Horse racing is one of the only sports that exists due to gambling. If sports betting didn’t exist, horse racing wouldn’t exist, as it wouldn’t make any money. After all, nobody is going out and buying horse racing merchandise. This means that nearly everything related to horse racing is about gambling, and it also means that horse racing has a vast array of bets, including some that you won’t find in any other sport.
There are dozens of different horse racing bet types that you can place, many of which contain rather unique, and sometimes downright funny, names. You won’t always find them labelled with the same name if you went to one of the many sports betting websites available on AskGamblers, but most regular horse race bettors would know what you’re talking about if you mentioned some of them.
Today, we’re going to look at the most popular horse racing bet types as we can’t cover everything. We would be here all day and probably well into next week, but we want to mention the types you’re most likely to encounter.
The standard bets
Let’s start with the bets you’re most likely to see when betting on horse racing, and the ones that even the average gambler would likely be familiar with.
- Straight: You bet on the horse that wins. Pretty simple stuff.
- Place: You bet on a horse to either finish first or second.
- Show bet: To win this bet, a horse can place first, second or third.
- Each-way: An each-way bet is two bets rolled into one. Half of the stake is placed on the horse winning, while the other half goes on them getting a place. It is the most common bet people place when they think the horse has a decent chance of winning but also has a chance of placing. You won’t get as much as you would with a straight bet, but you’ll win something.
The accumulators
Pretty much every other bet type is classed as an accumulator. Technically, an accumulator means that you have placed more than four selections on a single bet. However, we’re going to stretch that definition to three selections, since one of the bet types that we mention here includes three selections. Every single bet type we list here will have multiple selections.
We do want to point out that sportsbooks may not always include these names on their sites. Many of them don’t. However, just know that these bet types exist, particularly if you are reading betting information for horse racing:
Treble
You make three choices across three different events. You need to correctly make all these choices for the overall bet to be a winner. If one loses, you lose everything. There is also a double with two selections across two events.
Standard accumulator
This involves four selections across four different events. Remember that terminology? Singles, doubles and trebles? Well, now we are going to move on to the complicated types of bets that will combine all of these into a single bet. They all have unique names. Of course, the more bets you add into the mix, the lower your chances of winning, but the higher the potential rewards. However, you should also bear in mind that for most of these bet types, you don’t need to win every single selection. So, it is not like your typical accumulator.
Trixie
With a Trixie, you will make three selections. Three doubles and a treble. You need to win at least two of your selections.
Patent
A patent includes three singles, a treble and three doubles. Your selections will combine to make seven different bets, of which you need to win a minimum of two of them. Of course, the more selections you win, the more cash you get.
Yankee
A Yankee involves 11 total bets across a combination of four different selections. You make six doubles, a fourfold and four trebles. A minimum of two wins will give you a return. There is also a Super Yankee, which gives you a whopping 26 bets, 10 of which are doubles, 10 trebles, five fourfolds and a fivefold.
Lucky 15
It should be no surprise to learn that this consists of 15 bets across four selections. A fourfold, four trebles, six doubles and four singles. You only need to win one bet to guarantee you get some cash back.
Heinz
This is 57 bets — if you keep up with your supermarket terminology, you’ll know why it is called that. There are six selections spread across 15 doubles, 20 trebles, 15 fourfolds, six fivefolds and a sixfold. This can also be ramped up to a Super Heinz, which involves 120 bets, including 21 doubles, 35 trebles, 35 fourfolds, 21 fivefolds, seven sixfolds and a sevenfold.
Goliath
This is eight selections, leading to 247 bets. There are 28 doubles, 56 trebles, 70 fourfolds, 56 fivefolds, 28 sixfolds, eight sevenfolds and an eightfold. You need to win a minimum of two of them.
This is barely scratching the surface of the types of horse race bets available. There are plenty more. Chances are that you probably won’t be moving outside of this list though. The only exception would be if you’re aiming for one of these:
- Jackpot: Involves correctly betting the winner of eight races in a row.
- Placepot: Requires correctly betting on the horse to place in six races in a row.
Final thoughts
If you’re new to betting on horse racing, you probably don’t need to worry about most bet types that we mention on this page. However, as you become more invested in the sport, especially around big events like the Grand National, you might want to move out of singles, doubles and trebles. When you do, you’ll find that combined bets can make you a lot more money if you’re lucky enough to win.
