Understanding The Different Bets In Horse Racing

Many novices to betting can often be put off from making horse racing wagers, as they often think it is far more confusing than betting on other sports. However, it is one of the most straightforward sports to bet on online, with a vast number of markets available.

Understandably, making sure that you know what each market entails to get a winner is essential, but you will be spoilt for choice once you gain this knowledge.

Many of the leading sportsbooks enable bets to be made of action from around the world, which means bets can be placed on huge American races such as the Kentucky Derby and Breeders’ Cup, that will happen this year in Del Mar, San Diego (learn more about Del Mar racetrack here).

There are also massive races in the United Kingdom, such as the Grand National. But, what betting markets can players find online?

Win Betting

The most straightforward way to place a bet on any horse race can be found in the win market. Here, bets will be placed on a selection that will need to win the race to get returns. The odds will be displayed on the sportsbook, and these can be used to calculate the returns that you will get from your selection.

If a horse is priced at 10/1, then you could get £110 in returns from a £10 wager. That means you will get £100 in winnings, as well as the £10 stake returned. However, selections made in this market must win; otherwise, the stake is lost.

Each-Way Betting

Many gamblers instead opt to wager their money on the each-way markets. This bet is made up of a win bet, and a place bet. The stake is doubled to make this bet, which means a £2.50 each-way bet is made up of a £5 wager.

Returns are awarded should your selection finish in a place selection, but the odds are reduced. The number of place positions available can be found on the race page at the sportsbook. Typically, smaller field races offer two places, while bigger field races allow up to three places. Some huge races, such as the Grand National, will see gamblers get up to six places on their selections.

Forecast/Tricast Betting

One of the most complex betting markets to understand for newcomers to betting is the forecast and tricast markets. These are the hardest to get returns, as gamblers must successfully wager their money on the horses that finish in the top two, and top three, respectively.

The forecast market will see customers have to correctly predict the winner of the race, as well as the horse that finishes at the runner-up. Meanwhile, the Tricast market will see customers also have to successfully predict the horse that finishes the race in third.

Most importantly, regardless of the market that you are betting on, selections must come in the exact order to get returns. Extensive research must be completed to make bets on these markets, as they are much tougher to get a winning bet on than the markets that we have previously mentioned.

Multiple Betting

Multiple betting is a popular way to bet on all sports, and that is also the case when it comes to horse racing. Accumulators are extremely popular, as gamblers can add two or more selections to the bet.

However, to get returns, all selections must win the race that they are running in. Meanwhile, another popular multiple betting option is a Lucky 15.

This bet type is made up of four selections, but covers all the possible singles, doubles, trebles and the four-fold. Gamblers will be able to get returns on this market from just one selection winning. However, it is a more expensive type of bet, as £1 per line would make for a total stake of £15.