Bettors Code

Betting on The Winning Horse A Horse Betting Strategy e-Book

Bettors’ Code

Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Understanding Horse Race Betting .............................................................................................. 4 History of Horse Racing ............................................................................................................................. 4 Types of Races........................................................................................................................................... 4 Horse Betting and its Types ...................................................................................................................... 5 Betting Exchanges ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Betting With Betfair ........................................................................................................................... 7 About Betfair.com ..................................................................................................................................... 7 How to Operate Betfair.com ..................................................................................................................... 8 Betting with Betfair.com ......................................................................................................................... 10 Betting Strategies ............................................................................................................................ 14 Strategies Which Depend on the Horse.................................................................................................. 14 Speed Selection Betting System ............................................................................................................. 16 Points Based Betting System................................................................................................................... 18 Trifecta Betting System ........................................................................................................................... 22 Exacta Betting System ............................................................................................................................. 25 Dutch Betting System.............................................................................................................................. 28 The Logical Betting System ..................................................................................................................... 31 The Thoroughbred Horse Betting System ............................................................................................... 32 The Favourite Horse Betting System....................................................................................................... 34 A Compilation of Mini Horse Betting Systems ........................................................................................ 37 Which of These Should You Be Trying?................................................................................................... 38 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 40

Introduction

elcome to the wonderful world of horse race betting.

With the track all set and the horses in line, all you need to do is wait for them to be freed so that your anticipation will be over. With your betting stub in hand, you’re praying hard and incessantly because you want your horse to win. You can’t have your horse falter or lag behind, especially with the money you have on it. However, on more than one occasion, the power of wistful thinking and different lucky charms failed to do the trick. Even some of your prayers were left unanswered. Yet, you can never give up horse race betting… It is an addiction, a necessity to you and something which you love. Still, the losses you are getting can really be heartbreaking as well as a burden on your pockets. Ever dreamt of having a surefire way of winning whatever bet you place? If that is so, then you have definitely come to the right place. In the next few pages, you will discover a few horse racing strategies that will ensure you of winning whenever you place your money on a horse. With the help of Betfair.com, the largest internet betting exchange on the planet, you will be able to win big on the race course. So, without further ado, come and find out how every bill you bet can return to you with a bigger profit.

Understanding Horse Race Betting “No one has ever bet enough on a winning horse.” Richard Sasuly

History of Horse Racing Before explaining how you should bet, you must know a bit about what you are putting your money on. Horse racing has been around for thousands on years. In fact, it is said that the sport was there since people started domesticating horses back in 4500 BC. At first, no commoner was allowed to play the game. Only kings and aristocrats were allowed to race while everyone else could only watch. Today, horse racing has surpassed its status as a spot and became one of the most popular methods for gambling. In the U.K., horse racing is one of the prestigious sports played. In fact, most of the best jockeys originated for the isles, including Sir Gordon Richards. In comparison to many countries, horse racing in the U.K. is regulated by the British Horseracing Authority. Thus you can expect the whole event to be well organised and more in order.

Types of Races Now that you have an idea about the sport, you should the types of races you can bet on. This information is important to understand some of the lingo used on the track as well as to expect different odds:  Stake Races: These are annual races which use only the best horses in town. You can expect these to be quite an expensive venture.  Handicap Races: In these races, the weights of the jockeys are equalized by using lead weights. Most people believe that the weight the horse is

carrying is a factor in its performance. However, only older, stringer horses are allowed to carry heavier jockeys.  Claiming Races: These are the most common types of races. Each horse is entered at a specific price and may be claimed, i.e. purchased, by another owner.  Allowance Races: These are the opposite of claiming races and are designed for horses which hardly get the chance to race.  Maiden Races: During these races, horses that never won take part in these. However, there may be some conditions like “Non winners in last 3 races”.

Horse Betting and its Types Whenever you visit a horse racing track, one thing you will definitely note is a gambling station. In the U.K., one of the popular betting facilities is that which is provided by Bookmakers. Bookmakers make a market in odds, thus you can ‘take the price’, or lock in your odds on a horse. There are three types of bets which you can take part in: 1. Bet to Win: This entitles putting all your money on a horse, and if it comes in first place, the bet is a winner. 2. Bet to Place: Here you will bet on your horse to come in first or second place. 3. Bet to Show: You can bet on the horse coming first, second or even third. Of all three, ‘show’ is the easiest. However, its payoffs are lower on average because gambling is all about risks, and betting to show is more like playing it safe. In addition, this type is the least common in Europe because in most races less than ten horses may be running. Another betting term you may hear is the “Each-Way” bet. Usually this means that the total bet is split on the win and on the place. There are different

meanings to this term, however, for British ‘punters ‘(bettors), a payout is received if the horse wins or is placed based on the place criteria. Your bookmaker can cut the odds for this kind of bet, for example they will offer full odds if your horse wins but only offer a 1/3 of the odds if you guess the place of the horse right.

Betting Exchanges Races occur on a daily basis, yet you need to work as well. So, rather than going to the racing track yourself, you can use a betting exchange. A betting exchange is a type of bookmaking in which the operator balances its risks with the help of technology. At such a site, users can either be punters or bookies, the latter which are responsible for posting odds and sakes so that people can match it. On betting exchange sites, a punter is called a back (or accept) while the bookie is named the lay (or offer). For punters, this is definitely a better way to getting the most for your bets because a betting exchange will remove the profit margin bookmakers may be adding to their odds. This may seem complex to you at first, but rest assured that betting through a betting exchange is easy. All you have to do is: 1. Choose the race you want, 2. Select a price 3. Determine whether you will lay or back. If this entices you, read on because in the next chapter, you will be introduced to one of the best betting exchange sites in the world – Betfair.

Betting With Betfair Rather than wasting your time and effort by going all the way to the race course, Betfair.com offers to bring you your favourite pastime to your workplace or home.

About Betfair.com Betfair.com is an online provider of gambling products and services. It was founded in 1999 when its developers were trying to look for a way to commercialise betting technology. It is also one of the pioneer betting exchange systems and one of the leading systems globally. Besides offering its services to the U.K., the bookmaking services of Betfair.com can be provided from Malta and Australia. Betfair.com is also licensed in these countries as well as Austria, Germany and Italy. You must be wondering why you should use this system. Well, rather than giving you one reason, here are two: 1. Back or Lay – Through Betfair.com, you can choose whether you would like to ‘back’ a bet (betting that your selection will win) or ‘lay’ it (betting against your selection). Of course, since you are the punter, you will back your horse while a bookmaker lays his bet. 2. Choice of Odds – You can place an order for a better price if you want better odds than the ones already available. As enticing as these may seem to you, your mind is still wondering whether betting through Betfair.com is as safe. Well, the website ensures its clientele’s privacy and security with the help of the following means:  Credit card details are encrypted and sent once online.  Card details are encrypted when they are stored on Betfair.com’s servers.

 The website’s payments are made through DataCash and The Royal Bank of Scotland plc.

How to Operate Betfair.com If you’re reading these lines, that would mean that you’re interested in what Betfair.com has to offer for you. The first thing you need to get started with is to sign up for an account on the website

Figure 1 – A snap shot of the sign up form on Betfair.com

You should make sure that whatever details you add there are authentic, otherwise Betfair.com won’t be able to send you your winnings once your horse wins. Plus, this will help Betfair.com authenticate your age, thus prevent your

account from termination (accounts opened by minors are usually terminated by Betfair.com). Upon successful sign up, you will be automatically logged in and Betfair.com will prompt you regarding adding some money into your account:

Figure 2 – First-time user welcome page

Whenever you log onto the website, you will find a small box that indicates how much you have in your balance. You can also deposit and transfer funds right from your main page.

Figure 3 – Sign in box informing users of their status

After signing up for the service, you can easily bet on any sport, team or horse you want. However, since we’re handling horse betting, you should head to the horse race betting page.

Figure 4 – The Horse racing page on Betfair.com

The page usually displays the latest races that are going on or will be held at least

Betting with Betfair.com If you take a look at Figure 4, you will see that the current race will display the Back, Lay and SP rates. Before explaining how to bet using these, you must understand what each of these means. On Betfair.com, Back is betting on your horse to win the race. As for Lay, that term refers on betting against the horse’s victory in the race. Not only can you lay any selection on Betfair.com, but you can also choose the price you will take and how much you want to risk. The price and risk are directly proportional, i.e. the shorter the price, the less money you risk.

SP in the figure refers to Starting Price. This is one of the methods of traditional bookmaking. SPs are set for each running horse based on bets placed by backers and layers, thus no margin of profit is added. This ensures users of the website that they are getting the fairest odds possible. Now that you know what each means, it is time to use them in betting. First, select which race you want to take part in. Then choose whether you would like to back a bet or lay it. In both cases, you should consider the horse race card offered by Betfair.com.

This is the Quick view of the race card. In this card are the following from left to right:     

The number on the saddle cloth A description of the jockey’s attire Last run and recent form Horse’s name Projected Betfair.com SP (in decimal odds and fractional odds)

A more detailed version is also available of this sheet, and that covers all the aspects that are linked to the horse. For example, if you want to know more about Fasliyanne, click the detailed view and you will get:

Figure 5 – Detailed view of one of the horses

 ‘3’ is the saddle cloth number and (9) indicates the stall the horse will be running from.  00-752 refers to the horse’s form, i.e. its previous record. The most recent result is displayed on the far right of these numbers. So, this horse came 2nd in its last race. There are usually other terms included here such as: o F – Fell o P – Pulled up (that means that the horse stopped midway) o U – Unplaced o – indicates a year break, so in this case, the horse ran three races this year.  [19] refers to the number of days since the horse last ran (19 in this case).  4 is the age of the horse.  9-1 is the horse’s weight in stones and pounds.  If the horse had won any race, then D or C (Distance or Course) will be shown along with the number of times. This horse won once in a distance race.  The first name (top) is that of the jockey while the other is the horse’s trainer. If you’re wondering why you would need all this information, there will be times when you will need these elements while considering your winning horse. For example, betting on a young horse that never won is riskier than betting on a horse that has had experience on the racing course. Another reason is just pure

luck. For example, some people may consider the number 19 lucky, so would bet on this horse and hope that it wins some cash for papa. A little bit later, we will discuss how you can win the bets you place, however, here is how you can place bets on Betfair.com: 1. Select the horse you want to bet on by clicking its odds. On the side, your horse will be added to your betting selection where you can define your stake.

Figure 6 - $10 have been specified as the stake, and with the odds on the horse, the potential return for this is $59.40.

2. Next, click Place Bets followed by Confirm if that is the bet you want to place. 3. You can press Reset to remove this bet or Edit to change your stakes. Once you’re done, you can listen to racing commentaries or watch live videos of these races from Betfair.com. Now that you know the procedure properly, let’s move on to implementing the different betting strategies you have been awaiting restlessly.

Betting Strategies There are different strategies which can be used while betting on horses. With those and Betfair.com, you are bound to have a great betting experience. (Note: These are all strategies which will help you while you back your bets. You have to do the opposite to lay your bets.)

Strategies Which Depend on the Horse These are basic strategies which do not depend on anything other than the horse. With the help of the horse’s criteria, you can determine whether the horse has a shot at winning or placing the race. 1. The horse’s form is the main factor in winning and losing on the race course. By taking in consideration the C and D which come in the horse’s form, you can easily decide whether the horse is worth placing your money or not. If it’s a C, the horse has been a winner in earlier races, while D represents that the horse won over the distance. 2. Another factor that will assure you of more returns is whether a horse is considered a top favourite this season. Many expert punters have proven that a top favourite horse has a high probability in coming first in a race. You can confirm this by checking the record of each horse. Betfair.com provides this to punters all over with a click of button.

Figure 7 - The previous record of Desperate Dan, a horse which has won 7 races in a single year.

3. Another strategy depends on the last time the horse actually ran. You can get the most return for your bets by betting on a horse which had run in the current season or at least 28 days ago. This will ensure you that the horse is in good shape during the time it was away from the racing course. 4. Contradicting this strategy is another which motivates punters on betting on a horse that came off a layoff in its last race. If the horse had shown potential in its last race (by showing speed that faded at the end of the race or displaying a close running style), it may have needed a breather to improve before its next race. One good tip to bet with this strategy is to check the current odds. If they are 9:1 or more, put your money on that horse without wasting a second. Another indication can be if the odds drop two sequential clicks lower, i.e. from 9:1 to 7:1. This would mean that there are some insiders who are waiting as close to post time, thus you will know that the horse is pulling a layoff angle.

Figure 8 – A small example: If you consider the 3rd theory, Suited and Booted doesn’t have a chance since its last time on the race course has been 221 days ago. However, the 4th theory would make this horse the best candidate to win the race.

5. The Z Pattern betting system is another betting system which depends on the horse’s performance. Some horses start well in the beginning, slow down in the middle of the race then start speeding up at the end to improve their position. In most cases, horses which ran in such a style came back to run big. However, make sure that the other horses running are in good shape, or else your horse will actually look better because the other horses are growing tired.

Speed Selection Betting System Aside from the aforementioned betting systems, this is one system you will like to choose. This will offer you a good way of selecting horses on the fly. It is also a very simple method and won’t take much of your time as all you need to do is check the horse’s form and then tick off which horses won’t be of use to you before you reach the One. All you need to do is to follow the following steps to eliminate your losses: 1. Eliminate first time starters. These horses still not know what to do and that would cost you a good sum of your money. 2. Get rid of horses that did not run on the same race track during their last two races. Familiarity with the track is quite useful to help you get good returns. 3. Check the remaining horses for those which ran a different distance than that of the current race. Eliminate them because a furlong less or more does make a difference. 4. Find out the horses that ran of a different surface than that of the current race course and tick them off your list. 5. Scan the rest of the horses for those which haven’t been on the lead or within 3 lengths of the leader in their last races, then eliminate them.

6. If there are still more horses to go through, you can finally choose a horse with the best last race Beyer speed figure. However, if more than three horses qualify, try another method. It’s easy, isn’t it? Well, if you’re wondering about how to implement this strategy in Betfair.com, that couldn’t be simpler. 1. By clicking the ‘i’ symbol next to each horse, you will find out the details of the horse and where it had last raced. 2. There are no first time starters here, so you have to move on to the next criteria. 3. The only horse that ran this course is Fever Tree, however, that was almost 6 months ago, so move on. 4. Your knowledge of race courses will help you know what surface each one has. This is just a click away onBetfair.com. Figure 9 – Horse Racing Card with all the details. All you need to do is select the horse’s form and click on the date of the last race and you will have details ragardng that course.

5. Next you have to choose which horses came up in the top three positions. In this case, Bintalwaadi seems to have the best odds. If you’re a beginner, Betfair.com offers you help with the help of its betting forecast.

Figure 10 – Betfair.com’s Betting Forecast Box

Points Based Betting System Remember how the top students always got the highest number of marks? Horses are no different. The horse that will win for you needs to have the most number of points in order to ensure you that picking it is the right choice. To start grading your horses, here are the steps: 1. Check the last four races of all the horses scheduled to race. Add the best two Beyer speed figures earned in those four races together. The horse with the highest score gets 4 points, and the one that comes in the second position gets 2 points. 2. Combine the lengths all horses had beaten during their last two races. The horse with the lowest sum of lengths will get 3 points while the 2nd best horse will get 2. 3. If a horse is trained by someone who has a win percentage of 10% or more, it will get 2 points. 4. If the horse is ridden by a jockey who has a win percentage of 10% and more, it earns 1 point.

5. If the race is a route race, minus a point for each horse in posts 9-12. 6. If the race is a sprint, give each horse than was 3 lengths of the lead an extra point. 7. If you’re betting on a route race on dirt, give a point to each horse that raced on turf last. 8. Add a point if you find out that a horse is using lasix for the very 1st time. The horse with the most number of points is the one you should be putting your money on. However, if the horse with the highest amount of points isn’t at least 3 points higher than the runner up horse, pass the race. You may be wondering how you can do that, but have no fear, we’re here to explain just that.

Figure 11 – An example used for illustrating the Points Betting System

By clicking on the information [i] link, you will have the stats of each horse open up for you. Don’t forget to add the best two speeds of each horse

Figure 12 – An example of the stats of Kylladdie. The OR column refers to its speed.

      

Kylladdie: 71 + 70= 141 Grand Zafeen: 69 + 76=145 Nepotism: 72 + 72=144 Silver Linnet: 74 + 68=142 Six Diamonds: 80+79=159 Mickey’s Knock Off: 67+75=142 Liberty Lady: 68 +63=131

Based on the 1st criterion, Six Diamonds gets 4 points and Grand Zafeen 2. Now, the lengths can also be calculated from the same sheet. Just add the distance from other horses. If the horse won in a race, mark the length as 0.       

Kylladdie: 0+5 = 5 Grand Zafeen: 2+11=13 Nepotism: 2+6=8 Silver Linnet: 6+0=6 Six Diamonds: 4+3-=7 Mickey’s Knock Off: 0+2=2 Liberty Lady: 4+0=4

Based on the 2nd criterion, Mickey’s Knock Off gets 3 while Liberty Lady gets 2.

As for the jockey and trainer’s winning percentage, the best place to check is Betfair.com’s partner, Timeform.com. By simply selecting the Trainer or Jockey tab, you can search for the name of the trainer of the horse or its jockey.

Figure 13 – Search for jockeys’ data on Timeform.com

By going through each trainer and jockey’s information, you can add points to those horses which have trainers and jockeys with a 10% win percentage.

Figure 14 – As you can see, the win percentage differs based on the terrain the horse had raced on.

Kepton Park, which is where this race is taking place, is an AW Flat terrain. So, look for jockeys and trainers whose win percentage on AW Flat is above 10%. Liberty Lady gets a point for its jockey (10%). As for trainers, Grand Zafeen and Six Diamonds (11% and 15% respectively) get a point each.

Now, to add points regarding the type of race. This is definitely a sprint race because it is 5 furlongs only (less than a mile). So, the horses will be awarded points based on their distance from the lead during their last races. Six Diamonds and Liberty Lady get a point each that way. As this is a sprint race, criterion 7 can be disregarded. Moving along, criterion 8 would require you to mingle with the stable boys and other staff. However, you can disregard it in this case. Now, time to calculate the points:       

Kylladdie: 0 Grand Zafeen: 2+1 = 3 Nepotism: 0 Silver Linnet: 0 Six Diamonds: 4+1+1 = 6 Mickey’s Knock Off: 3 Liberty Lady: 2+1+1 = 4

Six Diamonds has the highest number of points. However, before you bet your money on that horse, check the 2nd highest number of points, is it 3 points less? Grand Zafeen got 3, so, yes. Now you can go ahead and bet on Six Diamonds. It will take you some time to get these points in order, however it is manageable and quite profiting.

Trifecta Betting System A trifecta is a type of bet that is usually very difficult to win. So, why are you learning it? Because it will yield high returns and make you rich. The winning trifecta in the 2005 Kentucky Derby paid out $133,000 on a $2 bet! Can you imagine how much you’d be getting for you money?

Basically, a trifecta bet will be won after you had determined the top three spots in the exact order they had finished in. So, if your horses do win, but not in the order you had bet on, you will leave empty handed. There are three types of trifecta bets: 1. The Straight Trifecta: There’s nothing to this type. All you need to do is determine which horses will come in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. For example, you can bet on 2, 4, 7 (horses numbers 2, 4 and 7) in that order. In this case, you can bet using own intuition. However, the horses must win in this exact order for you to be paid. If you’re not bold enough to handle the risks that come with this system, don’t even try it. Only a confident handicapper can make a straight trifecta wager. 2. The Trifecta Box: This system is more flexible in nature. Whatever horses you select can be arranged in a number of combinations. For example, if you’re betting on 3,4 and 9, you will have 6 combinations (3,4,9) / (4,3,9) / (4,9,3) / (9,3,4) / (3,9,4) / (9,4,3). Your returns for each of these will depend on the price per box. For example, if you’re betting on a $1 trifecta, you will have to pay $6 for all 6 combinations which are generated from 3 horses. If you chose more horses, for example 4, you will have more combinations and you will pay more. The easiest way to calculate your trifecta box wager is by finding out the combinations of the wager itself. For example, for a 5 horse box, you will have to multiply 5 x 4 x 3 = 60. Next, multiply the price of the box by the number of combinations to determine how much money you will be parting with. If it’s $1 per box, you can expect to pay $60, and so on. The more horses you add to your trifecta box, the more you will have to pay on your bet. Plus, always make sure of the odds, or otherwise you’ll be pay $240 on 6 horses and only be paid $22.50 in return.

There is no fool proof method of finding out how much a trifecta will pay if it hits. Common sense will tell you that the payout will still be small no matter what. However, if you have a negative opinion on some short-priced horse, or can’t seem to find a clear cut favourite, this would be the way to go. Plus, make sure that you have at least 8 horses at the time as that will assure you of large payouts. 3. The Trifecta Wheel: If you have a horse that you favour most, you can bet on it along with a few others using the Trifecta wheel. For example, if you like horse number 1 and think that 6 and 7 are favourable horses that can come in 2nd and 3rd place, your wheel be as such: 1 / 6, 7 / 6, 7. Your combinations will be: 1, 6, 7 and 1, 7, 6. So, if you’re betting on a $2 trifecta, you will have to pay $4 only for your two outcomes. A trifecta wheel helps you create bets that cover several possible outcomes. However, you should have one horse which you feel for strongly, or playing this trifecta will be useless.

Figure 15 – The Trifecta betting form on Betfair.com.

Besides these three trifecta methods, another strategy is to key two horses in two positions along with other horses in additional positions. For example, if your favourite two horses are 5 and 6, your trifecta would be 5, 6 / 5, 6 / 7, 8, 9. This way you will have about 8 combinations. At a $1 trifecta wheel, this would easily come up to $8. You can easily key your top two favourites in all positions, especially if you’re betting against the favourites. To help you out, you can use any of the Trifecta calculators available online. If you enjoy the thrill of win, place and show bets, the trifecta betting system will provide you with a good amount of winnings.

Exacta Betting System The Exacta or Perfecta betting system is made to pick the first and second place horses in a race. Once believed to be an exotic bet, the exacta has become more common in comparison with bets such as the trifecta or superfecta. Just like the trifecta system, the exacta system comes in three types: 1. The Straight Exacta: This isn’t any different from the straight trifecta. However, whereas you had to select three horses in the trifecta, you only select two horses which you estimate to be in the first and second positions. Just like the straight trifecta, there is no leniency when it comes to the order of the horses. So, if you bet 3 and 5, you will only get paid if horse number 3 comes 1st and horse number 5 comes next. 2. The Exacta Box: In this betting method, you will have more flexibility. If you select horses 3 and 5, you will get paid whether either horses comes first. You can also choose more than one horse, for example, you can choose 3 horses, thus you will have six boxes (for horses 3-8-9, your exacta boxes will be 3-8, 3-9, 8-9, 8-3, 8-3 and 9-3).

The more horses you cover in your exacta, the better chances you have at winning. However, keep in mind that the exacta box’s payoff won’t be as much as you had invested. Exactas are either $1 or $2, so make sure that you don’t invest in more than you can handle. 3. The Exacta Wheel: In this method, your favourite horse will have preference. Your can pick your favourite horse for the first place and two or more contenders for the second place. This is just as strict as the Straight Exacta because you only get paid if your favourite horse comes first and any of the other horses you chose comes in second place. The Exacta Wheel can be labelled as a part-wheel if it you use some of the horses as possible 2nd place winners. On the other hand, a full wheel is when you bet on all the horses to come in 2nd place.

Figure 16 - The Betfair.com Exacta betting form

One of the things that can help you decide which horses to bet on is the exacta payoff matrix. This is usually available at the race track and is updated whenever new bets are added and payoffs change. The matrix will be able to provide you with an estimate of how much you may be paid. However, for each $1 box, you will be paid $2. So, again, make sure that you bet right. So, which method should you choose? It all depends on your handicapping skills. If you believe that three horses have a fair chance at winning the race, categorize them by percentage of winning. The most efficient way of betting is to choose different costs for each combination. However, make sure that you bet most on the highest probably combination. For example, if you believe that A will win and B will come 2nd, put $20 out of the $60 you had allocated for your bets. Allocate accordingly for the rest of the combinations. This way, you will make the most profits. Confused? Check out this example: $10 exacta on A-B = $10 $10 exacta on A-C = $10 $10 exacta on B-C= $10 $10 exacta on C-B= $10 $10 exacta on C-A= $10 $10 exacta on B-A= $10 The cost =$60 If the A-B exacta wins and you get $150 in return, your profit will amount to = 150 – 60 = $90 However, if you decide to vary your bets: $30 exacta on A-B = $30

$5 exacta on A-C = $5 $5 exacta on B-C= $5 $10 exacta on C-B= $10 $5 exacta on C-A= $5 $5 exacta on B-A= $5 The cost =$60 Yet, if A comes in 1st place and B in second, your winning exacta can easily get you more money. So, if your returns are $200, your profit will be $140. Not bad, is it? However, don’t try this unless you are completely sure of your handicapping skills.

Dutch Betting System This is one of the handicapping methods that you can use in making successful picks. The Dutch Betting system basically allows you to bet on enough horses to offer you a share of profits along with your initial investment in return. The more horses you cover, the more you will be eligible to win. However, make sure that the payoff on your winning horse covers the cost of the bets you mad on your losing horses. Here are the steps you should follow: 1. Set the amount you hope to win from the race. (for example $200) 2. Calculate how much you need to bet on a horse in order to generate $100. You can also bet on more than one horse by dividing your expected winnings among these horses. The odds will help you in this aspect. If you want a $100 payback, you can consider the following table to find out how much money you would need to bet on a horse (make sure that your outlay is less than $100):

Parimutual Odds 1:1 7:5 9:5 2:1 5:2 3:1 7:2 4:1 9:2 5:1 6:1 7:1 8:1 9:1 10:1 15:1 20:1 50:1

Dutch Betting Chart Payout $4.00 $4.80 $5.60 $6.00 $7.00 $8.00 $9.00 $10.00 $11.00 $12.00 $14.00 $16.00 $18.00 $20.00 $22.00 $32.00 $42.00 $102.00

Bet to Win $100 $50.00 $42.00 $36.00 $33.00 $29.00 $25.00 $23.00 $20.00 $18.00 $17.00 $14.00 $13.00 $11.00 $10.00 $9.00 $6.00 $5.00 $2.00

` Figure 17 – Race card to be used in implantation of the Dutch betting system.

You can decide your favourites using any method you like. However, a good handicapper will be able to judge a horse based on its performance and its past history. Betfair.com allows you to view its own predictions regarding which horse will win:

Figure 18 – Betfair.com’s suggestions and reviews on each horse.

Once you had calculated your stakes, you can decide how much you would want to invest on each horse. One thing about the Dutch betting system is that you can use it if you don’t like the betting favourites in the race, or feel that one of the horses that has a long shot will actually win the race. Regardless of the outcome, you can still make profit by covering a few of the longer priced horses.

The Logical Betting System The Logical Betting system was devised to beat the odds of bookies by using logic. This system was designed with the laws of maths and probability in mind, therefore you can imagine how effective it may be. To understand this system, you should now that 33% (1/3) of all races are won by the favourite contender. If you bet on six races a day, you are likely to win at least two. So, here is how you should implement this system: 1. Go to a race course or betting exchange that is hosting 6 or more races in a single day. 2. Stake about 2% of the cash you had allocated for your bet on each race’s favourite. However, make sure that you bet on the horse if its odds are 11/8 (1.375) pr higher. 3. If your horse wins, don’t bet again. Head home with your pockets heavy with cash. 4. If your horse loses, make sure that you bet in this pattern  For the second race, use the same stake as the first race, i.e. 2%.  For the third race, bet 4%.  For the fourth race, bet 8%.  For the fifth race, bet 16%.  For the final race, bet 32%. There is no chance that you will actually reach the sixth race without winning at least once, thus you can rest assured that you won’t be wasting all your money. In addition, remember to always start with 2% of your allocated betting investment. This way, you will never run out of cash.

This method is too simple that many actually avoid it. However, this method is designed with your pockets in mind. All it takes is a little patience, and it will double your initial investment in about 50 days.

Figure 19 – A list of all the races open for betting on Betfair.com. Favourites can be determined with the help of Betfair.com’s own prediction box. Refer to Figure 18.

The Thoroughbred Horse Betting System This is one of the systems that you can use during thoroughbred horse racing. Whether it is a flat race or a National hunt race, you can be sure of winning with this system.

Here is what you should do: 1. Make sure that the race you are betting on is a claiming race. However, avoid maiden claiming races. If you’re not sure whether this is a claiming race or not, simply take a look at the race conditions in either the track program or the past performances. 2. Calculate each horse’s LPS and earnings per start. Next, divide each horse’s lifetime earnings by its lifetime starts. You can always find both of these factors on the top of the horse’s past performance record. 3. A horse with the highest earning per start over its lifetime will be your winner. However, make sure that its closing odds are equal or more than 8:1. So, why should you invest your time in this system? You probably know that there are different class levels in this kind of races. If a horse is in tip top shape, it will win easily if dropped to a lower class level. A horse which meets these three criteria will have run at higher class levels during its previous races. Since they may have been injured, they will be demoted to a lower class. Thus, with trainers ensuring their health and good form, these horses will easily win against other horses that have been racing in a lower class for a while. You can expect to win 20% to 30% in profits through this system. However, make sure that you are patient throughout. Another thing you should know is that you should expect losing streaks. Despite promising high returns, the Thoroughbred Horse Betting system has a percentage of wins that is between 10% and 14%.

Figure 20 - You can easily estimate all of this by going to Transform.com’s horse stats. Check the names of each race’s horses and run them through Transform.com.

The Favourite Horse Betting System As you may have guessed, the Favourite Horse Betting system depends on which horse is the favourite of the race. However, you won’t be going by the predictions that are made on the race course. You will be selecting your own favourite horse. If you’re going to follow this system, you will have to select three horses based on a certain set of criteria. If the first horse wins, just take your money and head home. If the first horse loses, but the second one wins, you will have recovered your losses and your profit target will be achieved. However, if all three lose, try your luck the next day. So, what are the criteria for selecting the favourite horse? Just like the points based system, this horse betting system allocates points to each horse. The following will be your criteria:

1. Subtract the forecast price of the first favourite from the second favourite and give one point to each point of difference. For example, if the favourite is 6/4 and the second favourite is 6/2, the difference between both will amount to 1.5. 2. For the number of tipsters who believe that the forecast favourite will win, add one point. 3. Add both points together. The three horses with the highest combined figures will be your selection for that day’s race. However, make sure to avoid selling and claiming races. This system isn’t for them. Now, to implement this on Betfair.com. It’s not that easy, however, it is quite manageable. For starters, you need to find out the forecast prices of the favourites. You can find the favourites from the website itself. However, the stakes piling on a horse should be a good signal for you to estimate which horse is the favourite of the race.

Figure 21 – You can estimate the forecast of the race’s favourite horse and the second favourite.

If you’re wondering where to find tips, the best place to look for these is Betfair.com’s forums:

Figure 22 – A post from the Betfair.com forum for horse race betting.

One thing you should do to find tipsters is to keep a vigilant eye on the forums. Betfair.com’s Forum chat is also a useful tool through which you and other tipsters can mingle. You may believe this to be a very time consuming act, however, who said making money was that easy? If you want to earn big in horse betting, you should always make sure that you’re patient and confident in all your decisions. Now that you know how to rate your horse, you should know how to gain profit from each winning selection, and how to recover from losses caused by wrong selections. The right amount you should stake is easily calculated with the help of a certain formula: Divide the right hand number in the odds by the left hand number. Then, multiply the answer by the amount of points you have (points are bought for a certain amount of money, for example $1 per point). For example, assuming that Waking Warrior in figure 21 is the favourite horse, the stake should be 0.1667 x (number of points). If you plan on betting 10 points, your stake will be $16.67 for Waking Warrior.

Now, if the horse you had bet on won, stop for the day because you have achieved your profit target. However, if it lost, move on to the second horse and try to recover the $16.67 you had lost along with the amount you had spent on buying the earlier 10 points. Assuming that Fast Shot was the second favourite, its stake will be 0.111 x 10 =$11.11. If this horse lost as well, your losses will amount to $27.78. So, you must bet on the third horse to win back $27.78 + whatever you had paid on buying the points earlier. As you can see, losing means that your stakes will increase. Therefore, if you believe that Lady Luck has abandoned you, don’t venture into betting on more horses. Do you want to know the best part? This system can be applicable to any sport, so whether you enjoy horse betting or football, you can always use this technique.

A Compilation of Mini Horse Betting Systems Now that you have been properly introduced to the big boys in the trade, you should meet the smaller, yet equally effective horse betting systems. 1. Stick to one race course at a time. Although Betfair.com provides you with access to many race courses, you should only commit to one a day in order to plan your strategy well. Study the course and the performance of each horse to determine which one is worth betting on. 2. One of the good systems is to locate a horse that was the favourite or short priced in its last race. Yet, in the present race has 10-1 or more in the same level of race or below that. 3. Horses which raced on the same course are always a good bet. The trainer must have sent the horse on this track for a reason, and maybe is trying to win what he couldn’t last time.

4. Look for horses with low tissue price (3-1 and below) yet are going to post over 3-1 odds. There is probably a good reason that an odds-compiler might have deemed this horse worthy of low odds. However, avoid horses which have won at long odds the last time out yet are returning as race favourites or with short odds. 5. If a horse is welcomed as a favourite because its class dropped two or more levels, look for another horse which may be doing the same thing at higher odds. In most cases, the first horse is really just a decoy that pushes the prices of other horses out. 6. Always bet on horses which haven’t finished in any of the first three positions during their last four starts in the ongoing season. 7. If a horse keeps on repeating an action three times in a row, steer away from betting on it. Anything like wearing blinkers for the third time or racing in a class for the third time can be a bas sign.

Which of These Should You Be Trying? You have so many betting strategies here, yet which one should you choose? All of these have a good winning percentage to offer you, yet which one should you be trying? The answer is to test these methods yourself. However, make sure of two things: 1. Take care of your money: During your test, make sure that you make pretend bets rather than betting all your well earned cash. Keep the odds in mind while placing your bets. In the case of Betfair.com, you can always bet with a small amount of cash. $ 1 or $2 can suffice. However, sift between the systems you think will win and those which you believe are duds. 2. Stick to the winning system: If you win once from a horse betting system, it may be beginner’s luck. Yet, if you win again, enslave yourself to that

system. This is The One, the system that will bring you big bucks. So, make sure that you stick to it. Making money through these systems is easy. The best part is that these systems have become automated, i.e. you can easily cut through the chase and use the online versions of any of the systems discussed in this book. However, remember that machines make mistakes at times, so make sure that you have a money-back guarantee on whatever online system you would like to use. If you’re still a beginner punter, an online system isn’t the thing for you. Until you had practised these methods well and know how to implement them on your own, depending on a computerized system will be a big risk for your funds.

Conclusion You don’t have to love horses to love horse betting. However, with the money you will be getting through these betting systems, you shouldn’t be surprised if you feel like kissing the horse once it comes first or second. A reliable system is what you need to win big, and we have brought you so many to choose from. Not only are they tested for success, but also for providing you the best odds whenever you need to put money on a horse. So, what are you waiting for? Log on to Betfair.com and start betting like you never have before – like a winner!