The first racecourse at Town Moor was already present on the 1595 map of the place. Today, the Doncaster Racecourse is also often referred to as the Town Moor course. The current racecourse dates back to 1776 and stays active all year around.
Doncaster Racecourse is home to Britain’s oldest Classic Race, St Leger Stakes, that takes place every September and closes the season’s Classic round. It is also part of the English Triple Crown, together with the 2000 Guineas and the Derby.
But it is not the only historically important race in the history of British horse racing that takes place at Doncaster. The Doncaster Cup that happens every September is the oldest continuing regulated horse race in the world.
Summer season at Doncaster Racecourse starts at the end of March and continues until late November. St Leger Stakes and the Racing Post Trophy are the two out of Britain’s 36 Group 1 flat races that are conducted here. The winter season that lasts from late November to late March offers jump races.
Doncaster races betting is an important part of spending your day at the Town Moor course. In this article we will take a close look at most popular types of horse racing bets, find out what influences the formation of betting odds, and offer some tips for responsible and safe horse betting.
Types of Bets Available at Doncaster
Betting on Doncaster horse racing events is possible both at the venue and online. If you take a look at the offers major bookmaker platforms have, you will notice that most of them will include Doncaster racing meetings into their betting markets. Horse racing includes a variety of bets, with some of the most popular ones being:
- Win: Punters love this bet because it is straightforward and easily understood even by novices. Choose a horse that in your opinion can finish the race first and put your wager on it. If this horse does become the winner, your stake qualifies for a payout.
- Place: If you find a horse that in your opinion has the potential to take a winning place but you want to safeguard your bet in case it doesn’t finish first, you can place your wager on this bet. The winning top is determined based on the number of runners in the race and can be between top two and top four. The horse you chose can be placed in any of those positions for your bet to win.
- First Two (or First Three): This bet takes things one step further and asks you to predict the first two or the first three horses to come to the finish (depending on the number of participating horses). Naming them, though, won’t be enough. You also need to predict the order in which each of them will reach the finish line to get the payout.
- Two From Three: This bet is somewhat similar to the previous one, but puts less pressure on you as a bettor. Here the order in which the winning horses will finish the race doesn’t matter, all you have to do is name any two out of the first three horses to reach the finish line.
What Influences Betting Odds?
Doncaster betting odds are influenced by the same factors that form the odds for other major horse racing competitions. Some of them affect every sport type, others only apply to horse racing events. If you want to be an informed punter and practice responsible betting, you should know these factors and understand how they function in the setting of the Doncaster Racecourse. Here are some of the key aspects bookmakers base their odds on.
- Form of the horse and jockey. The form of the athlete is an important factor for the result of any sporting event. But in horse racing you should be looking both at the horse and the jockey riding it. Are any of them recovering from an injury? Has their performance in other races been not as good as usual? The answers to these questions play a huge role in what the odds will be. You should also consider this when placing a wager.
- Track conditions. Both physical and online race cards will mention the track condition, otherwise also known as “going”. The condition of the terrain has a significant effect on the horse’s performance. Track conditions can be standard, good, soft, hard, or mixed (in this case the race card will say something like “good to soft in places”). Track conditions will change several times before the race starts, so odds are also likely to change based on that.
- Draw bias. Draw bias is the stall position in which the horse is placed before the start of the race. The starting position does matter, especially on larger courses. Depending on where it has been placed, the horse may be at a considerable advantage or equally considerable disadvantage compared to other horses. Draw bias depends on the racecourse layout and size, so it won’t be the same on every racecourse.
- Trainer and owner history at Doncaster. Trainer and even owner are a very important part of the racing team, and the bookies will always look at how they have previously performed at this particular racecourse to try and predict what the results will be this time. Those who have won a race at Doncaster or have shown outstanding results, are more likely to be considered as race favourites.
- Market sentiment and late changes in the odds. You may not realise it but the way punters bet at the early stages may also influence how the bookmakers will adjust the odds later on.
Where to Bet Online on Doncaster Races
Any respectable bookmaker platform that includes horse racing will offer Doncaster betting options. At 7bet, we offer a wide range of horse race betting markets.
Horse betting odds at 7bet are published a few days prior to the event, so don’t forget to visit our horse betting page.
As the factors that participate in the formation of the betting odds are very dynamic, the odds are also subject to change an indefinite number of times before the race starts. If you are planning to place a wager, don’t forget to check the latest updates on the odds. This will help you make an informed decision and avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Betting at Racecourse
Even though online betting is a popular form of gambling, most major racecourses still offer betting options at the venue for those who want to add some thrill to their day at the races. If you are planning a visit to the Doncaster Racecourse, you will find multiple opportunities to place a bet at the course.
Multiple bookmakers will often have their betting facilities on the grounds during the race day. They will accept your bets in person just like they would do it online. Another fun option for those who want to plunge into the atmosphere of the old days are bookmakers that place their stands in front of the racing tracks. They operate just like it used to be before computers were introduced, writing odds on a blackboard.
British horse racing events have included tote betting for almost a century now. This method works very much like a lottery, where instead of betting against the bookie, you simply place your wager in the pool. Should your bet win, you get a share of the pool. This share will be proportional to the number of people who betted on this horse.
Check the Doncaster Racecourse official website before you travel to know what specific betting options will be available on the day of the meeting.
Betting at the racecourse adds a layer of excitement to your experience. As an additional bonus, you won’t have to constantly check the updates on the odds because they will be changing live right in front of you. And unlike the betting platforms where it takes some time for your withdrawal to be completed, here you get your payout almost instantly.
If you are travelling to the Doncaster Racecourse for a racing meeting, try arriving earlier and check out your betting options. The odds might change during the day but you will get to know the bookmakers and their offers and decide which one works the best for you.
Minimum stake requirements may apply, so make sure you check them in advance. Doncaster Racecourse operates on a cashless basis, with restaurants and bars accepting debit and credit cards. However, all bookmakers will accept cash that you will have to bring with you as there are no cash machines on the site. Some bookmakers might accept debit cards (you will have to check with them), but under the gambling regulations they are not allowed to accept credit cards.
Doncaster Betting Tips
At 7bet, we advocate for responsible gambling, so to help you have a great day at the course we wanted to share some tips for Doncaster races that will enhance your overall experience and ensure safe gambling practice.
- Watch past races and trends at Doncaster. Past races and trends can tell you a lot about what you can expect from the current race. While nothing is 100 per cent definitive at the race (or any other sporting event, for that matter), it can still be a valuable insight that will help you make an informed decision and practice safe gambling.
- Use form guides and race previews. The internet is full of resources that provide information on the physical form of horses as well as jockeys before the race. There you can also find reviews and expert predictions of the outcome. The main thing here is to identify the trustworthy sources that provide reliable information. Another thing you can do if you bet with the Doncaster on course bookmakers is to study the race card to evaluate all participants. When you are at the venue, take some time to visit the Parade Ring and see the horses and jockeys before the race to assess their form.
- Follow trainer/jockey records at the course. As we said before, not only horses but also jockeys and trainers may perform differently on different courses. Of course, this doesn’t mean that those who have previously lost at Doncaster can’t win the next time, but this may be a significant factor when making a betting decision. It might be especially important for novice bettors who are still not very experienced at assessing the horse and the jockey’s current form.
- Pay attention to draw bias and field size. The position from which the horse starts the race can have an immense effect on the final result. In order to work the draw bias into your betting decision, you need to understand which stalls at the Doncaster Racecourse are considered as more advantageous and which are not. Draw bias depends on several factors: race distance, field size, condition of the track, as well as the track layout. That’s why it is not universal for every racecourse.
- Consider the timing of your bet. Market move is a well known phenomenon in sports betting. This is the way the odds change for an athlete before the start of the event. It works the same way for the horses participating in the race. Betting markets keep changing all the time until the start of the event. As it is quite impossible to predict with any share of guarantee how the odds will look at any given moment, there is no foolproof answer as to when you should be placing your bet. What you can do though is to factor in such aspects as track conditions, market percentage, and prices provided by reliable sources. This might help you make a decision on whether you should be betting earlier or later.
While there are no guarantees in gambling, incorporating these tips into your betting process will help you manage your budget better and make informed decisions rather than place wagers at random. This way you can practice responsible and safe gambling.
Betting is only available to participants above 18 years. Please bet responsibly. BeGambleAware.org