Horse Race Betting Guide: How To Bet On Indian Race?

Horse racing in India has been a popular sport for more than two centuries. One of the first racetracks was set up in Madras where the sport is still massively popular today.

The Indian horse race industry has nine racecourses, managed by six Indian horse racing authorities. There are tons of horse race betting markets available across sportsbooks.

Horse racing satta is very popular across India where sports bettors place wagers on their horses of choice at their favorite racetracks. With conventional bookmakers and pool betting, horse racing is one of the most popular sports to bet on.

One of the biggest horse racing events in the world known as the Kentucky Derby will be held on May 6, 2023 at Churchill Downs complex.

Across the country, state governments have put horse race wagers in the 28% GST tax category. However, there’s no need to worry as we have compiled a list of some of the best Indian horse race betting sites in India where you can easily place your bets without taxes or fees.

Best Horse Race Betting Sites

Bet365 is the best bookmaker for betting on horse races in India. You can bet on Indian horse races at home, in addition to international horse races held in the U.K., Ireland, U.S., and elsewhere. You can also bet on horse races held in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Calcutta, Delhi, Mysore, Madras, and more.

Indian race tracks appear if there is a race scheduled for that particular date. For example, you can only bet on Mysore race odds when they are scheduled, so keep an eye on the track calendar.

Bet365 offers markets for horse racing and also offers easy deposit and withdrawal options. Apart from Bet365, you can also go with Betway, which is another extremely reliable betting site for live horse race betting.

Popular Turf Clubs In India

• Bangalore Turf Club
• Mysore Race Club
• Madras Race Club
• Delhi Race Club
• Royal Calcutta Turf Club
• Hyderabad Race Club
• Royal Western India Turf Club

How To Bet On Indian Horse Race?

Betting on the Indian race is quite easy. You can follow these three simple steps to do so:

Step 1. Make sure you have an account on a betting site.

Step 2. Choose ‘Horse Racing’ on the menu.

Step 3. Go through horse racing betting odds for the various events and place your bets accordingly.

Indian Horse Racing Schedule

Famous Indian Horse Races

Indian horse race has a huge fanbase and there are many types of horse racing events, like the Indian Derby, 1000 Guineas, plus many others where you can place bets and win big money.

Indian Derby

The Indian Derby is the biggest horse racing event in the country; first, run in 1943. It is now held on the first Sunday of February at Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai and is for four-year-old colts and fillies. Indian Derby 2023 will be held on Feb 5, 2023.

Indian 1000 Guineas

The Indian 1000 Guineas is a race for three-year-old fillies which is run in December at the Mumbai track. It is the Indian version of the 1000 Guineas which you can read more about below but it is always a good time to start looking into some Indian 1000 Guineas betting odds.

Indian 2000 Guineas

The Indian 2000 Guineas is India’s version of the English 2000 Guineas race and it is also run in December at the Mumbai track for three-year-olds, but fillies and colts can both enter.

Indian Oaks

The Indian Oaks is a Grade I race in India for 4-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is one of the five Indian classic races and is restricted to fillies. King’s Ransom won the Villoo C. Poonawalla Indian Oaks 2023.

Indian St Leger

The Indian St. Leger is the longest and the last of the five Indian Classic races run by Western India Turf Club.

Online Indian Horse Racing Tips & Odds

To help place your bets, we cover horse racing betting previews and give tips alongside. The Turf Authorities of India guard their hard-won right to offer pari-mutuel betting at their racecourses and off-course centers.

Bettors, however, have broader rights. Putting money down on horses is a skill and is therefore not subject to gambling laws in India. There are no laws stopping people from placing horse racing bets with online betting sites.

Pools Betting vs Fixed Odds

The totalisator, or Tote, is a computerized form of pool betting. It totals all of the wagers made in a given race or combo of races, deducts taxes and fees, and divides the proceeds among the winners as their dividend or payout.

In this sense, the odds offered are “variable”. Before wagering closes and the race begins, the odds will move up or down, depending on how many wagers are made and at what value. At any given moment, a Tote board (computerized display) shows the current odds.

Each club accepts bets at the hundreds of automated Tote booths set up at the racecourses. You can also wager by going to a manned Tote window and buying a cash voucher from a Tote Service Outlet. You can also call over the Tote’s trackside roving operator who carries a hand-held computer.

Some of the clubs also operate off-course centers showing televised races. You can place Tote wagers there. No matter the facility, all of the Tote bets made become part of the same shared pool.

Bookmakers, on the other hand, tend to offer “fixed odds” that pay at a specified rate if the wager succeeds. An example would be picking a horse to win at 5/1 odds. Every Indian Rupee wagered will then win five if the bet succeeds. This way, the bettor receives a fixed price on a bet no matter the subsequent rising or falling odds.

Should You Go With Fixed Horse Racing Odds Or Tote?

Both horses betting online methods involve some risk. A pools wager on the Tote at 5/1 might be worth only 4/1 or 3/1 by the time all of the bets are in or a fixed wager at 5/1 will never deliver more than 5/1 even if the odds then go up to 6/1 or 7/1 before the betting closes.

For this reason, some bookmakers offer a “starting price” or so-called “SP odds”.  The contract is for what the odds are when the betting closes. This is often quite close to the Tote odds.

Of course, clubs compete with bookmakers for customers’ wagers. Therefore, incentives exist to induce more Tote betting. “Fixed Tote odds” “are foremost among these.

In other words, bettors now have the choice to bet at fixed odds with the Tote as a “computerized bookmaker”. The winning amount is paid at odds set at the time of the wager and printed on the ticket.

Horse Race Betting Terms Explained

Here are the most commonly used terms in horse racing:

Win

A horse racing betting wager is made on a specific winner of a particular race; only a horse that finishes first pays a dividend. The minimum bet on the Tote is Rs 10.

To explain this betting market, have a look at the odds:

You can place a bet on either of the three horses with odds displayed right next to it. If you place a 100 INR bet on Juliette, you will make a 75 INR profit according to the odds in case Juliette wins the race.

In case you think none of the three horses will win the race, you can go with ‘Rest’ which will include all the other horses taking part in the race. If any of those horses manage to win, you will win the bet.

Forecast

Two choices are bet together to be the 1st and 2nd placed finishers in a single race in the order selected.

Quinella

Two choices are bet in combination to be the 1st and 2nd placed finishers in a single race in either order.

Place

This horse betting wager requires the choice to finish among the 1st, 2nd or 3rd placed horses in a single race when there are 8-11 runners. If there are fewer runners, it pays only for finishing first or second. If there are more runners, a 4th placed horse will also pay a dividend.

Second Horse Pool (SHP)

Also known as “Second Horse Pool,” this bet chooses a specific horse to come in 2nd (runner-up) in a specific race. The wager loses if the horse wins the race or else comes in third or worse.

Jackpot

This wager requires choosing all of the horse betting winners of five different races. Correctly betting the first four winners, but with the last leg selection failing, will pay a consolation dividend.

Super Jackpot

This wager requires selecting all of the horse betting winners of six different races.  Correctly choosing the first five winners, but with the last leg selection failing, will pay a consolation dividend.

Other Horse Race Betting Markets

Here are a few other types of bets that you should be aware of:

Accumulator

This is a multi-race bet. Selections are made on one horse in each of 2-6 different races to Win or Place. If the first choice is successful, the winnings roll over to the next selection.

As long as selections are successful, the rollovers continue until all selections payout. However, if even one selection is wrong, the entire wager loses.

Bar Bet

This new form of horse racing betting wager, introduced by RWITC, is a bet that any horse other than the favorite will win. In other words, it is a bet on the favorite to lose. Any other horse winning the race will pay a dividend.

Jodi

Not yet widely available, this is a win bet on a combination of two horses in a single race. Either of the two horses winning pays a dividend. The minimum bet unit on the Tote is Rs 10. The ticket will print the winning amount.

Kenchi

This wager requires selecting the horse betting winners in a minimum of three or a maximum of five races. At least two horses winning will pay a dividend.

Tanala

Three selections are bet in combination to be the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers in a single race in the order selected. A correctly chosen winner, but with the second and third choices reversed, will pay a consolation dividend.

Treble

This wager requires choosing all of the horse betting winners of three different races. Only one or two selections being correct will pay no consolation dividend.

Brief History Of Betting On Indian Horse Races

In 1996, the Indian Supreme Court ruled that horse racing betting is a game of skill, not just luck. Since this ruling, Indian horse racing has surged in popularity.

Today, there are six Turf Authorities in India. These race clubs organize Indian race events at nine racecourses found around the country, complete with their own pari-mutuel wagering stations and trackside bookmakers.

There are also many off-course and inter-track betting centers in most states. All offer live TV coverage of the contests and accept bets over the counter.

Horse racing betting is a legal and regulated industry. There are many opportunities for Indians to bet on international horse races online as well like Kentucky Derby, The Breeders’ Cup, Dubai World Cup, and others.

Horse Race Betting FAQs