Harness racing betting in Australia is more popular than you might think. This tells you all need to know about wagering on this specific code of horse racing. From the top sites for betting on harness racing to markets and more information about the sport, we can put you in the picture.

How we Rank Sites with Betting on Harness Racing

There is plenty of choice when it comes to places to bet on Australian harness racing right now. It can be difficult for those of you who are new to gambling to know what the best looks like. We asked experts who bet on both horse racing betting sites in general and Australia harness racing specifically for what to look out for. It’s these key factors that you should consider before joining any harness racing betting site today:

What is Harness Racing?

You may be wondering just what is harness racing and how does it differ from regular horse racing? It is important to understand the basics of any sports event before you start betting on it. With Australian harness racing but not in other countries, there are two types of gait for the competing horses. Trotting and pacing. At the trot, horses move their four legs in diagonal pairs. With pacers, the leg movement is lateral. See similarities and difference between harness and horse racing below:

Where Can You Bet on Harness Racing in Australia

The great thing about Australian harness racing betting is that there are plenty of tracks to go at. There are more than 110 different venues that host Australia harness racing events. Well over half of those are in the states of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria alone. Here are lists of them in full state by state:

 

Australia Harness Racing Betting Markets

You may notice that many of the harness racing betting markets available are similar to those for regular horse racing wagers. Newbies may not be aware of either, though, so let’s take a look at the most popular ways that people in Australia bet on harness racing today with explanations.

Win

The most common form of harness racing betting Australia has to offer is backing a horse for the win. You can either do this using a fixed odds betting service provided by the bookies themselves, or through the Tote pool betting options available.

Place

Place betting on harness racing is where you wager on the horse finishing in a place. The number of runners in harness racing fields determine how many place a bet pays out on. This will be either two, three or four, or none at all if there aren’t enough horses running after being scratched.

Exotics

There are also a series of wagers collectively known as Exotic bets available for harness racing betting in Australia. These all involve backing multiple horses in the same race and also concern the finishing order. Exotic bets include:

Exacta

An Exacta sees you name two horses to finish first and second in a harness race in a specific order. That must be the precise result for the wager to pay out. In Australia, the Exacta and other Exotics are most associated with the pool betting that happens through the Tote.

Quinella

The Quinella is actually two bets in one as you take the two named horses from an Exacta and don’t specify the order. It doesn’t matter which comes first, so long as that combination fills the first two places. Be aware that at least one permutation of the wager is guaranteed to lose. A Quinella is effectively a boxed Exacta with two selections in it.

Trifecta

A Trifecta is like an Exacta but with a named horse to finish third as well. You bet on certain horses finishing first, second and third in a set order. As there is an additional place in this wager, it is more difficult to win. You can box a Trifecta. That means adding selections and increasing your unit stake but it allows you to cover more horses and potential outcomes.

First Four

The most complicated of all Exotic bets, a First Four sees you name four horses to first, second, third and fourth in a given order. Pulling off such a wager on harness racing is highly difficult. You can box a First Four and add more selections, so you cover more permutation but the unit stake multiplies.

Same Race Multis

One of the newest innovations in harness racing betting for Australian punters is the Same Race Multi. Here, you wager on various things happening in the same event. For example, Horse A to win, Horse C to be placed but Horse B not to be placed. This provides you with the opportunity to get bigger prices for a race than standard win and place wagers.

Harness Racing Glossary

If you want to understand harness racing betting properly, then you need to know key terms and what they mean. This goes far beyond answering the question what is harness racing and is about defining certain jargon. Every sport has it, and the harness racing Australia has to offer is no different. Get yourself clued up on these terms:

The Biggest Australian Harness Racing Events

Just like with Melbourne Cup betting in regular horse racing, there are certain valuable and historic harness races that people in Australia wager on. There are more events for pacers than trotters in this region, so that is reflected in the program of racing offered. The table below contains four of the biggest harness races in Australia. Each of these harness racing results shapes the Inter Dominion Pacing Championship or Inter Dominion Trotting Championship:

Harness Racing Betting Tips

There are plenty of so-called harness racing betting systems out there you could follow. How do you know what advice is best? We asked our experts to give their top harness racing tips to consider before betting. This is what they came back to us with for you. Follow these three harness racing betting tips and you will stand a better chance of finding more winners:

The Bottom Line on Harness Racing Betting

So, that is that for betting on harness racing in Australia now. It is surprisingly popular with so many venues and races to wager on. Australian harness racing today is in a great position, so long may that continue. Now that you understand what it is, have picked up a few harness racing betting tips and know more about markets, you should make better choices about where to place your bets.

FAQs

How do You Bet on Harness Racing?

Betting on harness racing is much the same as regular horse racing. Find the meeting and race you wish to bet on, add your selection(s) to the betslip when logged in to your online betting account and enter your stake. Confirm your wager before placing it.

Does Harness Racing Still Exist?

The harness racing Australia has to offer is alive and well. There are well over 100 tracks dedicated to staging harness races in Australian states, the majority of which can be found in either New South Wales (NSW) or Victoria.

Which Harness Race is Faster: Pacer or Trotter?

Pacers are faster harness races than trotters. This is because of the lateral gait allowed by hopples that tie fore and rear legs on the same side of a horse together. Trotters must move their legs diagonally.

What is a Harness Racing Driver Called?

It would be wrong to refer to a harness racing driver as a jockey, because in Australia they do not ride on the horse's back. Instead, a two-wheeled cart called a sulky is pulled by horses in harness races and occupied by the driver. Those who aren't driving their own horses are called catch drivers.