Horse Racing Betting Sites

We’ve shown you the best betting sites for horse racing, but how did we decide which bookmakers made it onto the list.

Betting experts from MansionBet have used their years of industry knowledge to assess every aspect of online betting sites to determine how they stack up against the competition.

Some of the main elements they consider is whether the sign-up process is easy, what sort of bonuses are available and whether the odds are competitive.

Depth of markets, ongoing promotions, payment methods and withdrawal times are other aspects of betting sites that come under scrutiny.

Licensing and regulation are also important, as we want to ensure that the UK horse racing betting sites we recommend are trustworthy.

We’ve displayed a list of the top betting sites for horse racing and what we check to recommend them. Not all betting sites are the same, so what features do we look for?

• Good odds on domestic and international races: If you’re betting on horse racing you want value for money. The sites we recommend offer competitive odds on domestic and international racing. Many of them offer Best Odds Guaranteed on UK & Irish racing.
• Variety of horse racing betting online markets: We love betting sites that don’t just offer win and each-way bets on horse racing. Markets such as match bets – wagering on one horse to finish ahead of another – add another dimension to horse racing betting sites.
• Coverage of major horse racing meetings: Bookies ramp up their activity when big meetings such as the Cheltenham Festival or the Breeders’ Cup come around. The best sites offer horse racing specials, boosted odds, extra places and more to entice you into betting with them.
• Horse racing live streaming: This one is a biggie for us. When recommending UK horse racing betting sites, we love to see live streaming coverage of all meetings in UK and Ireland. Sites that also feature international action get extra points!

Now you know about what we look for in betting sites for horse racing, here are our top picks.

UK horse racing betting sites advertise a vast array of offers throughout the year. The best deals are as follows:

• Welcome Offer: Most bookies reward punters for opening an account on their site. This is often in the form of a percentage match on your first deposit.
• Free Bets: Punters can receive free bet offers as part of sign-up deals or ongoing promotions. One of the common horse racing offers is where the bookie gives you a free bet if your selection finishes second in a race.
• Racing Specials: Popular racing specials included odds on horses to win a series of races or which jockey will ride the most winners in a season.
• Price Boost Offers: Many bookies boost the odds on selected races each day. Price boosts can also be found on multiple bets involving two or more selections.
• Extra Places: On big races such as the Grand National, horse racing betting sites pay out on extra places. For example, some bookies pay out each-way bets at 1/5 the odds if your selection finishes in the first six.

It is worth noting that all horse rating betting offers have terms and conditions attached to them. Always read the small print!

Punters in the UK love wagering on horse racing, but what makes it so popular?

• Tradition: Betting on horse racing has been passed down from generation to generation.
• Availability: With the top betting sites covering meetings around the world, punters can wager on the sport 24/7.
• Live Streaming: All of the top bookies live stream horse racing meetings every day, allowing punters to follow the progress of their bets in real time.
• Quickfire Action: Unlike many other sports you know the outcome of your bets in horse racing in just a few minutes.

There are plenty of different horse racing markets available. Here are some of the most popular:

• Win: This is the most common bet placed on UK horse racing betting sites. Simply back a horse to win a particular race.
• Each-Way: A wager that requires you to double your stake. Half of the stake is placed on the horst to win, with the other half staked on it finishing in a place.
• Betting Without the Favourite: A market that takes short-priced favourites out of the equation. Back a horse and if it wins or finishes second to the favourite, the bet wins.
• Winning Distance: Many bookmakers offer odds on how far a horse will win a particular race by. If the horse crosses the finishing line by more than the stated distance, you win.
• Match Bet: A market that lets you bet on one horse to finish ahead of another in a race.

Horse racing offers loads of different bet types. The most popular ones are as follows:

• Ante-Post: Bookies offer odds on big races weeks or months in advance, giving you the chance to secure early value.
• Single: A bet on just one horse.
• Double: Wager on two horses to win two separate races.
• Treble: Add a third selection to a double to make up a treble.
• Accumulator: Any wager with four or more selections is called an accumulator or multiple bet.
• Yankee: A bet with four horses spread across 11 bets. These are six doubles, four trebles and a four-fold accumulator.
• Forecast: A forecast requires the punter to predict which horses will finish first and second in a race. Double the stake for a reverse forecast.
• Tricast: Wager on the horses you think will finish first, second and third in a race. A combination tricast is six bets and covers all possible outcomes for the three selections.

 UK horse racing betting sites generally display their odds in one of two ways – fractional odds or decimal odds. 

Fractional odds are displayed in this format – 3/1, 4/1, 9/2 – while decimal odds are 4.00, 5.00. 5.50 and so one.

Most of the top betting sites for horse racing use fractional odds. The number displayed on the right is the unit stake you must place to win the number on the left.

For instance, if you place a £1 bet at odds of 3/1 and the horse wins your return would be £4 (£3 winnings plus your £1 stake returned.

If you see fractional odds where the number on the right is bigger than the number on the left, this means the horse is ‘odds-on’ to win a race.

For example, if you back a horse at 1/3 you would have to wager £3 to make a profit of just £1 if it wins the race.

If you bet each-way on horse racing, the bookie will pay out the place part of your bet as a fraction of the win odds.

This will generally be 1/4 or 1/5 of the odds dependent on the type of race and how many runners are taking part.

The betting sites we recommend provide punters with loads of useful information to help them make informed betting decisions.

The racecard contains details about the runners, jockeys, trainers and colours, while many bookies go the extra mile by previewing and providing tips for each race.

There will also be details about any non-runners, while the latest odds will be published alongside each horse on the list.

The most important piece of information is the horse’s form, which gives you an insight into how it has run over the past six races.

Form runs from left to right on the racecard, with the oldest race on the left and the most recent on the right. They key information to look for is as follows:

• Numbers 1-9: The position the horse finished in a race.
• Number 0: Indicates the horse finished outside the first nine.
• Letter P: Indicates the horse was pulled up in a race.
• Letter F: Indicates the horse fell in a race.
• Letter U: Indicates the horse unseated its jockey.
• Letter R: Indicates the horse refused to race or jump a fence.

The – symbol is used to separate runs in different seasons, while the / symbol indicates the horse has been out of action for more than one season. 

 The best betting sites for horse racing offer punters a wide range of ways to make deposits and withdrawals on their sites. Here are some of the most popular payment options.

• Debit Cards: This is still the go-to method for many punters. Visa and Mastercard are the most popular debit card options.
• e-Wallets: Payment methods such as PayPal, Skrill and Neteller have become increasingly popular in recent years as they add an extra layer of security to each transaction.
  
• Mobile Payments: Increased smartphone usage has sparked a growth in the use of Apple Pay and Google Pay on horse racing betting sites.
• Open Banking: Payment methods such as Trustly allow punters to make instant deposits and withdrawals from their betting account.
• Payment Cards: Many punters deposit easily and securely with Paysafecard. However, it is generally not possible to make withdrawals via this method.
• Bank Transfer: Most UK horse racing betting sites allow punters to make payments via bank transfer. Withdrawal times can be slow using this option.

We’ve assessed most aspects of horse racing betting sites – now it’s time to consider how to wager on the sport. Generally speaking, the process is as follows:

• Visit one of the sites we’ve recommended.
• Sign-up for a new account or login to an existing.
• Click on the account page and make a deposit.
• Head to the horse racing section and choose an event
• Click on your selection(s).
• Enter your stake in the betting slip and place the bet.

If your bet is successful, the winnings will be credit to your betting balance!

Things to Consider Before Betting on Horse Racing

Before you part with your hard-earned cash, there are a few things you need to consider when placing a bet:

• The current form of the horse, jockey and trainer.
• The weight the horse must carry.
• Ground conditions.
• The horse’s record at the track.
• The horse’s record over the distance.
• The strength of the opposition.
• Breeding.
• The draw.
• Whether the odds are competitive.

The most successful punters are the ones who spend time analysing races in detail to look for angles they can use to their advantage.

Has a horse been running over the wrong distance? Has it got the going it needs? Does the trainer do well at the track? Is the horse overpriced?

Betting on horse racing is a skill. Whether you use new betting sites or a well-established brand, spend time perfecting your craft for the best results.

You’ve got betting basics in place, so let’s look at implementing a sound betting strategy.

One of our favourites is an adapted version of the Martingale System which is often used to great effect on casino games.

Start by picking one meeting per day to bet on. In this example, we’ll use the Haydock meeting staged on Saturday, April 23.

The system starts by placing a £10 bet on the favourite in the first race. You only do this if the horse is priced at 5/4 or greater. If it isn’t, wait for the next race.

The first selection was New Comedy which won at 5/4. This gives a return of £22.50. At this point you pocket the profit and revert to the £10 stake for the next race.

If the horse lost, you would double the next stake.

The second race selection was Dream Together, which won at 10/3. The return here would be £43.33. You once again revert to the start.

In the next race there were joint favourites, so you sit this one out and wait for race four. This provided another winning favourite at 13/8 – a return of £26.25.

The fifth race on the card saw the favourite finish second, which means the £10 bet is lost. A £20 bet is then placed on the next race.

Unfortunately, this horse also lost which means a £40 bet must be placed on the final race of the day.

The 4/1 favourite Glen Esk won the race, giving you a whopping £200 return. You would then revert back to your £10 stake for your chosen meeting the following day.

If the horse had lost, your first bet on that day would be doubled to £80. If you stick to the odds and stake doubling criteria, you are guaranteed to make a profit when a favourite wins a race.

One of the biggest attractions of horse racing is meetings are staged every day.

However, for many punters the sport is all about the biggest events that take place during the year.

• Cheltenham Festival: This is the pinnacle of the jumps racing season in the UK. Staged over four days during March, the Festival features the very best National Hunt horses, jockeys and trainers.
• Grand National: This annual marathon race at Aintree attracts a massive global television audience. It is the ultimate test of horse and jockey.
• The Derby: Run in early June at Epsom racecourse, the Derby features the best three-year-old middle-distance horses in Europe.
• Royal Ascot: A five-day meeting held in mid-June that boasts loads of top-class races, the best in fashion and pageantry courtesy of the close connections with the British Royal Family.
• Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe: Staged at Longchamp in early October, this prestigious race features the best middle-distance horses aged three and over.
• Melbourne Cup: Australia’s most famous race is a 3,200-metre contest for three-year-old thoroughbreds.
• Breeders’ Cup: This two-day meeting is staged in early November at different tracks in North America. It is the climax of the international flat racing season.

We’ve just highlighted the top UK and international horse racing events and you will have noticed we mentioned different types of horse racing codes – flat racing and jump racing. 

Flat racing is exactly as you would imagine it – races are run over different distances with no obstacles placed in the way of the horses. 
By contrast, jumps racing has two main components – hurdles and steeplechases. Hurdles are smaller obstacles, while steeplechases require the horse to jump big fences. 

The majority of flat horses race as two- and three-year-olds, although a fair percentage go on to continue their careers for a few more seasons. 
National Hunt horses tend to be around for much longer, with many spending more than ten years jumping hurdles and competing in steeplechases. 

From a betting perspective, flat racing can deliver extremely quick results, with five-furlong races taking just one minute to run. 

Jumps races such as the Grand National are at the other end of the scale, with horses generally taking nine or ten minutes to complete the course. 
Many flat horses switch to the jumps when they become four-year-olds, which adds another intriguing strand to betting on horse racing.  

It is highly likely that if you enjoy wagering on horse racing you have probably visited a betting shop at some point in your life.

In fairness, we wouldn’t put anyone off using a betting shop. They serve a crucial function and the betting industry would be a poorer place without them.

However, when it comes to convenience it is difficult to top betting on horses online. All you need is a suitable digital device and a stable Wi-Fi connection.

They allow you to bet whenever and wherever you want, so if you’re unable to visit your local betting shop you can still wager on a race.

The addition of betting apps into the mix has made it even easier to bet online, providing punters with access to the latest markets in just a couple of clicks.

The best online sites also allow you to watch live streams of the races, although there is an argument to say that betting shops offer better coverage via their big television screens.

We are big fans of betting on the internet and think all horse racing fans should have at least one online account. Don’t neglect your local betting shop though!

We take customer safety extremely seriously. With that in mind, we don’t recommend any betting sites that are not licensed and regulated to operate in the UK.

All of the sites we feature hold licenses with respected authorities such as the Gambling Commission (UKGC), who are responsible for overseeing the betting industry.

The Commission’s main aims are to keep crime out of gambling and to ensure that the industry offers a safe place for people to place bets.

The UKGC issues licences to gambling operators, levies fines and can revoke licenses if gambling companies breach any rules.

They also collaborate with the police and other UK organisations in cases where suspicious betting patterns are detected.

By using the bookmakers featured on our site, you can wager online safe in the knowledge that you are dealing with a trustworthy operator.