Australia is overlooked as a horse racing mecca. Founded as a penal colony, Australia soon developed a passion for the ponies, which helped shape the nation’s culture and sports heritage.
The scope of racebook betting in Australia is enormous, with markets dedicated to flat tracks, harness racing, and jump racing. A majority of citizens from down under are sports gamblers, and the races are so popular that the evening news often streams live from the track for updates.
Studies have shown that as of 2015, nearly a million Australians were betting on horse races. But what about those equine enthusiasts from elsewhere who’d like to get oriented with the market?
Please view the list below for a run-down of the most informative, reliable, and entertaining Australian horse racing and track betting websites.
| Rank | VA Betting Site | Sign Up Bonus | Get Started |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |
 BetUS
|
100% up to $2,500 | Visit Site |
| #2 |
 MyBookie
|
50% up to $1,000 | Visit Site |
| #3 |
 BetNow
|
100% up to $1,000 | Visit Site |
| #4 |
 Bovada
|
50% bonus up to $250 | Visit Site |
| #5 |
 BetOnline
|
50% up to $1,000 | Visit Site |
What Makes a Good Racebook Betting Site
Racebooks are a little different than normal sportsbooks in that the odds on a horse race are almost always driven completely by the action. The “house” can take steps to protect itself, such as yanking an odds board for a race offline if the managers see anything going on that looks bad for the casino.
But if a slow or inexperienced horse collects 7 figures in wagers, its odds to win, place, or show will shorten even when it defies common sense. When you bet on a horse race in Australia or elsewhere, you’re not matching wits with the house…only the other gamblers.
If the casino has a favorite self-defense tactic such as pulling futures odds offline with days to go before a sweepstakes, it’s better to be prepared for it and time bets accordingly.
Sign-ups and Rollovers
Gambling sites standardly offer a “sign-up bonus” for opening an account. Sign-up rewards are tricky. Racebooks will ask new players to bet their entire initial deposit before a withdrawal can be made. Otherwise, clever users would sign up, add the bonus, and withdraw before placing a bet.
Some clever books include a “rollover” clause along with the bonus. A “4x” rollover means that 4 times the deposit must be gambled before any withdrawal can be made, and an “8x” rollover means the deposit must be wagered 8 times before it is withdrawable.
The house collects a small percentage of every bet placed. Therefore, it works to the racebook’s advantage when gamblers are stuck in the system and forced to bet multiple times.
Try to find a site that makes it easy to decline any sign-up bonus. When it’s not obvious how to do so, call the number provided. Books love to welcome new customers and will speak to you ASAP. If you are shy, use the chat function (most betting sites have them) to speak to a manager and learn how to avoid the rollover and restrictions.
Finally, if a sign-up bonus just seems like too hot of a deal to pass up, read through the entire agreement and try to get the least restrictive rollover clause possible.
Style Is Important – Honesty Is Tops
Take a hard look at each website and find one that fits your betting style. Those flat-track addicts who go to the track every day will want a racebook that is always being updated with the next day’s races. Those sites, however, can be lax when it comes to offering long-term futures for big events like the Victoria Derby. If they do offer odds for the annual race and fashion gala, they’re likely to show up with a day or 2 to go – just like with the minor races.
Thankfully, other sites are geared toward major Thoroughbred races and will offer odds on the Victoria and other noteworthy sweepstakes weeks or months in advance.
It’s also extremely important to use a reputable site that always pays out on won bets. The best Australian horse racing sites are known for reliable payoffs and easy withdrawals.
Reputable Australian racebooks also make sure the gambler’s personal information is secure and safe.
When a gambling website makes bettors wait forever for their checks, online betting forums will chat about it. Look around the world wide web and make sure that the site or sites you choose to do business with are not cheating the customers.
Things to Consider When Betting on Horse Races
There are a lot of betting tips on the internet. It’s not Legit Gambling Sites’ business which principles our readers choose to follow, but here are a few of the most time-honored maxims.
Don’t Delay
Recognize how fast odds can change when action drives the numbers. There might be a lovely 10/1 betting market on a horse recommended by bloggers and serious handicappers. But as the buzz around the animal grows, those odds can shrink in a hurry.
It’s best not stroll to the office, check the betting board, and then take a weekend in the outback while pondering whether or not to make the bet. Take advantage right away when there’s something tasty available.
Be a Skeptical Consumer
Do not listen to any advice or predictions made on the betting sites themselves. No, they’re not necessarily traps meant to trick gamblers into making the wrong wager. Most bloggers at racebooks are knowledgeable and love the sport. But they’re too self-interested to print truly hot tips based on insider info and buzz from trainers and fans.
Just imagine for a moment if a brilliant handicapper wrote a predictions column for a betting site. The house would take so many losses if readers paid attention.
Don’t Pay for Picks
Paying handicappers for picks online is a bad idea. You’ll notice that not too many quality racebooks, sportsbooks, or exchanges link to any such clown act – even in betting-crazed Australia.
Casinos want their customers putting money in one spot. That’s why they’re not too excited about sending readers to sites where Tom, Dick, and Harry pretend to have picks worth the sale price.
Organize Your Thoughts First
For the newbie gambler, it’s important to write down a list of goals and preconditions for what you would like to get out of the experience. Not only will it help to strategize and avoid embarrassing losses, but it will also impact the type of bets on the board that catch your eye.
For instance, if the goal is to have fun jackpot-hunting, betting on long-shot sleepers can be a thrilling experience…sometimes. But when the horse doesn’t even make the gate (or the final turn), a loss can feel piled-up on other losses. Gamblers worried about staying in the black can try betting on a few more favorites and co-favorites.
Ignore the “Lottery”
Trifecta and superfecta markets get big, splashy headlines. There’s always a story about how some lady in Melbourne won by picking horses with hatpins and got a $200,000 payout. But what do those reports remind you of? Indeed, playing the trifecta and superfecta markets are like playing a lottery.
With the promise of such large payoffs comes better odds for the house to come out ahead. Mathematicians have taught us how the odds on 2 or 3 happenings working out as predicted are deceptively long compared to one event happening as planned.
Apply common sense and a dose of realism. The most cost-efficient bets are still placed on a single horse to win, place, or show. Boring and old-fashioned? Sure. But effective.
Horse Racing Betting Strategy
There are plenty more useful tips for playing the ponies in Australia. For instance, try betting on Winx. She never loses! At least look up her hashtag at #GoWinx.
For more, visit the following links:
About Horse Racing in Australia
In present-day, it is estimated that almost 20,000 races take place in Australia each year. The races are contested by almost 40,000 horses for 3000+ trainers, and almost 500 bookies take part in the spectacle, producing billions of dollars in profit.
Australian breeders are known for foaling great distaff horses, such as Black Caviar and Winx. Each horse racked up a 25-race winning streak, and Winx’s unbeaten reign is still active as of the time of this writing.
Winx is known as an extremely versatile galloper. She has won at every famous course of any length Australia has to offer, including famous venues Caulfield and Flemington in Melbourne and the Rosehill racecourse in Sydney.
We’ll find out if her owners follow those who foaled Black Caviar and take their splendid mare to England or America for exhibitions.
It is widely-held that Australia has the most racecourses of any country on Earth. The country may also have the most balanced of any horse racing market. America is consumed with flat track races like the Kentucky Derby.
England is preoccupied with steeplechases such as the annual Grand National at Aintree. Continental Europe is mostly focused on trotters. Australian horse racing fans have it all. From dirt tracks to hurdles to harness racing, the country offers thrills for bettors of all tastes.
To learn more about Aussie horse racing, check out the following articles.
Below are some of the most noteworthy races in the land down under.
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup can be called the Kentucky Derby of Australia. It has been called the ultimate test of stamina, contested over a grueling 2-mile course for a fantastic purse. The Melbourne Cup is a handicap race with the faster and slower horses evened out by handicappers, making it a challenging yet popular horse racing event on which to place bets.
Inter Dominion
The crown jewel of harness racing in the Southern Hemisphere, the Inter Dominion has been contested in Australia and New Zealand since 1936. The competition is held in a series of stages over 2 weeks and rotates between as many as 6 different racecourses.
Victoria Derby
This turf-track race for Thoroughbreds is the height of Australian pomp and circumstance. The Melbourne Cup Carnival begins with the Victoria Derby each season, with the day being commonly known as Victoria Derby Day. The event has become a fashion holiday as well as an important race.
Golden Slipper Stakes
The Golden Slipper Stakes is a turf race for juvenile racehorses, contested with set weights. It is not technically a handicap race except for a slight advantage being given to all fillies, who wear 2 kilograms less weight than 2-year-old colts.
Purses are set at several million dollars for the sweepstakes, which is the world’s richest purse for young Thoroughbreds.
The Great Eastern Steeplechase
Australia’s most prestigious jump race is held annually at the Oakbank Racecourse in South Australia on Easter Saturday and Monday as part of the Oakbank Easter Racing Carnival. The Great Eastern Steeplechase is a true endurance test at a length of almost 5000 meters.
The Oakbank course is known for a “fallen log” jump which is an actual log with a height of around 1 meter. The height of many jumps has been shortened to reduce risk to the animals.
More Information on Horse Racing
We hope you’ve enjoyed this introduction to horse racing in Australia and the best websites at which to keep track of the odds and winners. Please visit the following links for more.
Best Horse Races of All Time*
Track Surfaces Differences*
The Future of Horse Racing*