Whether it’s your first time betting or you’re researching your next strategy, it’s crucial to stay informed of the latest racing news. Here, Peter Watton from matched betting experts OddsMonkey shares his tips for next year’s races.
With the summer racing season over and the end of the year approaching, many of us are already looking forward to the fresh opportunities it will bring to make some cash. But with so many events taking place up and down the country throughout the year, it can be difficult to know what the best meets are to get involved with.
Below, I’ll be taking you through a few of the key events of the racing calendar as well as some of the best ways to increase your chances of turning a profit betting on horses.
How do I turn a profit betting on horses?
The first way to turn a profit is to put money down on a winner — which is easier said than done. However, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of backing the right horse, like using bookmaker’s odds to determine who is the most likely to win.
You’ll do even better if you research the racing history of the jockeys and trainers, the ages and previous wins of the horses, and the condition of the track in the run up to the race. You can also take the advice of tipsters, who can give you this information along with their own predictions.
Alternatively, you can grind your way to a profit by using matched betting. This process requires you to place a bet, known as the qualifying bet, then use free bets given to you by the bookmaker to cover all other outcomes, essentially betting against yourself. It’s a lower-risk form of gambling that means you’re more likely to make a profit. You can find out more about matched betting by reading our matched betting guide.
Below is a list of some of the biggest and best meets for you to put your chosen betting strategy into practice, and hopefully make some money. They all include races with big prize funds for the winners, which means they attract the best racers to compete. This in turn means they have a higher attendance and are more profitable as a result — especially for matched bettors, as bookmakers tend to offer more free bets for popular races.
Cheltenham Festival Presented by Magners
Britain’s favourite jump meeting and one of the most prestigious in Europe is the Cheltenham Festival. The Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase, on the final day of the festival, has a huge £625,000 prize fund that helps to secure its position as one of the best attended meets of the season.
The Randox Health Grand National
The Randox Health Grand National Steeple Chase takes place at Aintree Racecourse, just outside of Liverpool, and is the most valuable jump race in the UK. The meet has the biggest cash prize on this list — a cool £1,000,000 — that is sure to bring in the punters. Plus, most of the UK will engage in friendly sweepstakes during the event on the first weekend in April, so even casual bettors can get involved.
Royal Ascot
Taking place 16-20th June, Royal Ascot is Britain’s most popular flat turf racing festival. This is largely due the daily procession of the Queen and other members of the Royal family. It’s also one of the most lucrative as a result of its popularity: the most valuable race is the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, a Group 1 race that is one mile and two furlongs long. The prize fund for this race is a massive £750,000.
Qatar Goodwood Festival
Located in the Sussex countryside, ‘Glorious Goodwood’ is one of the more experience-driven and fashion-forward festivals out there — but it’s still a major highlight in the flat-racing season. There are plenty of Group 1 races with big prize funds, including the £1,000,000 Qatar Sussex Stakes, so it’s a great opportunity to bet.
Yorkshire Ebor Festival
Last year, York Racecourse’s best-attended festival offered £1,000,000 prize money for the first time, so Ebor is sure to be a popular meet again this year. It will take place on the 19th-22nd August as the final major flat turf meeting of the summer season, perfect if you’re planning on getting in on the action last minute.
Whichever meets you plan to get involved with, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to enjoy the thrill of the race — and hopefully make some money, too. Good luck!
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