Betfair Official Blog

Horse Racing Betting

As Lee Freedman pointed out, the beauty of the racing game is the fact that it embraces an entire community: horses, breeders, trainers, jockeys, and certainly not least of all, punters.

Horseracing, and in particular horseracing betting, is spoken about as a 'bug'; something that evokes a fervent and undying enthusiasm. We dream about backing winners, something recognised and entrenched in Australian lore for centuries. Even our most famous poet Banjo Patterson had 'the bug', as penned in his 1886 classic, A Dream of the Melbourne Cup:

Bring me a quart of colonial beer
And some doughy damper to make good cheer,
I must make a heavy dinner;
Heavily dine and heavily sup,
Of indigestible things fill up,
Next month they run the Melbourne Cup,
And I have to dream the winner.

Horseracing has been one of the most spectacular and fashionable sports worldwide for time immemorial, as is certainly the case in Australia. There is something intangible about it that fascinates people. For some, horse racing betting is just about winning money. For others it is the thrill of the race itself, the connection between man and beast, being part of exclusive society or simply having fun and admiring beauty of horses.

Many who bet on horseracing would argue that it is a complex art of many components: observation, strategy, calculation and passion. Backing a winner depends on several things: sometimes luck, sometimes knowledge, sometimes plain old intuition. Nevertheless, for a person who bets on horseracing, whether it is a 'big hitter' or a simple dabbler in racing betting, it must be said that effort, patience and consideration are all worthwhile investments.

Whatever the case, horseracing betting is our most popular punting pastime. And if you have the bug, there is no place better to be than Betfair. Why not have a bet on horseracing with Betfair today?