Archive for the ‘Horse Racing’ Category

Horse Racing Systems – How to Win When You go Horse Racing

Horse Racing Systems – How to win when you go horse racing

Horse racing is one of the most exciting sports imaginable and it takes place all over the world. Although people will tell you that it is the thrill of watching horses pitting themselves against each other that is the fascination of the sport this is not really true.

The one aspect of racing that captures the interest and imagination of the majority of race goers is the betting. Occasional race goers often rely on factors such as the name of the horse or the fact that a horse is the favourite to make their selection. Occasionally luck will go their way but more often than not they will come away losers. For this reason many people believe that you have to be a racing form expert to win at the races.

This is not really true. When trying to find winners at the races here are 6 factors you should consider when making your selections

The Distance of the race:

Most horses are breed to run specific distances such as sprints, middle distance or long distances. In the UK the shortest races are run over 5 furlongs and the longest around 3 miles. Sprint races are between 5 and 7 furlongs and often horse that are really quick over 5 furlongs run out of steam if they run any further. Equally if a horse is finishing fast and catching up the other runners over 5 furlongs he maybe ideally suited to 6 or 7 furlongs. If you look at the form card and see in the previous race the horse was described as running on or finishing strongly this could indicate a horse needs a little further distance

The Number of runners

Normally the bigger the field the harder it is to find the winner. In large fields it is often not the best horse who wins. It is easy for a horse to get trapped in amongst other runners and never get out to make a challenge. In large fields it can be advisable either not to bet at all or just have a place bet.

The Going

There are very few horses that like every type of ground. Some prefer to run in soft going whilst other love the hard ground were you can hear the sound of the horses hooves rattling. However, the majority of horse prefer “Good” going were the ground is neither to soft or too firm. This is particularly true of horses at the top level of racing. Many experts say that the size of the horse’s feet has also an effect on the result of the race. Horses with large feet go in the soft and smaller footed animals the firm.

The Time since their last run

When the horse last ran is an important consideration that you have to think about before you pick out your bet. Many horses that have not been racing for awhile will need a race or two to sharpen up and become race fit. On the other hand there are a few horses that run their best races when fresh and are running after a lay off. You should be able to spot these if you look at their past form. If a horse has raced in the last 28 days that should give some indication that the horse is race fit.

The Horses Form

One of the strongest form indicators is if a horse has won on the course before. It is even better if it has not only won on the course but at the distance as well. This is shown on the form card as CD and is good sign. It is also a good indication if a horse is showing improvement. For instance if in its last 3 races it finished, unplaced, fourth and then second it could well be due for a win.

The Favourite

Obviously not all favourites win and this is particularly true in handicap races. In fact On average about one in three favourites actually win. However, in non handicap races especially with small fields that percentage can rise 50% or more.

Next time you go to the races if you consider these 6 factors there is a real chance that you could come away with some profit on your days racing.

Thoroughbred Horse Racing and Their Various Forms

The most popular form of horse racing in the whole world is Thoroughbred horse racing and got so popular that some horse racing fans do not know of any other form of horse racing. Thoroughbred horse racing is also known as the “sport of kings” by some horse racing fans. A thoroughbred horse owner would hire a trainer to condition and train his horse for only one form of horse race, because a good trainer will know that there are training regimens for every type of horse race. Sometimes an owner will opt to enter his horse in races that are similar to what the horse is being trained for.

Thoroughbred horse racing comes in a number of different forms.

a) Maiden races, this type of thoroughbred horse racing places untested horses against one another and it is the debut of all these race horses. Some horse racing fans like this type of thoroughbred horse racing to be more exciting because of the fact that all the horses involved have not raced before. The whole career of a race horse in their maiden race often determines their future success and shows the world just what a race horse is capable of doing.

In maiden races, thoroughbreds of varying ages participate. In this type of thoroughbred horse racing, in order to even the odds, horses carry similar weights and no handicapped penalties are involved.

b) Allowance racing, this type of thoroughbred horse racing involves horses that have already raced in their maiden race but are not ready for the grand stakes races. Usually, this type of thoroughbred horse racing involves racing for a purse that is higher then the purse involved in maiden races and owners use this type of race to train their horses.

c) Grand stakes racing, this type of thoroughbred horse racing is the most popular form with horse racing fans since it will involve a lot of money. Horse racing fans like this form of thoroughbred horse racing so they can wager money on their favorite race horse. The “grand stakes” in this race the reputation of the horse is on the line and also the amount of money involved. A grand stakes race winner usually becomes a celebrity among race horses.

In this type of thoroughbred horse racing, the dreams of countless horse racing fans are also at stake because wagering in this type of thoroughbred horse racing can cost a lot of money. Some horse racing fans like to put their hopes and dreams on only one horse and that is the reason why thoroughbred horse racing will remain supported by horse racing fans all over the world today.

d) Handicap race, this type of thoroughbred horse racing is the evenest of all horse races, theoretically. The reason is that all the horses racing in this event have been handicapped according to their past performances in other horse races. More horse racing fans wager at this type of thoroughbred horse racing and the reason is that all of the odds are even. Theoretically, any horse has a chance to be a winner in a handicap race.

Although thoroughbred horse racing gains popularity because of the money involved, there are horse racing fans who see it as a great test of spirit. There are horses which have the potential to be great and real winners. However, if that horse did not have the will to win, then the potential would forever be useless. Thoroughbred horse racing is not just a game, it is a reflection of life.

Horse Racing – the Sport of the Kings

For a long period of time, horse racing was thought to be exclusively the sport of the Royal House. Not anymore and not entirely true. Historical records prove that horse racing events were part of the Greek Olympics back in the BC time. The British claim their country is the home of modern horse racing. They were indeed the ones who recognized the value of this noble sport, formed the first Jockey Club ever (in 1750) and established standards, rules and regulations. This sport has traveled (together with the most popular subject: the British Crown) in all the territories they have colonized, finally reaching America as well.

In the United States, as well as around the world, many people consider horse racing as a fashionable pleasant sport. Many people participate to such events mainly consisting of betting on a horse because of several reasons: they are interested in earning money, having fun or admiring beautiful horses. But however attractive this activity may be for many inexperienced race fans, they still have to learn a few things to bet correctly on a horse. What people need to know is how to pick the future horse racing champion. They need to learn horse racing history, to familiarize with different horse breeds, racing categories, horse racing jargon and distinguish between different types of bets. These technical aspects are ignored by the largest part of the horse racing onlookers, but are passionately studied by horse devotees or ardent gamblers.

The horses running on the track in these racecourses are not common at all. Only certain horse breeds are physically capable of sprinting on either short or long distances maintaining a high speed at the same time. Race horses have been bred in Europe from a mixture of selected sires, including two Arab sires and a Turk sire, for only one purpose: to run. The most important horse breeds used in horse racing events are the Thoroughbred and the Quarter Horse. Each of these breeds has particular outstanding features, making them quite different in terms of physical aspect, temperament and strength.

The Thoroughbred is a refined and intelligent looking horse, able to carry a certain weight at a fairly constant high speed during long distance horse racing. Thoroughbreds have a hasty neck breaking temperament, thus not being recommended for beginner riders. On the other hand, the Quarter Horse has a kind and patient temperament, compatible with a variety of riders. Quarter Horses have thickly muscled bodies, which fully qualifies them for fast sprints on short distances. Knowing all these details about race horse breeds can make the difference when betting on a horse online or at a horse racing track. It is a good advice to navigate on horse-info.net for news and detailed information.

Any bettor or bystander should know that there are several types of horse racing: thoroughbred racing, harness racing and quarter horse racing, on long or short distance, flat or hurdled surfaces. Thoroughbred horse racing is the most popular type, in which the horse, mounted by a jockey, runs on flat tracks for distances up to two miles. In a harness type horse racing, a standard breed horse pulls a two-wheeled bike conducted by a driver over a one-mile course, distance on which it is not allowed to gallop or run as the couple horse-jockey is disqualified. Quarter horse racing is a short distance flat type, the shortest race being organized on a five furlong distance. Never heard of a furlong? Check this out: a furlong is one-eight of a mile, which means four furlongs is half of a mile, so five furlongs is a little longer than half a mile. You need to be good at mathematics! Don’t ask why they still use a furlong despite the international measuring system because everyone will say it is tradition.

Of course, different countries have diverse horse racing types or distances. Also, the going, the draw and the trip might show significant differences. The going refers to the state of the ground, which can be firm or softer, on flat dirt or grass surfaces. All these influence the performance of a horse during the race and those better on one type are rarely good on the others. The draw, designating the stall a horse comes out of, can make a win or a loss especially in short trips, while a trip is not a riding escapade, but the actual distance of the race.

Keeping all these basics in mind, you can let yourself drawn into the tumultuous life of bettors, also known in the world of horse racing as punters. When betting on a horse you should decide which type of bets to choose out of straight bets, exacta, quinella or sweep. In the States, bettors may claim a “double” if betting on a horse scheduled to run in the first two events of the day.