Horse Betting Tips & Strategy 
Important Points To Consider When Placing A Wager On A Horse
* All the information below can be tracked online via the major Sportsbooks or on the racetrack.
Horse Fitness
Before a horse can be counted, it should be checked that his physical condition is good enough to be at his best or close to it. Check the dates of the horse last races,more races means better fitness.If the horse has been aside from the races for 2 months or more, Check his morning training workouts.Horse fitness is best achieved by a combination of training and competition. The Comeback of a horse is much more difficult after a long layoff. Make a final conclusion about the his fitness. If fit, go to the next variable. If not, Look for another horse.
Class
Check previous conditions under which the horse has raced. You cannot expect a horse to win if he hasn't done that already against a similar competition. There are exceptions when the horse is dramatically improving and won his last race with authority to go up in class versus harder competition. If the horse is fit and can compete against the competition, its time to look on the Distance issue. Distance Horses generally do better at certain distances although few are versatile enough and can handle short as well as long races effectively. Check all races listed and decide if the horse did well at the designated distance. If the horse can be a competitor at today's distance, consider him, . You should eliminate the horse if he had few opportunities already without success. A horse can show potential of handling the distance, but usually wont do overly well without a real proof.
Post Position
after entries for a race are taken, a random drawing is done, and can easily turn a potential winner into a big loser, and the other way around. As a general rule of thumb, far outside posts in bulky fields in sprints are more thought-provoking. The two inside posts in big fields can also be damaging. for both inside and outside posts , Early speed is preferable, and without it, inside ones get trapped , and outside horses lose ground. The post position and the horse style are directly connected.
Running Style
Every horse has a different style of running, and is broken down into three categories pace-setter or front runner: front horses and horses who are never further back than two lengths stalker: horses who are never further back from the lead than 4 lengths closer or rally types: horses who are never closer than five lengths from the pace. The vast majority of horses have consistent styles. Front runners will try to catch the lead whenever possible, they are most effective when unchallenged early. When they get a clear lead, the chances are bigger. You should prefer front runners when there are no potential challengers, Otherwise, look upon those that can stalkr or rally. A stalker rarely makes the lead, and always look for a big late kick. They have the speed to stay close and can hold off the big closers that lag well behind. Prefer stalkers when few front runners exist, and without the existence of a any strong and fit rally or closer horse. Rally or closers are best when an copiousness of early speed exists and are frequently victimized when a front runner is loose on the lead. Betting on rally or closers is more unstable than horses with speed as they can run into traffic troubles. And, statistics reveal that horses closer to the front win the races more freaquently. Keep in mind though that under some circumstances, closers can be a very smart and positive alternative.
Trainer
Give careful attention to the trainer, everyone knows that some coaches are superior to others and there can be a large difference between them. A Trainer must have a wealth of knowledge about the many aspects of training a horse to race.
Jockey
The jockey 's role is often understated. a small percentage of jockey win the at major races. You need to have a great deal of skill in order to bring your horse first to the finish line. To say that all jockey are equal is ludicrous. Jockeys must posses some essential stuff like good riding techniques, intelligence ,good judgment ,strength,great timing and the ability to intercommunicate with the horse. Some jockeys are much better than others, and by observing them daily, or by focusing on their statistics, one can learn a great deal about Jockey and which are the most reliable. Before you make your final decision, make sure the horse has an acceptable rider. When eliminating horses in fields with a few contenders, you may be able to eliminate a horse because of the jockey alone.
Present Form
By Examining the finishes of his recent races you can tell if the horse is racing well. Statistics shows that horses that have recently won or were really close to it, will win the majority of the upcoming races. In most cases, horses run well for a period of time, and then tail off. First of all, select horses that seem to be in form, and pay close attention to ones that have raced good, but started to show signs of tailing off. Its not so rare for horses that have not been close to win, to drop in class, and can still be considered good choices. Don't give too much attention to horses that show no life at all, as they probably lost their will to compete. It's always a good idea to bet on horses with good present form and eliminate those off form horses.
Consistency
You should examine the horse records and look for horses that are more likely to run good. Look for consistent horses who have finished in the money at least 50% of the time.Many horses with poor consistency records cannot be heavily relied upon to run well after a good effort the time before. So, despite a good recent race, they have shown a past tendency not to repeat strong performances. If the horse have shown lack of consistency, it is difficult and risky to make a serious bet on him. Check for consistency before making a horse a serious contender.
Weight
Few handicappers use the weight carried by a horse as a crucial factor. This is a controversial variable among handicappers. If you decide to use the weight variable, we recommend considering it when the length of the race increases. Unless it involves at least a difference of five pounds or more we recommend not using it. Its a good practice to use the weight variable when comparing horses from the same race when there is a significant switch in weights. for example when one horse is taking off five pounds coming out of a race against another horse who is adding five pounds.
Speed Figures
In recent years, speed figures like Beyers, have been compiled. These figures assign a number to each race run by a horse. Beyer numbers, are based almost exclusively by running times and track conditions. Speed sheets, also use difficulty of track to determine the right figure. Some judgment made by the representative for each track also adds to the final number. With these numbers you can quickly identify the contenders. The numbers represent the past performance of a horse to just digits. The numbers, when used, should be used as a guide. In general, use speed figures as one of the many available handicapping tools.
