TRAINING ON HOW TO PLACE A horse racing SPREAD BET

Try our interactive widget below for examples of how horse racing spread betting works for a theoretical £10 bet on different markets.

Alternatively, read on for more examples explaining how to place a horse racing spread bet.

The widget shows in more detail how spread betting markets can differ in volatility. For example, the range of the outcome for a Squared Numbers spread bet is greater than for the Race Index or Winning Distances markets, which in turn are more volatile than Winning Favourites. Therefore, it is important to choose a stake level you are comfortable with for different markets.

Try using the widget for different horse racing markets to see how potential profit and loss levels can vary. This will help you practice horse racing spread betting and give you an idea of how the markets work before you try for real yourself.

HORSE RACING SPREAD BETTING ‘BUY’ EXAMPLE

It’s Day 1 of Ascot, and you have a feeling that a jockey is going to have a particularly good day, so take a look at Spreadex’s Jockey Index spread betting market. That’s a bet on the aggregated performance of a named jockey over a meeting, with a win worth 25 points per race, 2nd place 10 points and 3rd place 5.

Spreadex is offering a Jockey Index spread for your named jockey of 34-37 across 5 races. You buy £2 at 37. The named jockey then goes on to win 2 races, finish 2nd in 2 races and 3rd in the final race. That leaves you with a Jockey Index make-up of 75, and profits of £76 ((75 – 37) x £2).

Let’s say the jockey isn’t quite so red hot, but still manages 1 win and a pair of 2nd place finishes, leading to Jockey Index make-up of 45. That would leave you with a profit of £16 ((45 – 37) x £2).

However, it isn’t always going to be your day. If the jockey only managed a single 3rd place finish across their 5 races, you would end up with a loss of £64 ((5 – 37) x £2).

HORSE RACING SPREAD BETTING ‘SELL’ EXAMPLE

Going into Cheltenham you think a specific jockey’s chances have been overrated, so take a look at Spreadex’s Jockey Index spread betting market.

Spreadex is offering a Jockey Index spread for your named jockey of 47-50 across 5 races. You choose to sell £2 at 47. Your hunch proves to be correct, and the jockey only manages a solitary 2nd place finish. That leaves you with a profit of £84 ((47 – 5) x £2).

Even if the jockey had a slighter better day, and managed a win and a 2nd place finish, you would still end up with a profit of £24 ((47 – 35) x £2).

On the other hand, if the jockey repeatedly rides to victory, and sees 4 wins in 5 races, you would incur a loss of £106 ((47 – 100) x £2).

Race Indices Market

The spread is based on points being awarded to horses in the following formats:

For races with 11 runners or less: 50 points awarded to the winning horse, 25 to the second placed horse and 10 to the third placed horse (known as the 50-25-10 Index).

For races with 12 runners or more: 50 points awarded to the winning horse, 30 to the second placed horse, 20 to the third placed and 10 to the fourth (known as the 50-30-20-10 Index).

Spreadex may give a horse a spread of 12 - 15 for a race with 12 runners or more. You would buy at 15 if you thought the horse would finish first, second or third or sell at 12 if you thought the horse would finish fourth or worse.

Favourites

Winning Favourites: The number of favourites to win races over a day of a meeting. E.g. if our spread was 2.8 - 3 you could choose to buy at 3 (if you fancied the favourites that day) or sell at 2.8 (if you didn't like the look of the favourites).

On a buy at 3 you would need four or more favourites to win races to turn a profit. On a sell at 2.8 you would need zero, one or two favourites only to win races to turn a profit.  

Favourites: For each race in a meeting we award points to the horse which is the starting price favourite based on the following: 25 points if it wins the race, 10 points if it finishes second in the race and 5 points if it finishes third in the race.

So if, over seven races in a meeting, the favourite in each race finishes third, first, fourth, first, second, fifth and third then Favourites will make up at 70 (5+25+0+25+10+0+5 = 70). In case of joint or co-favourites, the lower racecard number is deemed the favourite.

Racing Post Favourites: Based on the performance of the Racing Post favourites (as per scoring system above) as indicated by the first horse named in the betting forecast of the tabloid edition of the Racing Post.

Winning Distances

Winning Distances: The winning distance between the winning horse and the second placed horse for each race over a meeting, aggregated.

For distances less than a length, the following applies: Nose 0.05, Short Head 0.1, Head 0.2, Short Neck 0.25, Neck 0.3, Half a length 0.5 and three-quarters of a length 0.75. Maximum winning distance per race = 12 lengths.

99s Distances: As above but with the maximum winning distance per race = 99 lengths.

2nd to 3rd Distances: The distance between the second placed horse and the third placed horse for each race at a meeting, aggregated.

other card markets

Racecard Number 1s: The combined total of points scored by the Racecard no 1s at a meeting based on: 25 points if no 1 horse wins a race, 10 points if 2nd, 5 if 3rd.

Double numbers: The combined total of racecard numbers of the winning horses of all races at a particular meeting, doubled.

Stop at a winner: Number of races until a favourite wins at a meeting, x 10. E.g. if favourite doesn't win until 4th race, make-up is 40. If no favourite wins all day, make up is number of races + 1 (x 10).

Multi-mules: Aggregate sum of the racecard number of the winning horse multiplied by the racecard number of the second placed horse for all races at this meeting.

Jockey Index

Bet on the performance of a named jockey over a meeting. For each race in a meeting we award points to the jockey based on: 25 points if he wins the race, 10 points if 2nd, 5 if 3rd.

If the jockey does not ride the intended mount but the horse still runs, then the horse still counts as if it had been ridden by the intended jockey.

The intended mount will be taken to be the horse published in the Racing Post on the day of the race as to be ridden by the jockey concerned.

If the jockey rides any horse which, according to that day's tabloid edition of the Racing Post, he was not scheduled to ride, that ride does not count for the purpose of bets on that jockey.

Match Bets

Don't worry about the full field in a certain horse race, instead focus on a two-horse race by playing on our horse racing Match Bets.

Our Match Bets allow you to bet on how many lengths a named horse will beat, or will be beaten by, another horse in a particular race at a meeting.

In a flat race, the maximum make up is 12 lengths. In a National Hunt race, the maximum make up is 15 lengths. The market is void if both horses fail to finish.

Note that the market can have a negative make-up if the favourite in the Match Bet finishes behind the other horse.

fixed odds horse racing betting

Our fixed odds horse racing betting service includes Win-Only, Each-Way, Accumulator, Multiple, Forecast and Tricast, Place Only, Insurance and Bet Without Named Horse options.

We offer each-way betting on all horse races on the following terms:
• 1-4 runners: win only.
• 5-7 runners: ¼ odds a place for 1,2.
• 8+ runners: 1/5 odds a place for 1,2,3.
• 12-15 runners in handicaps only: ¼ odds a place 1,2,3.
• 16+ runners in handicaps only: ¼ odds a place 1,2,3,4.

Click here to see our Fractional/Decimal Odds Conversion Table.

FORECAST AND TRICAST BETTING

Straight forecast (or SF): Composed of two selections and is a single bet prediction of 1st and 2nd in the correct order.

Reverse forecast (or RF): Composed of two selections and is a prediction for your two selections to finish 1st and 2nd in any order. It is effectively the same as placing two straight forecasts for your chosen selections.

Straight tricast (or ST): A single bet prediction of 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the correct order.

Combination tricast (or CT): Composed of a number of selections and is a prediction for your selections to finish 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in any order.

PLACE ONLY AND INSURANCE BETTING

Place Only horse racing betting: A straight single bet on the horse to place i.e. finish in the first two, three or four depending on the number of runners in the race. If it finishes in the first 2/3/4 your bet wins. If it doesn't your bet loses.

Insurance horse racing betting: A bet on the horse to win but you get your stake back (rather than losing the bet) if it finishes second or third, depending on the number of runners in the race. As a result you get a slightly shorter price than the usual 'to win' price.

Betting Without A Named Horse: A bet on your horse to win excluding a given other horse in the race (normally the favourite). I.e. your bet will win if your horse either wins the race or finishes second behind the horse, otherwise it loses.