FREE BETTING ADVICE FROM A RACING TIPSTER TESTED BY THE OBSERVER		BETFAIR TRADER SHOWS HOW TO HAVE MORE WINNING BETS

UK HORSE RACING BETTING ADVICE

HANDICAP RACES: I recommend you only bet on handicap races, this is a type of race in which the weight each horse has to carry
is individually allotted according to it's past performance to make the chances of all horses in a race more equal.

RUNNERS MINIMUM: I avoid betting on races - both Flat and National Hunt - with 6 or less runners as they tend to be won by a
very short priced favorite and will give a poor return for your money unless it is part of a multiple bet, such as a Double. However, if
the favorite is a decent price, say 3/1, for example, then needless to say, it is worth having a bet.

RUNNERS MAXIMUM: I try to limit my horse racing betting - both Flat and National Hunt - to races with 13 runners maximum. If you
are are tempted to back a horse in a race with a large field of runners I suggest you limit yourself to a race with 17 runners at most,
and opt for a decent priced Each Way bet instead of a straight win to improve your chances of winning. For a detailed explanation of
Each Way and other horse racing bets please see types of bet.

COURSES I AVOID: I never back horses at the following UK racecourses: Brighton, Folkestone, Goodwood and Wolverhampton,
they are my bogey courses, never giving me any winners. Fortunately, with 56 other UK racecourses to choose from I can easily
live with the disappointment at not being able to find winners at these four racecourses. So if you have had a succession of losers at
a particular course, perhaps you should try backing horses at other courses, you may find that your luck changes.

RACES TO AVOID: You should always try to reduce uncertainty in your race selection, so avoid betting on "Maiden" races and
"Apprentice" races. "Maiden" races are for horses with little race experience which have never won a race. Although there are some talented apprentice jockeys, this type of race can be unpredictable, as illustrated in the photo - below - of an Apprentice jockeys race
at Kempton on the 18 March 2008, when Sol Rojo (14/1) ridden by Josephine Bruning won by 16 lengths. Because the other horses
we're so far behind when Sol Rojo passed the winning post Josephine hadn't realised she had won and completed another circuit of Kempton, The other jockeys were all subsequently suspended for 10 -12 days for incompetence in allowing Sol Rojo to build up an unassailable race lead.

BETTING SHOPS: If you prefer to visit the betting shop to place your horse racing bets. I recommend avoiding the shops run by the
large UK betting chains such as Ladbrokes and William Hill, they do not always offer the best betting prices. Personally, I have found
that the small independent bookmaker offers better odds on horse racing. For example, if you place a Lucky 15/31/63 bet at many
independent bookmakers and only have one winner - they will pay you at treble the odds - whereas Ladbrokes and William Hill only
pay out at double the odds for one winner.

BETTING ONLINE: There are many advantages to betting online: better prices, greater range of sports to choose from and bonuses
and other incentives for new and existing customers. If you bet online or thinking of doing so, always make sure the site you are visiting
has a secure server. Always look for "https" in the address bar on the log in page of the site (the "s" denotes a secure site)
or a padlock icon at the bottom of the screen. You should never enter any financial information on a site which is not secure. Most betting sites require that you fund a betting account by credit card, but a few, including Betfair, will let you fund a betting account by transferring funds from a Paypal or Neteller account if you prefer not to reveal your credit card details.

BETTING PROFITABILITY CALCULATION: This is used to calculate the net percentage (%) profitabiltiy of your betting activity
and is commonly known as the Return On Investment (ROI). The ROI is calculated by dividing your total GBP winnings by the total
staked (GBP) and multiply by 100 to find the percentage profit. Example calculation: GBP 55.75 / 197 * 100 = 28.2%.

MOBILE BETTING: If your place of employment blocks online betting sites or you don't have easy access to a betting shop then
mobile betting could be the ideal solution. All the major betting companies including Betfair, Ladbrokes, Paddy Power offer mobile
betting to their clients. If your mobile phone has a web browser, then you can download a free mobile phone version of their betting
site. iPad owners who wish to place a bet might be interested in a free to use Betfair betting interface: Bet Tornado. The only costs
you incur for mobile betting are for using WAP or GPRS data services provided by your network operator.

FREE BETS: Many online betting sites offer "Free Bets" as an incentive to persuade new customers to open an account. However,
most sites stipulate that your first bet must be a minimum of GBP 25 in order to have your account credited with a Free Bet of equal
value. If you like the idea of a free bet - and who doesn't - but don't wish to spend as much as GBP 25 on your first bet I recommend
you open an account with Totesport. By wagering as little as GBP 5 on your first bet Totesport will credit your new account with a
GBP 10 Free Bet

STUDY: Even if you only have a bet at weekends, try to learn as much as possible about the horses you are backing, their jockeys
and trainers. As well as familiarizing yourself with the characteristics of different racecourses, Newbury, for example, suits the bigger
long striding horses, whereas Kelso suits the smaller nippier horses. Be aware of the effect of the draw, it can give some horses a significant advantage in certain flat races at certain courses, at Newcastle, for example, in races over 5f,6f and 7f, high numbers are
favoured UNLESS the going is soft, when low numbers are then favoured. And heavy going in a race can sometimes result in a
surprise winner - even a rank outsider passing the winning post first. Try to watch Channel 4 Racing on Saturday afternoon.
And for an expert in-depth coverage of UK horse racing and betting news I strongly recommend visiting the Racing Post.

CAUTIOUS BETTING: The best horse racing betting advice I can offer is to never bet more than you can afford to lose. You are not
going to win all the time, so don't waste your money chasing a losing streak. I remember watching the 2005 Cheltenham Festival on
TV and one of the presenters was talking to a racegoer who had 17 losing bets in a row! So take a disciplined approach to betting,
and hopefully, you will have fewer losing bets which will help to make your horse racing betting more profitable and enjoyable.

If you are looking for the latest on sport betting and the historical significance of horse racing visit gambling com where the experts
reveal their secrets.

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