Horse Racing Around The World | How Horse Racing Differs

Horse racing may seem the same all around the world, but there are subtle differences you might want to know about. Especially if you’re planning to travel and bet on the horses whilst you’re in different countries. Before placing your bet with the Sky Bet offer on The Winners Enclosure you can take advantage of, here’s what you should know about horse racing around the world: how horse racing differs.

Horse Racing in the UK

Horse racing and the UK have been in love for decades. This is the most important country in the world when it comes to races, but the rules and regulations were only established formally in the 17th century. The sport is governed by the British Horseracing Authority, and the country focuses on two types of races, flat racing and national hunt. It goes without saying that some of the best races in the world happen in the UK, including the Royal Ascot and the Grand National. Wagers here are primarily made through bookmakers offering fixed odds.

Horse Racing in the US

When it comes to American horseracing, it is safe to say that it has been imported from Britain. But as everything else in America, it crafted a new path for itself. Some of the most popular races here are the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, and the Kentucky Derby – and this is where a horse can win the prestigious Triple Crown Title. There are about seven categories in the American horseracing, but the most popular is the thoroughbred flat. This is one of the most important differences between the US and UK, where a National Hunt is preferred. Bets also differ. In the US, most wagers are a form of pari-mutuel betting.

Horse Racing in Australia

Horse racing has only become a popular sport in Australia in the 19th century, when the British colonists first imported it. The first official recorded race took place in 1810 and since then, Australia became one of the top thoroughbred producers in the world. Australia Racing Board is the country’s equivalent of the British Horseracing Authority, and here you can bet on the races both on and off the course. Betting preferences vary from fixed odds to pari-mutuel betting.

Horse Racing in New Zealand

Horse racing was established in New Zealand more or less at the same time as it did in Australia, but the country only organised the first race in 1841. This makes New Zealand’s racing the youngest on this list. Trotting, also known as harness racing, is the most beloved form of the sport in this part of the world – a form of racing in which the horse is pulling a cart or another type of 2-wheeler. Similar to the US, race betting in New Zealand is dominated by pari-mutuel betting.

And now that you know what are the differences and similarities of horse racing around the world, all you have to do is decide which race to attend and what type of bet to place next.

Bonus: How to Be a Successful Horse Race Gambler

After we explained horse racing in different parts of the world, we should move to another lesson. As mentioned in the introduction, one of the ways to become a successful horse race gambler is to know the differences we just talked about. However, that is not the only thing you should do to get the rewards. There are a few more things you should also put into consideration before placing a bet. Let’s find them out together!

Check Out the Racing Forms

You will need to spend some time on researching all the participants of the race that seems like a good gambling opportunity. The first thing you will have to check out is the racing form of all the horses that participate. This can tell you a lot about the potential outcome of the race.

When you check out the form guide (another game for racing form), there are a few pieces of information you can get. First of all you will see the number of each horse dugin the race as well as the color of shirt each jockey will wear. Some people simply gamble on jockeys that wear their favorite color. You can do that as well, but that color does not influence the outcome of the race in any way. In other words, you will have to count only on luck.

These columns are, in general, irrelevant for the gambler. However, the third one is the place where you can see their results in the previous races. You may see a letter instead of a number in that column, but that is not something that should confuse you. It only confirms that a horse/jockey was disqualified. If you see only outcomes of the previous two or three faces, we recommend you expand your research to get a better explanation of their racing form.

The Type of Race Where Horse Is Winning

You need to know this detail as well. Keep in mind that not all horses are successful in all types of races. For instance, it may happen that some of them achieve better results on a dirt track while others will win the race on the turf track. If you recognize there is some kind of pattern there, you should expand your research and see whether the same things happened in the past.

Try Out Different Types of Bets

The win bet is probably the favorite type of bet among all horse racing gamblers. However, no one says that you do not have the right to experiment with things and try out some other options. As we already analyzed, the types of bets are not the same in all parts of the world because countries around the globe have developed their unique offers. However, let’s say that you live in the USA. You can, for instance, you can make a place bet (the horse you bet on ends up in the first two places), multiple horse bets that can come in form of the quinella, and the exact bet. Exacta bet allows you to bet on the horses that will end up in the first two places. However, you will need to predict the exact order. On the other hand, the quinella does not require you to predict which horse will be the first or second, but the reward is often lower compared to the exacta.