Best UK Online Horse Betting Sites

Horse Racing Betting

Horse racing has a very long and rich history in plenty of countries in the world. It has been practised for well over a millennia. Being popular even in ancient civilizations, with events taking place in ancient Greece and Rome, horse racing is still very relevant in the 21st century. Many countries have created their own traditions and versions of the sport, introducing different course lengths, obstacles, etc. While some countries see horse racing as merely a sporting event, people in countries like the UK fall for the appeal of the sport to bet on races and pick a winner by eye.

To put things into perspective, horse racing is the second-most popular sport in terms of viewers in the UK, behind only football. Some studies suggest that around 6 million people attend horse racing events each year in the UK alone, with around 40% of them being women.

People enjoy going to the races not only as it is a spectacle itself, but because it provides them with a great chance to catch up with friends or family and go there together. There is also a special dress code for horse racing events, so everything is taken quite seriously.

Racecourses often have restaurants, bars, tearooms, as well as event spaces, so they seem like the perfect place to socialize with people and enjoy a nice day out. There are plenty of horse racing events in the UK, so let’s dive deeper into the specifics.

Choosing the best sports betting sites to play

Our Golden Rules are the tip of the iceberg so here are a few top features you should look at before choosing the best site to play at:

Trust and Payment Security

This is one of the most important factors to look out for when choosing your preferred betting site. The first thing to check is if your chosen site uses an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption technology to protect its player’s information. You can also check if the site has firewalls installed at every network point. Of course, you also need to keep your password and username safe from third parties!

Betting Selection

This one we already know but in case it wasn’t obvious: variety is best!
Most betting sites in the UK offer popular sports like football, rugby, and horse racing but the best will offer you even more, including tennis, American football, hockey, MMA, golf etc. They should also provide international coverage with a wide range of markets and betting odds to choose from.

Bonuses and Promotions

Who doesn’t love a good bonus?
Bonuses and promotions are a good way to increase your betting balance and also help you understand the game rules and betting features.
But all that glitters is not gold…Be sure to check the offer fully before signing up because you don’t want your bonus ruined by the fine print. Realistic T&Cs mean happy players!

Payment Options

Whether you use PayPal, Skrill, Paysafecard, Neteller, or even payment through your phone bill, make sure that the site you choose has fast, safe, and reliable payment options. Depositing and withdrawing your funds should be quick, easy, and safe.

Mobile Compatibility

It’s no news that bettors only want to play with the best bookmakers with a seamless mobile experience. We understand this, and our expert ensures the sites are tested based on their mobile compatibility.

The online horse betting platforms we recommend on this page are fully responsive on all mobile operating systems. Further, top-tier sports betting sites in the UK come with a dedicated app for optimal mobile betting performance.

Customer Support

Nobody wants to be left to fend for themselves when things go wrong. The best betting sites will have experienced, professional, and reliable customer support teams on standby to help players with questions and solve problems. Whether it’s through live chat, email, telephone, Twitter, Facebook, or even by smoke signal, the best sites will always be on hand to help.

UK Horse Racing Events

As mentioned above, there are several horse racing events in the UK occurring each year. Below, there’s a list of the most popular ones.

The Grand National

The Grand National is a National Hunt horse race occurring annually in Liverpool. The race has a long history, having first run in 1839, and it is the most valuable jump race in Europe.

Cheltenham Festival

The Cheltenham Festival is an event that has the second-highest prize fund after The Grand National. It is a four-day event that takes place in March in Cheltenham.

Royal Ascot

Visited by around 600,000 people each year, the Royal Ascot is one of the most popular horse racing events in the UK. It is the host of 13 of the 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races in Britain alone.

Epsom Derby

The Epsom Derby or just the Derby is a Group 1 Flat horse race in England which is run on the first Saturday of June every year. The distance covered is 2,420 metres, and it is the richest flat horse race in Britain.

International Horse Racing Events

Horse racing is not only popular in the UK, there are plenty of events in the world that people can enjoy watching and placing bets on.

Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby occurs on the first Saturday in May. People often mention it as arguably the most exciting couple of minutes in horse racing, as that is usually how long the race takes. The Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the American Triple Crown, and it is a Grade 1 Stakes race.

Belmont Stakes

Next, we have the Belmont Stakes, which is an American Grade 1 stake race run in Belmont Park in New York. The distance is over 2 kilometres.

Melbourne Cup

Now, we are off to the most famous Australian annual Thoroughbred horse race. It is run across 3,200 metres and is part of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival.

Preakness Stakes

This Grade 1 race is another American Thoroughbred horse race. It is held on Armed Forces Day, which falls on the third Saturday in May in Baltimore.

Prix Arc De Triomphe

This is a Group 1 flat horse race occurring in France, and it is run at Longchamp at a distance of 2,400 metres. It takes place each year, usually on the first Sunday in October.

Hong Kong Cup

We finish this list with another Group 1 flat horse race in Hong Kong. It is open to Thoroughbreds aged at least three years old. The distance covered is 2,000 metres and it takes place in mid-December.

Horse Racing Betting Tips

There are several bets that you can make when betting on horse racing, so let’s see which are the possibilities and what we would recommend.

Win

This is the most simple bet you can make, as you bet on the horse that comes in the first place. It is the first and the most simple bet you can make in horse racing. Its simplicity is the main advantage of the bet, so we recommend you always starting with the Win bet when you start your horse racing betting adventure.

Place

Here, you bet whether the horse finishes first or second and if it does you get to collect, of course. The payout is not as big as the Win wager, but you have a bit more security with the Place wager.

Show

With the Show bet, you are betting whether the horse finishes first, second or third. Of course, you have a higher chance of winning here, but the odds will be much smaller.

Across the Board

When you bet Across the Board, you will essentially bet on the horse to win, place, and show. This bet is also known as the combo straight wager, as there are three different bets included. This type of bet is more expensive than the previous ones.

Win/Place, Place/Show

This is a similar bet to the above-mentioned Across the Board bet, as you will be making several straight wagers at the same time. If you place a win/place bet, you will bet on your horse to win and place. If the horse wins, you collect both the prizes for the win and place. If the horse finishes second, you get only the place wager.

Furthermore, if you place a place/show bet, you will bet on the horse to place and show. Once again, if the horse finishes second, you get the place and show money, while if the horse finishes third, you only get the show money.

Exacta

With the Exacta bet, you will wager on two horses to come first and second in exact order, so it is a very optimistic bet to make.

Quinella

The Quinella bet allows you to place bets on two horses that will come first and second but in any order. As long as the two horses you have chosen finish in the top two, you collect the money. Of course, the payouts here are not as big as the Exacta bet.

Trifecta

Here, you place wagers on three horses that finish first, second and third in the exact order. As you would expect, the Trifecta bet will significantly increase the cost of your bet, as there are several combinations.

Superfecta

Finally, the Superfecta bet will see you place wagers on four horses that finish first, second, third and fourth in exact order.

Which bet Should I Make?

As seen above, there are many bets that you can place when betting on horse races. It mainly depends on the type of bettor you are, but if you are a beginner, you are always advised to stick to the most simple bets. As you gain experience, you can head to the more complicated and risky wagers in horse racing.

Horse Racing Terms

There are different types of races in the horse racing industry. To get started with horse racing, you need to know some of the horse racing terms. Below are the most important ones.

Across the board

As explained above, this is a betting type that sees bettors wager on the horse to win, place and show. This is a bit more complicated bet, as there are three different bets combined in one, so as you would imagine, it is a more difficult bet to win.

Baby Race

If the horse is not yet 2 years old, it can only participate in baby races. The races in horse racing are, of course, separated in different categories, and one of those is based on the age of the horses.

Break Maiden

When a Thoroughbred wins its first race, in the horse racing industry it is described as a Break Maiden. The term is also a bit optimistic in nature, as it also expresses belief that the win is the first of many for the given horse.

Classes and Grades

Finally, once again, there are different horse races in terms of classes: claiming races, maiden races, allowance races, as well as graded stakes races. When it comes to graded stakes in horse racing, these are the type of races where the best racehorses are up against each other.

This way, the winnings will also get increased, so it is a win-win situation for all involved. Horse races in the industry are usually graded as Grade 1, Grade 2 and Grade 3 races.

Bet on Horse Racing on Your Smartphone

Nowadays, people tend to spend so much time on their mobile phones that it is almost unimaginable to see someone being at home on their computer all day long. There are always exceptions, of course, but with this shift, mobile betting is widely been accepted as being the next big trend in the online betting world.

These days, if an operator does not optimize its site for mobile devices, then it cannot even hope for success. The horse betting industry is so well saturated that all the most reliable sites offer mobile betting, with slight differences between them.

These differences such as the bonuses, user interface, and betting types are usually the deciding factor for a player to place horse racing bets from their mobile phone on one site or another. Mobile betting is not even mentioned, as it should be already given and taken for granted.

Placing bets on horse races through a mobile phone gives players much-needed flexibility. This way, they can make money on the go, as all they would need is a stable internet connection and a good smartphone.

Almost every player in the world has almost constant access to these factors, and mobile betting is probably best described as a scenario where both operators and bettors win. The first gets the much-needed input of bets and revenue, while the latter get to enjoy their favorite pastime activity no matter their location.

The best horse racing betting sites will have no difference from the desktop versions. You will be able to enjoy the same bonuses, same betting types, betting events, etc. Sometimes, an online sports betting site will even introduce special bonuses and promotions for players who download their app, so there is plenty to gain from betting on horse races through a mobile device.

Players love when they see new and innovative solutions by horse race betting operators, so in a saturated market, operators need to fight to attract as many players as possible. This especially is the case with developed gambling markets such as the UK, where you won’t get a second chance if you don’t manage to attract players to your site.