Horse Racing Betting Odds

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🏇🏽 Bet on Horse Races	Grand National, Cheltenham, Royal Ascot
🍀 Irish Horse Races	Irish Grand National, Punchestown, Irish Derby
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Horse racing is among the most popular sports in Ireland, attracting millions of viewers every year. It’s also a popular choice for online sports betting among many Irish punters who enjoy wagering on events like the Grand National and the Royal Ascot.

In this horse racing betting guide, we’ll cover the biggest meetings, how to bet on the sport of kings, and the most popular types of bets you can make.

Horse Race Betting Online on the Biggest Events

The so-called ‘sport of kings’ is contested all year round, with the prestigious National Hunt (or jump) season in Great Britain starting on May 1^st and continuing until April the following year.

The flat race campaign also runs annually from March through October, with several iconic meetings and Grade 1 races crammed into this period.

You can also access horse racing in Ireland and across the globe throughout the year, with meetings held in Australia (the Melbourne Cup), the US (Kentucky Derby), and the UAE (the Dubai World Cup).

Let’s look at some outstanding horse racing fixtures in the global calendar.

🏇🏽 Horse Racing Competition	🏟️ Place	📅 Dates
☘️ Epsom Derby	Epsom Racecourse, UK	June 5th – June 6th 2026
☘️ Irish Derby Festival	Curragh Racecourse, Ireland	June 26th – June 28th 2026
☘️ Kentucky Derby	Churchill Downs Racecourse, United States	May 2nd 2026
☘️ Irish Champion Stakes	Leopardstown, Ireland	September 11th – September 15th 2025
☘️ Fairyhouse Easter Festival	Fairyhouse Racecourse, Ireland	April 4th – April 6th 2026
☘️ Royal Ascot	Ascot Racecourse, UK	June 16th – June 20th 2026
☘️ Epsom Oaks	Epsom Downs Racecourse, UK	June 5th 2026
☘️ Irish Oaks	Curragh Racecourse, Ireland	July 19th – July 20th 2025
☘️ 1000 Guineas	Ascot Racecourse, Australia	3rd May 2026
☘️ 2000 Guineas	Newmarket Rowley Mile Course, UK	2nd May 2026
☘️ Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe	Hipódromo de París-Longchamp Racecourse	October 4th – October 5th 2025
☘️ Champion Hurdle	Cheltenham Racecourse, UK	March 10th 2026
☘️ Glorious Goodwood	Goodwood, UK	July 29th – August 2nd 2025
☘️ Cheltenham Festival	Cheltenham Racecourse, UK	March 10th – March 13th 2026
☘️ Irish Grand National	Fairyhouse Racecourse, Ireland	April 6th 2025
☘️ English Grand National	Aintree Racecourse, UK	April 9th – April 11th 2026
☘️ King George Race	Ascot Racecourse, UK	July 25th – July 26th 2025

Epsom Derby

The Epsom Derby, sometimes called the Derby Stakes, is a Group 1 flat race that is open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It takes place at Surrey’s Epsom Downs Racecourse on the first Saturday in June every year. First held in 1780, this is a 1-mile, 4 furlongs, and 10 yards-long race.

With a prize pot of €1.35 million, it is the richest and most prestigious flat horse race in Britain.

The Irish Derby

The Irish Derby is a Group 1 flat race that is open to fillies and thoroughbred colts that are three years old. It is run at the Curragh Racecourse in County Kildare and is 1 mile and 4 furlongs in length.

It is the Irish equivalent of the Epsom Derby and takes place three weeks after. With a €300,000 prize pot, there’s plenty of Irish Derby betting done on this race.

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby is a Grade 1 race that takes place at the Churchill Downs Racecourse in Louisville. This race, which is 1 1/4 miles long, is open to three-year-old thoroughbreds.

The geldings and colts are required to carry 126 pounds, while the fillies need to carry 121 pounds. This prestigious American race takes place on the first Saturday of May, with many calling it one of the most exciting minutes in the sporting world.

Irish Champion Stakes

The Irish Champion Stakes is a Flat Group 1 horse race that is open to horses that are three years or older. It takes place at Leopardstown, just south of Dublin, and is 1 mile and 2 furlongs in length.

The winner of this race takes home a little under €600,000, so it is one that every jockey and trainer is desperate to land. Dylan Thomas and Magical have both won this event twice, while the leading jockey and trainer are Michael Kinane and Aidan O’Brien.

Fairyhouse Easter Festival

Located in Ratoath, County Meath, Fairyhouse Racecourse hosts the renowned Irish Grand National, among other annual festivals, attracting many horse racing enthusiasts. Several festivals take place on this racecourse throughout the year.

The Easter festival is the most popular one since this is when the Irish Grand National takes place, alongside other top races such as the Mares Novice Hurdle Championship Final and the Festival Novice Hurdle.

Royal Ascot

The Ascot Racecourse in Berkshire, England, is home to the Royal Ascot Festival, which is one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar. If you only make it to one horse racing meeting in England in your life, make sure it is this one, as it is a great spectacle.

Some of the big races for the event include the Queen Anne Stakes, the King’s Stand Stakes, the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, the Coronation Stakes, and the Gold Cup.

The Epsom Oaks

The Epsom Oaks, also known as the Oaks Stake or The Oaks, is a Group 1 race for 3-year-old fillies. This 1-mile, 4 furlongs, and 6 yards long race takes place at Epsom Downs at the end of May or the beginning of June.

It is part of the Fillies’ Triple Crown, with the 1000 Guineas preceding it and the St Leger coming just after. Frank Buckle is the leading jockey in this race with nine wins, while the leading trainer is Robert Robson, with 13 victories.

Irish Oaks

This Group 1 flat race, which is open to 3-year-old fillies, is run at the Curragh Racecourse in County Kildare. The Irish Oaks is 2,414 metres long and usually takes place in July every year – the winner of this race walks away with a little under €300,000.

The leading jockey in this event is Johnny Murtagh, with six wins under his belt from 1997 to 2013, while Sir Michael Stoute is the leading trainer with six wins as well.

Irish 1000 Guineas

The 1000 Guineas Stakes is another Group 1 flat race exclusively for 3-year-old fillies. Held at the Rowley Mile Racecourse in Newmarket, Suffolk, and is just one mile long.

It usually takes place at the end of April or the beginning of May. The leading jockey is Geroge Fordham, with seven wins in total, while the leading trainer is Robert Robson, with nine wins.

Irish 2000 Guineas

While the 1000 Guineas is only open to fillies, the 2000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat race that is open to colts and fillies that are 3 years old. It is also just one mile long and usually takes place the day before the 1000 Guineas.

Jem Robinson is the leading jockey with nine wins, while O’Brien is the leading trainer with over 10 wins.

Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

As you can probably guess from the name, the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe is a French horse race. This Grade 1 flat race takes place at the Longchamp Racecourse in Paris and is open to thoroughbred horses that are three years old and above. The race is 1 1/2 miles long and usually takes place on the first Sunday of October.

This race has one of the biggest prizes in horse racing as the winner claims a little under €3 million – there is also plenty of Arc de Triomphe betting that goes on. Frankie Dettori has ridden more than six winners, while André Fabre has trained eight.

Champion Hurdle

The Champion Hurdle is a National Hunt hurdle race that is open to horses that are four years or above. This Grade 1 race takes place at the Cheltenham Racecourse during the Cheltenham Festival, and it is highly popular when it comes to betting on horse racing.

It is 2 1/2 miles long, and the participants need to navigate a total of eight hurdles. Some of the best horses to have won this race on three occasions include Persian War, National Spirit, Istabraq, Lanzarote, and Hatton’s Grace.

Glorious Goodwood

The Glorious Goodwood Festival takes place in Chichester, West Sussex, at the end of July and the beginning of August. It’s another great event for betting on horses as some top races occur, such as the Sussex Stakes, the Molecomb Stakes, the Stewards’ Cup, and the Goodwood Cup.

It is one of the most picturesque racecourses in England, so if you find yourself in that part of the country when Glorious Goodwood is on, see if you can grab a ticket and try your luck with some horse racing bets.

Cheltenham Festival

Another major horse racing competition you can bet on is the Cheltenham Festival. You can bet on Cheltenham racing, set to take place in March 2025, at Betiton Ireland. The Cheltenham Festival is a four-day festival held at the Cheltenham Racecourse in Gloucestershire in March.

Millions of euros are wagered on the Cheltenham Irish horse racing results over the week. Although it’s held in the UK, it’s one of the most popular events for Irish horse racing enthusiasts.

Irish Grand National

The 2024 Irish Grand National was won by Any Second Now and his jockey T.M Walsh. If you’re already looking for horse racing cards for the 2025 Grand National, you’ll be able to find all the available markets well ahead of the big event.

The Irish Grand National is an annual steeplechase in Ireland, open to horses of at least five years old. It’s always held at the Fairyhouse Racecourse in Ireland and typically takes place on Easter Monday.

English Grand National

The English Grand National also takes place in April, usually after the Irish Grand National. It’s also a National Hunt steeplechase horse race, and it always takes place at the Aintree Racecourse in the UK.

Jockey Paul Townend won the 2024 English Grand National with his horse, I Am Maximus. The next edition of the race is scheduled to start on the 10^th of April 2025, and you’ll be able to place your bets weeks in advance.

King George Chase

The King George VI Chase is a Grade 1 steeplechase in the UK, open to horses four years and above. It was first held in 1937 and has since taken place annually at Kempton Park in Sunbury. It’s also part of the National Hunt Racing calendar and is characterised by the eighteen fences horses must jump over.

The event is usually held in December and is part of Kempton Park’s Christmas Festival. Banbridge and his jockey, Mr T Hamilton, won the last race, while the 2025 King George Chase betting odds are in favour of the runner, Fact to File.

How to Bet on Horse Racing at Betiton Ireland?

You can bet on horse racing at Betiton Ireland. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide you can follow to place your bets:

1. Open Your Betiton Account – Click the ‘Join’ button on the top of the homepage and fill out the registration form to create your Betiton account.
2. Credit Your Account – Log into your account and visit the ‘Payment Methods’ page to make a deposit. Select your preferred banking option, specify how much you want to deposit, and confirm the transaction.
3. Claim Your Welcome Offer – At this stage, you can claim the Betiton welcome bonus, which is a €10 free bet when you deposit and wager €15 at minimum odds of 2.00.
4. Build Your Betslip – Before placing a bet on any Irish horse racing event, you’ll need to build your bet slip. Add your selections, enter your stake amount, and click ‘Submit’ to place your bet.

Live Horse Race Betting Odds

Live or in-play horse race betting online allows you to wager on races as they happen. Betiton Ireland offers in-play betting markets that become available as soon as the race begins.

Unlike pre-match horse bets online, live horse racing betting requires you to continuously monitor the latest betting odds and place your wagers accordingly. This engaging form of Irish horse racing betting demands quick decision-making and keen observation skills.

Betiton Ireland Horse Racing Bet Types

Before you engage in horse racing betting online, it’s important to understand the betting markets available. Here are the different horse racing bet types you can place:

• Win Bet – This is the most straightforward horse betting wager, which requires you to predict the horse that will cross the finish line first.
• Place Bet – A place bet in horse racing requires you to pick a runner that will finish in one of the top three positions. While this increases your chances of winning, it also carries lower odds.
• Each-Way Bet – Each-way betting splits your stake into two wagers. One wager backs your horse to win, and the other backs it to place in the top three, four, or five positions.
• Accumulator Bet – An accumulator bet combines 4 to 20 selections into a single wager. The individual odds are multiplied to create an extended payout, but each selection must be successful for the bet to pay out.
• Exacta Bet – This bet requires you to pick two horses who will place first and second in the correct order. It’s a risky bet but carries higher odds.
• Quinella Bet – If you aren’t confident about the precise order in which two horses will finish, you can place a quinella wager. In this case, you just must predict which runners will finish in the top two positions.
• Trifecta Bet – With a trifecta bet, you’ll have to bet on the three horses you think will finish the race first, second, and third, in that order. This is a high-risk but high-reward wager.
• Superfecta Bet – An extension of the trifecta wager, a superfecta bet requires you to pick the top four horses in a single race. This method of betting carries high risk, as you’ll have to get the order exactly right.
• Super High Five Bet – This is a little-known wager type when betting on horse racing and one of the hardest markets to crack. In this case, you’ll have to pick the runners that will finish in the top five of a race while also predicting the correct order.
• Betting Without Market – This market allows you to exclude specific horses from the runner list and predict outcomes based on the remaining competitors. The odds can vary significantly depending on which horses are removed, particularly if a clear favourite is excluded.

Horse Racing Betting Odds Explained by Betiton Ireland

As one of the market-leading sportsbooks in Ireland and the UK, we understand how popular horse racing betting is to our punters. At Betiton Ireland, we provide the best horse racing odds for races from Ireland, the UK, and the rest of the world.

We also display odds in three major formats, so you can easily switch between them as you like. Let’s look at the different odd formats you can use at Betiton.

Fractional Odds

Fractional odds are easy to understand and presented as two numbers separated by a slash. These display the return that can be won in relation to the stake amount. For example, with fractional odds of 10/1, you can bank €10 for every €1 wagered.

So, if you bet €10 at odds of 10/1, you’ll bank €110 in total, comprising €100 of returns and your original stake.

Decimal Odds

Referred to as European odds and widely used in Ireland, this format features two decimal places and tells you how much you’ll win for every €1 staked. If you wager €10 at decimal odds of 10.00, you’ll recoup €100 in total, including your original stake.

It’s also incredibly easy to convert decimal odds into fractional odds. For example, if your betting selection has decimal odds of 10.00, just subtract one to unlock a fractional price of 9/1.

American Odds

American odds are largely exclusive to the US and Canada. Typically, the odds for favourites will display a minus (-) sign and tell you how much you’ll have to stake to win €100. Conversely, less fancied outcomes will feature a plus (+) sign and offer an insight into how much you might win for every €100 wagered.

If you’re backing a -150 favourite, for example, you’ll have to stake €150 to win €100 from your chosen sportsbook. On the other hand, with odds of +150, you will have a chance to win €150 for every €100 wagered.

Betiton Ireland Horse Racing Betting Tips

No horse racing betting guide of this type would be complete without offering some advice on how to engage in horse racing betting. Here are some horse racing betting tips to help you make the most of your bankroll:

• Check the Form – Appraise a runner’s results when racing at the relevant grade. Also, check how they perform over specific distances and in certain conditions.
• Who’s the Trainer? – You should also consider a horse’s trainer. After all, some trainers have a proven track record of success at specific racecourses. Others perform better at certain festivals and race meetings.
• Don’t Forget About the Jockey – The sport’s best jockeys (such as Ryan Moore and Frankie Dettori) often enjoy strategic partnerships with trainers. For example, at Goodwood, trainer Andrew Balding and jockey Oisin Murphy have a cumulative total of 96 wins over the past five seasons.
• Check the Weather – Runners will encounter variable conditions at different times of the year. Spring and summer often see good-to-firm and firm going, where the ground is hard and suited to fast runners. Conversely, the going is softer during colder months and best suited for jump races and the National Hunt season.
• The Racecourse – Some horses perform well at certain racecourses. So, when appraising past form, also consider how often runners have raced at specific tracks and their horse racing results.
• Check the Horses’ Post Position – The post position describes where horses will start at the beginning of a race. Review each runner’s historic performance from relevant post positions and whether there are obvious trends at specific tracks.
• Manage Your Bankroll – Determine an initial amount you’re comfortable losing within a set timeframe. Additionally, adjust your stakes based on betting odds, your estimated probability of winning, and potential returns.
• Find Value Bets – Use your knowledge of horse racing to identify value in the published odds. This enables you to pursue potentially higher returns while you can also leverage handicap betting markets to create value in some instances.
• Understand Hedging – Hedging involves placing additional bets on opposing outcomes to offset potential losses. This strategy may combine win, place, and each-way bets, depending on the race.
• What is ‘Dutching’? – Dutching is an aggressive betting strategy that requires you to wager on multiple runners in a race to increase your chances of success. It requires that you identify horses that are most likely to win.

Our Betting Offer

If you’re interested in free horse racing betting, Betiton offers a €10 free bet when you wager a minimum of €15. Your qualifying bet must have odds of 2.00 or higher. Once the free bet is added to your account, you have 14 days to use it.

Also, if you complete your first deposit using PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, Skrill 1-Tap or Paysafecard, you won’t be eligible for the free bet offer. This bonus is not subject to any wagering requirements at all.

Responsible Gambling

We take the principle of responsible gambling seriously at Betiton by providing several tools to help you manage your betting activity. These include customisable deposit limits, “time-outs”, and a reality check feature that lets you monitor your account history and average spending.

You can request self-exclusion, during which time you won’t have access to your account or receive promotional offers. We also offer support through various third-party charities, including BeGambleAware and GamCare.

Frequently Asked Questions