Horse race betting has come a long way from history. From Ancient Greece’s Olympic Games, Roman Hippodromes, and Byzantium entertainment. Other names for this sport have been used, and what was once a historical form of showing speed and strength is now considered one of the world’s oldest forms of racing – and the world’s oldest gambling sport.
Despite its overall appeal to snobs (we can only assume to those who patronize the sport), there is more than meets the eye when it comes to betting horses in tracks.
It All Started With Horse Races
From the name itself, horse races are mentioned in history through myths and legends, sprouting into real life. They were initially known as chariot racing in ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt.
This sport was even part of the Greek Olympic games. Looking back, horse racing – or rather “chariot racing” was risky for both horses and drivers, but even that couldn’t stop it from being a huge hit.
The first known horse race – literal horse race – happened in Rome during the Spring Festival, where 20 riderless horses (from Barbary, North Africa) raced the entire street of Via Del Corso, with the race spanning 2 ½ minutes. I guess it’s safe to say that the 2 minute standard for horse races came from this race.
Thorough, Standard, Quarter, and Arabian
Yes, all of these are the main four breeds of horses that can and qualify to enter a horse race. You may think it odd that breed is factorable in this account, but it does matter greatly. In most horse races, the most preferred breed of the sire, or mare, bet on are Thoroughbreds and Arabian horses.
The main reason for this is that thoroughbreds – as in all thoroughbreds around the world, descended from a straight line of three founding sires known for speed and endurance, much like our Founding Fathers.
The Arabian Horses, on the other hand, are not so much of royal blood. But don’t let that fool you. There are some cases where Arabians are preferred as they’re bred for their endurance and strength, placing them on cross-country races. Imagine that on a track.
Different Types of Horse Racing.
Horse racing has come a long, long way now. Before, it used to be chariot races, then riderless horses, and now to horse and jockey. It can be assumed that horse races are just that, but nowadays, there are various types of horse racing, which is beneficial to every bettor. One must know what or how they’re betting.
The types of horse racing are flat racing, jump racing, harness racing, endurance racing, and saddle trotting. They may be a lot, but the one thing that is the most bet on is flat racing; it’s the most common horse racing, and it’s easy to bet on. You just choose which horse wins.
The Place Matters Too
With horse race betting as one of the top forms of gambling entertainment globally, it’s not much of a question when countries have their form of rules and regulations they implement on the tracks. Also, check out some Horse Racing Guide from your bookmakers to be informed about the latest odds, promotions, and rules from your country.
In some areas, betting can be prohibited. But it’s all fine as long as you know the place, which horses are being raced, the breed, the type of bets placed – you will pass as a veteran in no time. Just find your local bookmaker, for that matter.
To Win, To Place, To Show.
There are three ways to bet your money on horse racing, and it can be remembered by saying “to win, to place, to show.” It would be best if you remembered that horse races, in general, show a particular class in betting, which means that not all bets placed are the same.
Your chosen way of bet also defines you, the people around you, and what class you are in. As much as we want to be nonpartisan with our choices in horse race bets, it’s always safer to choose the most appropriate one for you. Simply put, betting to win is to straight-up bet money on the horse. The horse wins; you win.
Betting to place lets you choose a horse and bet on which place it finishes. And finally, betting to show means you bet on a horse, and when the horse finishes first, second, or third, you still win.
To Conclude
Horses, races, horse racing, horse race betting can be challenging to understand at first with all of these terms, traditions, breeds, and places. But with time and a little research (well, to be honest, a lot of research), you will know how and when to place your bet.
