The market for gambling on horse racing online has never been more competitive and in this handy guide, I’ll go through the front-runners and nonrunners
Cheltenham may be over, but it’s still the right time to brush up on your knowledge of the UK’s best horse racing bookies and place your bets on other big racing events of the year.
To help, I’ve looked at the best bookmakers for betting on horse racing in the UK, listed their pros and cons, and shared my thoughts on what they have to offer.
UK horse racing in 2024
It’s set to be a vintage year in horse racing, with a host of big names gearing up to grace the sport over the next 12 months.
The sport is a results business, meaning that the equine names are often as big as the human ones and the key horse to watch out for this year is Constitution Hill. Nicky Henderson’s charge is a hot favourite for the Champion Hurdle at the time of writing and ought to play a massive role in the two big Jumps meetings this spring – the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National at Aintree.
Meanwhile on the Flat everything looks likely to revolve around legendary jockey and racing icon Frankie Dettori, who has announced that this upcoming season will be his last in the saddle. There aren’t many sports that are more exciting to bet on than racing and thanks to the huge range of online bookmakers, you don’t even have to be on the track to be a part of the action.
Expert rundown of the best horse racing betting sites
Here are some of my picks among the best betting sites in the UK.
1. My top pick: bet365
bet365 is one of the biggest names in betting and while their offering is very good, their big status means that they don’t have to entice customers with some of the offers, promotions and bonuses you might get elsewhere.
With that being said, they offer a wide range of markets on racing around the world, with streaming and Best Odds Guaranteed on all British and Irish racing.
The pricing is always competitive with bet365 and they are one of the standouts with ante-post betting at the Cheltenham Festival – offering Non-Runner No Bet on most if not each of the 28 races across the four days. Away from racing, there’s an excellent selection of Casino, Bingo, Poker and Lotto to play.
The firm offers Bet Boosts on certain horses each day, while they are often generous when it comes to free bets. They offer money back on the next televised race if you back a winner at 4-1 or more on an ITV race, while their standout offer is the fact that they provide the Best Odds Guaranteed on all ITV races in the UK and Ireland from 10 am that morning.
 Pros |
|---|
| A wide-ranging offering of markets and bet types on racing around the world |
| Competitive pricing and PayPal as a payment method |
| A strong option if you focus your betting on races televised on ITV |
 Cons |
|---|
| They don’t offer as many bonuses and price boosts to existing customers as some other firms |
| Skrill and Neteller removed from payment methods |
2. My runner-up: talkSPORT BET
It may be the new kid on the block, but talkSPORT BET has quickly established itself as a betting operator to take seriously – especially when it comes to betting on horse racing.
The firm offers betting and streaming on every British and Irish race every day and there are free Timeform verdicts to help you make a decision.
This platform suits punters looking to keep it simple, with their main offering consisting of win and each-way bets, as well as placed betting and betting without markets. However, there are daily specials available and the ante-post markets cover the big festivals.
talkSPORT BET is perfect for beginners and would suit punters who like to also have a dabble on both boxing and football, with the bulk of their markets centred around these three sports in its sportsbook.
| Pros |
|---|
| A smooth and easy-to-use interface is perfect for beginners |
| Suits punters looking to keep it simple with their betting on the racing |
| Streaming is available on every race in the UK and Ireland |
| Free Timeform verdicts to help with making your selections. |
| Cons |
|---|
| Not the most competitive in terms of starting prices |
3. BoyleSports
If you are into your racing, BoyleSports is the brand for you, with an almost dedicated offering of markets on racing from around the world.
BoyleSports has specialised bets as part of its racing offering, which can boost your odds as a bettor substantially. For example, picking the first two homes in a race (Exacta) or the first three (Trifecta) can lead to huge payouts, while there are also meeting-wide bets.
BoyleSports has some great sports bonus offers and promotions available to their customers, paying extra funds to all customers who sign up, money-back specials on specific races, Non-runner No Bet promotions, and more. Finally, the cherry on top of the cake is the fact that you can watch all UK and Irish racing for free provided you’re logged in.
| Pros |
|---|
| Event-specific horse racing betting markets |
| Specialised multiple racing bets like Exacta, Trifecta, and Superfecta |
| Specials for the biggest races |
| Fantastic fantasy race offering |
| Free streaming for multiple events |
| Cons |
|---|
| No free livestreaming for horse racing |
4. William Hill
William Hill is one of the biggest household betting names in the UK, so it should come as no surprise that their racing offering is excellent.
Hills has a fantastic range of daily enhanced odds and specials – which apply to every meeting taking place on both sides of the Irish Sea. Distance bets mean that short-priced favourites can suddenly become more attractive, while the firm also has an impressive ante-post offering for big meetings. Meanwhile, there are also several extra place races each day, getting you more value for each way bet (ew). All you need to do is look out for the extra places icon on the grid of races.
Prices are always competitive, as William Hill offer enhanced odds daily on several races in the UK and Ireland, and they have a Best Odds Guarantee. On top of this, you have the chance to enhance one selection each day with their Bet Boost promotion – which works on stakes up to £20 and is perfect for your nap selection.
You can also watch lots of racing for free, with 24 racecourses on William Hill Betting TV. Away from the racing, there’s a broad range of things to wager on including online casino and the Irish Lotto.
| Pros |
|---|
| Offers competitive prices on a range of meetings around the world |
| Daily specials on everything from distances to jockey multiples and enhanced odds |
| Stream from 24 UK racecourses for free |
| A large number of extra place races each day, offering extra value |
| Cons |
|---|
| Some enhancements are quite hard to find on the busy site interface. |
5. BetVictor
BetVictor has an excellent horse racing offering, particularly on meetings in the UK and Ireland. A major selling point is the firm’s Lengthen The Odds bet, which allows you to get better odds on every horse in Britain and Ireland by nominating the margin of victory by lengths. This is available from 11 am every day.
On top of this, you are also guaranteed a run with their Run For Your Money offer. For instance, if your horse refuses to race or loses all chance in the stalls, you’ll get your money back with a full refund.
BetVictor’s live streaming and ante-post offerings are solid, while there’s plenty of value to be had with their daily racing specials and BetVictor bet boosts on every British and Irish meeting. And if you’re struggling to find a horse, there’s betting advice from respected racing gurus Timeform to help with your betting.
| Pros |
|---|
| Guaranteed Prize Wheel promotion |
| Run For Your Money offer insures against mishaps |
| Daily racing specials and Bet Boosts are competitive |
| Cons |
|---|
| The selection of bets isn’t quite as in-depth as some other sites |
6. BetUK
It may be one of the newer brands on the market, but BetUK has quickly established itself as a steady hand when it comes to betting on racing.
The firm offers betting on a range of meetings around the world, with streaming available on all UK and Irish racing. There are daily specials available at each meeting, while you can also opt for distance betting and forecasts and tricasts if you are looking for some value.
You can boost your betting bank with BetUK’s Free Bet Club promotion, which offers two £3 free bets a week once you meet their criteria. They also offer the Best Odds Guaranteed on all daily UK and Irish horse racing bets, so take that into account when filling out your BetUK bet slip.
There are free spotlights and verdicts on every British and Irish race from Timeform, while there are also free selections from former champion jockey Peter Scudamore. The offering for ante-post betting is solid, with markets available for the top races around the world.
| Pros |
|---|
| Boost your betting bank with the Free Bet Club, by earning up to two £3 free bets each week |
| Make informed choices thanks to free spotlights and verdicts from the highly respected Timeform gurus |
| Stream all British and Irish racing on the platform and enjoy the mobile app |
| Cons |
|---|
| Limited choices aside from no-nonsense offering on daily British and Irish racing |
7. Betway
Betway is an established name when it comes to betting on racing and you are able to bet on every race in the UK and Ireland.
This firm suits horse racing punters who like to back their horses on the nose, with a win and each way bets the bread and butter of Betway’s offering. There are specials on every British and Irish race, however, which include match bets and betting on horses to finish in the places.
Betway offer boosts on several different outcomes on British and Irish racing each day, while if accumulators are your thing, you can opt into their Free Bet Club and earn £10 in free bets each week by staking £25 or more on multiple bets. The bets are credited in the form of two £5 free bets and can be used until their expiry 30 days later.
The firm offers competitive pricing on racing and you can stream every race in Britain and Ireland on the platform. There are also free Timeform verdicts to help you make informed decisions, so you can’t go far wrong with Betway.
| Pros |
|---|
| Simple and easy-to-navigate site perfect for punters who like no-nonsense racing bets |
| Earn great rewards with their Free Bet Club |
| Competitive starting prices on British and Irish racing |
| Cons |
|---|
| Not a great range of specials and boosts on horse racing |
8. Spreadex
If spread betting is your thing, Spreadex is the place to go for horse racing, with the firm offering markets on racing around the world.
The staple of Spreadex’s racing product comes from the UK and Ireland, where you can stream all of the racing for free without placing a bet. There are form and Timeform verdicts available for every race on both sides of the Irish Sea and if spread betting isn’t your thing, you can also place conventional bets on their fixed odds markets.
Spreadex offer some specials and match bets on every British and Irish meeting and their standout offer is that they will give you a free bet of up to £25 if your Spreadex bet selection is second to a 33-1 winner or higher. Meanwhile, they also offer extensive betting in-play on the racing, meaning they are one of the best around for betting on horse racing.
| Pros |
|---|
| Lots of markets are available at meetings around the world |
| Competitive offers, including money-back specials and free streaming |
| Perfect if spread betting is your thing |
| Cons |
|---|
| The free form available isn’t as extensive as some offerings elsewhere |
9. Parimatch
Parimatch has a solid offering when it comes to betting on racing, with a varied amount of markets on every British and Irish race.
The firm offers Best Odds Guaranteed on every race in the UK and Ireland after 9 am and alongside the conventional win and each-way bets, you can also access place betting, betting without and lengthening the odds markets.
You can stream every British and Irish race on Parimatch and while it isn’t extensive, they also offer daily racing specials and a solid selection of ante-post markets within the sportsbook. If you want to place a Parimatch bet on any horse racing market, just head to the bookie’s homepage, and you’ll find the horse racing button at the top.
| Pros |
|---|
| Easy to navigate website is perfect for beginners betting on racing |
| Solid choice of options on every British and Irish race, with streaming available |
| Fairly competitive pricing compared to competitors |
| Cons |
|---|
| Racing forms and tips are not readily available on site |
10. kwiff
Perhaps the most unique bookmaker on this list is kwiff, as they have a unique feature which could see your odds significantly boosted.
The firm has a Supercharge feature, which is completely random and can kick in at any point someone on the site places a bet. It doesn’t matter about the stake, bets are randomly given a supercharge and you can find yourself sat on a bet at five, ten or even twenty times the price you bargained for – a result of your nap suddenly quadrupling in price!
You don’t always get Supercharged, though their racing offering is solid without it, with markets on all British and Irish racing. With just win and each-way bets on offer and no streaming available, kwiff tends to suit punters looking to keep it simple and perhaps bag a mega price on the way.
| Pros |
|---|
| Supercharge offer gives a much higher price than you bargained for |
| Betting markets on all British and Irish racing |
| Perfect site for beginners |
| Cons |
|---|
| Prices aren’t particularly competitive when not boosted |
How I rated each horse racing betting site – what I looked at
Money-back offers
Top bookmakers will compete with each other to offer the best features, for their customers, which can lead to big rewards. There are plenty of enticing money-back bet offers on the market, including BetVictor’s Run For Your Money pledge – which takes away any worry of the improbable happening!
Best odds guaranteed
A key aspect of betting on horse racing is ensuring that you have the best odds available, whether that’s by securing your price early or by shopping around at post time.
It’s something that bookies take pride in and the vast majority offer best odds guaranteed on UK and Irish racing – which means they’ll give you the bigger price if the odds of your selection drift. These guarantees generally apply to every race on both sides of the Irish Sea, with no expiry.
Streaming
Many punters bet on the move these days, which means that access to streaming of British and Irish racing is crucial. Lots of bookmakers give you access to a live stream after you’ve bet on the event though some firms – such as the Tote or William Hill – allow you to watch the racing for free.
What betting markets are available
There are so many different things which can happen in a horse race, which means that choice is a valuable commodity. Aside from the conventional win, each-way and accumulator bets, having options like Lengthen The Odds, handicapping, and betting without markets are key when it comes to enticing customers.
Coverage of big racing festivals
Racing is a sport which rarely sleeps, though there are some key days each year which you don’t want to miss. The biggest National Hunt meeting of the year is the Cheltenham Festival each March, though it’s quickly followed by the Grand National in April and the Punchestown Festival in Ireland in late April/Early May.
On the Flat, meetings to look out for include the 2000 and 1000 Guineas at Newmarket in May, the Epsom Derby and Royal Ascot in June and Glorious Goodwood in late July/early August.
Horse racing betting quick facts
- The biggest-ever starting price for a winner of a horse race in the UK and Ireland was the Conor O’Dwyer-trained Sawbuck, who was a massive 300-1 when winning at Punchestown on 24th May 2022
- Five horses have won the Grand National at a starting price of 100-1, with the most recent being the Venetia Williams-trained Mon Mome in 2009
- The shortest-priced Grand National winner was Poethlyn, who was an 11-4 chance when winning for Harry Escott in 1918
- A punter called Darren Yates – who’s now a successful National Hunt owner – won over £500,000 when betting on Frankie Dettori to complete his ‘magnificent seven’ in September 1996
- Gambling has a long history, dating all the way back to before runners, races and indeed written history. The earliest six-sided dice date to about 3000 BC in Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq
How to place a horse racing bet
Once you have chosen your bookie and the horse you would like to back, it’s very easy and can be done by following these simple steps.
- If you haven’t already, look through the form or your favourite horse racing tips site and choose the horse you would like to bet on – for example, Red Rum at 3/1 in the 12.00 at Hereford.
- Decide the stake you are comfortable with. To do this, you can compare odds on different sites and use a bet calculator to see what the payoff might be. and head to the race in question on the ‘Horse Racing’ section of the site. If this horse is your nap, you may like to place a slightly bigger bet depending on your stake plan.
- Head down to Red Rum and decide the type of bet you would like to place – such as win, each-way, forecast or betting without the favourite. You can also select whether you want to make a regular money bet, acca, use a bet builder, racing pool bet, etc.
- Let’s say you’re backing him to win. Click on the price next to him – in this case 3-1 – and put your stake on the ticket
- Press ‘place bet’ and cross your fingers! If you can watch the race you will be able to find out the outcome on the results page of the gambling website
Check out my colleague’s guide on how to bet on Cheltenham!
What is the most popular horse racing bet?
Sometimes simple is best for a punt and the most popular bet amongst punters is outright betting on horse racing. For example, a £5 bet on Min to win the 12.00 race at Hereford would return £15 in winnings plus your £5 stake should he cross the line in front.
Check out the best £5 betting sites
Another popular bet is each-way betting, in which you are taking on a horse to either win the race or finish in the places. A £10 each-way bet would have a £5 win part and a £5 place part and should Min go on to win, you would be paid out for both in your winnings.
What bonuses and offers are available for horse racing bets?
The racing betting scene is a competitive one, which means you can take advantage of some fantastic offers and bonus bets promotions as bookmakers try to entice you into becoming a customer. Still, you have to be aware that even the most lucrative offers come with wagering requirements, specific odds you must use, a qualifying bet to even unlock the bonus, etc.
William Hill has a similar offer and you can earn a £30 free bet bonus token when you sign up for an account and deposit and stake £10. Once you’re all set up, you can take advantage of their Bet Boost feature, which lets you enhance the odds on one bet each day for up to £20.
bet365 also offers an attractive signup bonus, and you can get £50 in free bet credits when you sign up for an account and deposit and stake £10. You can get the Best Odds Guaranteed on all British and Irish racing.
With BetVictor, you can get £40 in free bets and bonuses when you sign up for an account and deposit and stake £10 on horse racing at evens or higher. They also offer to Lengthen Your Odds markets on each British and Irish race which can help boost the odds of particularly short-priced favourites.
What are the most popular racing festivals and meets in the UK and Ireland?
Racing rarely takes time for breath during the year, with some big festivals in both the UK and Ireland. These take place both on the Flat and also in the National Hunt sphere and I listed the best for you below.
Cheltenham Festival: Tuesday 12th March – Friday 15th March 2024
Known as the greatest show on turf, the Cheltenham Festival grips the nation with top-class jumps racing for four days in March. The meeting is attended by around 70,000 people each day and is watched by millions more at home. The Festival is a huge event and is thought to be worth more than £100 million to the local economy.
Grand National Festival at Aintree: Thursday 11th April – Saturday 13th April 2024
The Grand National is the biggest horse race in the world and is the showpiece event of a three-day racing festival at Aintree in Merseyside. Around 150,000 people attend the meeting across the three days, which is known as a betting bonanza. It’s estimated that hundreds of millions of pounds are staked on the big race each year.
With some of the legendary horses participating in the race, the sheer variety of sports bets and sportsbook markets available for Grand National betting, and the big steeplechase in particular, makes this festival an unmissable element of every bet slip.
Punchestown Festival: Tuesday 30th April – Saturday 4th May 2024
Ireland’s answer to Cheltenham, the Punchestown Festival takes place over five days in late April and early May at the Punchestown Racecourse. It’s popular with racegoers, with around 120,000 people descending on the Leinster venue over the five days. The festival is celebrated for its sporting moments, though it will take something special to match trainer Willie Mullins, who in 2015 won 10 of the 12 Grade One events at the meeting and finished second in the other two!
Guineas weekend at Newmarket: Friday 3rd May – Sunday 5th May 2024
The first Classic races of the Flat season are the 1000 and 2000 Guineas at Newmarket, traditionally held on the first weekend in May. The Rowley Mile is often packed out for the 2000 Guineas, with up to 20,000 fans in attendance for a race which has over 200 years of history.
Epsom Oaks and Derby: Friday 31st May and Saturday 1st June 2024
Attention then switches to Epsom for the second Classic races of the season for fillies and colts, in the form of the Epsom Oaks and the Epsom Derby. With The Hill enclosure being free, attendances regularly head into six figures on Derby Day – which was part of Her Majesty The Queen’s official Jubilee celebrations in 2022.
Royal Ascot: Tuesday 18th June – Saturday 22nd June 2024
Another meeting with a key link to the Royal family is Royal Ascot, which takes place for five days in June. The event was one of the late Queen’s favourite events of the year and on the racing front punters are treated to some of the best thoroughbred Flat horses from around the world.
Galway Festival: Monday 29th July – Sunday 4th August 2024
One of the most popular racing events of the year is the Galway Festival, which has races on both the Flat and over Jumps and lasts an astonishing seven days. Last year’s meeting attracted over 150,000 people when an estimated half a million pints of Guinness were poured!
Glorious Goodwood: Tuesday 30th August – Saturday 3rd August 2024
One of the most glamourous festivals of the year comes at Glorious Goodwood, which earned its moniker for a reason. Around 100,000 people head to the Sussex track for the meeting each year, at an event where the champagne is in as plentiful a supply as the racing action.
St Leger Meeting at Doncaster: Thursday 12th September – Sunday 15th September 2024
The final Classic of the Flat season is at Doncaster, with the four-day St Leger meeting. Established in 1776, the race is the oldest of Britain’s five classics and more than 50,000 racegoers packed onto Town Moor in 2021.
Champions Day at Ascot: Saturday 19th October 2024
The British Flat season comes to a climax with Champions Day at Ascot. The very best of the best battle it out on the six-race card, which features no less than four Group One races. Attendance on the day can top 30,000 as Flat racing hands over to the Jumps.
November Meeting at Cheltenham: Friday 15th – Sunday 17th November 2024
Speaking of the Jumps, Cheltenham hosts its popular early season feature in the form of the November Meeting, which runs for three days. The feature race is the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Saturday, which regularly attracts more than 30,000 racegoers. However, the Champion Chase, Stayers Hurdle, Champion Hurdle, and Steeple Chase are also huge sources of excitement, both for spectating and betting.
Q&A session about betting on horses online in the UK
I’ll answer the most important questions British punters have about taking advantage of online betting offers for the many horse racing events we have in the UK.
1. What is the best horse racing betting site in the UK?
Topping my list is BoyleSports, which is completely devoted to the sport of kings. The firm offers plenty of lucrative special bets, and markets for every prominent UK and Irish racing event.
BoyleSports is a good option if you’re looking for competitive horse racing odds, with exclusive offers tailored to racing betting What’s not to like?
2. Is betting on horse racing legal?
The UK has some of the most open betting laws in the entire world. Betting on horse racing is completely legal in the UK and has been for a long time. However, you may not be able to bet on horse racing if you are abroad or accessing a British betting site from abroad.
Residents travelling near an important race should ensure they won’t have any such restrictions based on their temporary IP address before account opening. The best way to do so is contacting customer service.
3. What are the different bets in horse racing?
There are many different bets that you can make on horse racing. These can be simple win singles and each-way bets, while you can also predict the first and second horses past the post which is known as an exacta or a forecast. If you place an accumulator bet, every leg of the bet has to win for you to get a full payout – unless you have acca insurance, in which case you’ll get your money back if one of the acca’s legs fails.
There is also a wide range of multiple bets available on horse racing, including the following…
- Double – When you place money on two horses to win two different races. For example, you could place a £5 double on Frankel to win the 12.00 at Dundalk at 2-1 and on Min to win the 12.10 at Kempton at 3-1. The double would pay at 11-1 and produce a settlement of £60.
- Treble – The same principle as a double, except you, is using three selections. For example, a £5 treble on Ribchester at evens in the 12.20 at Dundalk, Min at 4-1 in the 12.30 at Kempton and Enable at 6-1 in the 2.30 at Royal Ascot would pay out at 69-1 and return a settlement of a huge £345.
- Lucky 15 – This is where things get a little bit more complicated, but can lead to high rewards from small stakes. You need four horses for this multiple, which adds up to a total of 15 bets. If you were to stake 10 pence on each, the total amount of the bet would be £1.50 and for that, you would get 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 four-fold acca. You need just a winner to earn a payout and the potential settlement can quickly build up thereafter.
- Heinz – Much like the Lucky 15 bet, but with more selections. For this, you would need six horses you fancy and it would add up to a total of 57 bets. If you were to stake 10 pence on this, the total bet would be £5.70 and for that, you would get 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-fold accumulators, 6 five-fold accumulators and 1 six-fold accumulator. This time you would require two winners to secure a payout and any more than that would be good news for your total return!
4. Can you bet on all of the horses in a race?
There’s nothing to stop you from doing this if you really want to secure a payout, but bookmakers structure their markets in such a way that you would not make a profit by doing this. Each horse racing odds market has something called an “overround” and puts simply it is how bookmakers factor in their own profit margin when offering a market on something – for instance the first race at Royal Ascot or the last race at Dundalk.
5. How can I bet on horse races online?
Betting on races online is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to enjoy horse racing. Punters can still bet on races on course, but in the modern world, it is easy to pick your phone out of your pocket and get your singles on all of the action at a course like Kempton.
Just make sure to set clear betting goals, choose a site that accepts bet stakes from users from different countries (if you’re not at home in the UK), and read up on the sign-up experience previous members had on review sites – you don’t want to have an issue with your withdrawal requests, conversion rates, or sports betting balance, after all. When players have all the eligibility, bet settlement, and transaction information, they’re ready to fill out their betting slip.
6. Are there any payment method exclusions for racing promos?
For most promotional offers, prospective bettors will be able to make Visa or Mastercard (sometimes even Maestro) debit card payments to fund their qualifying bet stake for unlocking free bets. On the other hand, alternative deposit methods might not be well-suited to bet placement. Sometimes e-wallets like PayPal or Apple Pay are allowed, but Skrill and Neteller deposits are almost always among the payment exclusions, for example.
To ensure you have everything you need to be eligible for a given horse racing offer, you have to check the terms and conditions for hidden details, like min deposit stipulations, set markets, max returns, time limits and expiry dates for the credit you’ll receive, etc.
My top tips for betting on horse racing
Betting on horse racing is one of the UK’s most popular pastimes, but you can be caught out if you are new to the sport. There is so much to factor in when choosing which horse to place a bet on and here are a few tips to help you get as much information as possible before placing a bet on your selection.
- Get yourself familiar with racing jargon – Gambling on horse racing is an art and there are lots of intricacies in the sport of kings. Getting on the right page with things like equipment that runners can wear in a race – such as cheekpieces and a tongue strap – is a good start. Check out my sports betting terms guide, it will help you understand and know all the terms in horse racing.
- Try and get a good understanding of form – Picking your favourite number or colours of runners may help in the short term, but learning as much as possible about each horse and how they have been getting on can help you gain a better understanding of who you think will win the race. The racing form is an intricate business and news, form and horse racing tips from sites like the Racing Post can be a good starting point for beginners.
- Get to know trainers and jockeys – Like with every sport, racing has its stars and it can pay to follow certain horsemen like Frankie Dettori or Harry Skelton in the saddle. Play safe when betting and only put your money on a horse trained and ridden by seasoned veterans.
- Watch as much racing as possible – It may sound simple, but the more you watch the more you learn. Every horse and track is different and the more information you have will help you make an informed selection.
- Find the best price – Things like best odds guarantees can be helpful, but sometimes you need to shop around to find the best horse racing odds. Looking at comparison sites like Oddschecker can help you achieve that on a daily basis and keep you from losing a grip on your purse.
- Seek out advice – We’re lucky that we now have a great deal of information at our fingertips. Websites like Sporting Life, Timeform and Racing Post provide excellent news, tips and pointers about daily racing at a course like Hereford, while the likes of Hugh Taylor, Martin Dixon and Mark Howard are boffins worth paying attention to for horse racing tips!
- Keep a notebook – Once you’ve started to watch the racing as much as possible, make sure you’re noting down any horses that catch your eye. The best way to do this is to head to the results page and add them to your tracker from there.
About the author
Nick Seddon
A sports journalist with more than a decade of experience, Nick has covered some of the biggest events in sport, from the Grand National and the Epsom Derby in horse racing to Walsall against Wigan Athletic in League One.
Follow Nick on X: @nickseddon_
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
Today’s popular Betting articles
