Horse racing is one of the oldest forms of racing known since ancient Greece and Rome. The traditions of horse racing in their modern form are set in England more than 300 years ago. Some of the horse racing has several centuries of history and are held annually at the same hippodrome at the same time of year. Such races are, for example, the Gold Cup in Cheltenham in March and one of the most prestigious and interesting horse racing in the world - the Grand National in Aintree, which takes place at the end of April.

Horse racing these days

However, the traditions of breeding racing horses have long gone beyond the borders of the United Kingdom and Ireland. There are daily horse races in all the former English colonies - Australia, USA, Hong Kong. In the last 10 years, the sport has gained immense popularity in the Arabian Peninsula, where several of the most modern hippodromes in the world are being built. In continental Europe, however, traditions in horse are present in Germany, France and Italy. France hosts the largest prize pool in the world, the Arc de Triumph.

However, in terms of horse racing bets, racing in England and Ireland is by far the most popular race in Europe. They are held almost daily, 362 times a year. Only on Christmas holidays there are three days without scheduled horse racing

Horse racing features

In England, there are two main types of horse racing - Flat and National Hunt. Separately, there are races that are open only to horses that meet certain requirements, such as age, gender, handicap rating, etc.

In flat racing, the distance is between 5 furlongs (or about 1,000 meters) to 2 miles. This type of racing is divided into grass races, which are the dominant type of horse racing in the summer and fall. All year long runs are held on synthetic All Weather tracks, which are mainly designed to provide horse racing betting opportunities for winter and spring.
Obstacle races are also known as jump races and are also divided into two main types - hurdle and chase. In Hurdles, horses jump over relatively low barriers 1.40-1.50 in height. Chase competitions simulate the pursuit of game hunting and trace their origins back to the times of the English aristocracy. Therefore, the obstacles here are much higher than 1.70 m and above. This makes some of these races extremely dramatic and tense because of the many falls and clashes between the horses.

The most important things to consider when betting on horse racing are a few. A very important factor is the jockey, who determines the tactics and strategy during the race itself, in accordance with the preliminary instructions of the trainer of the horse and its owners. Logically, the best and most established coaches in England have the best results in the form of the number of wins and prizes earned. Bookmakers, however, are well aware of this, and betting on favorite horses is not always profitable in the long run. Another very important factor is the momentary shape of the horse, the stage of preparation for the current season, as well as his handicap rating and the corresponding weights that he is assigned. All the information about these and many other factors is completely accessible and free of charge to the clients of almost every bookmaker offering horse betting in their program.

Types of bets on horse racing

Winner - This is standard bet where you have to predict the winner of a race. Favourites win about 33% of all races in England and Ireland on average, so the lowest odds do not guarantee easy long-term profit.
Win and place, or each-way bet - Here the total bet is split into two - win and place. How many places are paid in a given race depends on the type of handicap or not and the number of horses involved. Most often, there are races with three paid seats in the program. All online bookmakers offer improved betting conditions for quality racing, in an effor to entice customers to bet on them.
Place bet - here you bet your horse is to be in the seats, whether he wins or not.
Betting with favourite excluded - In this market, the race favourite (or the first two favourites) are excluded from betting. So if your selection finishes second after the favourite, you win.
Against each other - This is a two-way market between two horses in the respecive race, winning the horse with a more advanced position.
Forecast and tricast - Here you need to correctly predict the first and second horse and also the third horse. With a forecast, you win if you know the first and second horses in any order.
Combinations - as with other sports, you can combine up to 10 or even more horses from different races in different systems and combinations. Your selections can only be for victory, or victory and place.

Horse racing bets are gaining popularity due to their high attractiveness and high odds. More bookmakers are likely to offer horse racing in their programs in the future.

Currently, horse racing is common in the virtual sports section of most bookmakers. For example, Bet365 offers a wide selection of sports, including horse racing and greyhound racing.