4. Watch The Horses In The Preliminaries
.jpg)
Although you have a shortlist in mind, judging all the horses dispassionately and irrespective of the market in the paddock and on their way to start is your next step.
It’s often overlooked that racehorses are like people – everyone is different.
Is any horse playing up, sweating or misbehaving in the paddock? It may be normal for horses to get excited as they are aware that they are about to race. However, this isn’t the case for them all.
Does a horse have just one handler taking it around the parade in the paddock? If there are two, then this suggests it may not be so well-behaved in the preliminaries.
On the way down to the start, is a horse being kept apart from the others? Races involve groups of horses running against one another and, if they can’t settle beforehand, that may be a negative.
Consider the way a horse carries itself. A low or angled head carriage, or excessive bucking suggest it may be highly strung.
Look at how the jockey is riding a horse on its way to start. If they are straining on the reins to keep it in check, then that may be an indication of a headstrong horse.
Based on what you have observed in the preliminaries and through your binoculars, it’s time to eliminate horses from the shortlist and settle on the one you’re going to bet on.
Unruly horses are the most obvious to discount, depending on whether that behavior is unusual for them or not.
A horse that is controlled but vibrant and moving easily down to the start under its jockey is ideally what you are looking for.
Now refresh yourself with the form and see if conditions and past performances support what you’ve seen.
6. Check Out The Odds On Offer
Now it’s time to consult the betting market once again.
Your chosen horse may have seen its odds shorten as other observers spot what you saw, or the bookmakers may have been slow to react.
Although frustrating to miss bigger odds, remember that the racehorse’s price coming in is a good sign because the market is speaking for them.
Alternatively, just because a price drifts and gets larger doesn’t mean the horse won’t win.
There may be a hot favorite in the race that you as a bettor want to take on.
If the market remains in favor of that horse, then you may be getting even better value on the wager you’re going to place.
Live Horse RacingIt’s always worth comparing the prices available on track to those online (hence you need to avoid the crowds to make sure you’ve got decent 4G).
A look at the betting exchanges can also prove informative. If fixed odds prices aren’t in line with these, then you may be ahead of the game.
Remember, you don’t just have to bet on a horse to win.
There are also plenty of other race and exotic bets available, depending on your level of gambling expertise and the situation.
You may have to queue to get your bet on if you are gambling at the track.
That means it’s worthwhile to write the ticket out in advance, so you can you make the process at a betting window as quick as possible.
Having blank betslips or tickets with you to write out your chosen bet is fine.
Having blank betslips or tickets with you to write out your chosen bet is fine.
You aren’t able to do this with an automated teller, but these are simple to use as an alternative means of betting on-track once you familiarize yourself with them.
Betting online is much easier for times when you want to bet late in a horse race.
This is because there are no queues. All you need is a decent internet connection and the betting app or website loaded on your smartphone or tablet.
We hope you enjoyed our guide and picked up some of the basic tips for betting late in horse racing.
You might still have a few questions, so we’ve included some FAQs below:
How late can I bet on a horse race?
This depends on your betting method. Bookmakers on track and online will suspend the market once horses come under starter’s orders.
For a Flat race, no further bets are taken once all horses are in the gates. Betting online is available pretty much right up until the last second.
What are the benefits of betting late on a horse race?
