Picking a winner at races tends to be very tough, which is why several racegoers often make use of a jockey’s silks or the name of a horse to determine their betting stake. Betting, however, can be done in a more professional manner where the punter is adequately guided and advised into making the best bet, with help from credible strategies and racing results. Handicapping, as it’s mostly referred to, is the skill of picking winners, and this art is done with help from statistics and various forms of information. There are some significant themes you need to learn and gain mastery over if you wish to pick good winners at all your races.
The Paddock
Horses usually parade in their paddocks before a race, and this is the best time to gain knowledge on your favorite before staking a bet. In the paddock, one can learn a lot about every horse, including their physical wellbeing, temperament, and even their fitness. One typical red flag that is seen easily at the paddock is agitation. Whenever you come across an agitated or sweating horse, it is best to avoid betting on them. The wise punter is one who picks a calm and composed horse since there is a higher chance of performing to the best of their ability.
Racecard Form
Racecards are essential items that every punter needs to study before the staking of a bet. These cars contain all forms of information on specific horses. These cards come with form numbers, which represent the finishing position of a horse, according to their most recent races. When studying the race card form, you need to understand the context in which it was written. For example, a horse could’ve been second in a two-runner race, and if this isn’t known, you might be misled during the bet staking stage.
Racecard Features
Still, on racecards, every punter must know the features of a typical race card. These cards are generally the overall profile of the horse; thus, they must contain all essential elements accordingly. Some of the features of the race card form include letters such as D and C. these letters represent the distance and course, respectively. The letters U and F refer to fallen and unseated riders, respectively. P means the horse has been pulled up by its rider, while S says that the horse slipped up.
The Betting
The prices of each horse during the betting stage, even though it may fluctuate, represents the theoretical chances of the animal winning in a race. Drift refers to the shortening or lengthening of a horse’s price in the betting process. The drift is based mostly on how much money Is placed on the horse by the betting public. A downward drift means that support for your horse is weakening, while an upward drift means that the support for your horse is increasing.
Who to listen to
When it comes to betting for horse races, there are expert race-readers who are paid to find value bets in sports and give winning tips after a thorough analysis of all horse races. One of such bodies which employ such experts is the Racing Host, and these experts can be found on various platforms. This is a wonderful resource to tap into if you need first-hand knowledge of the best horses in the game.
