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The Ultimate Guide To Backing Horses

If you are serious about horse betting tips and backing horses to win or place then you need to read this in-depth guide that I have put together or simply hit the button below and download your free PDF copy.
Download Your Ultimate Guide To Backing Horses
About Racing Profits - With Paul Jacobs at Doncaster Racing Post Trophy

Why do 99% of punters lose money?

When I started betting seriously, like the majority of punters I speak to, I focused all my time on identifying horses to back to win or place in races.

Then in 2002, we saw the advent of the betting exchanges and particularly Betfair. Suddenly we could now act as the bookmaker and lay horses to lose races, if we felt they were weak. In fact mixing my backing with a laying strategy is what allowed me to really scale my betting income from a part-time to full time activity. Those of you who have already used my lay systems will know how effective they are.

Finally the development of trading software and API connections to the Betfair exchange, plus the increased volumes of money being traded in the pre-race markets meant that we could also trade effectively to build profits into our betting banks. 

Most punters I meet have never fully embraced the principle of developing a profitable betting strategy and mixing up their betting to ensure they make profit on a daily basis, so they stay part of the 99% of losing punters.

 

Does backing horses still have a place?

The answer is a re-sounding yes, of course placing a small stake to make a big return is still an important part of any betting strategy. Especially if you already have in place profitable lay systems and trading, as part of your betting mix each day. Why would you not re-invest some of your profit in 2 – 3 well-researched back bets. Especially if they are at double figure odds and likely to bring in a nice return when they do land. 

If you have this approach to your horse betting tips and finding back bets, you will make excellent returns. I know, because I ran a profitable backing service for my email subscribers for 12 years.

So how do you do it? Well that is what the rest of this page will share with you, a step-by-step process for finding and backing horses to win or place.

Cheltenham Day 1 - Champion Hurdle
About Racing Profits - With Paul Jacobs at Doncaster Racing Post Trophy

Price is everything in backing!

The first thing I need you to understand is that there is no easy route to finding winners, the secret is in the price you are taking in the markets. Anyone can back short priced favourites and the reason the bookies make so much money out of you, is because they set the price you are taking on that favourite and gues what, they always win in the long run.

The way to win is to be spotting value on horses and taking longer prices, especially on Betfair where the prices behind the top three in a market, can often offer real value and far out-weigh the actual chance of the horse winning. My average price is 8/1 for my back bets.

You need to be an expert at finding value and the only way to do this consistently is to choose markets that you hold an edge in and understand better than the majority of people out there. 

 

Become a specialist, specific and selective.

My breakthrough with backing horses was not in learning to read form, use a tracker to follow horses or develop a complicated ratings system that gave me an edge.

No, it was becoming a specialist in novice hurdles over the jumps season and maiden / novice races on the flat.

All my time was spent watching races and replays of races, looking for horses who ran well and identifying those likely to win in the next couple of runs.

I also look for smaller stables and trainers, as the big trainers always get over bet and offer little value.

A major challenge for most punters is that they place back bets far too frequently, they will bet on 10 – 15 races per day and then wonder why they are not making any money.

So do the same, find a type of race that you can become an expert in and focus the majority of your backing here.

 

Cheltenham Day 1 - Champion Hurdle
Cheltenham Festival Overview

Don’t forget the major meetings throughout the year

I also focused on the major meetings across the jumps and flat seasons for my main bets and reduced my stakes during the week.

By doing this I could build a betting bank for the opportunities that Cheltenham, Aintree, Kempton, Ascot, Doncaster, Goodwood, Epsom and York presented.

 

Setting Up Your Tracker

Oh the good old days of keeping a little black notebook on horses runs, going from course to course to watch races live and talk to trainers, jockeys and other bettors. 

Yes this still has its place and some of the best information I get is still from my network, so do not neglect to build your contacts up.

But technology, the internet and software can save you so much time now. 

The #1 tool i recommend you set up is a tracker either the Racing Post Tracker or the At The Races Tracker are my two.

 

Cheltenham Day 1 - Champion Hurdle
Cheltenham Festival Overview

Get the tools you need to succeed

I also focused on the major meetings across the jumps and flat seasons for my main bets and reduced my stakes during the week.

By doing this I could build a betting bank for the opportunities that Cheltenham, Aintree, Kempton, Ascot, Doncaster, Goodwood, Epsom and York presented.