Picking a Winning Horse – Betting Basics

Horse racing has been a sport loved by millions across the world. Betting on horses is a gamble that most people who love horse racing continue to do though it is a common opinion that it is not a profitable practice. However, betting on horses and earning a handsome profit is not a difficult task if certain tips and tricks are followed.

Tips to Bet Big:

Picking a winning horse is known as handicapping. The following points could make an individual a better handicapper or race picker.

Track, Post Position, and Distance Factors:

To choose a winning horse, a person should consider the horse’s previous record at a similar distance, the horse’s familiarity with the turf, and the position of the horse at the starting block.

Start and Layoff Interval:

A bettor should consider the break or the interval that the horse has been laid off. A break of 30 to 60 days is considered ideal while anything more than 180 days would most likely hamper the performance of the horse. As well, an overworked horse that has more than 13 starts over a period of two years will not likely be a winner.

Speed and Workout Factors:

It would be helpful to know if a horse has shown an ability to gain an early lead in recent races. Such a horse has more opportunities to win a race. It would also be beneficial to know if the horse has fast workouts.

Jockey:

It is not only the horse that plays a significant role in making the horse a winner; the jockey is equally important. Jockeys with solid wins and those with previous win records in similar races are factors that would help a horse to win. However, horses which have had a change in trainers recently need to be avoided.

The age of the horse, the medications it might be on, the horse’s weight gain and loss, and the equipment that is being used on the horse should also be considered to pick the horse that has the best chance to win the race on a particular day.

Horse racing is a very unpredictable sport and a lot of experience is needed to win big. However, it is not necessary for a person to have vast knowledge about horse racing or to be an expert in the field to bet and win huge profits in the game. Choosing a winning horse is a skill that can be acquired by keenly following the statistics and the information available about the game, the horses, and the jockeys. The more information you get, the better the chances of choosing the winner horse.