
Racecourses come in different types. It can be a turf racecourse, synthetic or dirt. These racecourses will influence the bets you place. Majorly, they may favour a horse depending on several factors, bringing about track bias.
It may be hard to define track bias. However, the surface of the racing track is something to factor in when betting on horse racing. Understanding this concept will significantly help you run away from avoidable losses when you bet and aim at enjoying the Luxury Casino Canada bonus or great horse racing odds available here.
This article tries to understand track bias and its effect on horse racing betting.
Defining Track Bias
Track bias can be defined as the way a track races and its disadvantages and advantages for some competitors. Undoubtedly, a racing track can favour a particular position or running style.
More precisely, we can say the below constitutes track bias:
- The layout of the racing track that can be categorized as heavy, dead, slow or good.
- The distance between starting line to the initial turn
- Movable inside rail position
- Weather
Considering the above, track bias affects horse racing betting. This makes it a must to understand the racing track before you bet, as the level of bias is not equal. The type of bias on a dirt racecourse will differ from that on a synthetic racecourse. Therefore, do proper track analysis before betting.
Sources of Track Bias
Different factors can cause track bias. Some of these are discussed below:
Design of the Track
Just by how they are designed, some tracks may favour horses with a particular racing pattern. Under design, we can think about the shapes and their role in biasing the distance a horse must run.
Length of Straightness
Usually, the longer the straight stretch, the higher the chance of backmarkers reeling in horses that like to be further at the front. On the other hand, the shorter the straight stretch, the higher the chance of on-pacers getting to the show earlier and gaining speed.
Position of the Rails
The racecourse has some rails to mark the running space. Usually, the rails are placed according to their default true position. However, they are typically shifted to minimize wear and tear and ensure fairness.
Due to weather or uneven wear, the rail can be moved from its true position. When this happens, it goes in or out of the true position. This increases or decreases the ease or difficulty of the horse to run. Eventually, this will affect your bet.
Condition of the Track
The condition of the track refers to various aspects of the racing ground. One aspect is the firmness of the soil in different places on the racing ground. It can be good, soft, or heavy. All this affects the speed and ability of the horse to cruise, affecting your bet eventually.
Current Weather
The weather affects the speed of the horses in several ways. Some include:
- Under wet weather, some horses will lose control of the track, and this means more time to recollect and get back to the track.
- Besides, some horses do very well under wet weather. These are swimmers.
Under no chance will these two be equal. Consequently, this means weather produces some bias when betting on such a race.
Again, extreme weather like dry, freezing, or chilly conditions also affects the racing surface, producing some bias.
Other sources of bias include irrigation and wind, and each has some effect for the racecourse.
Types of Track Bias
There exist four types of track bias that you should know before you start betting on horse racing. These include:
On-place Bias
This bias will work towards the advantage of the horses that love settling at speed up front or at least within the first half of the racing track. Mostly, the horses affected by this bias are near the inside rail.
Run on Bias
This bias affects the horses that settle on the second half of the field or the rear of the track.
Zero or No Bias
This means that a field does not have any bias. It is fair, and no horse gets an advantage whatsoever.
Backmarkers
This error results from the horses that love running behind others to shield themselves from wind and other factors. Later, they swoop the leading positions straight as the wind does not beat them.
Analysing the Track Bias and Placing Bets
After knowing there is track bias, you must be proactive when determining how to bet. Of course, you should understand the racecourse and the weather during the racing period. Besides, you must know the best horse positions you want to bet for in every race. The mission is to eliminate, minimize, or work with track bias as much as possible in your horse racing bets.