UK Horse Racing Tips

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Whether you only bet on key races such as the Grand National or the Epsom Derby or you’re a seasoned bettor who wagers every week, it’s good to know how your picks have performed over the long term. The best way to achieve that is to keep a betting log that tracks your profits and losses over time. If you do not keep a betting log already, here are just a few reasons why you should.

Monitoring Profit and Loss

Firstly, keeping a record of your returns will show you if you are in profit or not over the long-term. It’s always good to know if your current betting strategy is yielding a positive return or if you are accumulating losses. Making a profit from horse betting can be tough but keeping a log in the form of a profit and loss spreadsheet can help with your decision-making. You might decide to stick to your strategy or try to improve your results through different methods.

Identify Strengths and Weaknesses

As well as measuring your returns, a betting log can help you identify particular areas where you are more successful. Again, this can be used to tweak your strategy and improve your performance. The more information you include on your log, the easier it will be to identify your strengths and weaknesses. For example, it makes sense to include details about the race, course and distance of every wager in your place as well as details of the stake, odds and bet type. By consulting the latest horse racing results, you can also get details of the margin of victory, the horse’s age, and jockey and trainer details. You can even record information about the surface, temperature and humidity on the day.

You might want to consider a paid betting prediction tool. Many of these systems automatically log bets so you don’t have to and they also use special algorithms to identify high-value betting opportunities. This could save you a lot of time and might prove to be more profitable in the long run even after subscription costs are taken into account.

You might find that you are more successful wagering on certain markets or race types. Or you might discover you have a knack for picking long-distance National Hunt winners but are less successful on flat races. Every piece of information you gather can help you to spot trends and patterns to focus on. You can also identify bets you should avoid or look for ways to improve in certain areas to broaden your strengths.

Customised Spreadsheets

The best type of betting log is a common spreadsheet application that allows you to enter formulas that automatically calculate certain values such as profit and losses. You can also highlight winning bets and cross-reference them to find common patterns. The more skilled you are with spreadsheets, the easier it will be create custom formulas to meet your analytical needs.

“laptop work office data analytics career” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by shilpa259

Whatever way your choose to go, any seasoned bettor will tell you that having a betting log to refer to is essential if you are serious about improving your wagering performance.

1711

Queen Anne founds Ascot Racecourse on a area of open heathland, known as ‘East Cote’, approximately seven miles southwest of Windsor Castle.

1768

Ascot Racecourse stages its first recognisable, four-day Royal Meeting.

1793

Ascot Racecourse acquires its first grandstand, known as the Slingsby Stand, commissioned by King George III.

1807

King George III and Queen Charlotte witness the inaugural running of the Gold Cup, won by the 3-year-old Master Jackey, carrying 6st 12lb.

1822

The first permanent Royal Stand is erected, with a a precursor to the modern Royal Enclosure to its side.

1825

King George IV institutes the Royal Procession, riding up the New Mile in a coach and four.

1901

Kind Edward VII orders the Royal Enclosure to be completely rebuilt; Lord Churchill appointed as His Majesty’s Representative.

2002 Royal Ascot is extended from four days to five, to mark the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

2004

Ascot Racecourse closes for a £220 million redevelopment.

2005

‘Royal Ascot at York’ replaces the traditional Royal Meeting.

2006

Ascot Racecourse is officially reopened by Queen Elizabeth II.

2013

Queen Elizabeth II becomes the first reigning monarch to win the Gold Cup with Estimate, trained by Sir Michael Stoute. Her Majesty is presented with the perpetual trophy by her son, Prince Andrew, Duke of York.

2020 Royal Ascot takes place behind closed doors and, for the first time in her reign, in the absence of Queen Elizabeth II.

I’ve never quite understood the puritanical types when is comes to gambling. They immediately seem to lunge to the extremes of imagining that ‘everyone’ who places a bet, or plays on real money slots sites simply can’t help but bet on the toss of every coin and roll of every dice. Most people though I find operate by moderation, and gamble for fun, as a break from the hamster wheel that is their work week. If you start taking away the little pleasures in life from people exactly what do they have left! I’ve had some great times at the races and local casino with family and friends over the years.

Of course the most ironic thing about this selective attitude to outrage and indeed possible changes in law is that every event in life is a gamble of one kind of another. Going for a new job, entering a relationship, investing in shares, buying a house, the list goes on. Even the small stuff, like what mode of transport you choose to go to work. In fact I’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of life that couldn’t be viewed as having elements of weighing up the pros and cons and hoping for a specific outcome to it (as is the case with gambling and risk).

Of course these attitudes exist worldwide, whether you visit australian online casinos or are betting on the horses in the UK, there will always be someone who makes all kinds of silly assumptions based on the fact that you like an occasional flutter. Really though, that is entirely their problems and life is all about both achieving the right balance and not particularly paying too much mind to what every busybody going thinks about your hobbies or life.

Perhaps the most amusing aspect of this is that would it comes to the ‘big events’ like the Aintree Grand National these very same people will be having a ‘little wager’ with friends or will in fact place a bet, and so it makes their stance even less meaningless than it already was! If there is one bet that is bound to come in, in life it’s that there will always be someone with an ‘opinion’, that they should most likely keep to themselves!

The world moves at quite some pace. I remember the ‘good old days’ of basically having to physically go to a bookmaker or make a phone call if you wanted to place a bet on the horses (and often even if you wanted to just watch the race!). Of course there were always some right ‘characters’ there so it was entertaining from that perspective, but at the same time it’s a big inconvenience for such a seemingly straightforward and simple task.

Of course the internet changed all in no time at all. Whether you’re looking to place a sports bet, or play games on your favourite online casino sites, there are countless websites at the tip of your fingers.  Moreover, there are numerous odds comparison sites for sports, so in no time at all you can ensure that you’re getting the best odds possible for the bet you’re looking to place, whether that’s a horse race you’ve had your eye on or another sporting event. And that’s before we even mention the many sign up bonuses and other such offers that are available from online bookmakers to lure you in.

And now location is no impediment to placing a bet either, or watching a sporting event via streaming  – some online bookmakers even allow you to watch specific races if you bet on them, and besides on numerous sites they’re often free to watch shortly after a race has actually finished.

The same applies to casinos too, sure some site apply or are geared more towards specific countries. For instance if you’re in Canada you may well want to check out cancasinos.ca but still it’s always a formality to play your favourite casino game of choice, whether that’s slots, roulette or blackjack, all at a moment’s notice. There’s no need to visit a local casino or make a night of it. It’s all on your terms. And much like bookmakers, the competitive environment sets the stage for top offers and incentives to be presented to you.

As can be expected, some people still refuse to move with the times, but I find that ‘most’ gamblers are now very well versed in the online options that are out there for them. They can see the benefits to them, in terms of convenience and incentives, when compared to the limited options that existed in pre-internet times. If you stick with trusted and reliable sites, you can’t go far wrong.