Whether you’re a seasoned horse racing aficionado or just looking to make a little extra money on the side, betting on horse races can be a fun and profitable experience. But like any other type of gambling, if you want to come out ahead every time, you need to know what you’re doing. 

As a beginner, there is a lot to learn about horse betting, and although it might seem simple enough to do, it is quite difficult to master. With that being said, we all have to start somewhere, so here are five tips that will help you win big every time you bet on horse races.

Analyze Why the Horse Finished When It Did

One of the most important things that you are going to want to do if you are aiming to win big every time you place a bet is to analyze why a horse finished when it did, in the place that it did. If life were simple, it would be easy to chalk it up to “the other horse was better”, or “the other horse was faster”, but unfortunately it isn’t that easy.

There are many factors, which will be discussed below, that could contribute to why the horse finished in the place that it did, and all need to be examined. It isn’t enough to just make a bet based on what place the horse finished in the previous race, or past few races. 

Inspect the Horse

The next thing that you have to do before placing any bet is to inspect the horse you are thinking of betting on whilst it is in the stable. Doing this will ensure that you are aware of how the horse is doing physically, as well as mentally, which is very important. 

For example, to see if the horse is feeling well, you just to have look at how much it is sweating around the kidney area. It might also be a good idea to look at how dull the coat is, which is an indication of how fit the horse is. In terms of how the horse is doing mentally, you can keep an eye out for how much it is fidgeting, if it is rearing, biting, or walking around in circles. This might suggest that the horse is feeling anxious or very nervous. 

Research the Horse and Jockey 

As mentioned above, you need to find out why a horse finished in the place that it did, and this can be done by researching the horse, as well as the competitors. There is a lot of information to be found when researching a horse, such as when did it last have a rest and how long was the rest period? 

This might seem minor, but a horse that has had a rest period for longer than 60 days might need a few races to get back into form. If your horse finished first, it might be because some of the horses it was racing against just came back from a rest. You also need to find out about the going that the horse likes, which will be discussed next. 

Research the Going

Another incredibly important aspect to consider before placing a bet on a horse is the going. First, you will need to find out what sort of going the horse is comfortable, or good at, riding on. The going essentially describes the condition of the track; it could be dry, hard, good, soft, yielding, and more. 

Different horses perform differently on different tracks, and this is largely because of them going. Once you have found out what sort of going your horse prefers racing on, you should find out what the going is for the current track, and what sort of going the other horses prefer. 

Value Bets

Finally, the last thing that you could do is to vary your bets and to find a value bet. What does this mean? Well, there are many different types of bets that you could place when betting on a horse. For example, you could place a winning bet, which means that your horse needs to win for your bet to be successful. 

However, you could place show bets, which means that your horse needs to place either first, second or third. This gives you a bit more leeway in terms of making money from the bet.