The Literary Horse

Once a new bettor becomes familiar with the ways to bet and the bets that are supported, they will want to learn more about horse racing handicapping. When betting on horse races, handicap races refer to those in which each and every horse in the race will carry a specific weight, which is called the impost. This weight will be assigned directly by the Racing secretary and will be based on various factors. These can include distance and performances. These handicaps are issued to equalise the chances for all competing in the race.

When it comes to thoroughbred racing, handicapping is the art of being able to predict the horses that have the greatest chances of winning the race and generating a profit. One important tool that is used by bettors is the Daily Racing Form, which is a publication that will offer information for betting. This form offers statistics about the horses in the race, including lifetime records, the total amount of money earned, odds, performance in the past and other information that can be beneficial in making the right selection for bets.

The process of handicapping can be simple or complex and will usually include different elements before the race. These include the studying of the Daily Racing Form, observing the body language of the horse and its behavior prior to the race and watching the board for any changing odds for the horse, which can indicate how the public is viewing the chances of winning.

Handicapping for horse racing is a skill that is learned over time and it is not something that should be approached by a beginner better. This will take years of knowledge and practice and will also take time, patience and research to handicap successfully. There are many systems and strategies that can be used when handicapping and this is mostly done by highly experienced or professional bettors.

Of course, the goal when betting on any horse race is to make the most money from the bet that has been placed. This is where handicapping comes in handy. If one is able to gather all information needed and research the horses that are competing in a particular race handicapping can be a very beneficial tool. However, it is not a guarantee that any bet will win. It will however, lead to wise choices and knowledgeable betting tactics that will help collect payouts in the long run.

There are also horse race handicappers that offer professional services for a fee. With these, one can get information on a certain horse in a certain race and have an advantage when they are placing their bets. Handicapping does make betting interesting and more exciting, but it may actually be too complex for beginner bettors. Over time, one will learn more about stats and odds so they can also employ handicapping to their betting strategies to improve payouts.