Over the years, horse racing and betting have gone hand-in-hand, so it’s no surprise that a lot of casino operators in recent times have also delved into the sports betting market and, in particular – horse racing.
Yes, there are many horse racing fans that simply love watching the action, but the majority of punters also like to put their money where their mouth is too…..so to speak!
Some compare a horse race to solving a puzzle and when they feel they’ve got the right answer (finding the winner), they like to back that up by placing a bet on that horse.
There are many different types of horse races to bet on, but in the UK these are mainly split into two codes – flat racing and jumps (National Hunt) racing.
Within those two codes, there are again many different tracks. Some race both on the flat and over jumps, while others specialize in either flat horse racing or jumps horse racing.
Examples of ‘jump racing only’ tracks in the UK are Aintree and Cheltenham.
Examples of ‘flat racing only’ tracks in the UK are Newmarket and Epsom
Examples of ‘flat and jumps’ tracks in the UK are Ascot and Haydock
Different Race Conditions – There are also many different types of horse races – these allow horses of different abilities to be as competitive as they can at the right level. Just like there being no point in the average person running against Usain Bolt over 100m!
Handicap Races a Leveler – Both the jumps and flat horse racing codes have handicap races. These are designed to give all horses a chance based, on the better horses carrying more weight than those rated lower than them. In theory, all handicap races should end in a huge ‘dead-heat’, but as we know, this never happens. The Grand National, run at Aintree racecourse every April, is the most famous handicap horse race in the world. Horses that run in the Grand National are allocated their weights in February and regardless of what they achieve in the build-up to the race, these weights are set in stone.
Each UK Track Unique – Unlike a lot of the tracks in the US, that are oval shaped and left-handed, the UK has 59 very different racecourses, and they all have their own characteristics. Some are left-handed and some go right-handed – believe it or not, certain horses actually prefer going a specific way round. There are even tracks – like Fontwell – that have a ‘figure of eight’ layout, while some – like Newmarket and Epsom – don’t join up or allow horses to run fully round them.
Plus, some tracks are level, while others are described as being a ‘stiffer test’ or having many undulations. A stiff finish at tracks like Cheltenham and Sandown can often catch horses out, so finding proven performers that have run well at a venue in the past can be a huge advantage.
Horses For Courses – With so many different tracks in the UK (59) the old saying ‘horses for courses’ comes into it’s own. Many horses – just like humans – have their own preferences. Some like to run fast (flat out), while others have more stamina than speed – there is no point running a marathon runner over 100m at the Olympics!
Then, once a trainer works out the best trip and race conditions for a horse, the track can play a huge part too. Some horses will prefer going a certain way round (left or right-handed), others will like a level surface, while some prefer undulations. Therefore, when placing a bet, looking for the symbols ‘D’ ‘C’ or ‘CD’ next to a horse’s name can be a plus.
C = a previous winner at the course
D = a previous winner over that distance
CD – a previous winner over the course and distance
Fencing Masters – When looking at the jumps racecourses, as well as the different layouts, each track will have their own fences too. These are placed around the tracks and spaced out in many different ways to, again, give each track a very unique feel. The Grand National at Aintree has unique fences that are contrasted from natural thorn hedges. Some are different heights and widths, while others have different landing levels to the take-off side.
In total, there are 16 fences on the Aintree Grand National course – 14 are jumped twice over the 4m 2 1/2f trip, meaning over the two circuits there are 30 fences to jump. The Chair, Becher’s Brook, Valentine’s Brook and the Canal Turn are four of Aintree’s famous Grand National fences.
Race Types – There are many different race types in order to give horses of varying ability the best chance to win races.
Flat Racing –
Group Races: These are ranked from Group 1, 2 and 3, with Group One being the very highest-level – examples of Group 1 races in the UK are the 1,000 Guineas, 2,000 Guineas, Epsom Derby, Epsom Oaks and the St Leger. Horses in these Group races all carry the same weight, regardless of their official rating, but fillies and mares will often get a small weight allowance in races in which they run against colts and geldings.
Listed Races: The grade just under Group level. These can be either handicap or non-handicap events – again the non-handicap Listed races will see horses carry the same weights, regardless of their ratings, with mares and fillies often getting a slight weight allowance if running against the boys.
Conditions Stakes Races: The weight carried is based on age and sex of the horse and not on their official rating. Colts and geldings will get more weight than fillies and mares, while older horses will also have more weight if running against younger rivals.
Classified Stakes: Horses need to have run at least three times to qualify or have had to run twice with one win to their name. There races are also restricted to horses that have a rating on or below a given figure. Horses above the specified rating can, however, enter, but if running the difference of their rating must be carried as extra weight.
Maiden: The start for most flat horses. These are for horses that are yet to win a race and the bulk of them are races for two-year-olds – the youngest age a flat horse can first run. If a horse then wins a maiden race it’s given a rating by the handicapper and can then progress into running in those races. Once winning a maiden, a horse can’t run in another maiden. Those horses than never win a maiden are required to run in three races in order for the handicapper to give them a handicap rating.
Auction Maiden: A maiden race that is for horses to have been sold at public auction for a value not bigger than a set given amount.
Nursery: These are for 2 year-olds only and run as a handicap.
Maiden Handicap: Maiden races for horses aged 3+ with a maximum rating of 70. Horses will also need to have had at least 4 previous runs.
Novice: Raced for 2 or 3-year-olds, that are yet to win more than twice.
Novice Auction: A novice race restricted to horses sold at public auction for a value not exceeding a specified amount.
Claiming Stakes: Races the British Horse Racing Authority will allocate a maximum weight a horse may carry. They also set a maximum and minimum claiming prices for each horse in the race. Owners and trainer will decide how much weight they want their runner to run with. For every pound below the maximum weight there is a penalty. Once the race is run, horses can be claimed for their set price.
Seller: Once these races have run, the winner is offered to be sold via public auction.
Handicaps: Races that the weight if each horse is based on their official rating – after each race the handicapper accesses each horse and might increase or decrease it’s rating to either make it harder for in-form horses to win again, or easier for out-of-form horses to run better next time. Horses that progress though the handicap ranks – run out of races to run in – because then get too good, will move into Listed or Group level races.
- Class 1 Listed Handicaps for horses rated 96-110+.
- Class 2 For horses rated 86-100, 91-105 and 96-110 (inc Herritage handicaps)
- Class 3 For horses rated 76-90 and 81-95
- Class 4 For horses rated 66-80 and 71-85
- Class 5 For horses rated 56-70 and 61-75
- Class 6 For horses rated 46-60 and 51-65.
- Class 7 Mainly classified races for horses rated 0-45 (the lowest level)
Jumps (National Hunt) Racing –
- Class 1 Pattern (Grade One, Two and Three) and Listed races
- Class 2 Open Handicaps and Handicaps 0-140+
- Class 3 Handicaps 0-120 and 0-135 and Novice Handicaps 0-120 and 0-135
- Class 4 Handicaps 0-100 and 0-115 and Novice Handicaps 0-100 and 0-115
- Class 5 Handicaps 0-85 and 0-95 and Novice Handicaps 0-85 and 0-95
- Class 6 National Hunt Flat Races and Hunter’s Steeplechases
Graded Races: Like Group races in the flat, these graded races are the highest class of jumps races. Horses will carry level weights in these graded races, although weight allowances can apply for age and mares if they are running against the boys. There are three Grades: One, Two and Three. The Cheltenham Gold Cup, run in March each year, is an example of a Grade One race. Grade Two races include limited range handicaps and others with weight penalties for horses that have won in the past at this level. Grade Three races are often valuable open handicap races.
Listed Races: Again, similar to the flat, Listed jumps races are one level below Graded races. Level weights often apply regardless of a horses rating, unless a Listed Handicap, while age and mares’ allowances can also apply in certain race types.
Handicap Chase and Hurdle Races: Each horse will be allocated a weight based on their official rating at the time. These ratings can go up or down depending on their current form – the higher rated horses will carry the more weight in these races to give those rated less a better chance.
National Hunt Flat (Bumpers): Flat that are run under National Hunt rules. These are restricted to horses between the ages of four and six who have either not previously run at all, or have only ever run in bumpers. These are the races – along with Point-to-Points, that most jumping horses will begin their careers in. There are no hurdles to jump so a nice introduction to a racecourse. On average horses will run in between 1-3 of these NH Flat races before progressing to hurdling and then maybe chasing.
Maiden Hurdle/Chase: Horses that have not won a hurdle or chase race before.
Novice Hurdle/Chase: Only for horses that have not won a hurdle race prior to the start of that current season. Unlike a maiden race, a winner of a novice hurdle or chase can run in another that same season, but would have to carry a weight penalty.
Juvenile Novice Hurdle: Hurdle races for horses aged 3 at the start of that current season.
Novice Handicap: A handicap for horses that hadn’t won a race before the beginning of that current season.
Claiming Stakes: A low class race that each horse’s weight is determined by the price given to them by connections – the higher the price, the more weight. Once the race is run, horses can be bought (claimed) by other trainers or owners.
Selling Hurdle/Chase: Low class races where the winner is offered to be sold via public auction after the race.
WHERE DO I BET?
These days there are many different ways to place a bet on a horse race.
On course – If attending the track, then most will have ‘on-course’ bookmakers that are normally situated in front of the main grandstand. This is called the ‘betting ring’, ‘betting jungle’ or ‘the rails’. These are lined up next to each other so racegoers can try and see which bookmakers are offering the best prices – why take 3/1 on a horse, when the bookmaker in the next line is offering 4/1.
However, these are fixed odds bets, so the price that you place the bet is the price that you’ll be returned at regardless if the horse’s odds get bigger or small before the race is run. You’ll be given a printed slip with the time, track, horse name, stake, odds and your potential winnings.
The Tote – Most tracks also offer a ‘Tote’ betting option. These can be found dotted around the tracks in certain areas both inside and outside. There are many Tote booths at most tracks, while you can often find mobile tote workers that are able to take you bets via a machine.
How Does The Tote Work? The Tote operates slightly different from a traditional bookmaker as it’s ‘pool betting’. The odds for each horse before a race are shown on screens around the tracks, but change quickly based on how many people are betting on that horse. If more people are interested in a certain horse, then the Tote odds will be shorter than a horse that’s not attracted much interest. A bit like the lottery, once the race has started there will be a pool of money taken on the race and then divided out based on how many winning tickets there are. Therefore, the price of a winner on the Tote is never finalised until the race has run. The minimum bet on the Tote is £2, while they also offer many other bet types like forecasts, tricasts, placepots and jackpots (more on those below).
High Street Bookmaker – A lot of racecourses also have bookmakers at the track in a shop setting. Just like placing a bet in a high street bookmaker, you will need to write your bet on a ‘betting slip’ with the horse, race and time, plus your stake and take it to the counter to be placed. You can either ask for the odds at the time of placing the bet or just wait until the race is run and be paid at SP (starting price). Some bookmakers will now also offer ‘Best Odds Guaranteed’, which means if you take a price and your horse drifts to a bigger price – they will pay that bigger price. So, always shop around!
Online – Mobile apps and betting online is big business these days too. All the leading bookmakers will offer this service and display their odds on their sites that will change through the day in the build-up to the race. Many will have promotions and offers in order to attract customers, so always look out for these. For example, in the Grand National, some online bookmakers may offer a faller refund if you horse falls in the race (up to a set stake), or enhanced odds or extra place payouts.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF BETS?
Win Bets – If does exactly what it says – place a bet on a horse and it has to win the race for you to get a payout!
Each-way – A bet split into two parts – a win and a place. Each-way bets are generally regarded for horses priced at 5/1 or bigger, but that’s not a given rule – you can place an each-way bet on ANY horse! An each-way bet stake is always doubled – so £5 each-way, will cost a total of £10. You are placing £5 on the horse to win and £5 on the horse to place. A place means the horse has to finish in the first two, three or four – depending on how many runners in the race and certain race conditions (see below).
Each-way terms simplified.
- 1-4 Runners – Win Only
- 5-7 Runners – 1/4 of the odds for the first two places
- 8+ Runners in a non-handicap – 1/5 of the odds for the first three places
- 12-15 Runners in a handicap – 1/4 of the odds for the first three places
- 16+ Runners in a handicap – 1/4 of the odds for the first four places
Place Only – Bet on a horse to just be placed in the race. Therefore, it doesn’t have to win, but it can also finish second, third or fourth – depending on the number of runners and race conditions. Odds on ‘place only’ will be a lot lower than a horse to win – mainly because you have a better chance of getting paid out and more options for your horse to place.
Forecast Bet – Pick two horses that will finish the race first and second in the right order. You can also do a reverse forecast (double the stake as 2 bets), but will mean if you select two horses, they can finish either 1st or 2nd (any order).
Tote Exacta – A bet that is specific to the Tote. Just like a normal forecast you will need to select the first and second horses in the right order. Reverse exacta bets are also available.
Tote Swinger – Another bet unique to the Tote. Pick 2 horses that will finish in the first three in any order. These are on races with 6 or more runners.
Tote Placepot – Each UK meeting will offer a Placepot bet. This requires you to pick a horse that will be placed in the first six races on the card. The payouts can often be big and it’s a fun (and cheap) way of potentially having an interest in a lot of races on the day. If your horse in the horse race is placed, then you move onto the second race and so on through the first 6 races on the card. But all selections (all 6 races) must be placed before the first race is off. The more experienced Placepot players will perm up more than one horse in certain races, but this will cost more.
For example, if you picked 2 horses in each race
2x2x2x2x2x2 = 64 BETS, so at £1 stakes on this option would cost £64, but you’d have 2 horses in each of the six races.
Once all 6 races are run, the Tote will give the Placepot dividend to a £1 stake – the less people with winning tickets, will mean the bigger then return. At the 2019 Cheltenham Festival on Day One, the Placepot dividend returned a staggering £91,283.10.
Tote Jackpot – Like the Tote Placepot, but the jackpot requires you to find the winner in the first 6 races at that meeting. Yes, it can be hard enough finding the winner in one race, let alone 6 on the same card, but the payouts here can be huge. These are often not won, and like the UK lottery then rolled over to another meeting. Having more than one horse in each race is often how punters play this bet – perming up selections across the first six races to give them a better chance, but – like the placepot – will, therefore, cost more.
In December 2020, the Jackpot had rolled over nine times to £740,000 and was eventually claimed at a Kempton evening fixture.
WHAT ARE MULTIPLES?
Another popular bet, especially at the big festivals like Cheltenham, Royal Ascot and the Aintree Grand National Meeting are multiples. These are when you pick more than one selection over a series of races, with any winnings being carried over onto your next horse.
Doubles – Place a bet on two horses in different races to win. Both horses will need to win for the bet to win, but you can also do each-way doubles, which means both horses will only need to place to pay out (this will cost double the stake).
For example: A £10 win double on horses that won at 2/1 and 4/1 would be worked out as……..
1. £30 winnings on the 2/1 winner
2. £30 carried over to the 4/1 horse
3. £150 winnings on £30 @ 4/1
Trebles – The same bet as a double, but you would have three horses from different races in the bet.
Four-Fold and Above – The same as a double and treble bet, but you would have four (or more) selections in different races. Again, you would need all selections to win to be paid out, but you can do each-way four-folds or more too. There is no limit to how many horses you can put in a multiple – 10 if you like – but, it goes without saying, the more horses makes it harder for them all to win!
Trixie – A three-selection bet that consists of 4 bets – 3 doubles and 1 treble. Therefore, with this being 4 bets rolled into one, the stake is multiplied by four. A £2 win Trixie will cost £8. Each-way Trixie bets are also available.
Patent – Another three-selection bet and similar to the Trixie. However, a Patent will be made up of seven bets – 3 singles, 3 doubles and 1 treble. So, unlike the Trixie bet, the Patent offers 3 singles too. Stakes for a Patent are multiplied by seven. A £2 win Patent will cost £14. Each-way Patent bets are also available.
Yankee – A four-selection bet that consists of 11 bets – 6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 four-fold accumulator. Stakes for a Yankee are multiplied by eleven. A £2 win Yankee will cost £22. Each-way Yankee bets are also available.
Lucky 15 – Another four-selection bet and very similar to the Yankee, but with 4 singles added in. Therefore, the bet consists of 15 bets (hence the name) – 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 trebles and 1 four-fold accumulator. Stakes for a Lucky 15 are multiplied by 15. A £2 win Lucky 15 will cost £30. Each-way Lucky 15 bets are also available.
Lucky 31 – A five-selection bet that consists of 5 singles, 10 doubles, 10 trebles, 5 four-folds and a five-fold accumulator. Stakes for a Lucky 31 are multiplied by 31. A £2 win Lucky 31 will cost £62. Each-way Lucky 31 bets are also available.
Lucky 63 – A six-selection bet that consists of 6 singles, 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 four-fold, 6 five-folds and a six-fold accumulator. Stakes for a Lucky 63 are multiplied by 63. A £2 win Lucky 63 will cost £126. Each-way Lucky 63 bets are also available.
HOW DO ‘THE ODDS’ WORK?
The odds are what are given to each horse before a race and is a reflection on its chances of winning that race. The shorter the odds on a horse suggest it’s got a better chance of winning that race.
The odds on a horse race are often formed on the day, but for big races they can be on offer many weeks and months prior to the race – these are called Antepost Betting Odds.
Then depending on the amount of money placed on certain horses, or if that horse has improved in form (recent races) the odds can change in the build-up to a race.
If more people are betting on a certain horse, then the bookmakers will be forced to shorten the odds on that horse in order to balance their books. In contrast, if a horse isn’t attracting much interest in the market a bookmaker might increase the odds in order to make placing a bet on that horse more tempting.
Odds are generally displayed in fraction or decimal formats.
For example: The fractional odds of 4/1 is shown as 5.00 in decimal format.
A £10 winner at 4/1 will be paid out at £40 (plus your £10 stakes) = £50
HOW TO PICK A WINNER ?
There are many different ways to try and pick a winner of a horse race.
Some horse racing fans like to try and solve the puzzle for themselves using all the information on the racecard or on the internet. Others, might follow their favourite tipsters, while some might just go with their preferred jockey and trainers or even the colour of the jockey’s silks.
Favourites – The horse with the lowest odds (can be joint-favourites), but the horse that many feel also has the best chance of winning. Rarely a day goes by without at least one winning favourite winning a UK horse race, but with the odds a lot shorter it’s not a case of simply backing every favourite – they can’t all win.
However, favourites are favourites for a reason. These are the ones that either the bookmakers initially feel have the best chance of winning, or before the race punters can also make a horse favourite with the amount of money placed on it before the race. Therefore, a bookmaker’s initial market leader in the morning of a race might not be the market leader come race time. A tip here could be to look back at past runnings of a race and see how the favourites have done. Even though a horse won’t know it’s the favourite in the race, certain events do have a habit of throwing up winning favourites, mainly because they are contests the bookmakers and the punters tend to get right. Afterall, if over the last 10 runnings of a race there have been 8 winning favourites, then this is good information to have – favourites can also be known as ‘Jollies’.
Betting Odds – Some punters prefer to opt to go against the crowd and side with bigger-priced runners to get a better return. Of course, 50/1 horses don’t win all the time, but the point is they do win some of the time! The losing runs will, or course be longer the higher the odds to decide to back, but, in contrast, when one does go your way the returns are a lot bigger.
Trends – Looking back at past runnings of certain races is a good way to find winners – after all history does have a habit of repeating itself. For example, the last horse aged 7 to win the Grand National was in 1940, yet each year punters will place money on horses aged 7. Yes, there will be another 7 year-old National winner at some point, but that big gap of no 7 year-old winners tells it’s own story. Other key trends or stats to look for are age of pat winners, weight carried, recent form, course winning form and trainers that have done well in the race before.
Form – Heading into the race off the back of a good run is a decent sign that horse is in good form. However, past winning form in handicap races will often mean more weight in it’s next race, so be a bit careful here. You can see the recent form of each horse with the numbers to the left of it’s name on the racecard. 1-2-1-3 indicates that horses has finished third, first, second and first in it’s last four races. But the more dedicated form players will always delve a bit deeper into a horses form as a horse look good my coming third last time, but that could have been in a 3-horse race, or it could have been beaten 50 lengths into third! You can use the track racecard, newspaper or online to check a horses past form.
Course Form – Winning form at the course that horse is running at is another good way to find winners. You know that horse has performed well at that track in the past, so that’s one less thing to worry about. With 59 different tracks in the UK, not every horse will like the undulations and turns that some track provide – hence why you see a lot of past Cheltenham winners returning year-after-year to run at the Festival in March.
Ground – Some horses are lucky and they can run equally as well on quick or slow ground, but most prefer one of the other. Looking back at past form on the given ground that day is a nice way to find winners too. A horse that’s consistently under performed on soft ground would have the alarm bells ringing if that day the going was described as ‘soft’ or ‘heavy’.
Tipsters – This day and age there are horse racing tipsters all over the place. You have your traditional newspaper tipsters that will give a selection in all that days races, while with the internet these days there are many sites that also offer tips on horses races. You will also see horse racing tipster and pundits on TV these days talking about horses before the races.
Trainer/Jockey – Sites like the Sporting Life and Racing Post will consistently update current trainer and jockey stats so you can see which ones are in form at that time. A lot of trainers also like to target the same races year-after-year, so look back at past winners of certain races to see if a trainer has won the race a few times. Trainers can also like to run their horses at certain tracks and over the years they build up good percentage strike-rates at these courses. The same rules apply to the jockeys – some seem to have good records in certain races each season, while you can always keep tabs on their current form and see if they are riding plenty of winners at the moment, or struggling.
Colour or Favourite Name – This method is a bit of fun really and over time certainly won’t make you money. It’s more the novice racegoers that tend to go with this approach as they might not understand the form or racecard. But each horse will obviously have a name and they will all also have some racing colours (silks), so if your favourite aunty is called Jean and her favorite color was pink and there was a horse in the Grand National called Aunty Jean with the jockey wearing a pink hat, then you might be tempted to have a bet!
HOW TO USE THE RACECARD ?
If attending the racetrack you can obtain a racecard for that day’s races – this will give you all the days runners and riders, plus a more in-depth look at each horse’s profile and past form.
You can also find racecards on sites online if not going to the track – these will have the same information on.
There are many things to look for when looking at a racecard, but the main areas are:
Horse Name (Silks)
Racecard Number – The main number to the left of the horses name
Trainer Name
Jockey Name
Recent Form – The string of numbers to the left of the horses name
Course/Distance Form – Next to the horse’s name will show ‘D’ for past distance winner, ‘C’ for past course winner, or ‘CD’ is a past course and distance winner.
Days Last Ran – The number to the right of the horses name
Age – the number next to the horses name on the right or underneath.
flat horses are mainly aged 2-10 years-old
jumps horses are mainly aged 3- 12 years-old
Weight – the number in stone and pounds next to a horse on (11-7, indicates 11st 7lbs)
Headgear Worn – If a horse is wearing headgear it will be shown next to it’s name
b – blinkers
t – tongue-tie
p – cheekpieces
v – visor
Official Rating – Each horse is given an official rating by the BHA, is generally the number under the weight.
HOW DO I PLACE MY BET?
On course – When placing a bet at the track with both the tote and the rails bookmakers, these are done verbally. There is no need to write anything down, you will just need to know a few things – once armed with this information, wait your turn and simply tell the tote operator or the on course bookmaker.
Both the Tote and the On Course bookmaker will give you a printed betting slip after you’ve placed your bet – like a receipt – should your bet get a return (win or place), simply present the winning bet slip after the race to the Tote or rails bookmaker you placed the bet with.
Note: When placing bets with the tote at the track you can’t take a price, while when placing a bet with a rails bookmaker you HAVE to take the price the horse is at that time.
- Time of race
- Name of horse or racecard number
- Bet type (win, place or each-way)
- Your stake
High Street Bookmakers – When placing a bet with your high street bookmaker, these mainly operate by you writing your bet on a betting slip. You will need to know the track/time, name of horse (or racecard number), bet type (win, each-way, place) and your stake. If you want to take the odds, when placing the bet you can, or you can opt to take the industry SP (starting price) and you’ll be paid out at these odds after the race. Once you’ve placed a bet, you’ll be given a printed copy of your bet slip to redeem should your bet win.
Online/App – Most of the main bookmakers will have an online presence too. Their odds for each horse race will be shown when navigating to the races, while you will have the option to take the current price or bet at SP (starting price), which means you’ll get the industry set odds after the race has run.
HOW DO I FOLLOW THE RACE?
On Course – If you are attending the racetrack in person, then it goes without saying after you’ve placed your bets you can head to a suitable viewing position to watch the race. Depending on what meeting you are at and what class of ticket you have will determine where you’ll be able to view the race from. Most tracks have a grandstand, that all racegoers can use – some have seats, while others are standing room only. If you are paying a bit more for your ticket you might be luck enough to be in a box or have corporate hospitality. Most tracks these days also have a huge outdoor ‘big screen’ so you can keep tabs on your fancy when they might go out of view on the actual course.
Also, even though you might be at the track, believe it or not, a lot of racegoers actually watch the races on the TV’s that are dotted around the track. Many feel they can see the action better on the screen.
TV Coverage – All UK tracks have a deal with either RacingTV or Attheraces, so if you’ve access to these channels this is another way to watch a race. You might want to check beforehand to see which channel is showing your race – this can normally be found on the racecard.
Plus, the big meetings like the Aintree Grand National, Royal Ascot and the Cheltenham Festival will be shown on the terrestrial TV channel ITV.
Online or Via a Bookmaker Site – Many bookmakers also show LIVE pictures these days. The only requirement is that you’ve placed a bet with them on that race. If you’ve met these requirements then once the race is off there will be an option to view it via the main bookmaker site, or via their app (check each bookmaker’s terms and conditions here).
I’VE WON! WHAT NEXT?
Tote – When placing a bet with the Tote you’ll have been given a printed slip with the details of your bet. If you’ve lucky enough for your bet to have returned as a winner, go back to ANY Tote desk at the track (doesn’t have to be the same one you placed your bet at) and present your ticket. Your winnings will be paid out in cash!
On Course Bookmakers – Just like the Tote, you’d have been given a printed slip with the details of your bet on. If it’s a winner go back to the SAME bookmaker you placed the bet with and give them the ticket. They will check it off with their records and pay you out the winnings in cash.
High Street Bookmakers – Your printed ticket is your proof of your bet, so should it win go back to that bookmaker and present the winning ticket to them. Note, most big chains like Coral, Ladbrokes and William Hill will allow you to go to a different shop than you placed the bet in to get your winnings if that’s more convenient.
Online – This is all done automatically. Once the race has won, if you’ve placed a winning bet with an online bookmaker, then your winnings will be updated and added to your bookmaker online balance – normally within 10-15 minutes of the race being run.
