is an exhilirating way to spend a Saturday afternoon at the horse racing track. For newcomers to the sport, it helps to have a sound knowledge of the various betting options available.

The whole idea of the bet is to win by beating the odds, which are fixed by someone known as the Oddsmaker or otherwise as the Odds Compiler. The way to place your wager is through Sports Books, either physically, or online. Please note that the Oddsmakers set the betting odds, whereas your Sports Books simply accepts the bet you place.

There are many different kinds of bets, the most commonly used one being the Straight bet. As the name suggests, you place a single bet on your chosen horse and if it crosses the finish line in first place, you win. The Place Option can be selected instead and this means that if your horse crosses the finish line in first or second place that you will win the bet.

Show is a bet placed to encompass the odds of your chosen horse finishing in either first, second or third place. As we look at further options the betting becomes far more interesting and intricate. The Combination Bet gives you the option of picking up to four horses to win, but the order has to be specified.

If you are in the mood to choose the winners of three consecutive races, you would select the Pick 3 betting option. Select Pick 6 and you can choose the winning horses to finish in six consecutive races. Some racetracks give the option to pick from the first set of six races, the middle set of six races and the last set of six races.

The Quiniela or the Reverse Forecast is a UK concept offering the option to choose the winning or second place horses in two consecutive races in any order. You can pick the Perfecta or Straight Forecast betting option to choose two horses to finish in a set order of first and second place.

The Treble Forecast, better known as the Trifecta, provides a person the option to select three horses to cross the finish line in a set order. If you place a Superfecta bet, you would choose four horses to cross the finish line in a specific order. To bet on the Daily Double means that you select the first and second race winners on the day before the first race is run. As you can see, horse race betting is no simple matter!. If you want to bet on a chance with the Jackpot, you would pick six winning horses and then you would share in a portion of the racetrack's daily jackpot prize.

Parlay or Accumulator betting will allow you to place simultaneous bets on two or more races for that chosen day. Future betting is made on upcoming races that have not yet been run. This will most likely vary depending on the racetrack you are betting at.

is by any standards a complex and exciting pastime that requires a combination of luck, skill and a knowledge of the sport. A measure of luck and skill are needed to be successful at it and a good background of the sport will certainly help.