Harness Racing Betting Sites

Harness racing is one of the three major racing codes in Australia (with the other two being horse racing and greyhound racing). Harness racing is quite popular in this country and betting is common. All the best bookies will offer harness racing betting markets, but it is important to note that bookies no longer offer sign-up bonuses to new customers.

Thinking about betting on harness racing? Well, there are a few key things you need to know and we will go through it all here! Betting online is the easiest way and thanks to betting apps, you can even bet on the go now. There are plenty of betting sites in Australia and they all offer markets on harness racing.

Not all betting sites are created equal though and there are a few in particular that are known for their harness racing betting features and products. Some offer good odds for harness racing markets, while others have heaps of harness racing betting bonuses and some have it all. 

Two bookies in particular that you should consider when betting on harness racing include:

Your harness racing betting strategy really comes down to one thing - the harness racing form. You must look into the form guide as your strategy as, like with horse racing, it can help point you in the direction of the next potential winner.

When it comes to online harness racing betting, here are some of the key form indicators you’ll need to look into to develop your betting strategy:

Speed Map

You might have heard the term “speed map” spoken about in horse racing, but it can also be applied in harness racing. Looking into the speed map is important when it comes to betting on harness racing because the position each runner finds themselves in can determine the main contenders. 

You’ll find that runners who prefer to lead or sit just off the lead have a better strike rate than rivals. Backmarkers have a lot more work to do in harness racing and it can be difficult to overcome. The team at OnlyRacing have found that the leader will usually win around 40% of all races.

Therefore, trying to map who you think is most likely going to lead the race becomes pretty important. The three key positions you should try to map in harness racing are the leader, breeze and behind the leader. It is usually runners in one of these three positions that will go on to win the race.

Race Conditions

The race conditions are essential when it comes to your harness racing online betting strategy. Each track and race will usually have its own set of conditions so if you are betting on Young harness racing, it will probably be different to if you are betting on Albury harness racing.

The class of the event will provide critical information on what may happen in the race. For example, a maiden race features runners who have never run a race and is therefore more difficult to pick and is at a much lower level than other types of races.

Just like in horse racing (and greyhound racing), there are Group One races in harness racing. These are the top-tier races that have the most prize money on offer and therefore attract the best runners. For horse racing in particular, we have a Group One races list that features all the major races on the calendar.

Race Distance

In any form of racing, the distance of the race is very important. The type of horses used in harness racing (standardbred, not thoroughbred like in horse racing) means that they are more capable of racing over vastly different distances. 

This means it isn’t uncommon to see runners contest both short and long-distance races. When it comes to harness racing betting online, you should look at every runner individually and see how they have performed over each race distance.

They might have contested a wide range of distances in their career, but look at the strike rate in particular. If they have a lot of wins in and around the race distance they are contesting in the race you are looking at, that shows they are more likely going to have success again.

Recent Form

Looking into each runner’s recent form is another aspect to consider when developing your harness race betting strategies. Winning form is good form and if a runner is on a hot streak, that is certainly something you can’t ignore.

However, it’s important not to take things at face value either. A particular runner might have won several races in a row, but if they are not high-quality races, that might impact things in the upcoming race. 

The same thing can be said for runners that have finished middle of the pack, but are racing in higher quality races. Looking at sectional times can give you a good indication because it’s pure numbers and doesn’t take into consideration the competition. Compare sectional times of runners you believe have a good chance of winning.

Trainer and Driver

The trainer and driver also need to be considered. There are leading stables right around Australia and they can be a good place to start because they likely have a proven success rate. The best stables also attract the best drivers as well.

While the trainer is critical in doing all the prep work to ensure the runner is ready for the race, the driver is the key piece of the puzzle when it’s time for the race. An experienced versus an inexperienced driver can really be the difference between winning and losing.

Experienced drivers know how to get the most out of horses and you should also consider drivers who have past experience with that particular horse. If the driver and runner have a long relationship, the driver would know exactly how to get the best out of the horse.

Other Considerations

But wait, there’s more! There are a couple of other aspects you should consider when it comes to harness racing in Australia and we list them here:

• Trial Form - If trial vision is available, it’s a good idea to check it out. Trials will provide more insight into whether the runner is ready to make its debut or ready to return from a spell. It is important to remember that drivers won’t be pushing horses in trials, so take everything with a grain of salt.
• Steward Reports - The stewards’ report is important to check out because it can potentially shed light on why a particular runner had a poor race. This could be due to an injury sustained in the race or other factors like if the runner suffered a flat tyre, for example.
• Forgive Run - Leading on from the previous point, you should always forgive a bad run from a horse, especially if there are genuine excuses. No horse is going to be perfect and just like humans, they all have their good and bad days. One bad run shouldn’t define your opinion of the runner.
• Sprint Lane vs. No Sprint Lane - This comes into play depending on where the runner is likely to be in the field during the race (i.e. the speed map). The leading horse (and those near the front of the pack) will have to consider the sprint lane, which is on the inside in the closing stages of the race.
• Gear Changes - Gear changes can tell you a story about each runner and the thoughts of the trainer. They will also point you in the direction of how the runner is likely to be driven in the race, for example, if they are to be driven more aggressively to try and lead.
• Race Replays - It’s a good idea to check out recent race replays if they are available. You can see exactly what went down, like if a runner was held up at a critical point in the race, for example. 

There is certainly no shortage of harness racing betting tips going around in Australia. So, if you don’t want to develop your own strategy, you’re in luck because you’ll find tips for races every day. The tips you’ll find will likely differ depending on where you find them and they will usually centre around different bet types.

It is important to know what the different bet types are when it comes to harness racing betting tips, so you understand what you are betting on. Betting on harness racing should be an enjoyable experience and it is certainly more enjoyable when you know what you are betting on.

All the main harness racing bet types that are available and likely to be used in betting tips include:

As harness racing is one of the most popular events to bet on, you’ll find there are places where you can catch the results and replays of races. The best place to check out harness racing results and replays is harness.org.au. They offer detailed results from all Australian harness racing events.

We’ve tried to answer all questions you might have about betting on harness racing, but we do understand that things sometimes slip through the cracks. This is why we have developed this harness racing betting FAQs section. We have gone through and found all the most common questions people have and answered them here.