NZ Horse Racing Betting

Horse Racing betting dates back to the early 1600's in the UK, long before the first Pakeha came to New Zealand, and as such, it has a rich history in both New Zealand and the rest of the Commonwealth.

Before betting went online in the late 1990s all horse racing betting was done at the race track or in physical betting outlets. However, as with sports betting, much of NZ's racing betting is now done online, or on betting apps, with the TAB and other international betting sites.

How to Bet on Horses

Despite the racing slang, which can be confusing for new punters, betting on horse racing is actually pretty easy, especially with any of the top online bookmakers that we list on this site.

To bet on horses online:

1. Choose a good betting site: We recommend sticking with the betting sites listed on this page. They all offer competitive horse racing odds to New Zealand players and you can bet with New Zealand dollars.
2. Sign-up and claim your bonus: Simply follow any of the links on this page to a racing betting site, sign-up, and then make an initial deposit or place your first bet (depending on the T's & C's) to claim your horse racing bonus.
3. Find a race: On any given day of the week, there are countless races that are available to bet on. New Zealand, Australia, the USA, Canada and the UK have some of the biggest horse racing markets. Don't worry about sticking with New Zealand races as you'll be able to find statistics and race form information for all international races online too.
4. Pick or horse (or a few): Horse racing bets vary (see below) and you can bet on one, or multiple horses, in any given race. Betting sites provide information about the jockey, the track, the horse and its previous race form so you can make informed bets.
5. Choose your bet: Decide whether you think the horse will win, or place. Maybe you even think you know which horses will be the top 3. In any case, pick the bet type that you think makes the most sense.
6. Place your bet: After selecting your horse(s) and what kind of bet you want to place, simply hit 'place bet' or 'bet now' and you're good to go!

Types of Horse Racing Bets

The unique language of horse racing betting can be off-putting to people who are just starting to bet on the races so we have listed some of the most common horse racing bets below.

Best Horse Betting Sites in New Zealand 2024

1. Betway → Best Odds Guarantee
2. Bet365 → Excellent futures options
3. 888sport → Pays out at best price
4. Ladbrokes → Great AU & NZ focus
5. PlayUp → Best fixed odds prices
6. Neds → Same Race Multis
7. Betstar → Full form guides
8. Bookmaker → Protest payout

There are a number of things you'll want to consider before placing a racing bet.

Many punters want to secure the best odds, while others consider statistics the most important factor when deciding where to bet. And some people just like to bet on horses with funny names.

Whatever type of bettor you are, we have listed some of the things you'll definitely want to keep in mind before you bet on a horse, as well as some important distinctions about different racing odds.

Questions to keep in mind when betting on horses:

1️⃣ How is the horse's previous form?

A horse's form will be displayed for the last 6 races. For example, it may look like this:

682F54

Here, the numbers represent where the horse finished, for example, this horse finished in 4th place in it's most recent race. The F means that the horse 'Fell' in its 4th race.

2️⃣ What is the jockey like?

You'll want to consider how successful the Jockey has been in past races. Has it ever ridden with this horse before or does it have experience at this race track? Even the Jockey's weight can be important since the horse has to carry the jockey around the track.

3️⃣ How has the horse been running?

Like humans, horses have different running styles that suit different tracks. Daintier horses are generally better on firm surfaces where there is more resistance whereas horses that hit the ground hard are often more suited to softer tracks that are more forgiving.

4️⃣ What distance is the horse running?

Horses also have different strengths based on different distances. For example, a horse may be more of a sprinter, so better suited to short distances, or maybe they take time to get up to speed so they are better in longer races.

5️⃣ Are the odds fixed or tote?

Horse racing odds can either be fixed or tote odds. Fixed odds cannot change so the odds you see when you place your bet are the odds you will receive if your bet wins. Tote odds, on the other hand, can change based on the bets of other punters for the same race. See the more detailed explanation below to decide which type of horse racing odds is right for you.

Fixed Odds vs. Tote Odds

Most racing bookmakers offer both fixed and tote odds for horse races so it's up to you to decide which type of odds is right for you.

As the name suggests, fixed odds do not change. Therefore the odds you see when you place your bet are the odds you will receive if your bet wins.

Tote odds fluctuate until the last moment before the race. This is because the tote odds for any given horse in a race are impacted by the bets of other punters.

The odds you receive with a tote bet are the odds that the horse you bet on has when the race markets close.

If somebody, or many people, decide to back a certain horse, its odds will decrease so the bookmaker doesn't lose too much if this horse wins. Conversely, if nobody backs a certain horse, it's tote odds will increase in the moments leading up to the start of a race.

Best Odds Guarantee

Bet365, Betway and 888sport all offer New Zealand punters a Best Odds Guarantee for UK and Irish horse races.

This means that Kiwis don't have to worry about searching for the best value in their offshore racing bets as these betting sites will always give you the best odds, whether that's the starting odds, or the tote odds when you place your bet.

Be aware that there can be restrictions placed on best odds guarantees like that it only applies to bets placed after 9 am on race day. To be sure you are receiving the best racing odds, check the T&C's.

These three bookmakers also all offer live-streaming which makes betting on UK and Irish horse racing both easy, and profitable.

Ante-Post Racing Odds

Ante-post horse racing odds refer to odds for future races that are given at least a day in advance. This is commonly offered for big horse racing events like Cheltenham Gold Cup, Melbourne Cup and Grand National, but many of the top offshore bookies also offer ante-post racing odds for smaller meets.

Betting on Ante-Post odds is popular for experienced bettors who think they can find additional value on early bets for horses that might have lower odds on race day.

Betway, Bet365 and 888sport all offer great horse racing bonuses for existing customers.

Some of the most common NZ racing bonuses are listed below but you'll find all of the current horse racing offers on the bookmaker you choose under the 'Promotions' tab.

❌ Non-runner No Bet

If you back a horse and then they get scratched (don't end up running), then you will receive your bet stake back.

🚀 Racing Boosts

You can receive boosted odds on certain races or certain horses. This is especially true for horses that aren't favourites and that the bookie wants you to bet on because they are trying to get punters to bet on horses that fewer people have backed

💰 Racing Free Bets

Betway's free bet club or 888sport's free bet promotions are great places to secure free bets for horse races. Often you will have to make one, or more, bets of your own before you receive a free bet but if you were planning on having a flutter anyway then this is a great way to earn some extra winnings.

📈 Racing Accumulator Boosts

When you bet on multiple races in a single bet many of the top horse racing betting sites will give you boosted odds. Of course, it is hard to pick multiple winning horse racing bets but if you do, you can receive great payouts with Acca boosts.

To compete with TAB racing and NZ Trackside, many of the best horse racing sites also offer live streaming of international horse races from the UK, Ireland, USA, Australia and of course, at home here in New Zealand.

In general, you have to have at least a small stake placed on a race to be able to watch the live-stream

Live-streaming is a huge drawcard for anybody who likes to bet on the races, after all, what is more thrilling than yelling at the TV or your mobile phone for your horse to "giddy up" while the commentator is talking in that funny voice?

TAB racing covers all of New Zealand's three big racing codes - NZ thoroughbred racing, NZ harness racing and NZ greyhound racing.

Betting on racing with the TAB is by far the most popular way New Zealanders bet on horses and greyhounds but many New Zealanders don't realize that other international bookmakers often have better odds, more international racing markets and great boosts and bonuses that can add value to their racing bets.

You can read more about the TAB NZ and their sports betting and racing offerings on our TAB NZ review.

NZ Thoroughbred Racing

Sometimes referred to as gallops or gallopers, NZ thoroughbred racing is New Zealand's most lucrative and popular form of racing.

Thoroughbreds are a breed of horses that all originate from three stallions that were imported into Englund in the 17th and 18th centuries. Thoroughbreds are bred to race and are known for their agility, spirit and speed.

Thoroughbred horses are raced by a jockey who rides on the back of the horse.

NZ thoroughbred racing occurs throughout New Zealand at big racecourses like Riccarton Park, Awapuni, Ellerslie Racecourse, Trentham Racecourse and Hastings Racecourse but also at a number of smaller tracks like Tauherenikau Racecourse, Ascot Park and Avondale.

New Zealand's richest thoroughbred race is the Karaka Million where the stake is $1 million. Some of NZ's other big thoroughbred races are the New Zealand Cup, Auckland Cup, Wellington Cup, Railway Stakes, New Zealand Derby and New Zealand Oaks.

Punters can bet on all NZ thoroughbred races at the TAB or with any of the horse racing betting sites we recommend.

NZ Harness Racing

Harness racing in New Zealand has two different forms based on the way the horse runs.

• Pacing: the two legs on the same side of the horse move forward at the same time
• Trotting: the two diagonally opposite legs of the horse move forward at the same time

Pacing is more popular than trotting in New Zealand and as such NZ pacing races are more lucrative. Pacing is also generally faster than trotting.

NZ harness racing horses are Standardbred horses that originate from the USA.

In trotting and pacing, the driver sites in a two-wheeled cart.

Some of New Zealand's biggest harness races are the New Zealand Trotting Cup, Auckland Trotting Cup, Noel J Taylor Memorial Mile, New Zealand Derby, Dominion Handicap and Rowe Cup.