Unlike racecourse bookmakers who offer you odds – or prices – for betting on each horse in a race, the Tote offers you a pool bet. This means the betting stakes on a given race are pooled together and, like a lottery, is then shared out among customers with winning tickets.

The Tote has a minimum bet of just £2 and accepts cash and card across all courses making it one of the most convenient ways to place a bet on-course.

Win and each way (Win and Place) bets are very popular with customers. However, you may also try to win more with an Exacta, where you need to pick the first two in the correct order.

Betting with the Tote at on-course supports racing, most of the revenue taken here at Redcar flowing back to our racecourse. So, by choosing to bet with the Tote, you can do so knowing that racing is benefiting too.

The bookmakers display their odds for each race and compete to offer the best price to customers, the price taken at the time of your bet will be fixed, unlike betting with Tote which can fluctuate depending on the market.

Additionally, we have a William Hill betting shop located on the ground floor of the Petch Stand in the Grandstand Enclosure, offering the wide range of services and betting opportunities which you get on the High Street.

We are delighted to be able offer all racegoers access to free Wi-Fi during your visit. 

With our  Wi-Fi, you are able to access a range of betting partners to place an online bet. 

Win

The simplest and most rewarding bet. Your horse must finish first with the jockey intact.

e.g “£5 on 6 to win” (6 being the number given to the horse and jockey which is represented in the race card or on the boards above the betting station, if you aren’t placing a bet on the next race to take place make sure the bookie is aware of this)

Each Way

This incorporates two bets in one- you are betting on your horse to win or be placed. (so a £5 each way bet will cost £10 as you are betting £5 on it to win and £5 for a place.)

e.g “£5 each way on 6”

Each way bets are as follows:

• Up to 4 runners- no place betting
• 5-7 runners- 1st & 2nd
• 8+ runners- 1st, 2nd & 3rd
• Handicap 16+ runners – 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

Exacta

If you fancy having a go at winning big on one of the races, the Exacta could be an opportunity to do just that. Select the first two past the post in the correct order for a chance to win a share of the Exacta dividend.

e.g. “£2 exacta 5 and 3” would mean you need number 5 to win the race and number 3 to finish 2nd.

Placepot

One of the most famous tote bets is the Placepot which rewards customers who can pick a horse to place in each of the first 6 races. It’s a chance to win big from a small stake, with the average Placepot payout in 2018 being £454 to a £1 stake.

At the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, one racecourse customer won more than £90,000 to a £1 stake!

To take part, just fill in a Placepot slip at any Tote kiosk and hand it to a member of the team.

Just remember, to join in, you need to do your Placepot before Race 1.

Not sure which horses to choose? Try a lucky pick bet

A ‘lucky pick’ bet, is the easiest way to bet on-course. Similar to the lucky dip on the National Lottery, the lucky pick is designed to be smart as it uses a special formula which is weighted towards the more likely outcomes in an event.

Lucky pick is available for any Tote bet. So, you could get a lucky pick placepot at the start of the day and ask for lucky pick win bets on any race.

Accumulator: bet involving two or more selections in different races – winnings from one are placed on the next.

Allowance: the weight concession the horse is given to compensate for its rider’s inexperience – a greener horse carries less weight.

Also ran: any horse not finishing 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th in a race or event.

Bar: a betting term that denotes that all horses not already listed in the betting market for a race are at the bar price or longer odds.

Each-way: a bet in two equal parts – one backing a horse to win and the other backing it to finish in the first three.

Evens or even money: betting odds where your stake exactly equals your winnings – £5 at evens wins a further £5.

Form: A horse's race record.

For many people, having a bet – or a flutter – is part of the theatre and excitement of a day at the races, but it can be an intimidating experience until you feel like you’ve got a basic understanding of odds (see our handy guide beneath).

That’s why we’ve put together a simple guide to placing a bet to help you make the most of your day.

How and where to place a bet

It’s easier than you might think to place a bet at the races. You simply need to:

1. Choose your favoured horse from the racecard and remember their name and number
2. Decide the amount (the stake) you are comfortable with
3. Choose the type of bet you would like to place
4. Take your pick from the bookmakers at the betting ring
5. Tell the bookmaker the horse’s number, the amount you want to bet and the type of bet, for example, “£5 each way on number 5”

The bookmakers typically have a minimum stake for placing a bet, but this will be clearly displayed on their boards.

You’ll be given a ticket once your bet has been placed; be sure to keep hold of it – if you win, you’ll need it to collect your winnings from the bookmaker.

What to do if you win

After a race, the winning and placed horses enter the winner’s enclosure. Jockeys dismount and return to the Weighing Room complex to weigh in with their kit and saddle.

Once the raceday officials are happy with the weights, you will hear “Weighed in, weighed in!” over the Tannoy to confirm the official result of the race.

At this point, you can hand over your betting slip to the bookmaker you wagered with to receive your winnings. If you placed a bet online, your account should be automatically credited.

The only time this might be delayed is when a Stewards’ Enquiry is called and officials need to look into a specific part of the race to ensure that no rules have been breached by a jockey and/or trainer.

What are the common terms and phrases in horse racing?

In many cases, the jargon behind the racing is the main barrier to understanding how to place a bet, but it’s not as complicated as it might sound.

If a horse has ‘long odds’, for instance, it simply means that it has a low chance of winning based on a number of factors that you’ll find on the racecard, but it also means that you’ll get more back for your stake if it wins.

Find out more about horseracing jargon in our guide (above).

How to read the form

If you want to get more familiar with the racecard to inform your bet, you can try to pick a winner by reading the form. This gives you a series of numbers and letters next to each horse’s name to indicate how it has performed in recent races. If there are more 1s, 2s and 3s than there are 7s, 8s and 9s next to the horse you like, you might have a better chance of winning.

Tips for betting at the races

• Having a bet is not compulsory, of course; the choice is entirely up to you.
• If you bet with a bookmaker or The Tote, keep hold of your ticket as you’ll need it to collect any winnings.
• Don’t be shy! The bookies and other punters on the course will be more than happy to teach you how to bet on horses.

There are two ways odds – or prices – are displayed at racecourses in Britain: the traditional fractional system or the more recently introduced decimal system.

Fractional odds:

These are usually displayed in this format: 4/1.

In spoken form this is “Four-to-one” and sometimes this can be written as: 4-1.

Odds are just maths. To illustrate some examples, let’s call each number a unit. So:

4/1: For every 1 unit you stake, you will receive 4 units if you win (plus your stake).
7/2: For every 2 units you stake, you will receive 7 units if you win (plus your stake).
9/4: For every 4 units you stake, you will receive 9 units if you win (plus your stake).

If you see fractional odds the other way round – such as 1/4 – this is called odds-on and means the horse in question is a hot favourite to win the race.

In spoken form this is “Four-to-one on”.

1/4: For every 4 units you stake, you will receive 1 unit if you win (plus your stake).
1/2: For every 2 units you stake, you will receive 1 unit if you win (plus your stake).

Sometimes you will see Evens or EVS displayed. This is the equivalent of a 1/1 fraction. Again it means the horse in question is expected to win the race.

EVS: For every 1 unit you stake, you will receive 1 unit if you win (plus your stake).

Decimal odds:

These are usually displayed in this format: 5.00.

5.00: Simply multiply this number by your stake to calculate your total potential returns if you are placing a win bet. Unlike fractional odds, your stake is already factored into this price i.e. this is the equivalent of 4/1 plus the 1 unit you stake.

Favourites:

Each race has a favourite. This is the horse most likely to win, which is reflected in having the shortest price displayed with betting operators.

You will see an F alongside the horse’s odds when they are the favourite. If more than one horse has the same odds of winning according to the betting market, this will be displayed as JF, meaning joint-favourite.

What about odds when betting each-way?

Racecourse bookmakers operating at Jockey Club Racecourses must meet (or exceed in the customer’s favour) a standard set of terms if you decide to place an each-way bet.

You will appreciate it is not affordable for bookmakers to pay out on all four places in a four runner race (!) so these agreed terms concerning place part of your each-way bet have to vary dependent on the number of runners and type of race. These are:

• Races with 3 or runners: win bets only, unless the bookmaker chooses to offer 1/5 (one fifth) of the stated odds for finishing 1st or 2nd
• Races with 3 or 4 runners: 1/5 (one fifth) of the stated odds for finishing 1st or 2nd
• Races with 5 to 7 runners (inclusive): 1/4 (one quarter) odds for finishing 1st or 2nd
• Races with 8 or more runners: 1/5 odds for finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd
• Handicap races with 12 to 15 runners (inclusive): 1/4 odds for finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd
• Handicap races with 16 to 21 runners (inclusive): 1/5 odds for finishing 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th
• Handicap races with 22 or more runners: 1/4 odds for finishing 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th

Redcar Racecourse operates the Challenge 21 scheme for betting.

Please remember that if you are 21 and lucky enough to look younger you should carry identification with you as you will be asked to prove that you are over 18 when attempting to place a bet.

If you are unable to prove that you are over 18 and attempt to place a bet you will be asked to leave the racecourse premises.

If in doubt, bring your I.D.

Have you ever made a bet you knew you shouldn't?

Bet Regret (noun) - the sinking feeling you get the minute you make a bet without thinking it through. Often when chasing losses, bored or inebriated.

National Gambling Helpline

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