Anyone who has ever lost 

Anyone who has ever lost money by betting on a tip that a horse was sure to win knows that horse racing betting tips cannot be followed blindly. But there are some basic facts, or tips if that word is more exciting, that can help you to place your bets more intelligently and get better results. 

Let’s start with the horse – always give preference to a horse that has run recently because a horse that has not raced for any length of time may been forced to stop racing because of injury or sickness and may not be back at full form.

If the race track is slow (either because of its nature or due to rain) bet on horses that are fast starters because they will take an early lead and the nature of the rack will make it difficult for other horses to increase their pace later in the race to catch up.

The experience of the jockey is very important because while a novice jockey may perform well in a short sprint, he may not know how to judge the race and pace his horse accordingly - that is why many rookie jockeys fade in the latter stages of a long race. In an obstacle race the jockey’s experience is even more crucial because a horse refusing a jump or a jockey falling off means that the race is over - there is no chance of the horse being able to recover.

If the odds on a horse drop significantly just before the start of a race, it is a sign that someone has reliable information about the horse and has held a large bet back so that the word does not get around. Learn to balance the odds – if you look for big wins by betting on long odds (say 20:1) you will need to win one race in 20 just to break even; but with odds of 10:1 you need only win one in ten. Short odds like 3:1 give you the greatest chance of winning but with the smallest profit. Online handicappers know what they are doing and when they back a horse that means it is a favorite but once more, the profit will be small.

Among the best horse racing betting tips is that in the beginning bet small and play safe. As your experience grows and you are able to read the variables better, your own judgment will provide you the most valuable horse racing betting tips.