A Simple Guide to Harness Racing for New Punters

Harness racing, otherwise known as trotting or pacing, is an equine sport whereby a horse pulls a carriage otherwise known as a sulky. Harness racing is popular around the world with many people betting on it every year.

In total harness racing worldwide is not quite as popular as thoroughbred racing, although it is gaining popularity with punters and spectators.

Harness racing is much more accessible than thoroughbred racing, both for training and drivers. Harness racing accounts for a large percentage of money taken by bookmakers annually, falling Just behind thoroughbred racing.

Betting On a Harness Race

Wagering on a harness race can be done at the track and via an one of the many australia online betting sites have on offer. Harness racing is a fast paced sport attracting almost as many punters as thoroughbred racing. Most races are entered by local horses and local trainers, with only a few hosting interstate horses for particular races such as the Jewel Cup.

Betting at the track is offered by on site bookies that are there on most days. The smaller races, of course, may not have a full contingent of bookies on site or a large variation in either wagers or odds.

The Online Options

There are a number of sites that offer harness betting online. Most of these sites can offer fixed odds, which may vary from site to site. Is a good idea to shop around a bit in order to find a site that suits you the best. Another benefit of placing a wager on harness racing online is the other services that the sites offer you.

These services include such things as histories and previous race results of the competing horses, as well as pedigrees and even information on trainers.

Common Wagers

As with thoroughbred racing, there are a number of common wagers, which one can place on a harness race. The most obvious is a win. This is a wager as to which horse will cross the finish line first. It is the most simple of the horse racing bets and is often used by beginners to the world of harness racing as well as online betting.

The second most common type of bet on a harness race is a place. This is a bet as to whether your horse will come in first or second. This is a more expensive bet to make as the chances of being successful are higher than a regular win bet. This means that the payout on a place is also lower than the payout on a win.

More complicated bets include an exacter, where you place a bet on two horses which must come in first in the exact order in which predicted.

An exacter box is similar, but in this case your horses must come in first or second in any order. The payout for an exacter box is slightly less than an exacter, as again the odds of getting it right are higher

Knowledge Is Key

As with any sport, having a good knowledge of the athletes is key to placing a successful wager. Galloping in a harness race may get your horse and driver disqualified if it is not corrected very quickly.

Race results can easily be found online, most of which note if the horse broke gait at any stage during the race.