Dave Bromley asked: 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.
Craig
