How to Win at Harness Racing

The many forms of horse racing are like a double-edged sword: it affords plenty of variety for punters on the one hand, and confuses betting odds for novices on the other! You may know the intricacies of handicapping in one form of horse racing, but be at a loss in terms of betting odds when taking part in another form of the sport for the first time.

Harness horse racing is one type that has avid following in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and North America. Harness racing involves more strategy that the popular thoroughbred format and it takes many years of experience to become adept at betting odds in this form of horse racing. The effort is worthwhile because you will soon develop a passion for the strategies of harness racing and enjoy all the nuances of this absorbing pastime on top race tracks.

Harness racing is such a visual delight that many people would like to attend events and to take part in sports betting at racecourses which host such events. There is great demand for knowing how to follow harness horse racing, and we are pleased to offer you the following tips to help you get started:

Every country has its own variations of harness racing:
Do not start taking part in odds betting in a new place without understanding the form of harness racing followed there. Europe uses trotters, though pacers dominate the US harness racing scene. Scandinavia goes a step further and does not even use standard breds. Speed, intelligence, reserves of strength and the tendency to break stride differ greatly by breed, and your experience with one type of harness racing would probably be quite irrelevant in a new country.

Winning strategies depend on race length:
It is one thing to win a mile race with a final burst of speed, but it does not pay to follow such a strategy in a half miler. Harness racing can also be over as little as 5/8 of a mile, a format in which getting ahead on the rail at the start is the key to a win or a place.

Race conditions determine outcomes:
A horse on the outside track can shield a competing one near the rail from strong winds, and thus actually help it to win. You can learn these patterns by attending all events at invitations in which the same horses compete against each other several time. There are places where recorded marks are reliable for speed handicapping, whereas in other centers trip timings are more important for picking winners.