Reading a harness racing betting Guide For New Zealand will help you to understand not only how the sport works, but also some of the terminology consistent with harness racing. Harness racing is a very different sport to horse racing, although it does still involve horses. The races have a different format, as does the betting. It is never a good idea to place any kind of wager on a race without doing some research and having some knowledge first.
How Harness Racing Works
Harness racing is not as well known as horse racing. It also involves horses, but instead of them running around a track with a very small person on their backs, these horses pull a small carriage, or a sulky. The drivers do not have the weight or age restrictions as jockeys do, which opens the sport up to a much wider population.
Harness racers are standardbreds, which is a breed of horse. They are tougher and bigger built than thoroughbreds which are usually used for horse racing. A harness racing horse has less time off than a race horse, as they do not lose condition as quickly as a thoroughbred. When looking at placing a wager on a horse and driver combination, it is always a good idea to check how well they have worked together in the past, and if the horse has been racing consistently.
Types of Races
For sports betting NZ sites, there are four main types of races in harness racing. The first is called a conditioned race. The horses which are allowed to enter this race are chosen on age, gender and previous race results or how much money they have won.
A claiming race is a race where the winner is able to be claimed, or purchased for a specific amount. This type of race never happens in thoroughbred racing.
An invitational or preferred race is a race for the fastest horse on the grounds. This race is only open to horses and drivers whom the secretary has specifically invited.
The final type of race is a breeders and sires race. Here a horse has to be nominated. The owner has to carry on paying a nominating fee to keep the horse eligible to enter these races, which happen throughout the year.
Betting On Harness Racing
Placing a bet on harness race has a bit more skill involved than placing a bet on thoroughbred racing. The horses run differently and the entire race happens in a different format. There are a number of bets which one can place on a race, or on a horse and driver team.
As in regular https://bettingonline.net.nz/sports-betting/horse-betting/, the most common type of bet is a win. This is a bet on which team will win the race. It is quite straightforward and is affected by odds.
Across the board is a bet on a horse to place somewhere. This is one of the most popular bets as it covers many of your bases, and allows for a wider winning margin.
Exacta and Trifecta are the same as in thoroughbred racing. These are bets on selections of horses coming in to the top three places in a race in a particular order.
Pick Three and Pick six are again the same as thoroughbred racing. These are the most difficult bets to get right, and thus have huge payouts. If you manage to predict the winners of three to six races, you could be handsomely rewarded.