Racing
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Racing! It doesn’t get any better than this! The excitement of some of the most carefully bred and trained creatures in the world thundering down a race track. Colourful silk-clad jockeys riding high and tight, spurring them on. That final stretch to the finish line, where anything can happen – to make or to ruin the fortune of horse, jockey, trainer and punter alike. No wonder we love it so much. It’s a show that has everything. Who would want to miss it?
Racing is a sport of skill – skills so finely honed, and so painstakingly developed over years of preparation with countless pre-dawn hours and tests of physical endurance for both jockey and thoroughbred. Or, in the case of harness racing, driver and horse. Or, as some prefer, greyhounds.
And it’s a game of chance – where punters get to measure their own ability to correctly assess a horse’s chances to win from the race form guide and racing sportsbook odds. Then, armed with that final bettting selection, to place their wager on the race and court lady luck… and try for their chance at fortune and a share in some of the winner’s glory.
Racing on HitYah
In these HitYah pages you’ll find all you need to know about racing:
- Horse racing,
- Harness racing, and
- Greyhound racing.
All About Racing
Here you can read all about the trainers and jockeys and their magnificent horses, about harness race drivers and greyhound owners who are the greatest in racing today and in history. We bring you all you need to know on just who the top jockeys are, where the greatest racing events are held and when, all the details on the greatest race tracks of the world and much more.
All About Betting on Racing
HitYah is all about helping you get the most out of your online racing wagering. Our site just wouldn’t be complete without providing you with clear, concise and in-depth guidelines on horse racing betting strategy, harness racing betting tips and greyhound betting guidelines.
We are constantly working to bring you all the latest up-to-date information on the world of racing and the how-to of online race wagering. In these pages you’ll find information on betting tips and tricks, markets and betting types to help you place the best bet, guided by knowledge and understanding… and your own experience and that all important gut instinct too!
In addition, be sure to pay careful to our lists and links to the top online sportsbooks, as well as the lastest sportbooks and those most popular for the UK. Our team of HitYah writers have prepared detailed review pages on all the sportbooks we include in our listings so that you can rest assured you’re placing your online wagers with only the best sportsbooks online.
Horse Racing
Horse racing dates back as far as horses were first ridden by men. There are records that date horse racing statistics back in Ancient Greece, Syria, Babylon and Egypt. Chariot racing, in particular, was one of the most popular sports in Ancient Rome, Greece and the Byzantine Empire.
Horse racing is considered a performance sport that involves two or more jockeys riding horses over a set distance. Based on the horse racing archive, it is one of the oldest of all sports events and the premise for winning hasn’t changed over the millennia – whoever gets to the finish line first, wins.
Horse races vary widely in format. Some horse races include particular breeds, some require running over obstacles, and some have running in different gaits.
Types of Horse Races to Bet On
Here are some of the common types of horse races to bet on. There are certainly more kinds of horse races all around the world, but there are the ones you will usually find being held at popular race tracks.
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Allowance | This is a non-claiming race with special entry conditions. |
| Claiming | This is a race where the horses are for sale at a predetermined price. The horses are claimed before the running of the race. The new owner, however, does not assume control of the horse until the race has finished. |
| Derby | Derbies are stakes for three-year old horses. |
| Distaff | This is a race for female horses. |
| Handicap | This is usually a stakes race where horses are assigned weights to be carried, based on the specific conditions of the race. |
| Maiden | This is a race for horses that have not yet won a race. |
| Marathon | This is a race that involves a distance of 1 to 1.25 miles, or longer. |
| Oaks | This is a kind of stakes race for three-year old fillies. |
| Route | This is a race with a distance of one mile, or longer. |
| Sprint | This is a race with a distance of less than one mile. |
| Stakes | This is a high-level race where only horses of high quality participate. |
Two Types of Horse Racing Bets
When it comes to horse racing bets, there are two main categories to choose from. The first is a straight wager, and the second is an exotic wager. Straight wagers are simpler. All you have to do is pick one horse to come in first, second or third.
Exotic wagers, on the other hand, allow you to make multiple bets of multiple horses on a single wager. Exotic bets are much more complicated than straight bets. Placing exotic bets on new online sports websites takes advanced knowledge in horse selection. Exotic wagers are generally more expensive, but you can win much bigger prizes with it than straight bets.
1) Straight Bets
With straight bets, remember that you only wager on one horse. Here are the common types of straight bets on horse racing.
2) Win
You are betting on a horse that will finish in first place. If your horse is first place, then you get to collect winnings.
3) Place
When you bet on a horse to “place”, you are wagering that this horse will come in first or second place. If the horse does come in in first or second, then you get to collect. The winnings that you get for a bet like this is generally lower than a Win.
4) Show
This is where you bet on a horse to come in first, second or third place. If you get it right, you collect. The winnings that you get from this bet is generally lower than a Win or Place.
Exotic Bets
If you are used to horse race betting and want to be a little bit more daring, then you can turn a small amount of money into a large payout if you get an exotic bet right.
1) Exacta
In Exacta, you are betting on two horses that will come in first and second place in that exact order. Exacta bets are popular among regular horse race bettors because the payoff can be very lucrative. You also have the option to “Box” your bet, meaning the two horses you bet on can come in any order of the top two spots. But this costs twice as much as the Exacta bet, so you won’t earn as much.
2) Trifecta
In Trifecta, you have to bet on three horses than will come in first, second and third place in that exact order. Again, you can choose to “Box” your bet, but you have much more to win if you stick with a given order.
3) Superfecta
This is a kind of bet where you wager that four horses will come in first, second, third and fourth in that exact order. If you manage to get a Superfecta right, then you are in for a hefty payout.
4) Daily Double
Daily doubles require you to pick the winners of two consecutive races. Daily doubles are typically offered on the first two races or last two races of the day.
Now that you know the kinds of bets that you can make, you can start brushing up of your horse racing knowledge and start wagering and making money! The suspense and thrill of knowing that a race can make you a bit richer is definitely exciting. You won’t be able to stop yourself from jumping, pumping your fist and yelling “Go! Go! Go!” as your lucky horse turns the last corner or the track and takes the lead.
Harness Racing
Harness racing is a type of horse racing that involves the horse pulling a two-wheeled cart. Harness racing is particularly popular in European countries, Australia and New Zealand. In Australia, this kind of racing is colloquially known as “trotting” or “the trots”, and is a very important spectator sport in the country.
Harness racing are typically restricted to Standardbred horses. These horses can trace their bloodlines to 18th-century England. They are solid, well-built horses with good dispositions.
There are four basic types of harness racing. These are:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Conditioned Race | This is a kind of race where eligibility is based on sex, age, money won, and races won. |
| Claiming Race | This is a race where any of the entrants may be purchased for a specific amount. |
| Invitational, Preferred or Open Race | This is a race for the fastest horses on the grounds. |
| Breeders and Sires Stakes | This is a kind of race where horses are nominated. The owners of the horses pay a nominating fee, as well as series of regular payments, to keep their horses eligible for the race. |
Types of Harness Racing Bets
The sport of harness racing is different to that of traditional horse racing, in the sense that the trainers of each horse are more hands-on than their thoroughbred counterparts. But just like horse racing, harness racing involves large amounts of money being wagered annually through bookmakers. Online punters also use sports betting bonus codes to get the best out of their wagers.
1) Win Bet
This bet is a simple and popular type in harness racing. All you have to do is pick the runner that you think will win the race.
2) Place Bet
The Place bet requires you to select a runner in the harness race to finish in first, second or third place. If your runner does finish in any of the top places, you get to collect your place dividend.
3) Trifecta Bet
In this bet, you have to pick three runners who will finish the race in first, second, and third place.
4) Quinella Bet
A Quinella bet requires you to choose two runners that will finish the race in first and second place, in any order.
5) Exacta Race
In this bet, you have to pick three runners who will finish in first, second, and third place in that exact order.
6) First 4
For the First 4 bet, you have to pick the runners that will finish in first, second, third and fourth place in the harness race in that exact order.
Harness racing betting usually involves study of a horse’s bloodline, past form, trainer, gate speed and barrier draw. So if you want to place any kind of bet on a harness race, you should consider all of these elements when trying to pick your winner.
Greyhound Racing
Greyhound racing is a sport that is run by dogs of a certain breed – yes, you guessed it – greyhounds.
The greyhounds chase a mechanical lure – usually an artificial bone – that is called a hare. The hare starts about half a circuit behind the starting line. When the hare passes the point near the starting traps, it automatically triggers the gates open and releases the greyhounds.
Although the greyhounds are normally docile dogs, they can become very excited on a race. It is possible that one runner might turn aggressively on the other. This is primarily why the greyhounds wear muzzles on the race.
If one of the greyhounds catches or overtakes the hare, the race is declared void.
History of Greyhound Racing
Greyhounds were first brought to the UK by an American named Charles Munn who invented the first mechanized lure that encourages greyhounds to run in 1925. The very first purpose-built dog track was built in Manchester the following year. By the end of 1926, greyhound racing drew crowds of up to 11,000 at the Belle Vue Stadium. A short year later, by the end of 1927, there were over 40 tracks operating in the UK.
Types of Greyhound Racing Bets
Aside from betting on the track’s own tote, another popular way to bet on greyhound racing is through top sports betting sites. The rules on betting on greyhounds are fairly straightforward. So if you are a beginner and want to just try it out, then you will find the rules easy enough to grasp. But if you want to master greyhound statistics and betting strategies, then it might take some time to develop the skill.
Here are some of the major bets in greyhound racing.
1) Single, Straight Bet or Win Bet
This is the most common kind of bet. All you have to do is wager on the hound that you think will win the race. You bet on a winner at given odds, so you get to collect if your chosen greyhound crosses the finish line first.
2) Place Bet
A place bet is choosing a greyhound to finish the race in either first or second place. This kind of bet typically pays out lower that a Straight bet.
3) Forecast and Reversed Forecast
In a Forecast, you have to pick two greyhounds to finish the race in first and second place in that exact order. You can also choose to go for a Reversed Forecast, where your picks can be first and second in whatever order.
4) Trio or Trifecta
The Trio or Trifecta works the same way as the Forecast, the only difference is that you have to pick three greyhounds that will come in first, second and third in that exact order.
5) Specialty Bet or Combination Bet
Some sportsbooks will allow you to make different combinations of greyhound bets. In these kinds of bets, you can select three or four dogs finishing in any of the top two spots. You will have huge chances of winning in these kinds of bets, but your winnings will be relatively lower than the other kinds of bets.
Tips on Racing Betting
If you are a newcomer to horse racing strategy and racing betting, then you might want to stick with Fixed Odds for the first try. This is because when you place a bet at Fixed Odds, whatever the price your runner starts at, you will get the price that was available when you put your bet on.
Fixed Odds betting is extremely popular in major sports betting sites. You will definitely come across these kinds of bets anywhere. So if you want to take it easy on your first race, bet at fixed odds and enjoy watching the event unfold. You can also learn about different types of sports betting odds if you want to bet differently.
So how do you pick a winning greyhound, runner or horse? There are literally thousands of books and hundreds of sites out there that talk about handicapping. Plus, different people seem to have different opinions about how they choose a winner. While plain old luck is a factor when you make or lose money on bets, the surest way that you succeed in making bets is by watching as many races as possible and studying them.
The best way that you seek out a winner is to look at past races. You have to pay attention to the track. You also have to learn about the racing style of each runner. You can even take note of the prevailing weather conditions surrounding the day of the race. All of these will be factors in making your bets, especially if you want to make more complicated bets like Trifectas and Combination Bets.
When it comes to harness racing in particular, you should study the difference between trotting and pacing. Trotting and pacing in harness statistics both represent a different way a horse will run while carrying a sulky. In Horse Racing, you can research about the lineage of a horse. Did you know that some champion horses can trace back their lineage to the 1700s? Now isn’t that cool!
So now are you ready to bet on a greyhound, runner, or horse? Select one out of all online sports betting sites here on hityah, and pick your winner today!