How to Choose a Horse to Bet on at Caulfield
Are you interested in punting on the races at Caulfield? Maybe the track is your favourite, or you’re looking to get into the sports betting game and want to start with the Caulfield race? If so, one of the skills you need to develop fast is a keen eye for the winning horse.
There are several factors that you would need to consider when choosing a horse to place your bet on. If you want to play it safe, the wiser move would be to place bets on several horses. However, the strategy comes down to you. Here are some factors that we would recommend you consider when picking a horse at Caulfield.
Understand Caulfield’s Track Layout
You might be asking, What does the track do with choosing the right horse? Different horses deal with different track shapes and conditions better than others. For example, the Caulfield track is a left-handed track with a sharp 1,200m turn and short 367m home straight on it. This means that the leaders and on-pace runners would usually have control over the race, offering the back-markers little room to make up the gap before the race ends.
If you take a closer look at the horses that statistically perform well on tracks like Caulfield, those that perform well with tight turns and have good acceleration, then you may have found a good pick for Caulfield races.
Prioritise Recent Form Over Reputation
Following our last point, ignore all the ranting and raving of supporters or favoured horses. Rather, take a deep dive into the horse’s racing history. Consider at least their last four races on a similar track with a similar start position, distance, and class. If they finished in the last two to three lengths from the winner, even if they didn’t score, it is a good sign.
In addition to that, you also want to try to track their performance trend. Are they improving in performance through the race seasons, or are they gradually declining in performance? Horses that are climbing in performance indicate and coming underdog, which you could use to place a winning bet.
Also, take a look at the jockey and trainer records
Considering the horse is just the first part of the puzzle. Some trainers and jockeys deliberately prepare or set their horses for Caulfield. With this in mind, pulling trainer success stats from races at Caulfield and overlaying that with the jockey records from Caulfield could produce some valuable information for you. Trainers and jockeys with years of experience working with each other and on the Caulfield track could surprise you, even if their horse isn’t top-rated.
Always check the barrier draw
The barrier draws are always an important factor to consider when betting at the Caulfield track. For races up to 1,400m, the inside alleys are winners (lanes 1 to 6) because they allow the horses to hold the rail and conserve their energy. That said, if a horse that’s capable of clearing the pack gets a wide position, they could comfortably still take the lead if they get the right start.
Match the horse to the distance
When it comes to races at Caulfield, you need to remember that horses handle distance differently. This is why you need to match the horse with the distance well before you place a bet.
For example, if a horse is dropping from a 2000m race to a 1600m, they might be able to handle a faster pace better because they’re trained for a longer distance. However, if a horse is going up, say from a 1200m to a 1400m race, they have to push 200m more than they are used to, making the race potentially more challenging. To get an idea of how horses do with different distances, you would need to go over their history with similar races.
Check track conditions and weather
Finally, track conditions and the weather are always going to be something that you need to think about at the Caulfield track. After a heavy rain, the Caulfield track can go from firm to wet very fast. Now, this isn’t a deal breaker if you still want to place a bet on the race, you simply need to look consider what horses fair better in rough conditions than those on firm ground, and visa visa.
If the track is wet, focus on the horses that maintain their form and on the track. The inside alleys might get muddy, so in some cases, those on the wider, less-used alleys may have a better track too.
Stay up to date with Caulfield races
Races at Caulfield can be fast and exciting, with tons of variables to consider. Because of this, it’s important to always check up-to-date races on at Caulfield so you know who’s racing and what potential bets you can place. For this info, check out Ladbrokes to check the odds and do your research. This should maximise your chances of winning.
Final thoughts
When you enter the horse racing world as a punter, you need to understand that every track is different and every horse and jockey have their strengths and weaknesses. As you learn the ins and outs of racing, you’ll get more and more familiar with the characteristics of a winning bet and you might see your bets winning more regularly.
