Elements to Consider when Betting on Horse Races

 

Horse racing is one of the sports that arouses the most passions in the betting world. Millions of euros and dollars are put into play every day in the different races that are held in countries such as the United States, England, Ireland, Australia or South Africa.

 

Madrid, April 16, 2018.-

 

In many of these countries, betting on horse racing is considered almost an art. Therefore, not everyone is lucky enough to win, since you must have a series of previous knowledge.

 

The bettor has to determine which horse has the best chance of winning the race. When entering any racetrack, bettors are given what is known as the Daily Racing Form (DRF). A document full of figures and statistics in which the current moment of each horse is broken down.

 

Distance, pace and speed

 

One of the figures that makes up the DRF is called the Beyer number. This is in the center of the document and attends to both the rhythm and the speed of each horse, always attending to the previous races.

 

The pace number refers, in most cases, to those horses that like to be in the lead from the beginning of the race and are able to hold on there until the end. Speed, on the other hand, shows the ability that each horse has to be able to overcome others as he approaches the finish line.

 

Knowing how to decode these figures and statistics is one of the main tasks of the horse gambler.

 

Another factor to take into account when betting on a race is the distance of the race. Bettors will study horse endurance here based on previous races. A horse is likely to be very fast, but may not have enough stamina to reach the finish line with the strength to win.

 

The truth is that distance, pace and speed are three fundamental pillars when betting on horses at Excelsior. Observing how the horse runs and, more importantly, how he is able to finish races at different distances will give punters very important clues in choosing their final bet.

 

The type of track and the weather

 

But in addition to the conditions of the horse and the distance of the race, two very important external factors must be taken into account: the type of track and the weather. Any modification in the track can be a key element for the final result of the race and, therefore, of the bet.

 

In addition, each horse adapts better to one surface or another. The same horse will not obtain similar results in a race on a dirt track or on grass. Hence, bettors have to study how horses behave on the surface where they run.

 

Many professional bettors approach the race track to analyze it long before the competition begins. Or, at least, they sit in their seat and observe with the binoculars how the surface is. These are details that can ultimately influence the final result.

 

And, logically, they will not perform in the same way if the weather is perfect or it rains. A little rain will make the surface a bit more slippery and somewhat muddy. Therefore, it will also be necessary to take into account how a horse has previously performed according to the weather.

 

In this sense, it is logical that bettors check in advance the weather conditions that will be that day. Perhaps there are theoretically slower horses that adapt better to certain conditions than faster ones. There could also be another factor to win a bet.

 

The state of form

 

It goes without saying that a horse's fitness will determine much of the final bet. Bettors should consider whether the previous race truly represents the horse's current state of form or has improved or worsened from then until now.

 

Like anyone, horses are not always in 100% of their physical condition. You may have been ill recently or had an injury in your last race. These are all factors that any bettor must handle.

 

These are just a few of the fundamental factors horse bettors take into account when placing their bets. To these should be added the individual characteristics of each horse, who is the owner, the stable from which it comes, age, gender, breed, etc.

 

As you can see, luck is not the only factor that comes into play when it comes to being successful at horse betting. Behind chance there is a whole universe of figures and statistics to consider.