How Important Is The Weight A Horse Carries?
One of the factors at the forefront of assessing a horse’s chance in a race is the weight it carries. Quite often seeing your hot racing tip is carrying top weight, or close to it, is enough to make you think twice about laying money on it. Over the years there has been debate over how much impact an extra few kilograms can actually make to a horse. But when you combine it with all of the other factors than can affect a horse’s chances in race, such as form, condition of the track and the jockey, then it plays a very important part.
Why horses carry weight
Weight was introduced as a form of handicapping and the system used today was perfected many years ago by England’s historic Jockey Club steward Admiral Henry John Rous. He conducted trials and found that horses of better ability that carried more weight were brought back to field, making for more even races. Even though thoroughbreds are powerful animals, carrying extra weight does have an effect on its stamina. Heavier weights make the horse work harder and consequently this has an effect on its ability to last the distance. The weights are added to the saddle and are on top of what the jockey weighs. If a horse is to carry 55kg and the jockey weights 50kg, then 5kg of extra weight will be added.
Understanding Different Types of Bets
For everyone from mug punters to experienced track watchers, understanding the many different types of bets and when to place them can be a difficult task. Do you go for safety or risk everything “on the nose”? It can often be a difficult choice, but understanding exactly what each bet means can go a long way to helping you get the most out your racing tips .
Win: Just as it suggests, a win bet is to place money on the horse that you think will finish first. If it salutes the judge then you walk away a winner. If it comes anywhere else then you do your dough.
Place: This means you place money for the horse to finish first, second or third. It pays less than a win bet but your chances of picking up money are greater.
Understanding Track Conditions For Clever Punting
A theory that is often circulated among punters is that betting on a horse in the wet is fraught with danger. But that it not necessarily the case when you are armed with knowledge and the understanding of how particular horses perform in different conditions. Whether it is wet, the track is dead or the conditions are hot, there are always guides to help you make an informed choice when it comes to placing a bet. So when it comes to racing tips, track condition is something punters should always consider alongside the many other factors that combine to make a wise decision.
Track ratings
All tracks are rated before the first race of a meet is run. It is crucial that punters take note of this because it can have a bearing on how some horses will run. Always remember that track conditions can change during a meet as well, especially if it starts to rain persistently. Australian tracks can be rated by simple terms – Fast, Good, Slow, Dead and Heavy – or a 10-point scale: 1 (Fast: dry and hard); 2 (Good: firm); 3 (Good: ideal dry track); 4 (Dead: track with some give); 5 (Dead: significant amount of give); 6 (Slow: softer than 5, affected by rain); 7 (Slow, rain affected bordering on Heavy); 8 (heavy track); 9 (very heavy); 10 (extremely heavy – the heaviest track).
History Of Australian Horse Racing
Australians love their sport and have always been keen on a punt, so it makes sense that thoroughbred racing has become such a big part of our culture. Even those who aren’t regular racegoers can’t help but be lured by the achievements of icons such as Phar Lap, Black Caviar and Bart Cummings. We don’t call the Melbourne Cup “the race that stops a nation” for nothing! Everyone has racing tips come Melbourne Cup time and it is this significant event that takes a lot of the responsibility for the popularity of horse racing in Australia. But there are plenty of other factors that have helped racing get to where it is today.
The early days
Horses helped make Australia – they were part of the first fleet that landed at Botany Bay in 1788. While their worth as workhorses was apparent, it didn’t take long to begin enjoying the races, just as had been done back in England for many years. Horses were being imported in the late 1700s and early 1800s and their bloodlines became integral in Australian thoroughbreds. Arabians and horses from South Africa and England were among the first to arrive. The first public auction of bloodstock was in 1805 and by the 1830s there were many horses racing.
How Important Is The Jockey?
There are many factors to consider when picking your best bet in a horse race, but one of the most overlooked is the jockey. He – or she – is a critical factor in the chance of a horse performing at its best, and often the rider can make the difference between finishing in the money or at the back of the field. Some riders are going to be better than others, some jockeys will perform differently in various conditions, while others may have a great relationship with a particular horse. It’s important to recognise the contribution of jockeys and their potential to influence the result of a race when considering your racing tips .
Look at recent performances
Remember to think of jockeys as athletes – sometimes they are hot, sometimes not. So when taking into account a jockey, have a look at their recent record. This will often be shown as race statistics, such as 11-3-4-1, which means 3 wins, 4 seconds and 1 third from 11 starts. It can also be shown as a percentage and will usually be packaged with a range of other stats, including overall record.
Picking The Right Betting Website
Online betting sites have revolutionised punting, but the proliferation of options can make it confusing when selecting the one that is right for you. Apart from the obvious, such as great odds and a wide range of betting options, there are plenty of other features a site should have to make it appealing and functional. These features can include racing tips, enhanced security, usability and bonuses. Here is a guide that can help first-time online punters and the more experienced to select a platform that is right for them.
Odds and betting options
A site that has the best odds isn’t necessarily going to be the right one for you – but it will end up giving you more money in your pocket. The odds a site offers should be one of the factors to be considered, but not the sole deciding factor. Compare sites for the odds they offer on a particular race or event – chances are they won’t vary greatly, but there may be one or two websites that stand out because they consistently offer better odds. Don’t rush into a decision though.
4 of The World’s Most Iconic Horse Races
They are the races that capture the imagination of serious punters, fashionistas and race fans around the world – iconic events that can enhance reputations as quickly as they can crush them. These events attract the best of the best in terms of horses, trainers and jockeys with extraordinary stakes on offer, along with the prestige of winning such important events. They are also the races that punters of all persuasions take most seriously in terms of racing tips, while the action off the track can also be just as captivating.
Melbourne Cup Facts & Stats
It’s the race that stops a nation and every year the Melbourne Cup attracts attention from serious and occasional punters who are looking for the best horse racing tips and an edge when it comes to picking the winner. A look back at history can help in the search for this year’s best chances, so use this guide in conjunction with form to help make the best call.
Weights: The highest winning weight was Carbine in 1890, who carried 66kg. Others who carried plenty of weight and won include Archer (64.5kg in 1862) and Poitrel (63.5kg in 1920). The lowest winning weight was Banker in 1863 with an extraordinary 33.5kg. The highest weight ever carried was by Phar Lap (68kg), who subsequently lost, while the most popular winning weights are 52.5kg and 53kg (eight wins each) and 47kg, 48kg, 51kg and 56kg (seven wins each).
4 of The World’s Best Race Tracks
What makes a great horse racing track? Is it the setting, its facilities or the fact that it hosts an iconic event? In actual fact, it’s a combination of all of these factors, plus a few more sometimes. Without doubt, though, the world’s best race tracks are regarded as such because they host significant events not only in their country, but around the world. Some may attract serious punters armed with the best horse racing tips and others the fashionistas and casual race fans, but there is no doubting that those listed here have their own unique calling.
The Fine Cotton Ring-In
Australia’s most infamous racing event, the Fine Cotton ring-in, put thoroughbreds and the racing industry in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. It was the 1980s and the incident involved colourful personalities – needless to say, the result never went as planned for the conspirators. It involved dodgy horses, a poor paint job and racing tips that never lived up to their hype, ensuring the Fine Cotton affair will go down in racing folklore for all the wrong reasons.
A horse of little ability
In was 1984 and a syndicate in Queensland laid the plans for a scam that bordered on the farcical. It involved
Fine Cotton, a horse that was far from a star on the track and was to be substituted in a race by a horse with much better ability. The horse they bought looked almost identical to Fine Cotton but unfortunately for the conspirators, it was injured and couldn’t run. So they bought another called Bold Personality, who was several classes above Fine Cotton.
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