< All tips & tricks

Bet on horse racing

Horse races are very likely one of the oldest disciplines in our history, yet they continue to be enjoyed by sports fans, bettors and fans of the spectacle. Whether you are fan of the flat races or the saddle trot races, Circus allows you to follow all the meetings of the day directly from your home. To help you place the best horse racing bets with the best odds, we have gathered everything you need to know about the world of the turf.

How to bet on horse racing?

First choose your horse race. Several races take place in a day, all over the world. You can, for example, bet on the R2C3, which is the third race of the second meeting of the day. Make sure you pay attention to the discipline of the race you've chosen as, for example, a flat race is very different to a harness race. Also check the type of ground (dirt, turf, synthetic, etc.) as well as its state. The ground's state goes from firm to heavy. It's a crucial element when placing your bets because not all horses have the same ability to run on a firm (harder) or heavy (softer) ground.

Then, choose the horses you would like to bet on. Choosing the right horse is no mean feat, you must consider several factors. Start by taking a look at the characteristics and past performances of the horses. This information will allow you to work out if a horse is suited to the race they are about to run and, therefore, if they can earn you a winning bet. Did they win their previous races? Are they shod or barefoot? Who is their trainer? These are all things you will need to pay attention to in order to know if you are betting on the right horse. The last clue you need to predict the result of the race is of course the horse's odds. The lower the odds, the higher the horse's chances of winning. Will you bet on the big favorite or will you risk supporting an outsider?

Finally, simply choose your horse racing bet type and place your stake. Then, all that's left to do is enjoy the race's live stream!

Different types of horse races

Flat races do not have any obstacles and are from 900 to 4,000 meters. Horse number 1 benefits from the best starting position.

Jump races test the horse's speed and agility. The course is strewn with fences, barriers or pools to jump over.

During the saddle trot races, the jockey sits on the horse and tries to reach the finish line first. These races vary from 1,800 to 3,000m.

Harness races, the most common, are similar to saddle trot races, but the jockey sits on a cart with two wheels, called a sulky.

Several types of horse racing bets

We have a wide range of horse racing bets for you. Whether you prefer to bet on a single horse or several, in an order or not, we have a type of bet for you.

  • Simple gagnant: you think that your horse will be the big winner of the race.
  • Simple placé: if your horse finishes the race in the top 3 when there are minimum 8 runners, then you win!
  • Couplé gagnant: bet on 2 horses that will finish in the first 2 places, in any order.
  • Couplé placé: choose 2 horses that will finish in the top 3.
  • Trio: select the 3 horses that you think will come in the top 3 in any order.
  • Quinté: choose the first 5 horses to finish the race in order.
  • 2sur4: name 2 horses that will finish in the top 4, whatever order they finish in.

A small turf glossary

The vocabulary of the horse racing world can seem confusing at first. So, we have made a glossary of the main terms you will find when placing horse racing bets:

  • Key: the key horse is the favorite horse that the bettor makes their bet around.
  • Left-handed/right-handed track: the expression "left-handed track" or "right-handed track" refers to the direction of the turns on the track. This is important when it comes to placing your bets as the horses are also left or right-handed and will therefore be more comfortable on certain tracks.
  • Driver: a jockey who is sat on a sulky rather than on the horse.
  • Stable: a stable is represented by at least two horses who take part in the same race and who share the same owner.
  • Handicap: the handicap is a notional value added to a horse when their chances of winning are too unequal. This allows balance to be re-established in the odds at the start of the race.
  • Meeting: the meeting (M) corresponds to all the horse races done within the same hippodrome on the same day.
  • Return: refers to the set of winnings that the bettor can win at the end of the race depending on their stake. The return is independent of the odds: whether low or high, they don't affect your winnings.
  • Rating: odds given to a horse according to a certain number of criteria to prevent two horses competing if their odds are too different.
  • Sulky: a small cart that the driver sits on during a harness race.
  • Turf: this term refers to the ground that horse races take place on and, by extension, anything related to horse racing.