Betting Systems

Article by Kaye MCArdle

A horse race form is a program containing factors about a horse race. It generally lists the scheduled races, the names of the horses, and other important race information. A horse race card helps bettors make an educated betting choice.The following text gives an overview to the terms and lingo in horse racing and betting. ‘Time’ is the race’s starting time.

The ‘purse’ is the prize money that is split mainly between the owner, trainer and jockey. Prize money is also spread, on a sliding scale, to those finishing in the first few places.Flat races are usually run at distances from 5 to 12 furlongs. A furlong is one eighth of a mile or 0.2 km.The ‘Program Number’ is the race number.

‘Morning Line Odds’ are the horse’s odds at the start of the day. This changes as the day progresses and more bets are placed.’Saddle Cloth’ Colour is included to help spectators and bettors identify their horses from a distance.’Post Position’ is the position assigned to the horse in the starting gate.Owners often use a name that stands out and is easily recalled by bettors, called a ‘Horse Name’ This is done since the horse’s name is often used by many newcomer bettors to help choose their bet.The main horse colours are bay, chestnut, black, brown, white, grey, pinto, buckskin, dun, and roan.Sex- Contains an abbreviation of the horse’s sex.? c – colt? f- filly? h -thoroughbred aged 5 or older? geldingRegarding a horse’s age, January 1 is counted as their birth date. Different horses mature at different ages. Most horses reach mental maturity at around seven or eight years old, when their behaviour generally becomes calmer and more accepting.The Sire and Dam are the names of the horse’s parents. The dam’s sire is often included. This data is useful for bettors to ascertain possible horse performance through ancestry.The Breeder is the person who handled the horse’s upbringing.Regarding weight, the amount of weight, including the jockey, which the horse will carry, is listed. Many jockeys are on strict diets so they can ‘make the weight’ for their rides.The Claiming Price is the price at which the horse is available for sale to a qualified buyer. As not all horses are competitors in stakes level races, racing in the claiming ranks gives the opportunity to race against horses of similar calibre. Thus, for example, when a horse easily wins against ?5,000 claimers, he may be moved up in value to avoid his being claimed. More prominent tracks would generally feature horses of higher value. Claiming Prices vary from ?5,000 to ?150,000 depending on the track.The ‘trainer’ is responsible for getting the horse in perfect shape for race day.The ‘owner’ pays for a horse’s training, and is keen to receive a return on his investments.The ‘jockey/rider’ has a massive part to play in a race. His ability to guide the horse in the race often spells the difference between winning and losing. The rider’s silks differentiate one mount from another, and are crucial to bettors who want to distinguish which horse they have backed. The variations can include spots, hoops, stars and stripes. A more recent innovation is the use of a sponsors’ logo.The ‘summary of results’ section includes a breakdown of the horse’s racing results during the current year, during his lifetime, under wet track conditions, on the same distance and on the same track. It also lists the horse’s previous earnings.It also contains the horse class rating which is a mark that is based on the horse’s speed in previous races, with emphasis placed on recent performance and races run at today’s distance. It’s usually a number between 50.0 and 100.0.

BET THIEF.COMIf you are thinking about online horse betting, be part of our new exciting and rewarding guidance website that is BET THIEF, coming Spring 2011.Click below for more details..

Good Luck

About the Author

http://www.BetThief.com

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included.

Find More Horse Racing Articles