They will know if the horse likes to speed up towards the end or hang back at the beginning. A good jockey can help a horse to succeed.
The paddock
If you’re looking to get a better idea of the horse and jockey you’re backing to win, watching the paddock is a great way to do this. The paddock is a place where all horses are saddled and their jockey’s mount before a race. Spectators are allowed to watch paddocks to help them decide which horse is their favourite. It can give you an insight into how they look and how they are behaving.
Horse racing has many different variables, a huge number of horses, jockeys, and races to choose from. Using these tips can help you to decide which horse is best for you and can help you narrow down which you think might be best when it comes to winning some cash.