Best Horse Racing Betting Sites UK 2024

If you’re betting on the sport of kings, then only the best horse racing betting sites will do. Finding out what those are with so many to choose from can be tough. This detailed guide tells you what the top horse racing betting sites are with tips and strategy for beating the bookies, plus the promotions and offers available.

Top 10 Horse Racing Betting Sites in the UK

According to the table above, these are the best bookies for horse racing in the UK today.

1. Betfred – The Bonus King bookmaker
2. QuinnBet – Range of horse racing offers
3. 888sport – BetFeed and BetFinder features
4. The Pools – Daily Bet & Get free bets
5. Spreadex – Spread betting and fixed odds
6. Fitzdares – Up to 25% bonuses on multis
7. BoyleSports – Free Bet if 2nd to SP Fav deal
8. BetUK – Free to view horse racing & Acca Club
9. Virgin Bet – 3/1+ Winner free bet promo
10. BetGoodwin – Money back as free bet deals

Reviewing the Best Horse Racing Betting Sites in the UK

Sorting the wheat from the chaff, we asked our experts to review the top online bookmakers for horse racing in the UK. We take a look at five of the top 10 horse racing betting sites out there:

1. Betfred – The Bonus King Bookmaker

The conversation about the best horse racing bookie online will always include Betfred. Colloquially called The Bonus King, that is more than a mere advertising gimmick. It’s a nickname they have earned. Betfred pledged to do more for horse racing punters and now claims to offer more Extra Place Races for each way betting than any other mainstream bookie.

While proving or disproving that would be something of a manual task for our experts, what’s not in doubt is they cater well for those who like this type of wager. If you enjoy combination and system bets, meanwhile, there are bonuses available you won’t get on other horse racing betting sites in the UK.

These include All Correct Bonuses and One Winner Bonus deals. Those are paid in cash rather than free bets. Speaking of those, Betfred also offers your stake back as a free bet up to a set amount if your horse finishes second in selected UK and Irish horse races. Fred’s Daily Double includes two horses together in a price boost that traders want to push.

There are also good ante post and daily international betting sections. With live streaming available on UK and Irish horse races you bet on, Betfred ticks a lot of boxes. It’s a good measuring stick against all other horse racing betting sites out there, that’s for sure.

2. QuinnBet – Range of Horse Racing Offers

Another of the best online bookies for horse racing is QuinnBet. They have plenty of offers tailored specifically to this sport in order to attract punters. From the Acca Bonus deal that adds a percentage of additional winnings on as a free bet to a series of refund promotions like Beaten A Head or Less, Fallers Insurance and Fail to Finish, QuinnBet provides every incentive to bet.

Depending on the race or other terms, there are also free bets available on second place, finishing second to the SP favourite, or third or fourth on the market leader. Each of these subtly different deals amounts to the same thing, compensation in the form of a free bet if you hit the crossbar with your fancies.

QuinnBet also have Extra Places on selected races, following other leading horse racing betting sites in this regard. There are Future Races for ante post betting, some specials and Virtual racing, as well as markets for today, tomorrow and the day after. Coverage extends to several countries, so there’s so much to bet on.

3. 888sport – Racing Search Filter in BetFinder

Yet another of the top horse racing bookies online is 888sport, who have some handy features that help you find the right bet for you. Discover trending and popular bets across multiple sports with BetFeed. There is also a specific horse racing search filter with the BetFinder tool. Whittle down big fields by choosing winners or placed horses last time out or on recent starts, previous course and/or distance winners and more.

It’s not just this that makes 888sport among the best horse racing betting sites UK punters can wager with either. Their Each Way + promotion not only offers extra places but enhanced terms. That means you could end up with a third of outright odds instead of a quarter on selected races. A 4/1 Winner bonus of a £5 free bet at 888sport applies to horse racing too.

Boosted doubles, trebles and specials are also available during major meetings. 888sport is a great destination for horse racing live streaming. Watch & Bet covers Australian, French and US action, besides domestic races in the UK and Ireland. They also pay out on Double Results in the event that a stewards’ enquiry sees places change. There’s plenty going on for horse racing fans at 888sport, that’s for sure.

4. The Pools – Daily Bet & Get Free Bets

One of the new horse racing betting sites UK punters can gamble on, The Pools provides bet and get free bet deals every day. These offers include a free bet if the favourite wins selected races and. On that and other conditions, there is a sliding scale of value. Bet £5 for a £1 free bet, £10 to get £2 and £20 to receive £5. These are available on featured race meetings every single day.

There are Price Boosts and Extra Place Races on offer too, so you can see what horses The Pools traders like to push and identify opportunities for an each way bet. Look out for the Acca Boost on any £10 fivefold and upwards accumulators, including horse racing. This is perfect for combining your big meeting or festival fancies in one wager.

With horse racing markets on events in multiple countries, The Pools punches above its weight with other more established horse racing betting sites in terms of what’s on offer. There’s a Loyalty Club, Virtual Racing and a good range of ante post wagers for those who like to bet long-term. The Pools has more going for it than you might expect.

5. Spreadex – Spread Betting & Fixed Odds

If the concept of horse racing spread betting sitting side-by-side a regular fixed odds service intrigues you, then Spreadex is well worth checking out. They offer both wagering types, but you do need to know the risks involved. We’ll touch on that more later. Almost unique among horse racing betting sites with what’s available, you can choose between buying or selling spreads or sticking to the traditional bets.

Spreadex runs a 2nd to a Rag Insurance deal that refunds losing stakes as a free bet if your horse finishes second to a 33/1 or bigger outsider. They also pay out on first past the post and any amended result. Besides betting on the action at home or in Ireland, there are markets for races in Europe, North America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and Asia.

One area in which Spreadex improved recently, taking it into the conversation of best online horse racing betting sites is live streaming. This is available for almost all the races they markets on, so you can even bet and watch international events. Spreadex makes for a highly interesting alternative and unique gambling experience to established fixed odds horse racing bookies online.

Key Features of the Best Horse Racing Online Betting Sites

While reading our reviews of the best UK horse racing betting sites, you may have noticed some aspects common amongst them. While every bookie offers something slightly different to the competition, there are certain elements each must provide. The table below highlights key features of UK horse racing bookmakers and whether their service includes these things or not:

Ranking the Top Horse Racing Betting Sites

When it comes to ranking the established best and new horse racing betting sites out there, it’s not just the table above that our experts use to decide. There is more to it than that. We thought we should ask them about key criteria that determines what the best bookmakers for horse racing in the UK are. This is what they came back to us with:

Top Prices

At the end of the day, betting sites for horse racing can offer all the deals they want but it’s not about gimmicks for some punters. The overriding factor is value for money. That doesn’t come through promotions alone but competitive odds. We’re not talking about Best Odds Guaranteed here, but top prices. The bigger the odds, the greater the potential profit. All the best horse racing bookmakers UK punters use are industry leaders. It’s why Betfred have the confidence to push certain runners.

Horse Racing Events Covered

We’re dealing with a truly global sport, so the best horse racing betting sites need to ensure their coverage reflects that. Any British bookie is concerned first and foremost with UK and Irish action, but there are some big races abroad throughout the year that feature horses trained on our shores. Punters that follow these globetrotters want to be able to bet on them running overseas. Our experts were particularly impressed with Spreadex for coverage of international events.

Range of Bets

Variety is the spice of life as the old adage goes. If you want to take the favourite out of the equation, either because there’s no value in backing that horse or you really fancy something to finish second, then you need to have the option to do that. Most existing and new online horse racing betting sites provide different markets to a straight win. We’ve got a list of the popular types of bets punters make below too. The range of bets at BoyleSports impresses our experts.

Horse Racing Offers

If there’s one thing that can make or break your decision whether to take a punt or not, then it’s promotions. All of the best online betting sites for horse racing will have some offers. These act as incentives to wager on a particular race. As we’ve seen from the reviews and will be discussed below, these can take many forms. Two horse racing betting sites in particular stand out in terms of offers to our experts. Those are The Pools and QuinnBet but any on the toplist have their merits.

Extra Features

Anything extra that the best betting sites for horse racing can offer you is also welcome. Whether it’s free or qualifying access to live streaming of the action, or handy tools to help you track down potential punts, these add to the overall gambling experience. Among the best horse racing bookmakers UK punters use, 888sport has its fabulous features in BetFeed and BetFinder, with the later tailored specifically to the sport of kings to help eliminate runners from big fields.

New Horse Racing Betting Sites UK

The UK is a busy place for gambling. You may have already signed up to some of the established horse racing bookmakers best known in it. What about fresh races in the industry, though? There are lots of new online horse racing betting sites out there too. We only put forward trusted bookies, so you don’t have to worry about their reliability. Check out the new kids on the block in the table below:

Horse Racing Betting Sites with Bonuses & Offers

It’s obvious that the best betting sites for horse racing must all have some promotions. Now is as good a time as any to look at popular bookmaker offers in more detail, though. These types of bonuses and deals are regularly available through top online horse racing bookies in the UK today:

Horse Racing Betting Exchanges

As well as regular fixed odds betting through the best online bookies for horse racing, you can also gamble on the Exchanges. These operate differently. It is peer to peer betting on a platform like Betfair, where a small commission fee is charged for providing this service. All you need to do is find another punter who will take the bet you propose.

 

Whether you decide to back or lay a horse, it needs matching by another person. You’re in control of setting the odds, though. In spite of the commission to pay win or lose, you could end up with a greater profit than on fixed odds horse racing betting sites, but there are additional risks. Unlike when wagering with a bookmaker, you could lose more than just the stake and end up owing the person who matched your bet some money.

What is a Lay Bet in Horse Racing

When you don’t fancy a horse to win, it could be worth considering placing a lay bet. That is essentially betting on it to lose. You won’t find lay bets on regular fixed odds services provided by the best bookies for horse racing but on the exchanges like Betfair. Search through the backer’s odds and enter a stake that you’re prepared to risk on the horse losing.

Once you’ve matched an existing back bet on the exchange with a lay bet, it’s time to wait and see about the outcome of the race. If the horse loses, then you’re quids in. However, should it win then you must pay out to the person who backed it for victory at the odds and stake you matched. Despite this additional risk, it is always worth considering laying horses because around two-thirds of favourites don’t win on average.

Most Established UK Horse Racing Betting Sites

We can’t talk about the best bookies for horse racing without a mention for the big boys. These established betting sites are industry leaders and even the most casual punter will probably have heard of them. Regular gamblers like as not already have online accounts with these industry heavyweights. They can also be considered among the top horse racing betting sites with bonuses too, so here’s a breakdown of what each major player has to offer on this sport:

Most Popular Betting Markets with Horse Racing Bookies Online

Something else that the best online horse racing betting sites UK punters use should all have is a good range of market options. It’s not enough to simply offer win only wagers these days. Here are the common bet types that you’ll find available with the bookies:

Some of these markets are self-explanatory, but let’s take a look at each of them in more detail:

Win Betting

Pretty much what it says on the tin. Where you simply back a horse to win the race it’s running in. This single bet only pays out if your runner is first past the post or promoted to winner following a stewards’ enquiry.

Each Way Betting

Essentially two bets in one. This wager is where you back a horse both for an outright win and to finished place. Your unit stake doubles. Precise place terms vary depending on the type of the race and number of runners.

These can be enhanced if the event is one of the Extra Place Races that horse racing betting sites now regularly offer. Even if the horse doesn’t win, an each way bet still pays out something – a fraction of the outright odds – in the event it runs into the places.

Place Betting

You can also separately back a horse just to be placed. Provided there are more than four runners, markets will at least be available one two places (finishing first and second). If there are eight or more horses in a race, then three places (first, second and third) is also an option here. In big field handicaps, look out for place betting on four places.

Ante Post Betting

Any wagers placed on horse racing events prior to final declarations, which happened around 48 hours before events in the UK and Ireland, are called ante post. You aren’t guaranteed a run for your money as these bets don’t fall under Non-Runner No Bet terms. The upside with ante post betting, for all that increased risk, is usually better odds. These can be lively around major meetings.

Accumulators

Called an acca for short, an accumulator is where you bet on two or more horse to win different races on the same betslip. Each leg must be successful in order for the bet to pay out. It’s tougher finding multiple winners of horse racing events but the reward is the odds accumulate, that means multiply from leg to leg creating bigger returns.

Look out for Acca Insurance and other accumulator bonuses on the best betting sites for horse racing today. These may not cover Doubles (two legs) and Trebles (three), but look out for deals involving 4+ legs.

Combination & System Bets

Mitigating the high risk of an accumulator losing, more complex wager types are available. These are called combination and system bets. Instead of putting four horses in a straight acca, why not go for a Yankee or Lucky 15? The former is 11 wagers in one covering all permutations of doubles and trebles as well as the fourfold.

A Lucky 15, meanwhile, is 15 bets on a single betslip include each of the four horses as win singles, plus all the multiples and accumulator. Here is a list of the combination and system bets on offer:

Distance Betting

With some exceptional horses or red-hot favourites, it’s not a case of if they will win but by how far? That is where distance betting comes in. Some of the top horse racing betting sites provide markets on the jolly winning by so many lengths. It’s a way to get more value into backing favourites. A distance betting wager pays out provided the horse wins by at least the margin of victory specified.

Match Betting

Sometimes called head to heads, match betting is where you bet on one named horse to beat another. They don’t have to win the race in question. The only requirement is that they finish in front of the other horse. This can be a value betting angle when two old rivals meet off different terms to the previous encounter.

Betting Without the Favourite

Instead of going down the distance betting route, you can take favourites out of the equation entirely. There is the option of betting without them. If the market leader is odds-on, then you can’t even double your money. There isn’t much value in backing them. However, a livelier market could well be betting without the favourite. Such a wager pays out if the chosen horse finishes second to the favourite or wins the race outright.

Specials

There are any number of special novelty and season wagers you can place on the best UK horse racing betting sites right now. From odds on the trainers’ and jockeys’ championship to long-term propositions like a horse going through the campaign or it career unbeaten, there is plenty to choose from. Specials are always worth a look at around major meetings and festival if you’re searching for a fun bet or bit of value.

Effective Horse Racing Betting Strategy

Approaching your punts on top horse racing betting sites strategically makes all the sense in the world. There should always be some thought or thinking behind every gamble you take. This reflects the calculated risks involved with wagering on horses. Follow this general horse racing betting strategy for starters, and you’ll at least make better decisions:

Best Betting Sites for Horse Racing Live Streaming

Many of the leading online horse racing betting sites in the UK provide access to live streams from all tracks in the British Isles. It doesn’t matter whether the races are National Hunt over jumps, or on the Flat or All-Weather, this should be available. The very top online bookmakers for horse racing will provide this free of charge without even needing to bet. There’s more in the table below:

Glossary of Horse Racing Betting Terms

Newcomers to this sport will benefit from having horse racing betting terminology and jargon explained to them. Check out our experts’ guide for beginners below:

All-Weather

Horse racing meetings and race that don’t take place on turf (grass) but artificial surfaces. Dundalk in Ireland; and Chelmsford City, Kempton Park, Lingfield Park, Newcastle, Southwell and Wolverhampton in the UK have All-Weather tracks at them.

Allowances

Within race terms, horses may be given allowances for age or gender that take weight off their backs. Mainly for conditions races, these rules can also apply to handicaps in certain circumstances. Weight for age is common for younger horses taking on their elders. Fillies and mares receive a 3lb sex allowance in a conditions races on the Flat, and 7lb in National Hunt events of a similar nature.

Black Type

A black type race is one with Listed, Group or graded status. While not so important in National Hunt horse racing, they matter more on the Flat. When looking back over a horse’s career on the track, the more black type they have, then the more valuable they are as stallions at stud or broodmares in the paddocks depending on their gender.

Blinkers

One of the many types of headgear in the tack available to racehorse trainers, blinkers can sharpen their runners up as it shuts out what’s going on in their peripheral vision.

Cheekpieces

Similar to blinkers, cheekpieces are less intrusive to a horses’ peripheral vision but still block out what other horses are doing. They can aid concentration.

Claimer

A claimer is a jockey who, due to a lack of experience, can take additional weight beyond what is allotted off a horse’s back. This rule doesn’t apply to black type races. Claiming jockeys can be amateurs or conditionals, and start by taking 10lb off, then after riding so many winners this is reduced to 7lb, 5lb, 3lb and finally no weight at all.

Classics

Five British horse races on the Flat are called Classics and these have significance for the future of the thoroughbred. Each event has been run since at least the time of the Napoleonic Wars, more than 200 years ago. The Classic races, open only to three-year-old colts and/or fillies are:

Colts

A colt is an entire male horse aged between two and four. Once they reach the age of five, they are simply known as a horses.

Conditions Race

A conditions race is one where the weights are set based on the qualifying horses’ previous performances within a set time period. Such events may add penalties for victories at the same or a higher level, or provide allowances in weight for age for younger horses against their elders or sex allowances for fillies and mares from colts and geldings. Conditions may prohibit horses of a certain type, gender or age from competing in the race too.

Dead Heat

In the event that the judge cannot split two (or more) horses in a photo finish and determine an outright winner, that is called a dead heat. If this happens, the horse racing betting sites settle all wagers at half of the stake gambled to the full starting price (SP).

Exchanges

Off-course, there are peer to peer betting services called Exchanges where punters can back horses to win or lay them to lose with other people taking the wagers. Exchange operators like Betfair charge a small percentage of commission for facilitating these services.

Favourites

The horse with the shortest odds for a race is said to be the favourite. This is because they have the highest implied probability of winning. Remember, two-thirds of all favourites don’t win horse races on average.

Fillies

A filly is a female horse aged between two and four.

Fixed Odds

Markets offered by UK horse racing bookmakers are called fixed odds. This is because a percentage is built into the market (or book) which, no matter the outcome of a race, should ensure at least some profit for the bookies setting the prices.

Furlongs

The traditional measurement of horse races in the UK and Ireland is in furlongs. There are eight of this unit in a mile. There are furlong markers, placed every 220 yards back from the winning post on British racecourses.

Geldings

Any male horse, regardless of age, that has undergone a gelding operation is called a gelding. They cannot have a career at stud after their racing career due to these changes to their anatomy.

Handicaps

Any horse race where the weight carried relates to the sport’s governing body and their official assessment and rating is called a handicap. These can have conditions attached to them, such as restricting age or gender, but sex allowances aren’t usually given. Weight for age in handicaps still exists and penalties can also apply. Even though some have set ratings ceilings, they may at the race organiser’s discretion be open to horses rated just above the threshold.

Hood

A piece of headgear designed to shut out noise rather than aid a horse’s concentration is called a hood. Those wearing a red hood indicate they only have it on until the start of a race. Hoods contain padding around the ears, so that nervous or excitable horses remain calm in the preliminaries such as when parading in the paddock in front of the crowd of racegoers.

Juveniles

On the Flat, a juvenile is any two-year-old horse for the entire year. Over jumps in the National Hunt code, meanwhile, juveniles are three-year-olds in the autumn and winter at the start of the core season that become four-year-olds midway through the campaign.

Mares

A mare is a female horse aged five and up.

Non-Runners

Horses that are declared to run in a race but don’t come under starter’s orders and jump off are deemed non-runners. Withdrawing a horse just moments before the off can happen based on vet’s advice, them being upset in the stalls or refusing to go into them in a Flat race, or refusing to race generally. A non-runner may result in a Rule 4 deduction to any bets placed following final decs.

Photo Finish

When the naked eye of judge watching the finishing line and winning post cannot make out whether a horse has won or not, they use a photo finish to determine the outcome.

Reappearance

When a racehorse makes their first start after a long break or since the start of the new season, they are said to be making their reappearance. Some horses strip fitter for their return to action, while other are best caught first time out on the track as they go well fresh.

Rule 4

A Rule 4 deduction applies to all bets on a race placed after final declarations in the event that a horse priced at 14/1 (15.00) or shorter is withdrawn at any point before the race begins. The shorter the odds of the horse taken out of the event, the larger the deduction. For example, any horses withdrawn at Evens (2.00) incur a 50p to £1 deduction, so punters don’t want short-priced runners being withdrawn.

Starting Prices (SPs)

The Starting Price (abbreviated to SP) are the odds for a horse when they come under starter’s orders. You may hear people refer to the SP as the price horses are returned at with these now confirmed based on the off-course market rather than on-track betting after the race finishes.

Tongue Tie

A tongue tie is a piece of tack and equine equipment designed to stop the tongues of horses lolling out whilst running and thus aid their breathing in a race.

Top 10 UK Meetings on Horse Racing Betting Sites

With horse racing meetings on almost every single day of the year in Britain and Ireland, there is always something to bet on. Let’s take a look at the most important events in the calendar every year, both from a gambling perspective and for fans of this great sport:

Cheltenham Festival

Four four days in the middle of March, Cheltenham becomes the centre of the sporting universe as the best National Hunt horses race there. The Cheltenham Festival is horse racing’s cash cow with a host of red-hot handicap hurdles and chases supporting 14 Grade 1 events including the Champion Hurdle, Queen Mother Champion Chase and Cheltenham Gold Cup.

Grand National

There arguably isn’t a more important single race to the best horse racing betting sites UK punters wager with than the Grand National. Called the world’s most famous steeplechase with good reason, this feature handicap chase at Aintree captivates the British public’s attention like no other event. A maximum field of 40 horses cross 30 fences in the ultimate stamina test.

Epsom Derby

In terms of significance to the future of the thoroughbred, you won’t find a more important race in the UK than The Derby. Not only is it the most valuable horse racing event in Britain, but the winner effectively has a guaranteed career at stud as a stallion once their days on the track are done. The Derby is also referred to as the Epsom Derby to distinguish it from other events.

Royal Ascot

There are lots of big Flat racing meetings over the summer, but they don’t come any bigger than Royal Ascot. For five days in the middle of June, thoroughbred racehorses come from all over the world to compete in front of royalty. Big races include the Queen Anne Stakes, King’s Stand Stakes, St James’s Palace Stakes, Prince Of Wales’s Stakes, Ascot Gold Cup, Coronation Stakes, Commonwealth Cup and Platinum Jubilee Stakes.

Horse Racing on Boxing Day

There isn’t a busier day in the British horse racing calendar than Boxing Day. On top of the start of Christmas Festivals in Ireland at Leopardstown and Limerick, plus a meeting at Down Royal in Northern Ireland, there are eight courses hosting cards on mainland Britain. The highlight race  among those is the King George VI Chase, one of three Grade 1 events at Kempton Park.

Biggest International Horse Racing Betting Events

Besides the domestic British and Irish action, the best UK horse racing betting sites need to have markets on major events overseas. It’s a global sport after all with thoroughbred racing on dirt and/or turf across the Channel in mainland Europe, over the Atlantic in the USA and Canada, in the Middle and Far East, and even as far away as South Africa and Australia. The table below contains 10 of the best horse races that take place abroad:

Best Horse Racing Betting Tips

We’ve a few more tips and pieces of advice for you when gambling on the best online betting sites for horse racing out there. As with any helpful hints, there are no guarantees. Our expert advice is prescriptive but could help you reach better and more-informed decisions when taking a punt:

Conclusion

You should have a pretty good grasp of online horse racing betting sites UK punters gamble on now. We’ve looked at what they have to offer in terms of service and promotions, plus some hints, tips, advice and strategy for betting on this great sport. You also what the big events both domestically and worldwide are. All that remains is get wagering on the best bookmakers for horse racing today. Gamble responsibly and here’s a reminder of our number one site:

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