Australian Horse Racing Tips: What Makes A Good Horse?
Betting on an Australian horse race can be exciting and fun. Unlike in other countries where horse racing is slowly dying down, Australia’s horse racing culture and traditions are still growing strong. And as a spectator or bettor, you want to top off the excitement and fun with some hefty winnings. Thankfully, you can raise the chances of winning by adding a bit of analysis to your bets.
The form guide contains most of the information you’ll need about the horses. However, know that you may get a detail-rich or straightforward guide depending on the race, event, or guide provider. Nonetheless, the standard information you’ll obtain from a race program is statistical records, odds, speed, jockey, color, and various horse data.
While guides and horse racing tips websites can provide you with the information you need, reading it won’t do you any good if you don’t know which pieces of information you should rely on when choosing a good horse in the race. To help with your analysis, you might want to pointers of what makes a good horse:
A good horse has a win streak
Most beginners would always rely on a horse’s recent winning history, especially if it has a winning streak. The only disadvantage is that they often have low odds as their winning chances are usually high. However, it’s not a guarantee. After all, not all horses can win on all the racing tracks in the world with ease.
A horse dominating multiple races and maintaining a high winning streak is rare, like Black Caviar with 25 wins. Most horse racing fans and experts believe that no horse will beat this record anytime soon. (1)
While betting on a horse on a streak is a sound strategy, the risk and payout are low. Also, a horse maintaining a high winning streak is quite rare. After all, having 11 straight wins can quickly get a horse into the history books. So, the higher the streak is, the higher the chance it may lose in the current race.
A good horse has a good winning history
Choosing a good horse based on recent wins is safe to bet. However, if you want to stack yourself against the odds but maintain a low level of risk, you can bet on a horse with a good past winning history and a recent losing streak. Most bettors call this strategy betting on a beaten favorite.
The logic here is simple. No matter how good a horse is, it’ll lose once in a while. As mentioned, it’s difficult for horses to maintain a winning streak. For example, if a horse wins at Moonee Valley and loses at Swan Hill, you can hope that it may win when the current race is at Moonee Valley again.
To know more about a horse’s winning history in a particular racecourse—say in Flemington—you may want to check out Flemington tips at Racenet.
A good horse often has a good jockey
While this article is about choosing a good horse, don’t forget about a jockey. A jockey change can make a horse win or lose in some cases. Suppose the jockey who recently rode the beaten favorite and suffered losses changed. In that case, the horse’s probability of winning can tremendously go up—or down depending on the jockey’s history.
A jockey’s riding style can influence the outcome of the race and the horse’s chances. Also, while you can’t see it from behind the stands or monitor, the relationship between the jockey and their horse can significantly improve their chances of winning. Suppose you have Scobie Breasley—may his soul rest in peace—as the jockey. You should know well that he’s a hall of famer who can raise a horse’s chances of winning if he rides as he’s great at judging a race’s pace and striking at the right moment. (2)
So, if you’re determined to win a bet, be sure to spend some time researching the people riding the horses.
A good horse often has low odds
The odds are the sentiment of all bettors, whether they’re in the racecourse, homes, or online betting sites. Typically, if you’re new to betting and confused about which horse to focus on, find the three horses that are favored by the crowd. This means that you should set your eyes on the three horses with the lowest odds. If the odds are heavily skewed, pick the ones who have odds between 2/1 (3) and 4.8/1 (5.8).
For those people who’re not from the UK or Australia, know that the country mostly uses fractional odds, which is a simple system. For example, if you bet on a winning horse that has a 2/1 (two is to one), you can win two dollars per one dollar you bet on. Say that you bet five dollars; winning at 2/1 odds will net you ten dollars. (3)
Of course, the odds don’t always reflect the true feelings of the bettors. Some bettors who aim to deviate from the odds in the hopes of winning big would often put their money away from the crowd’s favorites. So, aside from just looking at the numbers and guides, talking to horse racing fans and experts regarding the best horses in their opinion would also help you determine which ones are good horses to bet on.
Conclusion
While it seems that there are only a few aspects listed here on how to find a good horse in an Australian horse race, it can be grueling to get them all checked fast and make you decide your favorite. If you’re really into winning a bet, the best advice for you to follow to pick the best horse is to take your time and do your research.
References
- “Australian Super Horse Black Caviar Retires”, Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/17/worldsport/gallery/black-caviar-retires/index.html
- “Scobie Breasley”, Source: https://horseracinghof.com/notable-heroes/scobie-breasley/
- “How Do Odds Work in Betting?”, Source: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/042115/betting-basics-fractional-decimal-american-moneyline-odds.asp