April 24, 2025

Racing And Wagering: Basic Guide To Horse And Dog Racing

Horse and dog racing is a big industry in Australia. And race betting is what keeps the industry thriving. Separated into three events, thoroughbred racing, harness racing, and greyhound racing, the Australian racing landscape has proved to be worth anticipating for racing enthusiasts.

Placing your bet on a horse or a dog can be an exciting experience. While the winner can’t be guaranteed and the process can be daunting for beginners, it is all straightforward once you know your way around the basics. We will provide you everything, from the horse and dog racing process, what to look for in a horse/dog, and how and where to place a bet.

Thoroughbred Racing

Each year, only Australian-ruled football and rugby can compete with thoroughbred racing spectators. There are at least two million people who will want to visit any of Australia’s 300 horse racing tracks in a year. Thousands of people are employed, including trainers, owners, jockeys, groomers, feed producers, veterinarians, and more, thanks to this huge enterprise.

How does this work? On the day of the races, you can purchase racebooks at the stands and concierges around the course. Racebooks will provide you with all the crucial information about the races and the list of horses that will be running. This manual will give you an insight into what you can expect during the race and the jockeys that will be riding the horses.

You will find a guide in the book, which will help you make an informed decision when betting on a horse. It has key information about every horse, jockey, trainer, owner, and recent course record. The guide will also indicate every horse’s silk colour for easy identification. Make sure to look out for form figures. It represents a horse’s finishing position in its previous races.

When wagering, you can either bet on the track during the races or place it on online racebooks instead. If you decide to attend the live races, you may place your bet with either a bookie or a teller. And if you opt for online racebooks, all you need is an online racebook account funded by cash or Bitcoin. You may then place your bet on all races each Thursday. 

Harness Racing

Horses playing in harness races are called “Standardbred.” Originated because early horses were required to reach a specific mile distance standard to be categorized as a new breed. Standardbred racing has two types, identified by their leg movement style or “gait.”

  • Lateral Gait: The legs are led by the “pacer” on the same side forward and back together.
  • Diagonal Gait: The trotter moves from front right to rear left leg, vice versa.

Most standardbreds start their racing career as two to three-year-olds. Keep in mind that pacers race only pacers, and trotters race trotters. When betting, what you need to do first is choose the track you want to place your wager on. Then, after picking a race number, choose the type of bet and enter the amount. Below is a list of types of wager:

  • Win: Earn win money when your horse comes in first.
  • Place: Earn place money when your horse comes at first or second.
  • Show: Earn show money when your horse manages to finish in the top 3.
  • Daily Double: Pick winners of the two consecutive races
  • Exacta: In exact order, pick the first two horse finishers.
  • Trifecta: In exact order, pick the first three horse finishers.
  • Superfecta: In exact order, pick the first four-horse finishers.

Greyhound Racing

For beginners, greyhound racing provides a detailed form guide like those of horse racing. It can tell you the same information regarding greyhound racing to ensure a successful betting strategy. However, unlike horse racing, greyhound racing has no riders to lead the race. It only relies on the dogs’ performances without the help of human intervention.

When betting for greyhound racing, keep in mind that there are hundreds of betting markets you can choose from. Browse our list of the most popular greyhound racing wagering markets below:

  • Win: You need to pick a dog that is most likely to win and place a stake to win.
  • Each-Way: You need to place half a stake on a winning dog and the other half on a placed dog.
  • Forecast: You need to place a bet on a dog most likely to win first or second.
  • Tricast: You need to pick three dogs that are most likely to win first, second, or third.
  • Inside vs. Outside: You need to back the three/four inside traps or the three/four outside traps. If any of the dogs in your three/four number wins, you win the bet.
  • Winning Distance: You need to decide how far you think a winning dog will win during the race.

Takeaway

It is always best to prepare yourself with proper knowledge when betting for races. This guide should help you be ready to take on the most-awaited race day just like any racegoers do. Happy punting season, and never forget to have fun in the course.