Horse racing is the second most popular spectator sport in the UK, after football. If you are one of the many fans, it’s not possible to go the course and cheer horses on in person right now, but you can still enjoy the excitement of watching races on TV, on ITV, ITV4, Racing TV, and Sky Sports Racing. For an extra touch of excitement, you can place a few bets on horses at a meeting.

As with any type of bet, there is no guarantee that you will be successful. However, there are some tips that you should find useful when you first start out betting on horse racing and that will help you stand a better chance of winning more times than you lose.

Get the best odds

There are going to be plenty of occasions when you lose while betting on the horses. So, in order to balance this out, you need to make sure that you have secured the best odds when you do win. For example, if you are looking at Cheltenham racing odds, take time to examine all of the options available online, so that you get odds that optimise any winnings you receive.

Pay attention to form

When it comes to big races like The Grand National, many inexperienced bettors place a wager. Often, they simply choose a horse because they like the name or the colours the jockey is wearing. There is a chance that the horse they choose will win but this is more likely to happen for you if you study the form of the horse and rider. Factors that you should take into account include:

• Where the horse finished in recent races.
• What weight the horse is carrying.
• Whether the horse/jockey/trainer has previous good form in a particular race or at a particular meeting.
• The class of the race compared to a horse or jockey’s previous outings.
• Performances in similar conditions.

Take time to do as much research as possible, including lesser-known facts, such as if a horse is carrying an injury.

Watch the market

If there is breaking news about a company, it can often have an effect on the shares. The trick to getting a good deal is to watch what is happening and buy and sell at the right time. You need to look at betting in the same way.

This means that you need to follow the betting and watch for horses that are drifting or shortening in the market. When odds start to shorten noticeably, this may be a sign that people have knowledge that makes them believe that a horse has a good chance of winning. If you keep a close eye on the market, you can back a horse before the odds shorten so much that you do not get good value.

Pros and cons of a tipster

Some people swear by following tipsters online. Many of these professional tipsters have social media accounts where you can join in conversations with other followers. You will be charged a small subscription to get access to these tip services but some horse racing enthusiasts believe the cost is worthwhile.

However, you need to consider that if these tipsters were really that good would they not just be making a fortune themselves rather than charging to help others. If you are prepared to invest the time, you can be just as successful following your own instincts.

Following these tips should help you to be as successful as possible betting on horse racing. However, it’s important to realise that there is no guarantee of success and that you should always stick to your plans. Never be tempted to chase losses and do not exceed your planned spending just because you have a few wins.