How to Read a Race Card

How to Read a Race Card

When betting on a horse race for the first time, making sense of the race card may seem like a bit of a daunting task. It is true that there is a lot of information displayed on the card, however it is all important information that’s there to help you make a more informed decision about where to lay your stake. Everything you need know about a race, such as the number of competitors, the past form of the runners, the type of race, the odds prices and the condition of the track is all contained. It is therefore crucial that you familiarise yourself with the layout and the abbreviations so that you never miss an important piece of info.

The image above provides a complete explanation of exactly the kind of online race card you find at the majority of betting sites in the UK. The race card should be the starting point in your decision-making process when you’re thinking about laying down some money on a race. After you’ve had a good look through the card you can start conducting your own independent research and utilising other tools that may assist you with the handicapping process. The best way to bet on horse racing, however, is always to start with a thorough read of the race card so that you familiarise yourself with all the specific details of the race and the competitors.

Another thing to bear in mind is that many betting sites feature additional interactive tools above the card. As well as in-depth form checkers where you can see how well the competitors have performed in their last outings, some bookies include links to external pages where you can read extra info on the horse’s trainers, gain a deeper insight into the layout of the course, reviews stats centres and even view virtual race simulators that reflect the predictions of expert analysers. These extras features are just one of the advantages of placing horse racing bets online so be sure to take full advantage and use all the information at your disposal; learn more about the extra features offered by the top betting sites over on the main page.

Developing Your Own Handicapping Method

“How do I pick a winning horse?”: This is well and truly a million-dollar question to which there is no one definitive answer. There are a numerous horse racing betting tips and guidelines you can follow that can help you make more informed decisions, however, horse racing is, after all, a sport in which anything can happen and where plain old luck can often prove to be the most deciding factor. In the sections below we will be going over only the most essential handicapping methods, which can increase your chances of picking a winner. Our aim is not to give fool proof tips on how to make a fortune, but rather, provide some sound advice on how to discard noncontenders and decide which horse, or horses, really merit a wager. Note: these tips only apply for straight, win only wagers on a single horse.

• Try to avoid low level races as much as possible – especially if you’re a beginner. Horses of a lower-class can often be inconsistent and thus become a strain on your bank roll.
• As a general rule, try to narrow your choices down to a maximum of three horses – this only applies to races where you’re planning to wager on just one horse.
• Check and see at what level the prospective selection has been racing at. A horse may have won many of its previous races, however if it has just been bumped up to a higher class it may be out of its depth. To avoid this, you should always check to see if the horse has managed to show in its last three races at the same approximate distance and surface of the race in question – by approximate distance we mean no longer than a furlong.
• Check and see if the horse has proven the ability, or at least the potential to compete on a track similar the one in question. i.e. is the track right or left handed? Are they changes in the gradient?
• See if the horse has recorded a big win (a win by more than three lengths) in the last 6 months – the more recent the better.
• Check to see if the horse has had any significant gaps in its race history due to injury. Much like other sports, good form and consistency is important for horses. If the horses is just returning from a lengthy spell of absence (more than 6 months) it might be a little rusty.
• Always do some research on the jockey. A talented jockey can be the difference between a selection finishing somewhere near the middle or nearer the front. Check the jockey’s history; if he’s consistently managed to show then he may be able to turn a consistently middle ranking horse into a winner. Moreover, if you manage to find a horse-jockey pairing that has consistently managed to finish in the top three places in the last 12 months there’s a fair chance that they’d be a safe bet.
• Similarly, it pays to do a quick check of the trainer. See if the trainer of the horse you have in mind has managed to win a decent number of races in the past two months – by decent amount we generally mean more than 20%. Also, see if the trainer has had any success at track on which the race is taking place.
• Check to see if the horse has completed a good work out five or six days prior to the race. What is meant by a “good work out” will depend on the length of the race at hand, however somewhere around the half mile mark is a good indicator.
• Always check the odds prices of the competitors. The odds price of a given selection reflects the chances of the horse actually winning (according to the bookmaker’s research and calculations). If you find a selection that matches well with points 2-9, the chances are it will have short odds, but there are times when selections are under priced. Scan the race day program and use our handicapping guide to see if you can sport any contenders that have slip under the radar. Or you can always just play it safe and opt for a selection with a short price.