Punting On The Ponies – A Country Wide Past Time
Not for nothing is the Melbourne Cup on its very own public holiday. Horse racing in Australia is one of the biggest past times, both for punters and spectators. Almost every small town has a track of some sort or access to a track with races being held at least once a week.
Betting on the ponies is undertaken by a vast number of punters each year. Some of these are casual bettors who place a bet on the big race days, and only really as a passing pleasure, while still others are much more serious and have their very own betting books.
This blog looks at a number of strategies one can make use of to help you betting experience be more profitable over all.
Research, Research, Research
I really cannot stress this enough. Do not place any bets unless you know what you are doing. If you were placing AFL premiership betting wagers, you wouldn’t do so without knowing which teams are superior and how each team relates. The same goes for betting on the horses.
Doing your research into each runner is imperative for placing successful bets. All info is available online on various sites, many of which are online betting sites that offer other services such as tipsters and of course, various betting options.
A runner’s past race history is a great place to start. Looking at how many times he has placed, and how long his breaks have been will give you an indication of how his performance has been up to now. Remember that a horse with oddly long spelling times may have had an injury or illness, which usually means that they will not be at the top of their game compared to other horses which have remained healthy.
Courses Are Just As Important
Knowing the horses is of course very important, but knowing the courses may help just as much. Once you have gained your knowledge about each runner, you can then compare that to the particular track that they are running on.
Weather will play a part in how the track is on race day; for example, rain will make the going heavy. Some horses can run well in heavy going, but mostly thoroughbreds are delicate creatures who do not do well in mud.
Some Australian tracks are dirt, while others are grass. This all plays a part in how the race may be run on the day.
What About Bloodlines?
Many punters put a lot of stake in how the horse is bred as to how it will perform. You must remember, horse bloodlines aren’t everything. Yes, they may play a part in how well the horse runs, but again they may not.
Get to recognise the familiar, successful lines such as the Danehill line, but pay more attention to the horse as an individual rather than who he was sired by.
Betting Markets
Finally, get to know how the betting markets work. There are much more types of sports bets than simply a win bet.
Understanding the more complex betting terms and systems may result in a much larger win than simply placing a bet on the favourite to come in first. Remember, the harder it is to predict, the higher and more profitable the pay out will be.