5 Must-do Tips To Prepare For Your First Horse Race Experience
There is a first time in everything, even in the horse racing scene. First time to race, first time to bet, or first time to watch.
Many people who haven’t experienced watching a horse race event are worried about what they should do during their first-time horse race experience.
So, we have compiled some tips on preparing for your first-ever horse race experience to help you ensure that you will have the best experience.
Get Hold of The Racing Schedule
The first thing you should do to prepare for your first horse race experience is to check the racing calendar for 2022.
We are still in the middle of the year and the racing calendar for this year is still quite long. Therefore, you still have many chances to see a horse race for the first time.
Using the racing calendar, you can select a race that you will attend with the best date and time suitable for you.
Remember, watching your first horse race should be done in person for you to enjoy the experience fully. So, you will need to travel to where the race will be held. It is crucial to get hold of the racing schedule so you can properly plan your trip.
This tip is most important for individuals with a tight work schedule. Knowing when the race will be ahead will give you enough time to prepare and plan the entire experience.
So to keep updated, learn more about the contenders and horse racing schedules as well as other valuable betting tips and tricks.
Set A Budget
A horse race is equal to betting. So, as a part of your first-time horse race experience, you should set a budget for betting.
You can never fully experience a horse race if you don’t participate in betting. Betting can add to the thrill of your overall experience as it releases adrenaline, especially if you win or if you’re in exciting situations.
When setting a betting budget, you should set an amount you can afford to lose. This way, no matter what happens, you can rest assured that your experience is good and memorable.
In addition to setting a betting budget, you must also set a travel budget, especially if you live away from the race’s location.
It would also be best to check out the location of each upcoming race this year to know whether there is a schedule where a race will be held within your location.
If you are lucky and a racing event will be held at your location, you should pick that race as your first race to watch. Therefore, as a result, you can save a lot of money on the travel cost.
Do Your Research
You have many things to research before you embark on your horse racing journey. The research will open up your mind to various ideas.
It will help you learn many things and know what to expect, especially during a horse racing event.
Research feeds curiosity which will also help you with your preparation. As a first-timer, there are so many things that you still don’t know.
It is why you should do research as a part of your preparation to ensure that you have a tiny idea of what will happen.
Moreover, when doing your research, you should also ensure that you also look up how to bet on horse races. Check out the different types of bets you can do and figure out which one suits you best.
Handicap Horses
Since you have decided to watch a horse race, you also want to bet. Therefore, you must handicap the horses participating in the specific race you are watching.
When handicapping the horses, you should examine the following:
- Form
- Ability
- Race Conditions
- Class
- Breeding
- Connections
The form will tell you if a horse is fit or not. Handicapping each horse’s form helps you eliminate those not fit to win the race.
The horse’s ability will help you predict the performance of the remaining horses. The race condition will further narrow down your list by eliminating horses that couldn’t compete in the current condition of the race track.
When you analyse the class of the horse, you will know how the horses acquired their figures and know which one stepped up and regressed. Another important aspect of the horse’s potential is the breed.
Check out the pedigree of the horses and see if they have the bloodline of a winner. Lastly, study the connection of horses. It means you must familiarise yourself with the rider and the trainer of each horse. The human connection also has a significant impact on a horse’s performance.
Choose What to Wear
A horse race isn’t only popular for the race and betting. Many horse race events, especially major races like the triple crown, are also popular for dressing up. Many horse race enthusiasts love to dress up in fancy clothes during these horse race events.
It is why you should also check out what fans wear to a specific race you plan to attend. This way you can prepare what you must wear for the event.
Wearing fancy dresses or suits is one way to enjoy the horse race event even more. So, start watching the previous races and see what audiences are wearing to know what outfit to pack.
Have a Blast
With the preparations mentioned above, you are ready to embark on your horse racing journey. Now, what you only need to do is to go to the event and have a blast!
