If you are new to horse racing betting, here are some basic tactics you can use to help you pick winners. In this piece, we will just go over some of the things you can look for in conditions races, as handicaps are a little more complicated.
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First, you can study how each horse has performed in the last few races. The finishing positions will appear as numbers on the race card. They might look something like this;
2-5-5-7-1-4
A horse with these figure has managed a first and a 2nd place finish in the last six fixtures it has contested, so it could be in with a shout.
You can then look back and see what the conditions were for each of the previous races. First of all, look at the race distance as this will be crucial. A horse can be a great sprinter, but may perform poorly over a longer trip – or vice-versa.
Types Of Track
You should also look at the type of surface that the horse was running on. Did it perform better on turf, or on a different surface, such as a polytrack?
If the turf performances stand out (and if it is running on turf today), check out the going records for each fixture. A horse that does well on heavy ground is much less likely to do as well on ground that is firm.
The pace of a race is also extremely important. Some horses get better results in fixtures where the pace is strong. These tend to be horses that are not able to accelerate massively at the end of a race. If there is no pace in the race, then the horses will be less tired in the final few furlongs. Those horses that are capable of accelerating will be much more likely to do so in these conditions.
Check out the class of today’s fixture. How does it compare to the races that the horse has run in before? If the horse is dropping in class, it is going to be much more likely to perform better. If the horse is stepping up in class, then it may well struggle unless it is showing signs that it is still improving.
Jockeys
You should also look at the jockey records. Does the jockey have a good record on the course. Has the jockey partnered this horse before? If so, did they perform well together?
Trainers
Look at how the trainer tends to do at this racecourse, as well. If the race is an annual fixture (a Listed race, for example), look back over previous years. Some trainers may regularly target this race and train their horses for it, specifically.
These are just a few of the things you should look for, when trying to pick a winner. As you become more experienced, you will learn about many other important factors and this will help you become more successful with your betting.
You might find it easier to just concentrate on certain types of races (sprints, for example), to begin with. As with anything, if you specialise then you are much more likely to become proficient.
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