Win, Place and Each-way
Most people would think that horse racing is the same around the world. After all, horses race in an oval track or straight line, finish in different spots, and people bet on the results. How different could it be? Wouldn’t racing (and betting) be the same in Ireland and the UK verses Australia or the United States? Well, read on!
Overall, the sport of horse racing is similar. However, there are some differences found in Ireland and the UK horse racing. For example, horse racing is more regulated in Australia than in the UK. And in the UK and Ireland there’s more competition between bookmakers. Races with hurdles (Jump Racing) are seen more in the UK and Ireland while the Aussies shy away or have shorter hurdles. Great Britain has restrictions against whipping a horse too much while other countries may be more strict or lenient.
No matter the differences, betting on horse races is a part of the sport. Just like with the sport, there are key differences with betting. Aussies prefer “Trifectas”, “Exactas”, and “Quinellas”. Our Ireland and UK friends prefer the “Win”, “Place”, and “Each-way”. Yet within these bets we still find differences.
- A “Win” is one of the top three common bets in horse racing and arguably the simplest. Normally, this is betting the horse will win or place first. However, some races in Ireland and the UK count the first two finishers as the winner.
- “Place” betting is betting the horse will finish in a certain position. The number of places in Ireland and the UK are determined by the amount of horses in a race. A race with eight or more horses will generally have three places while four places are given to races with sixteen or more horses. This rule may not be similar in your country so make sure before betting.
- Last we have “Each-way” bets. This is either two bets in one, or a bet split in two. It just depends on how you look at it. Half of the bet is a bet to place and the other is a bet on the horse to win. This bet has a significant difference around the world. Americans win if the horse comes in first or second place. Irish and UK betters have it better with a payout on a win or by “placing”. This means if the horse comes in a certain place just like with a Place bet.
- So as you can see, there are key differences in UK and Ireland horse racing than American (or even Australian) horse racing. But not so much that a bettor from another country wouldn’t feel comfortable in a few minutes (that’s the beauty of the sport – it’s different, yet the same).
Good luck with your bet no matter if you’re in Ireland, the UK, or anywhere else!
