Betting Guide

Trying to pick a winner and then cheering it home is something that everyone can do.

For some people it’s like solving a crossword, putting all the clues from the form book together, factoring in the ground and prevailing weather then trying to get the best price from the bookies. Others rely on a favourite colour, lucky number, top jockey or a pin to make their selection!

Having a bet on the race can make a raceday all the more exhilarating and exciting. Don’t worry, you don’t actually have to lose your shirt, bets can start at just £2. The help below is intended as a beginner’s guide to betting on a racecourse, the only information we can’t give you is the winner.

There are various points and different ways to bet here at York.

1. Place a bet with the Tote.
2. You can go to the betting ring.
3. Use a totesport Betting Shop.

With over 300 Tote betting points located around the course, there is always one nearby.

The main betting ring is situated in front of the Knavesmire Stand with an additional ring in Course Enclosure and sometimes a third set of bookies on Bustardthorpe Lawn.

There are three totesport SP betting shops at York; one at the southern end of the stands, the second on the ground floor of the Knavesmire Stand and the third being the refurbished shop on the ground floor of the Melrose Stand. In addition, racegoers in Course Enclosure will find a totesport SP facility underneath the clock tower. Click through to our interactive map to see where these betting outlets can be found.

Members of Tote Credit can use their account at York in a number of different places. All of the totesport SP shops will accept bets using a Tote Credit account. Totesport also operate a bookmakers pitch on the Rails and will be pleased to accept a Tote Credit bet from racegoers in County Stand or Grandstand and Paddock. Furthermore there is a Tote Credit window on the Weighing Room side of the Melrose Stand betting shop.

Looking out for the best bet

If you’re new to betting, it can all be a bit baffling. Whether it’s from newspapers or the form summaries in the racecard, there’s a myriad of information which can be helpful or just confusing. But there’s always one good basic starting point to help your decision making: the horse. Take a visit to the Parade Ring about half an hour before the race is due for the off and look out for the following good signs to help you pick your winner:

a coat with a good sheen to it
horses which look intelligent and alert
a springy step
big ears pointing slightly inwards
a well muscled body

See our reading the racecard guide for helpful hints on using the form as a guide to picking your winner too.

But if all else fails, use the age old tradition of picking a horse with a good name, lucky number or favourite colour.

Understanding Odds

Once you have picked your winner you can then go in search of the best odds. Here’s a quick starting guide to understanding odds.

Long and short odds

This refers to the odds. A horse with long odds (for example 100/1) is considered by the bookmakers as unlikely to win the race. However, a horse with short odds (for example 3/1) is considered more likely to win.

Odds against

When odds are against, it means the bookie considers that there is less than a 50/50 chance of your horse winning.

For example, if your horse wins at 50/1 (fifty-to-one) and you put £5 on it to win you will receive your stake back (£5) and your stake multiplied by the odds (50/1 = 50 x £5), resulting in a £260 win.

Odds on

When odds are on, it means the bookies considers that there is a more than a 50/50 chance of the horse winning.

For example, if your horse wins at 1/2 (one-to-two) and you put £5 on it to win you will receive your stake back and your stake multiplied by the odds on in (1/2 x £5), resulting in a £7.50 win.

Betting and odds can become complicated. Don’t worry once you have placed your bet with the on-course bookmaker, the winnings you will receive, if your horse wins, are displayed on it.

Useful Information - Keep your betting slip safe. If you have any queries with your bet this can hold a lot of information which can help answer problems.

Placing your Bets

There is a guide to placing your bets below in the various different ways available on course. At all outlets you will receive a slip detailing your bet. Remember to check this before you go and watch the race.
Top Tip – Never throw away your slip, even if you think it is a losing one, until you hear ‘weighed in, weighed in’ being called. Results can be sometimes changed.

Betting with the Tote

Over 300 Tote betting points are located around the course so there is always one nearby. Odds work slightly differently with totepool betting found at these points. When a bet is placed the money goes into a ‘pot’; it is this money which is then divided up between the winning bets after the operator has taken their share. This means the odds can be slightly different than with the on-course bookmakers found in the betting ring, sometimes they are much better so don’t listen to the clever-clogs who say the tote never pays well! Add to the fun and excitement of your day by trying one of the totepool multiple bets explained in the glossary.

To place your bet with the Tote state the following information:

the number & location of the race
the horse’s name or number
the type of bet
the value of your stake.

Take a trip to the betting ring

It can look a bit intimidating but it’s not really, just think of it like a colourful market that only sells bets!

In the betting ring you are able to shop around and find the best price for the horse you want to back. Each bookmaker will also advertise the minimum bet (or stake) that they will accept and the maximum they will pay out. Once you find the bookie with the best odds (or price) for your selection placing a bet is quick and easy.

To place your bet with the bookie state the following information:

the race and location (bookies will take bets on all races that day at York and ‘away’)
the horse’s name or number
the type of bet
the value of your stake.

For instance if you are betting that the horse will win, ask for ‘£ to win on (the name of your horse) in the (race no.) at York’, or if you are placing an each-way, ‘£ each-way on (the name of your horse) in the (race no.) at York’.

Useful Tip - The slip will also have the bookie’s name printed on the top, so there is no risk of not knowing which bookie you placed your bet with when you return to collect the winnings!

Betting in a Betting Shop

Odds in the on-course betting shops work differently again; these will use the SPs to calculate winnings. SP is short hand for starting price which is the official price of horse at the start of the race.

This is similar to a betting shop that you find on the high street where you write on a betting slip. On the slip you would write:

the name of the racecourse
time of the race
horse’s name
the value of your stake
the type of bet (see our glossary for more details on betting types).

These betting shops are also where you can do away betting. This means that you can bet on other horses running in other races in the country that day, or football matches - it acts in the same way as a high street betting shop would.