Horse Racing is one of the worlds oldest sports.

Variations of equestrian sports have been held since time immemorial, from tournaments in Ancient Greece, to shows in Medieval England.

Betting on the performance of equines is just as old a tradition. And despite its long history, Horse Racing remains one of the most unpredictable sports to bet on.

That said, the Daily Racing Blog will take a look at 7 (basic) ways to Win with Horse Race wagering. Horse Racing betting is dubious and difficult in that it requires you to take into consideration a number of factors.

1 STUDY BEFORE PLACING A BET. Horse Race Betting like anything that we do in life, requires a good amount of preparation. Many people make the mistake of betting their hard-earned money, when they hardly have any knowledge of horse racing and are unclear of how to place a Winning bet or what factors to look for in a horse, before placing a bet on it.

2 KNOW HOW TO STUDY THE FORM. One of the salient features of Horse Racing is the accompanying race program, also known as The Form which contains all the vital information about the horses participating in the race. The wealth of information inside the race form makes it an indispensable tool for any novice bettor. Nowhere else will you find as much information about the horses participating in a race. So, ability to read race card or form is essential for anyone interested in horse race betting.

3 LEARN ABOUT THE HORSE YOU WANT TO WAGER ON. Horses come in all sizes, shapes and breeds. No two are the same and different horses will race at tracks and that suit their racing style. Always keep this in mind when choosing a horse that matches the right race.

4 KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEATHER. Weather is one factor which can work as an invisible hand during a horse race as it affects results dramatically. So, always keep an eye on the weather as even a slight change in weather condition may completely change your horses odds of Winning.

5 STUDY PAST PERFORMANCES ON DIFFERENT SURFACES. Different racetracks have dissimilar surface types which generally affect the performance of the horses on these tracks. Some race tracks may have artificial surface types which may be suitable for races during all types of weathers, whereas other race tracks may use natural dirt or grass tracks. You can get information regarding past performance on various surface types from the race day program/form, which includes the performance of every horse on specific surface types.

6 KNOW ABOUT CLASS LEVELS. You should know/learn about different levels of racing which are also known as classes which are considered as levels of competition. There are mainly 4 types of classes: Maiden Races, Claiming Races, Allowance Races, and Stakes Races. Maiden is the lowest class and Stakes races are the highest category races which involve the best horses and their jockeys. So, when analyzing past performances, closely examine the class in which a horse has performed, as a horse may be moving up or down in class. Many a bettor make the mistake of ignoring the class difference which can result in bad losses and missed opportunities.

7 KNOW THE JOCKEYS. One thing that should not be overlooked is the natural talent of a jockey as he/she plays a very important role in any horse race. Jockeys like horses differ from each other greatly, some perform well only with a certain horse, while others may be able to perform equally well with several different horses (think Ortiz brothers). If a jockey consistently comes 1st, 2nd or 3rd in a race, it’s a sign of talent. You must take the skills of a Winning jockey into consideration before placing a bet.

We hope you found this knowledge interesting and useful. For more information on any of the topics covered here please search the Daily Racing Blog archives.