If you want to become a master at horse race betting at Stake.com, we delve into all aspects of betting on horse racing. We offer valuable insights and resources designed to turbocharge your horse racing betting experience from day one.
We’ll explain the most popular bet types, the biggest horse races and meetings worldwide, how to understand horse racing odds formats and tips and strategies for placing your first bets on the sport.
Bet on International Horse Racing Online
If you’ve been hunting for horse racing betting that covers race meetings from all four corners of the globe, call off your search. At Stake Sportsbook, we offer different types of horse racing markets and resources, including the latest betting news, outright and each-way odds.
Whether it’s racing at Churchill Downs or Cheltenham, Melbourne or Meydan, you can rely on us to offer competitive horse racing odds on your favourite picks.
How to Bet on Horse Races with Best Betting Odds & Types of Bets
If you’re keen to get stuck into betting on the next big racecards at Stake, it’s important to understand the types of horse racing bets you can make. Placing a bet in horse racing markets has never been easier, thanks to our explanation of basic bets and the more exotic wagers that make things interesting.
Singles
A single is a straight-up bet type on a single horse to win an upcoming race.
Doubles
A double is a split type of bet on two horses to win two different horse races. Both must win for a double to pay out.
Trebles
A treble is a split bet on three horses to win three different horse races. All must win for a treble to pay out.
Accumulator
An accumulator – or “acca” – is a bet on four or more horses to win their respective races. All picks must win for an accumulator to pay out.
Trixie
A Trixie covers picks on three horses spread across four bets – three doubles and one treble. At least two out of the three horses must win to ensure a return.
Yankee
A Yankee covers picks on four horses, spread over 11 bets – six doubles, four trebles and one four-fold. Again, at least two out of the four selections must win to ensure a return.
Lucky 15
A Lucky 15 covers selections on four horses, spread over 15 bets – four singles, six doubles, four trebles and one four-fold. With the inclusion of four singles, only one winner is needed to earn a return.
Heinz
The Heinz bet is a mammoth 57-bet combination, covering six horses in separate races. It combines all permutations involving your six picks into a single wager.
Super Heinz
Super Heinz bets are even bigger than their Heinz counterparts, spanning 120 bets across seven selections and races – one seven-fold, seven six-folds, 21 five-folds, 35 four-folds, 35 trebles and 21 doubles.
Quinella
A Quinella is a straight forecast bet on the finishing order of the first and second horses in a race.
Trifecta
A Trifecta is a straight forecast bet on the finishing order of the first, second, and third horses in a race. For bigger races, you may even be able to place Superfecta bets, predicting the first four horses in a race.
Flexi Bets: Flexi betting is a unique way to place exotic bet types for a set amount. With a flexi bet, you can place a combination of selections within an exotic bet for a smaller outlay, reducing the risk.
There are so many horse races that attract significant betting interest and liquidity. Below, we’ve done our best to drill down and hand-pick the five most popular horse races on the planet each season:
Kentucky Derby (USA)
Dubbed the “Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”, this is America’s premier horse race, held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
Grand National (UK)
The Aintree Grand National is the world’s most historic steeplechase. Raced over four miles, the Aintree Racecourse is famed for its challenging jumps and is a stiff stamina test.
Melbourne Cup (AUS)
Known as the “Race That Stops a Nation”, the Melbourne Cup is staged at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, attracting an international field for the richest two-mile handicap.
Dubai World Cup (UAE)
Currently, the world’s richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup, is hosted at Meydan Racecourse. Like the Melbourne Cup, it attracts top-tier competitors and trainers.
Epsom Derby (UK)
The Epsom Derby is Britain’s most prestigious flat race. Held at Epsom Downs, it dates back to the 19th century, attracting only Grade One three-year-old thoroughbreds.
You can also check out our American, Asian (including Hong Kong), European, and Australasian horse racing calendars to discover all the upcoming horse races happening around the world.
How to Live Stream Horse Racing & Live Betting Options
In many cases, you can live stream the biggest horse races with a Stake.com account. Just make sure you’re logged in and have a reliable Wi-Fi or data connection to ensure a high-quality race broadcast.
Live, in-play betting on consecutive races is not usually available with sportsbooks like Stake.com. That’s why it’s always best to ensure you get the best value horse racing odds for your picks pre-off.
If you're looking for some exciting alternatives to Horse Racing, check out our options for betting on today's Greyhound races and Harness racing meets.
Horse Racing Betting Tips & Strategies to Win
Get tips from the experts
We're thrilled to partner with racing legend Frankie Dettori to bring racing fans closer to the action than ever. Known as the World's Greatest Jockey, Frankie regularly offers expert tips, predictions & horse betting promotions on Stake, So keep your eyes peeled.
Always hunt for value horse racing odds
Value is key when placing bets on a single race or across an entire race meeting. Value odds are greater than a horse’s “true” odds or its chance of success.
Start with each-way betting to spread your risk
As a novice to online horse betting odds, take each-way bets on horses first – even if you’re backing a favourite horse. This means you’ll get a return if your horses wins or places. It spreads your risk across three, four, or even five positions.
Manage your horse racing betting bankroll responsibly
Make sure you bet responsibly. This ensures your betting bankroll can sustain losing and winning runs. Consider splitting your bank into 100 units and wagering one unit per race.
Learn how to read a racecard
Dedicate some time to learning how to read a racecard. This will help you to get a picture of a horse’s form, its performances in similar circumstances and such like.
Horse Racing Betting Odds & Payouts
At Stake Sportsbook, our odds in horse racing are presented in one of three formats. Each explains the probability of a horse winning a race, coupled with the potential winnings you can expect from a winning bet on a horse racing event:
Fractional Odds
Fractional odds represent the potential profit relative to your stake. For instance, odds of 6/1 mean that for every $1 wagered, you’ll stand to win $6, plus a refund of your initial stake.
American Odds
American odds are expressed as positive (+) or negative (-) figures. Positive odds indicate the potential profit on a $100 wager. E.g. +300 odds mean a winning $100 wager would return $300 in profit. Negative odds denote how much you’ve got to wager to win $100. E.g. -200 odds suggest you must stake $200 to win $100.
Decimal Odds
Decimal odds express the potential return on investment, including your original stake. E.g. odds of 6.0 imply a $1 bet would return $6 in total, inclusive of your wager.
Understanding the three payout odds is crucial for a smart betting strategy. You can learn more about betting on horse races with our ultimate betting guide.
Interesting Facts About Horse Racing
Many horse racing fans regard Lester Piggott as the finest jockey in horse racing history. He ended his career with 4,493 flat racing wins, including nine wins in the prestigious Epsom Derby.
Secretariat is considered by most to be the most decorated thoroughbred racehorse of all time. He won the US Triple Crown in 1973 in rampant fashion, finishing his career with over $1.3m in race winnings.
In the UK, the average flat race generates £17,744.28 in prize money, compared with £11,072.49 in the average jump race.
43.97mph is the fastest speed achieved by a thoroughbred racehorse. This was attained by Winning Brew at Penn National Racecourse in May 2008.
