Horse racing is one of the oldest sports in the world. Even in the days of the Roman Empire, people would race horses and chariots around grand tracks in massive amphitheatres.  And although much time has passed since those days, horse racing is still a very popular sport to this very day.

And it isn’t just racing that is a popular sport involving horses, with many events at big occasions like the Olympics that see horses compete in showjumping, eventing and dressage. But it is definitely horse racing that is the most popular amongst all those events, especially when it comes to those who like to place a bet.

But why is horse racing such a popular sport for betting? Well, we’re going to tell you why we think it’s still as popular as it has ever been.

One of the first sports back following COVID-19

As with many sports around the world, horse racing was initially halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, due to the unique nature of the sport, it was one of the first sports to return over the past 12 months.

It already took place outside, so air circulation was never an issue. Add to that the fact each jockey is an individual on their own individual horse and they all start in their own separate gates, social distancing was already pretty much followed. Plus, many races don’t draw big crowds either, as many people watch the races from the comfort of their own home, or in a local bookmakers.

This meant that it was one of the main sports that were able to return to normality pretty quickly, with the only thing they had to do really was to keep crowds out. With it returning to action so quickly, many who missed watching sports began tuning in to see horse racing for that sporting entertainment fix. So what was a loss for other sports, was horse racing’s gain.

Unpredictability and Big Winnings

So here we have two reasons that really, combine together quite well.

Whilst many places will list odds for horse racing, picking favourites and those who are less likely to cross the line first, horse racing is often unpredictable. Yes other sports have unpredictability too, like how no one expected Liverpool FC to come back from 3-0 down at half-time to one of the greatest AC Milan teams of all time to win the Champions League for the 5th time in their history.

But horse racing really is a sport where the underdog does have its day on more than those freak situations in other sports. Quite often you can see a horse that is ranked at odds of 50/1 or even 100/1 winning a race.

The elation that comes with that for the jockey, the trainer, the owner, and anyone who backed the horse to win is like nothing you’ve ever seen. It opens up opportunities to win big amounts of cash if you back it heavily.

But it can be tricky to know when a horse is capable of doing that, so it’s always worthwhile checking out reviews of betting sites that offer great tips that are often successful, such as this FanDuel Review.

Entertainment value

Unpredictability also leads to entertainment value. Watching an underdog beat everyone else on the track can be incredibly entertaining, but not just that, the excitement that is generated by horses breaking away or closing gaps too. I mean the buzz that is generated around a photo finish to see which horse’s nose crosses the line first.

This adds to the reason why people bet, because yes you could play safe and bet favourite after favourite and make some money slowly over time. But the excitement that you get when your horse is leading the pack and you’re cheering it on, there is just nothing like it.