Things to Look for in a Winning Horse

Betting on horse racing is a profitable thing if you have the right knowledge, skills, and a little bit of luck. However, it can also be a source for loss of money if you go unprepared beforehand. If you noticed in the previous sentence, we said luck because horse racing is, after all, a form of gambling.

Although that may be the case; there are some things you can do to give yourself a better chance of winning a bet on horse racing. One of these things is due diligence. If you’re diligent enough to study up and learn the basics of horse racing, you’ll dramatically improve your odds of winning some cash.

Luckily for you, you don’t have to read a lot of books to analyze horse racing. There are countless guides on horse racing on the internet, and most of these articles are about how to pick your winning horse. Learning how to distinguish a horse that has potential is the key to winning in horse racing. But how on earth are we able to see if a horse is a winner? That’s easy. Here are some things you have to look out for in a winning horse.

Finishing Place from Previous Races

Sometimes called the “form” of the horse, the finishing place which the horse has consistently won its previous races is essential for a horse racing bettor. If a horse is consistent on being in the top three in its previous races, then it’s a good bet. However, you have to make sure that the horse’s races have good finishing places that should be recent, or it will be useless. Or you could also see if the horse is on a winning streak. If it is, then it’s a good horse to bet on.

But, as we all know, there are a lot of factors that can affect a horse’s performance, like track surface, weather, the course, etc. For example, let’s say that the horse you are eyeing is on a winning streak. You look up its previous races and see that it has multiple wins on a synthetic track surface. If the current race is also on a synthetic track surface, then it’s a safe bet. However, if the surface is dirt or something else, then you might want to reconsider.

Hot Jockeys

No, it’s not based on the level of attractiveness the jockey has but instead, we’re talking about their skills. You might have heard someone say, “The Jockey is hot.” They mean that the jockey they are eyeing is experienced, confident, and has the most potential to win the race. Of course, if the jockey is already a senior jockey, all the more reason to bet on the horse. However, jockey trends don’t last very long. That said, you must learn to see if the jockey is good enough for the horse.

Balance

One thing you should see in a horse is that it has good balance. Specifically speaking, you should look if the back, neck, and hip are equal in length. This is critical to see since balance is a big factor in a horse’s performance. However, this can be hard to spot if you don’t know how to gauge a horse’s approximate age.

Why? Young horses tend to have not fully developed their body structure. Thus their body will be unbalanced. However, if you see that a horse is old, but the body has poor balance, it might perform poorly during the race.

Horse Temperament

This one is obvious and is one privilege why stadium goers prefer to watch a horse race at Belmont Park. Even though online horse racing sites are popular nowadays, a lot of people are still opting to go to the actual stadiums for the reason of looking at the horses personally. Why would they do that? For the reasons of looking at how the horses act and see their mood before the race. Is the horse agitated or relaxed? Is it fidgety, sweating, and looking nervous? Or is it giddy and calm?

Just like human athletes, horses also show emotions, and they are quite obvious before the race starts. Generally, a horse that looks calm and relaxed is a sign that the horse is ready to go. However, if the horse is agitated and sweating a lot, it can be nervous and perform poorly during the race. In short, don’t bet on a horse that looks like it woke up on the wrong side of the bed in the morning.

Not only that, but calm horses also don’t engage in pre-race activities that might burn some of their energy as a nervous horse does. Some of these activities are neighing a lot, pulling their grooms, pacing, etc.

Takeaway

What you should know is that even though horse racing betting racing mostly relies on your luck, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any things that you can do to make an educated guess. By learning the factors and signs that relate to the upcoming performance of a horse, you will have an increased chance of picking the winning horse. All you have to do is to learn how to spot these signs and be attentive enough to see them.