Betting Strategies for Flat Racing - 4 things to know!
Flat racing takes place all year round in the UK, but the main flat turf season begins towards the end of March, sometimes at the beginning of April and it ends in November. Many people bet on flat racing, and whether you are completely new to the sport, or you have placed a few bets in the past, learning more about horse racing is always a good idea. There is a lot to learn and take in when you are looking at racing, and often for newcomers it can seem very complicated. If you would like to know more and enhance your flat racing knowledge then here are four things to consider that will greatly help your horse racing betting.
1. Get to Know the Trainers
Horse racing trainers are vitally important, and each one of them has their own methods that they believe gives them the best chance of success. It is important to know as much as you can about each trainer, and what patterns they have that you can follow. Look out for ones that target big meetings such as Royal Ascot and the Glorious Goodwood meeting. However, you should also look out for individual race stats, especially for classics like the 1000 & 2000 Guineas held at Newmarket and the Epsom Derby and Oaks.
Try and remember things about methods, does a particular trainer have a lot of horses win after they have had a break, does another train do poorly with those returning because his horses need a run for fitness? Information like this is gold for punters, and the more you can digest and remember, the better your punting will be.
2. Get to Know the Jockeys
Knowing the jockeys is another important part of becoming a better punter. You should always know who the best are, and watch out for them at the big meetings. For example, jockeys like Ryan Moore will be in demand at Royal Ascot, so his rides are worth noting. However, just as much as that, it also pays to find jockeys travelling to smaller meetings. For example, if Ryan Moore was to ride at a small meeting at Pontefract on an evening, this would be very significant because he must be going for something special.
The more you know about the jockeys, the more you can work out what is significant with the horses they are riding, which is something you can use to form a better opinion about a horse.
3. Understand the Going
Horses will not perform to their best on different ground. Some prefer it fast, others prefer it soft and some prefer it in the middle. It is vitally important to your betting that you understand the going and the impact it is going to have on the runners. If you can work out which runners will be ok on the ground, and which will struggle then this will help you narrow down the field for the upcoming race.
Generally the ground during the flat season is pretty fast due to the good weather we have in the summer. However, it can also be very soft if we have bad weather, and adapting your punting when the going changes is one of the hardest things to do. Should you master that, you are going to find some big priced winners when betting.
4. Watch for Course Specialists
Something a lot of punters forget or don’t realise is that every single racecourse in the UK is different. Some courses are downhill, some are on level ground and some uphill. Some go left handed, some go right handed and some have straight courses attached to them. This is all a minefield, but something that you can understand if you learn the differences.
Horses will perform differently on the different courses they face, so try and work out horses that have ran well in the past on the course you are betting on, or those that have ran at similar courses. For example, Epsom is a unique test because of the turns and the slope, so previous course winners at Epsom are always sought after by the experienced punters betting there.
Horse Racing Betting Offers
When betting on horse racing you should always be looking to take advantage of a betting offer. Here are just a couple you can use when next placing your horse racing bets.
Betfair – ITV Racing Free Bet for Every Winner at 3/1 or Bigger
If you like to bet on the big race meetings then you will be on televised racing a lot of the time. When a race is televised on ITV and you back a winner with an SP or 3/1 or bigger, you are eligible for a free bet with betfair. This is to the value of your stake and up to a maximum of £25. If you keep backing winners, they keep giving you free bets so this is a great offer for those betting on ITV racing.
Ladbrokes – Extra EW Places on Selected Races
If you bet each way then you should always look for value with your place terms. Every day Ladbrokes boost the place terms on at least two races, giving you an extra place or a better each way term. By taking advantage of these you will enhance your each way betting, and you could back winners that would be classed as losers with other bookmakers who only offer standard terms.
You might also be interested in:
Betting Strategies for Jumps Racing
What is "Best Odds Guaranteed" and why you should ALWAYS take it!
Top 20 Betting Offers
18+ | New players only. Opt-in. Min deposit is £20. Offer: Place a £20 sports cash bet at minimum odds of 3/4 (1.75) or higher and receive a £20 Free Bet. Free bet credited upon settlement of all qualifying bets. Free Bet can be redeemed on selected sports & markets and used on single or accumulator bets (min. 3 selections). Free Bet must be used at minimum odds of 4/5 (1.80). Free Bet stake is not returned with winnings. Winnings are credited as withdrawable cash. Maximum odds of 10.00 may apply. Free Bet must be used within 7 days of being credited. Affordability checks may apply. Full terms apply. | BeGambleAware.org. | |||||
18+. New customers only. Place a minimum £40 bet on any selection with minimum odds of Evens (2.00) and receive a 4x£5 Free Bets. Free bets expire after 24 hours. BeGambleAware.org. T&Cs & Maximum Pay-Outs Apply. #ad | |||||
New customers. Bet £40+ at odds 2.0 (evens) or greater, with code BET40GET20, get 2×£10 Free Bets. Free Bets must be placed at min odds 4/1 (5.0) or greater, paid after settlement and 24h later, expire in 24h. Full T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org | |||||
18+ | New UK customers only. Place a £20+ bet with minimum 3 legs, min 2/1 and receive a £10 Free Bet. The Free Bet will be credited once your qualifying bet settles. Free Bet expires 7 days after being awarded. BeGambleAware.org | T&Cs & Maximum Payouts apply. | |||||
New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. | |||||
18+ New UK+ROI Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 6 x £5 free bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days, stake not returned). Restrictions + T&Cs apply. | |||||
18+ New UK + ROI customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £/€5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 6 x £/€5 free bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days, stakes not returned). Restrictions + T&Cs apply. | |||||
New customers online only. Register and bet a min £/€5 at odds of 1/1 (2.0) or greater across sports or racing within 7 days of registration to qualify. Receive £/€10 Tote Credit, £/€10 Free Sports Bet within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. Qualifying bet is the first racing pool or sports bet added to bet slip. Voided/non-runner bets will not qualify; subsequent bet will be qualifying bet. 7-day expiry. 18+. One per customer. Selected customers only. Full T&Cs apply. Gambleaware.org.Full T&Cs apply. | |||||
New customers only. Min £20 bet at odds 2.00+. Max reward: One £10 Free Bet and two £5 Combo Free Bets. £10 Free Bet min odds 1/1 (2.00). £5 Combo Free Bets min odds 2/1 (3.0). Free Bets expire 7 days after credit. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. | |||||
Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. Registration required. | |||||
*New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. Virtuals) 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ | |||||
18+ New customers only. Opt in deposit and bet min £10 (max £30) on any sports (odds 2.00+) within 7 days. Get your initial stake (up to £30) credited in Free Bets. Free Bets to be used on selected markets and expire in 7 days. Scroll Down for T&Cs. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly | |||||
New members only. £10+ bet on sports (ex. virtuals) at 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accepted in 7 days, valid 7 days; £20 use on sportsbook, £10 on Bet Builder. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ | |||||
Place a £10 fixed odds single or £10 each-way bet at minimum odds of 1/2 and get 3 x £10 free fixed odds bets, 3 x £5 Total Goals football spread bets and 3 x £5 Winning Favourites spread bets and a £1 racing Race Index spread bet. 18+ www.gambleaware.org. | |||||
*New customers only. Place a min £10 pre-event bet at min odds of 2.0. £40 worth of Free Bet Tokens awarded on bet settlement. 4 x £10 each with betting restrictions. 7 day expiry. Debit Card deposits only (exclusions apply). 18+ GambleAware.org. Bet The Responsible Way Full Terms apply | |||||
New sportsbook customers only. Place £10 first bet at min odds 1/2 to get £20 Free Bet. Stake not returned. Free Bet valid 7 days, min odds 1/2. Settled bets only. One welcome offer per customer (not with 50% Net Loss Refund). 18+. Full T&Cs apply. | |||||
New cust. Deposit £10+ in 7 days & bet on sports. Min odds apply. Reward = 4 x £10 Free Bets (2 x £10 Bet Builders & 2 x £10 Sports bet). Valid 7 days. Free bets not valid on e-sports & non UK/IE horse racing. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org. | |||||
Offer valid for new Betgoodwin customers aged 18 years and over. Min qualifying stake £10 at odds of 6/4+. Excludes horse & greyhound racing. Min 4 legs at odds of 2/5+ for £10 free acca. Full Terms apply. begambleaware | |||||
18+| GambleAware.org. New GB customers only. Opt in. Deposit and Bet £10+ on sports at min odds of 2.0+ (1/1) for £30 in Free Bets within 7 days. Debit cards or instant bank transfers only. Free bets expire within 7 days of issue. Geographical restrictions and T&C’s apply.#AD | |||||
New customers only. Min £20 bet at odds 2.00+. Max reward: One £10 Free Bet and two £5 Combo Free Bets. £10 Free Bet min odds 1/1 (2.00). £5 Combo Free Bets min odds 2/1 (3.0). Free Bets expire 7 days after credit. 18+. Full T&Cs apply. |
