Source: LiZardboy via Pixabay
Are you sure you’re getting the best value odds in horse racing betting? Ever wondered if a bigger price is available? You might be able to boost your stake on winning bets in any number of ways. Here’s our guide to four possible options you can take in order to maximize the profit you make at the races.
1. Take an ante-post price
If you’re prepared to play a long game and wait for a return on your investment, then ante-post markets can sometimes offer greater odds than you’ll receive on the day of a race. Traditionally, an ante-post bet is one made before betting on the racecourse staging the event in question has opened.
As horses run throughout the season, they can enhance their credentials for intended targets by winning other contests en route. Ante-post betting comes with risks, however; if your fancy loses in such outings, then its odds may lengthen to greater than the price you took. There isn’t always a money back guarantee if your horse doesn’t run either.
Luckily, a number of leading bookmakers have shaken up their horse racing betting on the 2018 Cheltenham Festival recently by offering non-runner no bet terms on all races during those four days of National Hunt action. Your ante-post punts on that event are now protected if the horses you select don’t line-up at the meeting.
2. Seek new customer and special offers
Not signed up for a particular bookmaker before? No problem. Why not take advantage of attractive new customer offers and promotions? If you’re after a specific offer on major horse racing, for example, it’s only a matter of time until the bookies run a special promotion. Bonuses are especially popular with newcomers, who might prefer to spend somebody else’s cash on their first bet on the Melbourne Cup, for example.
3. Look for best price/odds and fluctuation guarantees
“HDR Style Horse Racing Photo” (CC BY 2.0) by Paolo Camera
If you don’t want to wait for ages to make a profit, then place your bets nearer the time of specific races instead. Bettors employing this method should seek out best price/odds or fluctuation guarantees depending on their region.
Although precise terminology and terms and conditions vary, the principle is the same. If you place a bet in a race that guarantees top odds and a horse’s starting price (SP) is larger than the one you took, then the winnings you receive are boosted to reflect that SP.
For example, say, in the build-up to a race, you stake $5 at 6-1 (7.0) odds and the horse is returned at a 7-1 (8.0) SP, then you receive $35 in winnings instead of just $30 profit, not forgetting your $5 stake back.
4. Take a look at the Tote
In horse racing regions like Australia where there is more than one national Tote, it’s handy to know that bookies guarantee the best win dividend from all of them when compared to official prices on selected racing. This allows extra value to reach bettors who fancy a flutter Down Under.
So, there you have it; there’s plenty of ways to boost your racing winnings!