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Mistakes Beginners Make at the Races

Date: 09/22/2021

Changing legislation across many states throughout the US means that sports betting opportunities are starting to grow, particularly in sports that have been favoured by punters for a number of years like horse racing – the introduction of these new services like this review of TVG Colorado shows is a great opportunity for the newcomers, but does also mean that many new players could be subject to making mistakes when looking to play at the races – but what are the biggest beginner mistakes?

Sticking to the favourites with heavy bets – Whilst some bets can certainly look like a sure thing, and the favourites are the favourites for a reason, bettors playing this way are looking for a one-horse race which often isn't the case. There are lots of factors that can change the outcome, and big upsets in horse racing happen all the time – a reasonable bet will work just as well without going all in and may free up a little extra on the side to be able to go for one of the horses that may not be so favoured, but still in with a chance at a really good running too.

Often ignoring the jockey hurts newcomers – Whilst the horses themselves play the majority of the role in winning the race, there are many jockeys who have had extremely successful careers and the impact they've had on the race outcome can't be understated either – this may be particularly true for new players when looking at two runners who have very similar odds or a great track record on a specific run, then the jockey may be the key difference maker too. Looking at past performances by certain riders and what they're credited for is often ignored by new punters but can be something very worthwhile to keep an eye out for.

Post position can play an important part too – For newcomers, the position in which a horse starts may seem inconsequential – they're all running on the same track right? But there's a lot of information around how post position is incredibly important, whether a tactical decision by the jockey which makes the previous point more prominent too, or how certain starting positions have a big impact on overall result. It's certainly something worth knowing for different tracks, and how starting position can have a dramatic outcome on how the race turns out. 

These are just a few of the many things that beginners often get wrong, and doing a little research into these and many more can have a dramatic impact on betting performance – be sure to read up on these changes to discover how odds can improve with a little more knowledge about the sport.

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