Tipping a winner

Racing Tips – Study The Form 

Probably the best tip anyone can give you when it comes to racing is to study the form. Wagering on the races isn’t about luck, and blindly betting on a horse because you like its funny name, the jockey’s pretty shirt or because someone once told you all white horses are blind! The internet provides a smorgasbord of information for the would-be punter. You can check out everything you need to know about the horses, jockeys, trainers and owners. This is the best way to place a well-informed bet.

So what exactly do you need to know about these horses huh?

• Age, sex, breed. These things are important when you look into the statistics and winning trends of the race itself that you are betting on.
• Number of wins from starts. Run lots – won lots? This one is a pretty good indicator.
• Recent form leading up to races. Knowing whether a horse is raring to go is one of the best racing tips you can get. How have they performed in recent events? You can even check out past winners of a race and see what events they contested in the lead-up to their victory. Has your runner followed a similar campaign?
• Record at the track. Yeah sure – to you all tracks look the same. But this isn’t the case for horses. Some feel more at home on certain tracks, while others just drop their bundles. It’s good to know which horses have run well at the track you’re betting at.
• Experience and form in races of the same distance. So do you think Usian Bolt would be a show in the marathon? Probably not. And the same goes for horses. Not all can last the distance of races like the 2400m BMW Caulfield Cup. And some elite stayers don’t perform well in the sprints. It’s a good tip to look at which horses have run well and consistently over the distance of the race you’re betting on.
• Racing Patterns and Barrier. Finding out the racing pattern of the horse is very important and certain patterns will suit different barrier position – do they like to lead or settle at the rear of the field?
• Racing Tips – Jockeys and Trainers. Let’s face it – they could all be as smart as Mr Ed, but they’re still not going to be able to train and ride themselves. A big part of what makes a successful horse is how it’s ridden and how it’s trained. Look out for leading trainers and jockeys who know how to win.