Betting on horses

The suspense in horse racing is not small, there are many elements that influence the possible outcome. Animals are difficult to predict and horsepower is a well-known concept, but the skill of the jockey also plays a significant role. The number of sports bets on horse racing in the Netherlands is low compared to other countries, but is slowly gaining popularity.

There are three possible bets when betting on horse races: ‘win’, ‘place’ and ‘lose’. Place, by the way, stands for the place where the horse in question will finish. The nice thing about betting on horse races is that you don’t have to wait more than an hour for the climax, which is often within minutes.

Horse racing belongs to one of the oldest sports in the world and has also had a good period in the Netherlands. Currently, the sport is mostly known in European countries like England, Greece and Italy. If you go looking for betting markets, you will still come across plenty of options for betting on horses. You can also place a sports bet at the legal Dutch bookmakers. Time to tell you more about this.

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Important betting options when betting on horses

While there are three well-known betting options around horse racing, there are several other options that offer even more excitement. In fact, there are hundreds of betting options. We’re going to highlight the most important markets for you.

Bet on the winner

This is the most standard bet in horse racing, simply betting on the horse you expect to win. Also in this sport, there are bookmakers who will determine the odss based on the current form of the horses and their ‘jockey’. Most horses have a minimum rating of 2.00. This means you can easily win your bet with this horse. This means that with this bet you can easily double your stake.

Each-way bet (Double chance)

This is where you bet on two possibilities at the same time. First you bet on the horse you expect to win; the second bet is on the horse to get, say, the first 3. How high the odds are with these bets obviously depends on the field of participants. However, it is a pleasant bet because the risk is lower. The same applies, incidentally, to the potential winnings.

Bet ‘without the favorite

The so-called Betting Without option focuses on the possibility that within the race there is one horse competing, which is by far the favorite. Because the odds of this horse are very low, one often offers a Betting Without option in these types of races. In this case, you choose, as it were, the best of the rest. There are still quite attractive quotations involved.

(Reverse) Forecast bet

A bet on the first two horses in the race. If you have predicted the right order, you win the entire bet, but not the other way around. The Reverse Forecast Bet makes this possible. Here you can bet on two horses and as long as they are number 1 and 2 you are good in terms of bet and win.

Tricast bet

This is the same variant as the previous bet, only with three horses. The Combination Tricast in the variant where you only need to correctly predict the first 3 horses, not the order.

Accumulator bet

To get more profit from multiple races you can use the accumulator. Here you bet on the winner of several races. If your first horse wins, the bet goes on to the second and so on. Depending on the risk you take, the potential profit increases. A slightly lower risk is taken with the Place Accumulator. Here you choose a horse per race that, for example, finishes in the first 3 horses in the race. The odds can still be high for multiple races.

Lucky 15

Players who like to maximize their winnings with low stakes should choose Lucky 15, Patent, Lucky 31 or Lucky 63. You will then bet on X number of races with different types of bets and have a great chance of winning. For example, at Lucky 15 you play for 4 singles, 6 doubles, 4 triples and a four-way bet on four different horses. Each-way is also an option. The accumulator makes the possible winnings very high.

The Trixie

This bet is just a bit more difficult than the Lucky 15. With the Lucky 15 you only need one winning horse to win, while with the Trixie you need to correctly predict at least two races. The familiar bets Yankee, Heinz and Goliath return again. It is a comprehensive betting strategy with a reward that will be to your liking. However, then you have to gamble well.

Points to consider when betting on horse racing?

Like gambling on soccer, betting on horses is not always based on anything. For example, there will undoubtedly be players who bet on the color of the horse, the number it is wearing or the outfit of the jockey. This makes them feel good and gambling is still gambling, right? For the professional gambler on horse racing, however, there is much more that comes into play. What factors come into play when choosing a particular bet on horse racing?

The shape of horse and jockey

Studying the current form of the horse (and jockey) will be the first thing a good bettor does. It tells a lot about the horse’s chances. How has the horse done in past races, which horses were run against and under what conditions.

The distance

Not every horse is of the long haul. If you have looked up a little background information on the horses participating, you will see that distance is an important factor. Which race track will you visit next and how long is the distance; it will allow you to make a better prediction.

The surface

No two race tracks are the same. Horse races are held on sand, dust, peat, mud and pebbles. Is the track hard or soft, the drop-off deep or flat? These are questions to consider, because not every horse is used to running on every possible surface.

The trainer of the horse

Note that the trainer is someone other than the jockey. The trainer is actually the person who trains the horse, day in and day out. He feeds the horse the right way and prepares the racing wonder the right way for the race.

The jockey

This is actually the person who sits on the horse during the race. Are the jockey and the horse familiar with each other, or have they ridden before? Is the jockey experienced, just too old, or has this person been exclusively producing good results for some time?

The relationship between jockey and trainer also says a lot, as a trainer can prepare a jockey perfectly with the right instructions, but the jockey must follow the orders to the letter for the best result.

The position at the start

A horse race starts from a sort of stall position; that is, each horse starts from its own stall. This can be on the inside, more towards the middle or on the outside. The shorter the race, the more important is the position from which the horse starts the race.

By the way, starting on the inside does not automatically mean a better result. Horses like space in the turn.

The weight

This goes for both the horse and the jockey. Horses have a certain target weight in combination with their height and a trainer will do everything possible to reach this weight, through training and nutrition. Funnily enough, a higher weight is often an advantage, as it means that the horse can put more power into the race, increasing the top speed.

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The best events to bet on

Every horse racing fan already puts a few crosses on certain dates at the beginning of the season. There are a number of events during the year that are very worthwhile. These competitions are mainly held in the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Ireland and India. We have listed the most famous events for you.

Grand National

This event is held in Liverpool, at Aintree Racecourse. It is among the highest rated equestrian event in the world and is also called “the ultimate test of horse and jockey”. It is a race with obstacles and these are just a bit higher compared to other races. It is also run over quite a long distance of over 4 miles, comparable to over 6 kilometers. Over 500 million people watch the Grand National worldwide.

Kentucky Derby

As the name suggests, this race is played in Kentucky, USA. People also call this race “Run of the Roses. The winner is buried under 554 roses. The run has a somewhat shorter length of 1.25 miles, about 2 kilometers. A large number of supporters come to this race, certainly most within the United States, but perhaps even worldwide. More so than, for example, the Breeders’ Cup, a competition between country teams.

Melbourne Cup

This race is held in one of Australia’s largest cities. Locally, the race is known as “the race that stops a nation. Virtually every Australian sits in front of the tube during the race. The event has the same effect as Grand National; millions of people in and outside the country are betting on the outcome of the race at the same time.

Cheltenham Festival

This event is held in Gloucestershire, England. It is particularly well known for its huge atmosphere; just search for ‘Cheltenham roar’. More than 200,000 people attend this huge event that lasts a total of 4 days. Again, millions are bet on the races and the payouts come shortly after the Grand National. This is also called the Olympic or National Hunt.

Royal Ascot

Royal Ascot is among the most valuable races in England. The event lasts a total of 5 days and is attended by thousands of people. The event is held just outside London and the prize pool is 7.1 million dollars. Horses from America, Japan and elsewhere in Europe visit to take part in Royal Ascot. The British Royal Family also attends, of course, and owns their own section of the grandstand at Royal Ascot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which races are held in the Netherlands for horses?

The most famous is of course Duindigt in Wassenaar. But there are also races in Zwanenburg which is close to Schiphol Airport and in the Frisian town of Wolvega.

Is betting on horses safe and legal?

Make sure you play at a bookmaker licensed in the Netherlands. You can then be sure that you can bet safely and securely. We only advertise with bookmakers who are licensed in the Netherlands.

Can you bet on horse races from other countries?

Yes, the bookmakers offer races from all over the world. So you can bet on horses almost 24/7.

Other major events to bet on

In addition to the real “races” mentioned above, there are also a number of typically International events. These mainly involve countries. The two most famous races are Pegasus World Cup and Dubai World Cup. As the names suggest, the prize pool at these events is extremely high, so it’s certainly not just about prestige. The most expensive race in the world is the Pegasus World Cup, held in Florida, USA. Until the year 2017, however, this was the Dubai World Cup, but they have since been surpassed. It goes without saying that these types of events offer an excellent opportunity to bet on horses. Countless different bets are available to play. And the payouts can be high.