Like any other sport, there’s no way for a person to accurately guess who will win in a horse race. Even if they do tons of research into the race and the horses, it would still be impossible to accurately predict a race’s outcome. Everything is a possibility, which is why it’s hard to do so. However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do everything in your power to at least make an educated guess as to who the winner will be.
One of the best things you can do to give yourself a fair chance with your bets is to do tons of research. But how do you go about it? Simple. Just look at the form guides. Every race has a form guide for people to read. These form guides contain information about the horses, events, and even the jockeys.
This can be very confusing for someone new to horse racing, but once you understand it fully, it can be a useful source of information for your bets. Here are some signs that you picked a winning horse.
Consistent Top Three in Its Previous Races
Of course, the very first thing you should look for is a horse’s track record. Generally, picking a horse that is consistently included in the top three is a good bet. However, you have to make sure that the races are recent. Not only that, but you also have to take note of the factors that made the horse a consistent top-three placer. Is it because of the type of track surface? Stall position? Or probably the amount of time it has rested prior?
These things play an important role in the performance of the horse. For example, you saw a consistent top three horse, but the race surfaces it raced on are all dirt, and the stadium uses synthetic material. Betting on this horse is ill-advised, and you should consider avoiding this horse. Take note that every horse adapts differently to every track surface.
Well Rested
Generally, you will look at a horse that is well-rested enough that it’s at peak performance, not too rested that it will be too relaxed during the race. The most optimal number of days is supposedly between 30 to 69 days of rest. However, if the horse is already in peak condition, you can have a little room to consider the number of days.
Typically, a horse that has not participated in a race for a long time needs to be in a race or two to get back to its peak condition. On the other hand, a horse that is too exhausted should rest for a couple of months before it can race again. A horse that’s too lax or too exhausted rarely produces great results.
Has Great Emotional Well-Being
We’re not saying that horses are emotional creatures, but they show emotions just like other animals. It can be quite obvious, too, if you learn how to pick up the signs. One of the key emotions that you have to look out for is loneliness. Horses are herd animals. You often see them in a group in the wild and can be seen being competitive with one another. Of course, that’s not all of them.
Some horses can handle training and live alone better than the other horses. Why is this important? Well, a lonely horse tends to underperform during a race. Loneliness can affect their stamina and overall performance, which could be bad news for you.
Calm Demeanor
Speaking of emotions, horses tend to have obvious emotions before a race. This is why many people prefer to go to stadiums where the horse races are held instead of betting online. In an actual stadium, you’ll get the chance to see the horses up close and see how they’re faring before the race.
You can do this when the horses are on their way to the paddocks. Just like humans, horses will not perform well when it’s too nervous or agitated. The traits you should be looking for are calmness, relaxation, and sureness in its steps.
High in the Official Ranking
The official ranking is how bookmakers rank their horses and set their odds. Some people even just bet based on the rankings alone. This is ill-advised. Sometimes, rankings have enforced handicaps, which means that bookies will handicap a most likely winner so that people will bet on the other horses. This would also mean that the strongest horses will be weighed down to even the betting field.
Takeaway
These tell-tale signs are obvious if you know how to look for them. That said, if you want to make an educated guess on your bets, you have to learn how to look for these signs. These signs can help you on how to pick a winning horse, as well as helping you win your bets.
