Horse racing and betting go together like cheese on crackers, and it’s even fairly unusual for someone to watch a race without having a bet on it. This makes it different from any other sport where betting is secondary.
Understandably, this means racing has massive coverage with most online betting sites with the majority offering markets on all UK & Irish Racing. Some bookies go one step further and also offer odds on races overseas – including the USA, Dubai and Australia.
Here we give you the run down on the 10 best places to bet on the horses.
1. Coral - Faller Insurance, Good Prices and Live Streaming
Boasting one of the most lucrative sign-up bonuses in the industry, Coral has got plenty going on that will keep horse racing punters coming back time after time. Take their suite of promotions for example: you will never have to miss out on the best price ever again thanks to best Odds Guaranteed, and if you're tired of near-misses with your betting, Coral's 'Money Back if Beaten By a Length' offer will help to ease your woes.
If betting on those towards the head of the market is your thing then Coral will not disappoint: in our studies they ranked comfortably amongst the best bookmakers for pricing up favourites. You can even cheer your selections home via their live streaming platform.
One of our favourite innovations from the company is Coral Connect. So when you are placing your wagers via their website, and anything from singles right through to system bets and Yankees/Lucky 15s etc are accepted, you can pick up your winnings in hand from a Coral shop by the end of the day!
2. Ladbrokes - Excellent Promotions and Big Payout Limits
Back your favourite horses via the sportsbook or take on the role of bookmaker and lay selections via the Exchange; the choice is yours with Ladbrokes.
You can make your bankroll stretch further with Best Odds Guaranteed, and you can even settle in, relax and watch your selections in action courtesy of Ladbrokes' live streaming channel; perfect when you can't get to a TV and have only your mobile device for company.
A cool £1,000,000 can be won on UK & Irish horse racing cards per day, which is more than the industry standard, and with Ladbrokes' ultra-modern and aesthetically-pleasing website placing those life-changing wagers is a piece of cake.
3. Betfred - Lots Of Racing Offers Including Lucky 15/31/63 Enhancements
If you're looking for a new bookmaker with which to place your horse racing wagers, then you could do a lot worse than Betfred and their massive range of offers - with an assortment of bonuses that will certainly keep you satisfied with your lot. Money Back 2nd is as the name suggests and is available for selected races, Price Boosts and Daily Specials ensure you get more bang for your buck and Super Bonus Races ensure eye-popping odds for particular cards. Basically, Fred Done and his team are as enthusiastic about keeping existing customers happy as they are about attracting new ones; a rare thing indeed these days.
The website is a little shabby and in need of a facelift, but if you are the kind of punter who prefers style over substance then you could do a lot worse than Betfred.
4. Betfair - Great Features, Promotions and Price Rush For Better Odds
A bookmaker that changed the face of online sports betting not once but twice, Betfair is the site to turn to if you prefer a bookie that does things a little differently.
Take the handy Multiple Builder, for example. This great tool enables punters to pick out key selections at their preferred prices without doing the legwork, and is a good way to get your bets on with the minimum of fuss. Similarly, the Horse Finder page provides punters with instant access to horses running soon that meet their unique criteria, including course or distance form and jockey/trainer combinations.
Daily and long-term specials are ever eye-catching, and Price Rush will pop up occasionally to hand you an enhanced win. And if you are looking for something outside of the traditional betting framework then you'll be delighted to note that Betfair players can access the totepool and toteplacepot directly from the site.
5. BetVictor - Lots of Price Boosts plus unique markets
If you're the kind of punter who loves a little something for nothing, then you will adore BetVictor's Bet Boosts and Enhanced Prices. These inflate the prices of selected runners in a day's card; and these aren't nags either, they are usually towards the head of the market.
There are more feathers in their cap than just those and one of the finest is their ante-post markets, which are plentiful and available for a number of meetings; not just for the big ones either. And once you've wagered £1 or more you'll even be able to live stream the race free of charge, with meetings from UK & Ireland, South Africa and UAE available for broadcast.
And finally, how about a new market type that is complete unique to BetVictor? With Lengthen the Odds you can bet on your horse to win by a certain distance, rather than just taking the tape first. The greater the distance it wins by, the better your odds!
6. 10Bet - Worldwide Coverage and Decent Odds
The great thing about 10Bet's horse racing coverage is that punters aren't restricted to just UK & Irish meetings; a smorgasbord of international options, from America to South Africa to France, are available.
10Bet players can benefit from Best Odds Guaranteed as well - you'll never miss out on the best prices - and besides which this is a company renowned for the generosity of their prices across the sporting spectrum. You'll even get your stake back up to £10 when your selection is beaten by a head.
A really handy results tracker enables punters to check results and form at meetings from across the globe in the past week; a fantastic way to keep an eye on horses to have grabbed your attention in recent times. All of the above is backed by an intuitive website that is a pleasure to use, so why not give 10Bet a try?
7. Betway - Loyalty Program, Stats and Frequent Offers
There's nothing better than cheering home your selections in real time, and Betway's live streaming channel enables you to do just that with meetings from across the UK and Ireland plus South Africa, France and more.
If you enjoy a little assistance with your betting then Betway's outstanding 'Horse Finder' tool is a great way to find your next winner. You can view recent winners or recently placed runners, select going/course/distance winners, trainers and jockeys in form, search by price... the list is almost endless. There really is no better automated tool for finding potential winners than this.
To help your decision making yet further Timeform's invaluable analysis is published alongside each UK & Ireland racecard, and a detailed results service courtesy of 'NagMe' allows punters to check their recent selections and identify future candidates for backing. All in all, Betway is a fantastic resource for bettors... and happily their odds are pretty generous too!