Best Horse Racing Sites in India

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Horse Race Betting in India: A Look Through the Past, Present, and Future

Recognized as one of the most popular betting sports in India, horse racing signifies culture and class mixed with excitement. For hundreds of years, the practice has been going on where horse breeding and jockey training have become an integral tradition of this sport. Most bettors in India wager on horse racing by visiting the turf club to place the bets on site. This is mainly because of the thrill and the social connection with the betting community at the venue. 

one of the most popular betting sports in India

This is the old-school style of betting that has become a cultural thing among the elite. Even though the practice is time-taking and may not give you the best odds at winning, the excitement of watching a stallion galloping on the turf is incomparable. However, since the advent of the Internet, the need to go to a horse race has reduced drastically. Many websites have cropped up online that allows bettors to wager on their favourite horse from the safety of their home. Punters can keep a track of the best odds on almost every race that is happening around the world. This has increased the earning potential of every bettor and made the game even more exciting. 

In this article, we will talk about the history of horse racing in India, and the different online betting websites that offer the best deals and features for players to have a complete horse race betting experience. 


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A Brief History of Horse racing in India

Horse race betting was officially declared a legal activity in the year 1996 by the Supreme Court of India. The Court ruled that the sport is a “game of skill” and requires a certain amount of experience and knowledge to wager on. This brought more attention to the sport which resulted in the increase of bettors who became interested in wagering on the sport. 

Horse race betting was officially declared a legal activity in the year 1996

Today, horse racing is regulated and administered by the auspices of all the six Turf Clubs situated in different states including Delhi, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. All these clubs form an umbrella association known as the Turf Authorities of India. The authority works towards promoting horse racing throughout the country and work diligently to bring new development in the infrastructure and the administration of all the turfs located in the country. 

Also, the horse Breeding Industry and the Agricultural Sector fall under the jurisdiction of the authority. Revenue is generated through the commission collected from the Totalizator or the Parimutual and the license fees charged from turf-accountants. 

All the six authorities organize events at all the major nine racecourses spread across the country. Each authority has its own trackside bookmakers and pari-mutuel wagering stations. Most of the states also have many inter-track and off-course betting centres, each of which offers live TV coverage of every contest and accept over the counter bettings. 

Horse racing betting is a legal industry that is strictly regulated by the authority. Players nowadays have great opportunities to bet on international horse races organized all over the world through horse race betting websites


Frequently Asked Questions About Horse Racing (FAQs)

[ultimate-faqs include_category=’faq-horse-racing’]


Major Horse Racing Events in India

Major Indian horse racing events are scheduled in the style of British races which brings in more class and a sense of eliteness to the sport. Even the name of each event mimics a familiar tone as they are named after the major horse races in the UK. Every race is organized by the Royal Western India Turf Club, an age-old authority that still follows old horser acing traditions established during the British Raj

Rules and features are constantly being improved to increase the thrill of spectating and betting each event. Here we’ll be discussing how many markets and events are there in horse racing in India

Indian Derby Betting

The first Indian Derby was run in the year 1943 which received great coverage across the country and attracted a lot of horse race betting enthusiasts. The Derby is held on the first Sunday of February every year at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai. The racecourse is meant for four-year-old fillies and colts. The Star Superior first won the first Indian Derby in 2019 and was also the first win for trainer Rajesh Narredu

Indian 1000 Guineas Betting

The Indian 1000 Guineas Horserace event is specifically designed for the three-year-old fillies. It is run in the month of December in Mumbai and was won by Vishal Gaikwad in 2018. Vishal rode La Rondine who also became famous for the way he performed at the event. The event is the Indian version of the 1000 Guineas race. The race offers some great odds that will prove to be profitable if you are well aware of the horseracing betting tactics. 

Indian 2000 Guineas Betting

The Indian 2000 Guineas Horse race event is an Indian version of the 2000 Guineas Horse race that is run at Mumbai in December every year. The event is meant for three-year-old horses but colts and fillies are also allowed to enter the race. In 2018, Sir Cecil won the race whom Sadakshara Padmanabhan trained. Later on, Padmanabhan went on to win the Grade 1 200 Guineas twice. 

1000 Guineas Betting

Run for the very first time in 1814, the 1000 Guineas horse race was contested at the Newmarket Racecourse by three-year-old fillies. It is run on a Sunday that follows the 2000 Guineas horse race. The 1000 Guineas Betting horse race is sister to the 2000 Guineas Stakes horse race. In 2019, Hermosa helped trainer Aiden O’Brien win the race. This was the fifth time Aiden had won this race. You can consider his horses when you are thinking of wagering your money. 

2000 Guineas Betting

This is one of the most popular horse racing events that features some of the best performing stallions. The event is organized every year in April or May end at the Newmarket. This is a classic British horse race that was first run in the year 1809. The popularity doesn’t seem to fade away which is why it is still the most important events in horse racing all over the world. Three-year-old fillies and thoroughbreds are allowed in the race. The last winner was Magna Grecia who won the race in 2019 and also extended O’Brien’s record of winning the race 10 times including every race he won in the race three years. This means that Aiden O’Brien managed to sweep all the races the way he did in 2012 and 2017. 

Indian Oaks

Also called the Ladies Derby, Indian Oaks is a less popular but equally exciting racing event that is part of the five Classic Indian horse racing events. It is organized every year by the Royal Western India Turf Club situated in Mumbai. The first race was organised in 1943 under the supervision of the Turf Club. A breed and age limitation has been set on the fillies that participate in the race. Every thoroughbred filly participating in the race should be four-year-old. Pesi Shroff was 2019’s Indian Oaks winner along with Ward Roberta

St Leger

St. Leger is one of the most dynamic horse racing track in India from the Triple Crown series. Held in Mumbai, the McDowell Indian ST Leger horse race eventually returned to Pune in 2011. The last edition of the race was held on September 23 and was won by Adjudicate of the Indian Turf Invitation Cup. The grade 1 St. Leger race is 2,800 meters long and is mostly scheduled for Sundays. 

More about Horse Race Events

Best Online Horse Race Betting Sites in India

It is an evident fact that Indian online betting is only possible through a foreign server-based betting site. However, the problem arises when you are not able to gauge which website is legit and more profitable for you to start betting on. Here, we will be discussing the top most online horse race betting sites available to Indian bettors. 

Bet 365 green, yellow and white logo

Bet365

When we talk about horse race betting, the most reputed and reliable website that comes to our notice is Bet365. Based in the UK, this online bookmaker is well-established in sports betting, especially when we talk about horse racing. The site is optimized for Indian players so they get a convenient betting experience without worrying about the withdrawal and deposits or navigating through the sportsbook. 

Multiple horse racing options also include tote betting and live streaming. Best odds are guaranteed on all races and a welcome bonus of up to ₹10,000 is offered to a new player on sign-up. 

Bet365 Horse Racing

Upon entering the website’s horse racing section, you will see a large selection of events and markets listed in a clean and understandable format. All the current races are mentioned on top of the list. Under it, all the international races are listed where you can look for horse races in India. Despite Indian horse racing not listed separately in the Bet365 sportsbook, finding the race of your choice is not a difficult task. Races from South Africa and many other countries can be found separately listed in the horse racing section. 

By clicking on the Hyderbad option, you will see the ongoing race on the track and the upcoming race if you scroll down. 

Guaranteed Best Odds

On each list of every race, you will find different trainers, horses, and jockeys listed chronologically. The list also contains the name, age, weight, and form of the horses. Moreover, the right column has all the odds listed in it. Their claim of “Best Odds Guaranteed” can not be questioned as most wins turn out to be rightfully predicted. 

Even if there is a situation where odds fluctuate after being released, you would still be receiving the best odds. The wins would be calculated according to the odds and not according to the starting price. 

Bet365 Live Streaming

Live streaming on Bet365 is a highly impressive feature that is available for every single race. This includes both international and Indian races. Anyone can access the streaming feature if they have a user account at Bet365 with some money deposited in it. Bet365 mobile app users are also provided with the live streaming feature that they can use from their smartphone or tablet. 

Mobile Notifications

The moment you register yourself on Bet365, the site will start sending your regular updates and alerts about various horse racing events directly on your browser. It is necessary that you stay updated about the races as it will help you build a great sense of judgement in placing bets. For instance, if you have placed your bet on a specific horse and you get to know that the horse will not be running the race, Bet365 will send you an alert and the stake would be refunded immediately. 

Bet365 Tote Placepot

Every horse race punter is offered tote betting on various races which is great for those who do not have much too much money to place on the line. Tote betting is a kind of jackpot with a huge winning amount that has all the bet included in it. All the winners are paid equally according to the amount they wagered on a particular horse. Punters can put a minimum of ₹100 in the pot which will still give them the chance to earn a generous little share of the jackpot money. 

Bet365’s overall layout and the features are quite impressive when looked upon in terms of the convenience to the Indian players in depositing and withdrawing of funds, welcome bonus, live streaming service, and the great odds. 

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Betway black and white logo

Betway

Recognized as the most reputed and popular online betting site among Indian punters, Betway is truly an all-round platform every bettor desire to place their bets on. Talking about horse racing, Betway has an elaborate selection of horse racing events and different markets to choose from. Looking at the variety, one can say that they are a market leader at horse racing. 

The betting process has been simplified which makes it easier for new players to wager easily without going through any difficulty. The perks are also generous with Betway offering a welcome bonus of ₹2,500 upon making the first deposit

You can scroll down the sportsbook and choose from the horse racing options that include the upcoming races. The races listed here are from all over the world. For much more precise searching, you can use the “Today” option that will show you all the available races for that particular day. 

Scrolling down further, you will see all the races from Indian listed below. Generally, the entire program is listed that includes 5-15 races every day. Each race is given a timestamp for the time it will begin. By clicking on the timestamp you can check every detail of a particular race. Details include the name of the jockey, trainer, and age, weight, and form of the horse. 

The column on the extreme right lets you view current odds of a race. These odds are listed as SP (Starting Price) before they are fixed. For instance, if you place a bet on a horse at the time when the odds are listed as SP, you will be paid the price of the odds and not the starting price after the odds are released which is generally on the day of the race. Fluctuation in the odds won’t affect your winning price as the bet is fixed at the SP. 

Watch for the Fluctuating Odds

Betway is not an ideal place to wager when it comes to odds guarantee. This was observed when comparisons were made with competitor websites such as Bet365. This calls for keeping a regular check on the odds so you are aware of when and which horse to bet on. 

Great for Beginners

Those who are new to horse racing betting or even online betting, Betway is undoubtedly the best option for you to explore. The simple interface and easy-to-understand features make things smooth for every beginner. The no-nonsense layout does not have all the clutter that other sites deliberately display to grab your attention and digress you. 

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888sport orange logo

888Sport

Though not very well-known, 888Sport is among the most reliable online betting sites that you would come across. The platform is great for Indian players as it has a fairly large sportsbook with great selections of popular and some rare sports. For horseracing enthusiasts, 888Sport offers a wide range of markets and events that they can place their bets on. 

Upon entering the site, you will notice that the entire website is loaded with multiple sports features and betting options. Solely, dedicated to sports, there isn’t much confusion for a beginner to find the choice of their sport. When you scroll and find the horse racing section, you will notice that there are hundreds of races listed that are available for you to be at that particular moment. 

By clicking on “Horse racing” option, you will be redirected to the main horse racing section where you will see all the races scheduled for the near future. The races are listed at the centre of the screen so you can easily view them and choose the ones you want to place your bets on. 

To see the list of countries and the horse races from various countries, you need to scroll down to the menu provided on the left-hand side of the page. Many countries are represented on the site along with a variety of options for bettors to wager on. 

Be it gallop, trot, or jump, 888Sport provides everything related to horse race betting. A smart function at 888Sport allows bettors to view three different categories of races which make it easier for them to find the race of their choice. 

Besides horse racing, betting on Greyhounds is also offered. Those interested in betting can click on the Greyhound option which will automatically display all the available races at the centre of the page. 

When you click on a particular race, you will be redirected to a page where all the information about the race will be displayed including the name, age, weight, and form of the horse and name and age of the jockey and trainer. At the bottom of the page, you would find a brief preview analysis featuring vital information about the particular race that would be helpful for you while placing the bet. 

Largest Horse racing Selection

We did a thorough comparison of 888Sport’s sportsbook with other online betting sites and were amazed to see the variety they provide in their horse race betting section. Their selection of races turned out to be the largest among all the betting sites including Bet365 and Betway. So, if you are looking forward to placing bets on different horses from different countries, 888Sport is the ideal place. 

To place a bet, you simply need to click on the name of your favourite horse you want to wager on. After clicking on the horse name, a small popup would appear on the same page which will ask you to enter the stake and check your potential winnings. Unfortunately, 888Sport does not accept deposits in Indian Rupees. Customers need to make the deposit in US Dollars, British Pounds, or Euros

Apart from offering elaborate horse race betting options, 888Sports also has a huge database that contains information about the players that you can use for your research before any race. This would help you place your stakes more wisely and increase your chances of winning. The information includes form guides, details about different jockeys and trainers. 

Free bets of up to $30 are offered, giving users the best possible start. 

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How To Stay Updated About Horse racing?

Educating yourself about any sport or event is extremely important if you are going to wager your valuable money in bets. Similar is the case with horse racing which is a vast arena in terms of the skills and the technical expertise that goes into making the race a success. Therefore, you must gain all the knowledge about the sport from legitimate sources such as indiarace.com that has a large selection of content on horse racing including news, latest updates on upcoming races, odds on every race that is run in India, and much more. 

indiarace.com that has a large selection of content on horse racing including news, latest updates on upcoming races, odds on every race that is run in India

What Does Indiarace Offer?

We went through the website and came across astonishing information and features that are exceptionally helpful in letting you understand even the most technical details about horse race betting. Here we will mention everything that the website offers so you have a better idea about the features before you check out the site. 

Details of All the Stallions in India

As you enter the website, you will see all the menus listed on top of the page just below the banner. The second menu from the left-hand side is named Stud Farms which gives two drop-down options — Listings and Stallions. While the race listings are still to be updated, the Stallions section is loaded with information on every horse that participates in every Indian horse race. 

The listing is done in alphabetical order. You can select the alphabet you want and the names of the horses starting with the particular alphabet would be displayed. Their colour, owners name, gender, year of birth, and the breeding company’s name is mentioned

Race Records

For those who really want to dig into the history of horse racing events, the Archives menu is the appropriate place to explore. You have two drop-down options — Results and Main Events

  • Results: As soon as you click on the Results option, you are redirected to another section that displays a date calender and drop-downs for you to select the city and the year of the race. Upon selecting the city of your choice, you can see the races that were organized that particular year in that city. The days when the races were held are highlighted in grey. You can click on any of the highlighted days to know more about the event. 

Clicking on the event will bring you to another page that displays all the important information about the event including the name of the trophy or the cup, date and time of the event, winner horse, prize money for each spot, odds, names of horses, trainers, jockey, and age and weight of the horse, and much more. Special incidents of every event are also mentioned under the horse list. 

  • Main Events: This section features all the event briefs of major horseraces from the past. You can choose the year and write-ups would be displayed with the date and month. Each write-up has photos and great details about the event mentioned in it.

Photos

This section is pretty interesting as it gives you a glimpse of the past events through the nostalgic and beautiful pictures from various racecourses including the Hyderabad Race Club, Delhi Racecourse, Banglore Race Club, and all the other racecourses managed by the Turfs Authorities of India. All you need to do is select the year and city and the events would be displayed on a calendar, highlighted in grey. 

Glossary

Next to Photos, the Glossary section features all the terminologies and slangs used in horse racing. This section on Indiarace is great for learning the language of horse racing. All the words are briefly explained and are listed in alphabetical order for your convenience. 

Ex-Horse Name Search

In this section, you can look for the horse from the past who no longer serves. Just enter the name of the horse and all the information would be displayed. 

Equines

This is one of the most interesting sections on Indiarace where you can know everything about a horse. The variety of colours, coats, ear, teeth, hooves, and various other features are mentioned of every breed that is available in India. A picture is given with each part name labelled on it. Every part is listed below the image with brief detail. 

Dam and Sire Sections

In both these sections, you can find information on the male and female horse by just entering their name and clicking on “Search”. 

Horse talk

This is the best section on Indiarace where subscribers can talk everything about horse racing and horses. Each thread is listed with its topic name that you can enter anytime to ask questions or join a discussion to put forth your opinion. This way, you will stay updated on everything related to horse racing and become wiser at placing bets on horses.


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