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Horse Racing Betting at Betiton UK

horse racing betting at betiton

When it comes to online betting in the UK, football remains the single most popular sport to wager on, with horse racing a close second. However, the so-called ā€œsport of kingsā€ boasts the most engaged audience when it comes to betting, with 97.4% of people who watch and attend horse races known to place frequent wagers. Here at Betiton, we offer a huge range of horse racing betting markets, while also covering seminal meetings and races from across the globe. So, hereā€™s our comprehensive horse racing betting guide and exploration of the sportā€™s most popular (and wagered on) events!

Horse Racing Bet šŸ¤‘Bet Ā£15, Get Ā£10
Bet on Horse Races šŸ‡šŸ½Grand National, Cheltenham, Royal Ascot
The Best Horse Races šŸ’ÆIrish Grand National, Punchestown, Irish Derby
Deposit Methods šŸ’³PayPal, Paysafecard, Mastercard, Skrill + more!

Bet on Horse Racing at Betiton UK

If you want to place a horse racing bet at Betiton UK, youā€™ll first need to register for an account. Hereā€™s a step-by-step guide to getting started!

  1. Click through the ā€˜Signupā€™ button in the top left-hand corner of the Betiton home page.
  2. Then, enter your email, before creating a unique username and secure password.
  3. Youā€™ll then be transferred to a second screen where you can enter your legal name, corporeal address and date-of-birth. If this information is entered honestly and accurately, weā€™ll verify your identity immediately and without the need for you to provide documentation!
  4. You can also credit your new account by hitting the ā€˜Depositā€™ tab in the left-hand corner of the screen, before selecting your payment method and depositing a minimum of Ā£10.
  5. To place horse racing bets, select the sport from the drop-down menu and compare the very latest race meetings, markets and odds. Then, click your selections to automatically add them to your betslip in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen, before confirming your stake amounts and hitting the ā€˜Place Betsā€™ button!

The Top 5 Horse Racing Events You Can Bet on at Betiton UK

When engaging in online horse betting at Betiton, youā€™ll have access to hundreds of races and meetings all year round. In the UK alone, the flat racing season runs between early March and the end of October, while the prestigious National Hunt campaign features jump events between November and April. But which events dominate the UK horse racing calendar and remain the most popular among our bettors? Letā€™s find out!

šŸ‡ Horse Racing CompetitionšŸ“ PlacešŸ—“ļø Dates (Next Race)
The Grand NationalAintree, LiverpoolSaturday, April 13th, 2024
2000 Guineas StakesNewmarketSaturday, May 4th, 2024
Cheltenham Gold CupCheltenhamFriday, March 15th, 2024
Epsom DerbyEpsom DownsSaturday, June 1st, 2024
Irish DerbyCurraghFriday, June 28th, 2024

šŸ”“ The Grand National

This is the single biggest steeplechase in the world, with a total prize fund of more than Ā£1 million and as many as 600 million people from more than 140 countries watching the race every single year. Here, runners will compete over a challenging 4-mile, 2-furlong course and 30 fences, while a maximum field of 40 has historically been permitted at the Grand National (although this will be reduced to 34 from 2024). This National Hunt race also transcends horse betting in the UK and appeals to a huge number of casual bettors nationwide!

šŸ”“ 2000 Guineas Stakes

The 2000 Guineas Stakes is one of 36 Group 1 flat races in the UK, with the 2024 iteration scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 4th, 2024. This event was inaugurated back in 1809, while itā€™s established as one of the Britainā€™s five classic flat races and is the opening leg of the coveted ā€˜Triple Crownā€™ (which also includes the Derby and the St. Ledger). The 2000 Guineas Stakes is contested by the best three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies in the UK, who race over a mile at the iconic Newmarket course.

šŸ”“ Cheltenham Gold Cup

This race is the centrepiece of the Cheltenham Festival, which features four stellar days of racing and takes place every year in March. The Gold Cup is a Group 1 National Hunt race thatā€™s run on the New Course at Cheltenham, over a distance of 3 miles, 2 Ā½ furlongs. It also features 22 challenging fences and boasted an impressive total prize fund of Ā£625,000 in 2023. Estimates suggested that around Ā£1 billion was wagered on the Cheltenham Festival in 2023, with the Gold Cup proving particularly popular among casual and seasoned punters alike.

šŸ”“ Epsom Derby

This classic Group 1 race is considered to be the second leg of the aforementioned Triple Crown, while itā€™s even older than the 2000 Guineas Stakes having been inaugurated way back in 1780. This race is also open to precocious three-year-old colts and fillies, who will compete over the distance of one mile and four furlongs at the Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey. Interestingly, Aidan Oā€™Brien is the Epsom Derbyā€™s most successful trainer with nine wins between 2001 and 2023, while the 54-year-old Irishman has also dominated the Guineas Stakes with 10 victories.

šŸ”“ Irish Derby

When engaging in horse racing betting online, you may also want to wager on the Group 1 Irish Derby. This stellar flat race is open to all three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies, while itā€™s run at the Curragh and over the challenging distance of one mile and four furlongs. This race is Irelandā€™s equivalent of the Derby Stakes and was officially inaugurated in 1866, while it typically takes place around four weeks after its English counterpart. The 2024 iteration is scheduled to take place on Friday, June 28th, 2024.

Horse Racing Competitions Calendar for 2024

šŸ‡šŸ½ Horse Racing CompetitionšŸŸļø PlacešŸ“… Dates
Epsom DerbyEpsom Downs, UKJune 1st, 2024
Irish Derby FestivalCurragh, IrelandJune 28th ā€“ June 30th, 2024
Kentucky DerbyLouisville, USAMay 4th, 2024
Irish Champion StakesLeopardstown, IrelandSeptember 14th ā€“ September 15th, 2024
Fairyhouse Easter FestivalRatoath, IrelandMarch 30th ā€“ April 1st, 2024
Royal AscotAscot, UKJune 18th ā€“ June 22nd, 2024
Epsom OaksEpsom Downs, UKMay 31st, 2024
Irish OaksCurragh, IrelandJune 29th, 2024
1000 GuineasNewmarket, UKMay 5th, 2024
2000 GuineasNewmarket, UKMay 4th, 2024
Prix de lā€™Arc de TriompheLongchamp, FranceOctober 1st, 2023
Champion HurdleCheltenham, UKMarch 14th, 2024
Glorious GoodwoodGoodwood, UK30th July ā€“ 3rd August, 2024

Horse Racing Odds

horse racing competition

Whenever you bet on horse racing in the UK, itā€™s important that youā€™re able to read and understand the published odds. After all, horse racing odds can tell you how much youā€™re liable to win in relation to your stake amount, while they may also be used to calculate the implied probability of a specific outcome occurring. The only issue is that these odds can be presented in different formats, so although they always relay the same information, they do so in variable ways. Hereā€™s a breakdown of the three main odds formats and how they can be interpreted.

šŸ”“ Decimal Odds

We use decimal odds here at Betiton UK, which comprise a fixed numerical value to two decimal places. This number relays how much youā€™ll win for every Ā£1 wagered successfully, inclusive of your original stake amount. For example, if you stake Ā£10 on a specific horse to win at odds of 5.00 and the runner romps home, youā€™ll bank $50 in total and $40 in profit.

šŸ”“ Fractional Odds

When engaging in horse betting online, you may also find some markets are priced using fractional odds. This format features two numbers that are separated by a slash, with the first digit representing how much you can expect to win in relation to the second (which is your stake amount). So, when you successfully bet Ā£10 on a horse to win at fractional odds of 4/1, youā€™ll earn Ā£40 in profit and recoup Ā£50 in total (including your stake). Itā€™s also easy to convert fractional odds into decimals, simply by dividing the fractions and multiplying the subsequent value by one.

šŸ”“ American Odds

As the name suggests, American odds are synonymous with the US marketplace, while this pricing format combines numerical values with either a ā€˜minusā€™ or ā€˜plusā€™ sign. The minus indicates a betting favourite in a particular race, while the corresponding number tells you how much youā€™ll need to stake to win Ā£100. Conversely, the plus sign highlights an underdog or less fancied runner and the accompanying number relays how much youā€™ll win when you stake Ā£100.

Horse Racing Betting Tips

By this stage, you should have a better understanding of the sportā€™s most popular race meetings, wagering markets and how odds are presented, so youā€™re almost ready to start betting on horse racing with Betiton! However, successfully navigating different markets and wager types can be challenging, whether you engage in ante post or live horse racing betting. So, here are some expert horse racing betting tips to help you on your way!

šŸ”“ Understand How to Read Form

ā€˜Read the formā€™ is the single most generic piece of betting advice youā€™ll ever receive, especially as there are key datasets and factors to consider when appraising a runnerā€™s previous performance. For example, itā€™s important to analyse a horseā€™s performance in relevant race grades, while also comparing how they perform over specific distances and in variable types of going.

šŸ”“ Analyse Track, Trainer and Jockey Stats

Other key datasets include historic track form, especially as some renowned trainer and jockey combinations tend to perform better at specific racecourses. Weā€™ve already spoken about trainer Aidan Oā€™Brienā€™s obvious dominance of the Epsom Derby and 2000 Guineas Stakes, for example, so he has an impressive record at both Epsom and Newmarket. Some courses also have striking similarities, so respective results can be compared to create further betting insights.

šŸ”“ Make Use of Accumulator Betting

When engaging in online horse racing betting at events such as the Cheltenham Festival, you may decide to back the winners of multiple races. In instances where you pick short price favourites, you may want to combine these selections in a single acca bet that offers access to enhanced odds. Just remember to be selective and limit your accas to between six and eight selections where possible.

šŸ”“ Calculate the Implied Probability

Weā€™ve also touched on the concept of implied probability, which can be calculated using the formula ā€˜(1/ decimal odds) * 100 = implied probabilityā€™. Weā€™d definitely recommend that you use live odds to calculate the statistical chances of a particular runner winning when betting on horse racing online here at Betiton, as this enables you to understand a wagerā€™s value proposition and tailor your stake accordingly.

šŸ”“ Consider the Draw Bias in Flat Racing

In most flat races covered here at Betiton, runners will be afforded starting stalls at random when they come under startersā€™ orders. Over longer courses, this may make so-called ā€œdraw biasā€ a factor, with tracks like Goodwood boasting a marked right-hand bend that typically favours horses in the low or middle stalls (especially over longer distance races). So, it may be worth factoring in the draw bias and wagering as late as possible when targeting some races.

Responsible Gambling

As the market leading horse racing betting site in the UK, Betiton is committed to helping you gamble responsibly online. We certainly offer you extensive tools to help you take control of your betting activity, including customisable deposit limits and ā€˜reality checksā€™ (which let you monitor your wagers and spend in real-time). You can also take time out from betting and engage in self-exclusion, which locks you out of your account and prevents you from receiving sponsored messaging for between six months and five years. Weā€™re also partnered with several prominent gambling charities including BeGambleAware and GamCare, who can provide practical help and guidance when needed!

FAQs – Frequently asked Questions about Horse Racing Betting

ā“ How does horse racing betting work?

This largely depends on whichĀ betĀ youā€™ve placed; for example,Ā forecast betsĀ require you to correctly predict who will finish in the first two positions. Overall,Ā wagering on racehorsesĀ depends on which bets you choose to play, so be sure to do your research to know what the bets consist of.

ā“ Where can I find horse racing betting tips?

A simple Google search will give you moreĀ tipsĀ than we can ever think of; the best tips that we can give is to have fun, stay safe, and bet responsibly!

ā“ What are furlongs in horse racing?

Furlongs are units of measurement, much like metres, inches, kilometres, etc. A furlong is 201.168 metres long, or 1/8 of a mile, meaning that there 8 furlongs in 1 mile.

ā“ How does the handicap system work in horse racing?

AĀ handicapĀ is a way of equalising the competition when particularly strong competitors face against weaker ones. However, in horse racing, the handicap system works a little differently. AĀ racehorseĀ is given weights to run with. This levels the playing field as it gives theĀ faster racehorsesĀ a disadvantage when facing off against slower racehorses.

ā“ How are horse racing handicaps calculated?

Horse racing handicapsĀ are calculated according to the previous performances of theĀ horsesā€”the better theĀ racehorse, the heavier the weights.

ā“ What does V mean in horse racing results?

“V” stands for “void race”, which means that the result of theĀ raceĀ was voided for some reason or other. In other words, something happened during the race that invalidated its result. A recent example of this happened at Plumpton racecourse, where theĀ racehorseĀ Wudyastopasking injured himself when attempting toĀ jump a hurdle. As a result, the entire hurdle event was declared void, especially since the other riders couldn’t pass.

ā“ Can you bet on every horse in a race?

Indeed, you canĀ betĀ on every racehorse in a particularĀ race! However, this might not be in your best interests. Be sure to check theĀ oddsĀ beforeĀ placing any bets.

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