Horse Racing Betting Sites

At Bookies Bonuses, we compare betting sites not just as all-round betting sites but also how they fare within each of the main sports. In the UK, horse racing makes up a huge part of the betting industry and that's why we have put together this guide for our readers.

Nearly half of the adults in the UK have a bet on the Grand National, but it is not just the major races and festivals that bring in the punters. You can expect a handful of UK racing cards each day, while there is also plenty of action in nations like France, South Africa, Hong Kong, Australia, the USA, and more.

With so much horse racing taking place and so many betting sites on which you can place your wagers, the information and lists on this page will help you determine where you'll be doing your punting.

There are many factors to consider, and we'll get into that, but below are three horse racing betting sites that tick all of the main boxes and have maintained a high standard over a long period of time.

There are lots of horse racing betting sites in the UK, but only a select few are excellent and make it onto our lists.

Many of the classic UK bookies have been involved with horse racing for many decades and over time have refined their products, making the transition to online successfully and offering all of the key features that bettors want now.

Not only must betting sites now ensure they have well-priced odds for UK racing, but they must also feature a wide range of international racing markets and offer a selection of betting promotions on a regular basis.

Analysis and editorial is also now a major part of the makeup of horse racing betting sites, plus live streaming is now expected of online bookmakers.

In addition, a quality design and user experience can be the difference between a good horse racing betting site and a great one.

Top 10 horse racing betting sites

List of the top horse racing betting sites in the UK:

1. Betfair: Sophisticated exchange
2. Bet365: Massive selection of markets
3. BetUK: New and improved racing section
4. Betway: Lots of Betway boosts
5. Paddy Power: Many betting offers to claim
6. Ladbrokes: Daily odds boosts
7. William Hill: Classic British bookie
8. 888sport: Great welcome offer
9. BetVictor: Betfinder function
10. Betfred: Reliable and trusted

The staff at Bookies Bonuses are always on the lookout for the best betting offers and promotions on the market, and many of them are centred around horse racing.

Below are some of the main horse racing offers you can expect to see on online betting sites:

• Best Odds Guaranteed - with this offer, if you back a horse at fixed odds and the starting price ends up being bigger, you will get paid out at the greater odds.
• Money back - there are various ways in which betting sites incorporate money back specials. Examples include if your horse falls, finishes 2nd, or is beaten by less than a length.
• Free bets - the most common betting offer, free bets can be given out as part of a sign up bonus or can be offered to existing customers around certain events.
• Enhanced odds - boosted prices are often seen on the top UK betting sites for horse racing. You can find some good value on single bets, and some mega prices on enhanced accas.
• Extra places - by backing a horse each way with extra places, the 'place' part of your bet has more chance of coming in. If other bookies are paying four places and you find one paying five, it might be worth going for that one.
  

Gone are the days when punters simply backed horses to win or place, and that was that. Of course, that option is still there and is by far the most popular, but the best horse racing sites offer a wider variety of markets now, giving bettors more flexibility with their wagers.

How to bet on horse racing

• Win

Backing a horse to win does what it says on the tin. You may hear this referred to as 'On the Nose', and while you should always shop around for the best odds, the Betfair Exchange is a great place to start for win only bets.

• Each way

An each way bet is where you put an equal amount of money on a horse to win and place respectively. A place is finishing the top 3, 4, or however many places are paid out in each specific race, which varies depending on the size of the field. A place bet can also be placed as a standalone bet on some horse racing betting sites.

• Betting without the favourite

If you like the look of a horse but want to eliminate the risk of it being beaten by the favourite, then you might want to just remove that problem from the equation and take your chosen horse to win without the favourite. Some bookmakers will even offer each way bets without the favourite too. Of course, the odds are much shorter than outright win bets in this instance.

• Insure Bet

With insurance bets, you only get paid if your horse wins, but you get your stake returned to you if it places. Odds are shorter than outright winner odds as you have a smaller chance of losing your entire stake.

• Forecast and tricast

A forecast bet involves selecting which horse will come first and which horse will come second. With a tricast, you add the third-placed horse in too. If successful, the payout is determined after the race but odds are often very high, particularly with tricasts.

• Winning distance

You can bet on the gap between the first and second horse without specifying which horses it will be. Alternatively, you can lengthen 'win' odds by backing your horse to win by a certain number of lengths.

• Match bets

This type of bet is only seen on certain horse racing betting sites, but it gives bettors the opportunity to back one horse over another and disregards all of the other runners. Whether the two horses in question finish 1st and 2nd or last and 2nd last does not matter.

Horse racing is one of the main sports for live streaming on UK betting sites, with some online bookies only showing racing coverage and no other events.

Betting sites are the best places to watch horse racing live as there is no delay on the feed.

When using other streaming services from broadcasters, you might be several seconds behind and this can affect your ability to trade or bet in-play.

Live betting on horse racing is only available on a few betting sites. The likes of Betfair and Bet365 are great for both live streaming and live betting, and you can do them simultaneously while races are taking place.

For punters that want to get their bets on early, it is beneficial to be registered with betting sites with ante-post horse racing odds.

Even though promotions such as Best Odds Guaranteed aren't eligible with ante-post wagers, you still might be able to get a bigger price by identifying value early on.

Major races such as the Grand National and Kentucky Derby can be found on most betting sites months in advance, but some betting sites also list smaller races days in advance, allowing users to get ante-post bets on.

Ladbrokes list many races under the 'Future' tab in their horse racing section, while Racebets has an extensive dedicated ante-post menu, and Paddy Power list races long before they take place too.