Betting has never been easy. Especially when it comes to horse racing. The sport is known for its notoriously unpredictable nature. This means that it provides some really great entertainment but does make it hard to bash the bookies and walk away with any considerable profits. Beginners often falter when betting on horse racing. On top of the already tough minefield of horse race betting, sport and life in general has been turned on its head by the arrival of Covid-19. The pandemic has caused major disruption to sport and horse racing is no exception to this. It adds yet another factor into the already difficult task of betting on the horses. But fear not! We have made up this handy guide on how to bet on the upcoming 2021 horse races and the main things to consider when looking to bash the bookies!
Some things never change
Whilst there has undoubtedly been some massive changes to many procedures around the world in 2020, some things do just never change. You can’t use the pandemic excuse for not mastering your betting habits because you really should have already been working towards many of these tips and used the pandemic to solidify them ready for Cheltenham betting and the other large events on the horizon.
Understanding odds and using them to your advantage in the unpredictable sport of horse racing is where every bettor should start and its important not to forget this in amongst all the madness. Remember, the favourite only wins one third of horse races. Equally, horse racing is very unpredictable but there are regularly clear outsiders which only very rarely win. This means punters are required to strike a fine balance between the low odds and probability of the favourite, and the high odds improbability of the outsider.
When it comes to sports betting in general nowadays there is such a vast market that you really can bet on almost everything. This means competition from swathes of different bookies, but more importantly means the punters have great customisation and choice over their bet. Long gone are the days that you can just stick a single bet on. It is really important to remember that in horse racing those big accumulators, the likes of which you would see for football coupons, will almost never return. Horse race betting is more nuanced than that. It’s preferable to stick on a good odds treble for returning some profits. The Each Way betting option on horse racing is also a great way to buffer your bet and make sure you are taking home the maximum profits that you can. This means the bookies pay out respectively on any horse that has placed in the race – perfect for when you are just one selection off.
What’s changing?
So if the way to bet is exactly the same, what’s changing in 2021 you may be asking? Well, similar to almost everything in day to day life, the Covid-19 pandemic has thrown many a spanner in the horse racing works. It has caused unprecedented times for many throughout the globe. In relation to horse racing the pandemic has caused huge amounts of delays and disruptions. On top of this it has meant horses, jockeys and trainers are all operating under really strange and uncertain conditions when working up to races and even in the races. And of course it means no fans in the racetracks come raceday. This means you can typically expect the unexpected when it comes to the upcoming year in racing. Until a return to normality, things are going to be different and this means more upsets, drop outs for need to isolate and general uncertainty in many training camps and no fans at the tracks. Many horses are going to react differently than they normally would to this. Whether that be positive or negative. Ultimately, this throws a spanner in the works for those looking to research sufficiently to place their bets. Researching form and conditions is arguably the most important aspect when it comes to betting on horse racing but the unprecedented and uncertain times make this even more difficult than it already is. What this means is those looking to research before they put their money where their mouth is will have to consider all these additional external factors and calculate them in accordingly to try and bash the bookies.
2021 brings not only the doom and gloom of the virus to horse racing but it also brings into the frame further exciting technological advances which could really drive this sport forward and make it more exciting. Not least off which is the notion of virtual racing. Why not dip your toes into this new, and albeit slightly strange, esport? After all, the Grand National was virtual last year! This offers punters the chance to keep on betting even if there are further disruptions in the coming year. On top of this, as ever, the online betting market is constantly expanding and offering more and more selections for bettors to make from the comfort of their own home. This means you are just a few clicks of a button away from placing a winning selection on. Whilst this makes it very easy it’s important to reiterate here, this shouldn’t mean you go gung-ho with your betting and stop the research. Always do your research!